Conditional Faith

I'm on week 6 of a Beth Moore Bible Study called Esther. As usual, her study has really challenged and encouraged me. Amazing!

Last night she made several points that really struck me. One of them was about conditional faith and fear. Conditional faith is where our trust in God is that He will protect us from something....I trust that God will not let "this" happen. Tested and genuine faith says I trust God even if "this" does happen. Our "this" can be several things or one overwhelming fear that we don't think we could face. For Esther is was death, "If I perish, I perish".

One of my "this" conditions was that I would have healthy children. Surely if God is good then He would give me healthy children. When Michael was born with multiple problems I was faced with a huge question, "Is God really good?" He didn't protect me from my "this". It truly put my faith to the test and, in the end, moved me from conditional faith to real faith.

What I found to be a life-changing truth, and what Beth Moore pointed out in her study, is that God is faithful. God is good and He can care for me and lift me back up on my feet even when "this" happens. I'm no longer afraid of "this".

When we get to the place where we say "If I perish, I perish" or "If 'this', then God will be faithful to me and provide for me" then we are free. We are free from fear and free to trust God with all of our hearts. We are free to bravely go where He calls us to go, to love whomever He calls us to love, to sacrifice whatever He might ask us to sacrifice. Once we know that He is enough, then we are truly free and will carry a lighter weight than we've carried before!

"The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
Psalm 118:6