Why we believe

1 Peter 3:15

Always be prepared to make a defence to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.

I am so thankful that my grandmother ‘Nanna’ ensured that we went to church every Sunday when we were growing up. It started me on my journey in faith and although it hasn’t been a straightforward journey, without that initial push, who knows if I would have made the journey at all.

Many have spoken about this topic about why we believe in God and explained it really well. Thomas Aquinas came up with his 5 proofs of Gods existence – I like the argument about design particularly – when you study creation, you see evidence of a design, there must therefore be a designer. These proofs are well worth studying. So many books and articles have been written that I couldn’t even begin to sum them up completely here. I can recommend a book by Scott Hahn called ‘Reasons to Believe’ – he does this so well.

In the end, although it is important to use reason when we think about what the truth is, in order to come to full belief in God, no questions asked, we make ‘the leap of faith’. It is aptly called a leap because you will never be able to have enough proofs to enable you to enter into that faith without that leap. We need to just let go and ‘feel’ and trust that God is there. We have a natural beacon inside us that is constantly searching for God – many people fill the emptiness they feel that should be filled with God with other occupations: exercise, meditation, over indulgence in various media etc. They don’t question why they feel empty, they just fill their lives so that they don’t have to think about it and keep moving from one distraction to another because nothing will make them feel complete that isn’t from God and living a God filled life.

When we take steps towards God, he takes steps towards us and welcomes us with open arms. You do receive the proofs you were searching for before you made that leap, but they will only come after you have made the choice to believe in God. I have seen many miracles and God has answered many of my prayers. I have a gift of praying in tongues as did my late husband and he also had a gift of prophecy. (I would be happy to share the prophecies he was given – just email if you are interested).

This reminds me of the story of the rich man and Lazarus again – the rich man asks Abraham for someone to be sent to tell his brothers about what has happened to him so that they don’t also end up as he has. But this is refused on the grounds that if they failed to believe the prophets that God sent then they will not believe a messenger sent to persuade them. Some people turn their faces quite strongly away from any will to find God. They believe their lives are complete without any kind of faith and don’t want to feel they are submitting to something they really don’t understand and don’t want to.

Faith for me has made my life so rich but not by a worldly measure – I know that whatever I go through my God will be with me, helping me and consoling me and I couldn’t imagine a life without him and wouldn’t want to.

I pray that anyone reading this blog who has doubts will come to faith in God and enrich their lives with his presence. In Jesus name. Amen.

God bless,