Faith in These Times, by Sakhile

Faith’s relevance has increased in this day and age. People more and more are leaning on their belief in someone or something. Or do they really believe? I don’t know if they are just consumed by the everyday struggles of life. All I know is that God’s Love is upon me and now, more than ever, I feel it because in the midst of this strife I can count my blessings. But what is faith to me? In Hebrews chapter 11, God plainly explains that faith is the confident belief in something unseen but bears the fruit of life. Faith is to draw enjoyment in the knowledge that God is here for me and his love endures all. I derive strength from God’s presence in my life, especially now, looking at the current state of economic affairs in my beautiful country, South Africa.
I have this feeling that I’m not where I’m supposed to be career wise, in my spiritual development and in my independence. The frustration is eating at me. I feel my spirit wants to jump out and do what I’m failing to do. I have the feeling that I should be asserting myself more at work, show more leadership at church and becoming my own man. I guess that’s how a lot of young South Africans feel when they are forced to work at a place that is not desirable, doing a job that they don’t enjoy. The economic recession was a painful period of lack for many, and still is, but brief in comparison to those of us who live in Africa with generational poverty. This time of despair really could drive one to lose one’s faith. Yet the opposite is true for Christians because we pray to a God who understands all our weaknesses, who has suffered for us. The story of Jesus, as it did to the first people who heard it, gives us the realization that suffering is for a moment and cannot compared to joy God has in store. The son of God made the greatest sacrifice for me, for us all. Why? Does God need as? The answer is no and that’s precisely why God did it: to show us his character. He is a God of compassion, grace and love. Knowing that side of God gives me strength to carry on, holding on to my dreams, pursuing them, even when people or circumstances say the opposite.
God’s character gives me faith, the awareness of his presence constantly. There are so many stories I can tell about the goodness he has shown. There is one I want to tell. Recently my brother and I were walking home from a movie when two guys came out from nowhere with knives and held us up. In the fear and confusion I saw my brother pulled to the side at knifepoint. The second confronted me with his hand hid behind his back as if at any time he’ll pull out a knife. We were near the highway and I just jumped over the railing shouting that my brother didn’t have anything, ignoring the guy in front of me, with the cars whizzing behind me. It was, I know, by the grace of God that he couldn’t find anything on my brother and left him alone. The thief must have been the leader because, without questions, the other guy followed. It was the first, and hopefully the last time, I faced crime. I said ‘God is great’ because anything could have happened that day.
I ask myself if all people see God when something great and unexplainable happens in their favor. The disciples did when Jesus was recruiting them. Simon Peter and his brother had been fishing all night, catching nothing. But when Jesus said drop your nets again they caught so much they couldn’t handle all the fish. Simon Peter saw God in that act and fell to his knees. There after, his life was changed. He recognized what happened was a miracle from God and repented. We see so much pain it is easy to lose the feeling of compassion for others. Until something unfortunate happens to you, then you learn the importance of compassion, because you know how it feels to go through hardship. I think that’s what God was showing me. God showed me that my life is in his hands and this gift could be taken away at any time.
I think, above all, faith is about stepping on the edge of life’s mountain and having no fear because you know the very creator of all has assured your safety. He has assured my safety in Jesus’ name. God love us all.