On October 2nd, I posted my first blog on keeping it simple and real with Faith. The simple definition of faith being strong belief or trust in God, noting that I struggled with the trust part. If you haven’t read it, go back and check it out or read it again before continuing with this one.

Pause..

No, seriously, go back and read it..October archives and scroll down until you find it.

Simple: not hard to understand or do

Real: important and deserving to be regarded or treated in a serious way

I want my faith to be simple and real.  God is very real to me.

In that first post I hinted that my belief in God was strong but that I struggled with always trusting Him but actually belief and trust go hand in hand don’t they? If my belief were as strong as I really profess (let’s be real Cathy) then would I struggle so often with the trust?

Merriam-Webster online simple definition of belief

: a feeling of being sure that someone or something exists or that something is true

: a feeling that something is good, right, valuable

: a feeling of trust in the worth or ability of someone

If I truly believe, as I gave the impression was easy for me in the first post on faith, then I must adhere to that last definition of belief (trust in the ability of God)

Words are tricky aren’t they? All kinds of belief and trust words come out of my mouth to people and off my fingertips onto computer keys or in writing with pens in cards and notes, but do my thoughts and actions really match those professions of faith, belief, and trust in God?

I have never stood at church and said “God I don’t trust you. I don’t have faith in your ability”. As I am writing this, I actually stopped and said out loud “God sometimes I don’t believe in your ability” and it was difficult to even say that out loud but I act that way at times (excess worry, make too many future plans, try to control everything LOL).  At my Church I stand every Sunday and profess “I believe in God, the Father Almighty…..”

Those words roll right off but do I always demonstrate this in my actions?

No, I don’t because I am human and imperfect, but luckily God has patience with me and provides me with opportunities to grow in faith because, of course, that is what we are called to do and we will certainly falter at times in our faith journey and I am not alone in that.  Remember Adam and Eve? God kept it simple and real (basically, don’t eat from that one tree) and well, you know the story. If not, dust off that bible:

Genesis. Good stuff in Chapters 2 and 3!

My dad didn’t do a lot of excessive talking like this daughter of his, but he did live by example with his actions, which we know speak louder than words.  He proclaimed the gospel with his life by his actions, and during the last days of his earthly life, God led him into the Church.

So how can we increase our faith (belief and trust in God) in simple and real ways so that when we profess it with words we can really believe it and act on it?

Those answers will be different for each of us but in all future posts on faith, I will share my own stories and ideas on keeping it simple and keeping it real with faith, now that we have defined it and admitted our own need to improve it, regardless of our religious affiliation or denomination.

I was born and raised a Catholic and continue to practice Catholicism so some of my ideas on keeping it simple and real with faith will involve practices and beliefs directly related to the Catholic church but I speak to all Christians and those who may not be Christians.

What does faith mean to you? How do you grow in faith?

Do you have faith in God?

These questions can lead to complicated or even perhaps heated discussions, but first, keep it simple, keep it real, and keep reading about my own personal faith journey in future posts. No more faith definitions and Merriam-Webster definitions (who are those people anyway?) but real and simple acts of faith in my life and in the lives of those I have been a part of.

Today’s Take Away…your gentle nudge….you may have a lot of faith right now or a little faith, as we have defined it in these first two posts, but thank God for the gift of faith (maybe this Thursday) and pray for the gift of faith for those who have lost it completely or have never experienced it.

There is a very real presence out there that wants you to lose that faith.  There are life experiences that test that faith. Let’s help each other grow our faith in real and simple ways.

Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Keep it Simple Keep it Real