I Believe

Something that has been on my mind a lot lately is the individuality of our relationship with the Lord and how none of us can condemn someone else based off of what they do, or do not, believe when it comes to the Word.

One of my clients is a global Ministry. They believe in what many would call “extreme” Christian beliefs, such as speaking in tongues, baptism of the Holy Spirit, supernatural healing, God led prosperity, even, dare I say, raising dead back to life. Many claim them to be a cult and the media absolutely loves to diminish and demean everything about them.

I also have others in my life who don’t believe in any of these things. Who believe God is a creator, but that is the extend of His relationship with His children. They claim prayer makes us feel good, but the fulfillment of prayer is completely up to God. God may choose to listen and provide, or He may not, the decision belongs to Him alone.

I have a friend who is battling cancer. She fully believes cancer is not of God but rather a tool of the enemy. She prays every single day and knows she will be completely healed and that her prayers have power and authority over the disease.

I know others who believe the sicknesses or diseases upon them are allowed by God, that God keeps a distance from us and that, often, our hardships are a way to make us better, stronger, braver.  

Some believe they are called to a life of poverty, others that financial prosperity is what God desires for all of us.

Some claim the wounds they have attained throughout life are God allowed, others claim them to be an attack by the devil.

We each have our beliefs, this is what I believe.

I believe God is GOOD, always (James 1:17).

I believe the Word is TRUE (Proverbs 30:5).

I believe God hears the prayers of His people (1 John 5:14).

I believe that Jesus died so I may LIVE (2 Corinthians 5:15) a full and ABUNDANT LIFE (John 10:10).

I believe God creates a way to overcome ALL (Hebrews 12:24), all sickness, disease, plague, depression, suicidal ideation, poverty, and anything else the devil has brought into this world (Psalm 91).

I believe God has elevated His Word above His name (Psalm 138:2), which means He has given us, you and me, the decision of what to believe and what not to believe.

God never forces Himself on anyone, the choice is always ours alone.

I believe God loves everyone the same, the sinner and the saint, but I also believe God desires His ways and His Word to be chosen, just as He decided to choose us by sending His Son to die for our sins.  

I believe that when we choose to believe the Word is infallible, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

I believe that what we choose to believe pertaining to the Word becomes reality in our life.

I also believe Christians have to stop condemning one another.

I do not condemn Christians for deciding not to believe God wants them completely healed, or prosperous, or to live lives filled with joy, yet I find it more and more popular for “charismatics” to be demeaned not only by the media, but by other denominations.

We each make a choice of who we allow God to be in our lives. I have decided to believe that He is my everything, my all in all, my one and only, and I believe that decision deserves to be respected.

What have you decided to believe?

“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?”
-Matthew 16:15