Simple Faith by Pete BriscoeSample

What’s Your Faith Rooted In?

Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted in spite of your changing mood. —C.S. Lewis

It’s fashionable to have faith these days. I have faith in my office chair when I sit down in it. People have faith that things are going to get better. They have faith in higher powers, themselves, the economy, and—depending on the results of the last election—faith in government.

That’s the sticky part of faith: What’s it rooted in?

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7)

Faith has to be grounded in something. It’s no good to have a vague concept of faith and fuzzy feelings with no basis in reality. Scripture teaches that we are “built up” in Christ Jesus, the firm foundation. We have faith in Him because He’s worthy of it.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:9-10)

We have been brought to “fullness” in Christ. He is sufficient for us. And since He has all authority in heaven and on earth, it’s much more assuring to trust in Christ than to trust yourself. I know just how incompetent I really am, and if you’re honest, you probably feel the same way. It’s best to direct the focus away from ourselves and onto Jesus—where it properly belongs.

So what’s your faith rooted in? Are you trusting in people? Things? Are you maybe even hoping that the strength of your faith will pull you through?

Jesus, You are the only one worthy of faith. I don’t want to put my faith in wealth or self or anything else. Guard me from the trap of putting my faith in faith itself. I only want You and the refuge You provide. Amen.