Belief is powerful, both positively and negatively. By nature, we are *finite and therefore **dependent beings. Because we are finite, **trust/faith is necessary.
By virtue of being created we must trust in order to function properly. By God's design we are dependent creatures - i.e. finite beings. God alone is infinite.
But who or what do we trust? We either place our trust in ***ourselves or in someone greater-wiser-more powerful than us.
When we trust in God and recognize he - not us - is greatest of all, we can accomplish amazing things. But if our faith is placed in the wrong thing, it can result in us doing incredibly harmful and destructive things. How harmful and destructive is determined by ****what we believe best brings life and how deeply we believe it, coupled with the extent and amount of the gifts we have been given. The more highly gifted a person the more they can be a means of great evil or great good.
Faith is powerful and when coupled with the right object - i.e. the all-wise, all-powerful, and all-loving God - it can release in and through us amazing outcomes. To do amazing things requires amazing faith but not faith in anything but in the right thing i.e. the all-powerful, loving, wise and amazing God. The benefit, value and effectiveness of our faith is determined by the object of it.
Truly amazing outcomes are the combination of great faith in an infinitely great object. The more we recognize the greatness of the object the greater our faith-trust in that object.
For a further discussion on related topics, see the following:
The essence of God's life and therefore ours.
Why do the Father and Son love each other?
Why are relationships important?
Is God dependent?
Beatific vision - what is it?
What is life and love?
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*By finite I mean we are not all-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere present. I am not saying we are not able to do far more than we presently do. Our capacity for great good and achievement is far greater than any of us realize, but only if and when we are fully “plugged in” to our Creator (which starts in this life through Christ and is fully realized when we are with him face to face). We are, after all, like God or god-like if you will. And we are this way so we might participate in all that God is, to the greatest extent possible, without actually being Him - we are not God (infinite in love, wisdom, power, and existence) and never will be. We are finite and wholly dependent on God to be all we are designed to be.**In the physical realm, it is easy to illustrate our dependence. We must have air, food, water, and shelter to survive. In our present circumstances, we have come to take for granted our air, food, and water are helpful and not harmful i.e. We trust this is true because we have found it to be so. But if we went to an unfamiliar environment - such as an alien planet - we would be cautious because we wouldn't know whether the air, food, and water are life-sustaining or not. If we are not careful in how we find out it could cost us our lives.
***Trust in ourselves includes trust in persons or things we think we control, i.e. we are Ultimately trusting in our ability to obtain from something or someone else what we need - and we may, for a short time, but not ultimately. God ultimately controls and sustains everything, and our experiencing the benefits of these is a gift from God, whether we acknowledge it or not. To not acknowledge this however has significantly dire consequences. This results in us eventually no longer having these good gifts or the provider of them, once we leave this world.
To trust in ourselves also means we think we are better able and wiser than God to take care of ourselves.
****This can be wealth, power, pleasure, or whatever we think (believe) will ultimately give us what we most need.
Having faith in God does not mean we can't believe in ourselves it means we can't believe we are wiser than God. It is not just OK but good to recognize and acknowledge our abilities as long as we also recognize they are not and will never be greater than Gods but in fact come to us because of God. Neither will they give us what we ultimately need and seek no matter how great they are.
