Putting Faith to the Test

Believing. Often time when we say we believe, we mean rather that we have been convinced of a truth. It is the convincing that requires time, reflection, meditation, experience. To believe simply by word of month does not produce a believer, but someone unconvinced who accepts things on another's word.

Much of our lack of faith these days stem from this second type of belief. Those who fall by the side of faith, who "give it up" never really had it to begin with. They carried it like a lifesaver in their pocket, used it only when they felt they had a need, and found it got stale and old quickly. So they moved on.

To have faith means to take a truth and pound out of it everything that seems crass. It means to challenge, to put to the test, to argue with it until you are so sure of what you believe nothing can shake you. To do this, you have to study, to ponder, to really immerse yourself and put yourself out. If you are slow to believe, then when you do accept some form of faith, you will be the stronger one. Because you haven't taken it on someone else's words. You have taken it and made it your own.