The Influence of Faith


My Christian faith influences every area of my life. If we are honest about who we are before the Lord, then it cannot do less. There are some regular marks of Christian faith in my life, which might be expected in any Jesus follower. These include church attendance, Bible reading, journaling, tithing, and faithfulness in my marriage. However, there are some specific examples of how my daily life is shaped by my faith which may be particularly distinguishing, and I will attempt to illustrate those.
 
(Of course, let's not forget that I'm still very much a work in progress. I mess up. I fail. I act like a jerk. I'm trying to be like Jesus, I'm not him.)

There are some particular beliefs, behaviors, and choices in my life which are motivated by my confidence in the reality of Jesus and my desire to become more like Him. These are my religious parameters for daily living, understanding that ‘religious’ refers only to my efforts to please and glorify God with my living, not to a rigid structure that defines the whole of my ‘relationship’ with God. In many cases and in combination, these beliefs, behaviors, and choices make the influence of my Christian faith on my daily living unique from other believers.

I believe God speaks through the Bible, so I try to meditate on scripture throughout the day. I believe God does miracles, so when I see a need I pray for it. I believe that music has a powerful influence on the human soul, so I listen almost exclusively to Christian music. I believe everything we see shapes who we become, so we do not watch television or most secular movies in our family. I believe in the power of spiritual darkness, so our family does not participate in Halloween. I believe in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, so I read scripture and pray over my daughter every night. I believe in the power of forgiveness, so I forgive. I believe in learning, so I read as much as I can. I believe in evangelism, so I often share Jesus with people wherever I meet them. I believe I am a steward of my body (which is the Lord’s), so I try to eat well, exercise, and get enough rest while not smoking or using drugs. We tend to eat natural foods and I rarely drink soda. I believe in honoring my wife, so I am almost never alone with another woman. I believe in the power of Christian missions, so we try to support missionaries and go on mission trips. I believe in sharing what the Lord shows me as I grow, so I teach and blog. I believe God loves me and has a purpose for each day of my life, so I try to remind myself of this reality, no matter difficulties come my way.

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