What is Faith to Me

To me, faith is a daily principle. It's not just what I believe, but it's the force that drives me to action. In the morning, the wee morning hours when the sun is yet to shine its face on sunny Southern California, it is my faith that the sun will rise which drives me from my warm bed and sweet wife to go to work. I also find faith defining my identity as a human being and member of society. Consequently, the more firmly I grasp my own understanding of faith, the more I learn about myself. I feel less threatened by beliefs and lifestyles with which I do not agree, or which do not agree with me, but I feel strengthened in the diversity of it. Authors have taken the principle of Faith and packaged it, labeled it and published it in self-help books, business strategy manuals and even dieting books, but it all boils down to the power of hoping for something that is not seen but is true. It is not magic, nor is it some great secret that has been unearthed by 21st century science. It's as simple as planting a seed and watching it grow into a tree.

Faith and Power

Now ^afaith is the ^bsubstance of things ^choped for, the ^devidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

I have often heard the phrase "faith is power." I used to think that it was just a catch phrase, that there was no real connection between faith (the evidence of things not seen) and power (the ability or capacity to perform or act effectively). But life has taught me otherwise.

In 2004, I went on a six-week vacation to Vietnam with some friends. We had all served Vietnamese-speaking missions so we were excited to pay a visit to "the homeland." At the time, I was faced with a great task that seemed far beyond my ability to perform. I had given much thought to the issue and had prayed often about what to do, but my prayers seemed repetitive and my mind was still blank. In the days prior to leaving for Vietnam, I had the feeling that stepping away from the issue for six weeks may allow me to work things out in my head. But I needed more than that - I needed a miracle.

As I finished packing my stuff for the trip, I took the beat-up $2 copy of the Book of Mormon I used to keep in my suit pocket and slid it under my shirts. I would read it everyday while in Vietnam and write in my journal as often as possible. I didn't know why at the time, but it seemed like the right thing to do. For some reason (it was the grace of God, no doubt), I was exceptionally committed to read the book each day. Whether it required waking up before the rest or going to bed after all were asleep, I would always pull out that little book and read from it. I don't remember what I read, but I do remember how my thoughts were lead to ideas concerning the issue back at home. I don't mean to be cliché, but it seriously came here a little, there a little, and boy, did I whip out that journal and jot those ideas down, for fear of losing them and not receiving more.

Đà Lạt by Day (see Flickr page)

I began to see how the solution would form, how I would act to help that formation and how God would lead the whole process. I even began to imagine the results after the task had been completed. Then, one day in Đà Lạt, I was given the first concrete step to achieve my goal. "Go buy some seeds." I knew that Đà Lạt was famous for it's flowers and fruits, but that seemed like an odd directive when such a great task loomed ahead. I wonder if David felt that way when he picked up a few puny stones in the face of mighty Goliath.

The Lord taught me a lot with those seeds. By the end of the trip, I had been taught what I must do, I had a tangible plan of how to proceed and I had been given a glimpse of the end result. And I had power. Because God had shown me that the desired result was attainable (I had truly seen the result in my mind's eye), I was equipped with the power to act as if it had already happened. That power dispells all fear and doubt, for you are no longer wondering if it can be done, but working with all your might and mind and strength because you know it can be done and will be done. You've seen it.

In my definition of faith, there is a point at which you behold the result of your hope. God reveals it to you in a way that only you can understand so that you know He approves of your request and that it can be accomplished. Then it's gone. At that point, your faith truly turns to power because you can not see it anymore, but have already beheld the "substance" and "evidence" of your hope so you know it's true. Faith is not blind - on the contrary, faith is very aware, solidly connected to that truth in the future which you can not see at the moment, but which you have seen and know you will see again, if you keep your end of the bargain.