Seeking faith in a relationship

HM well this is just unpacking to me. While answering someone’s questions I said something I never said before.  That was that It  was not about religion but it was about faith in relationship. I was surprised I never said anything like that before. So I asked the Lord about the statement , he started unpacking more about the statement. Faith in relationships is a profound statement. I did not expect to say that or knew what it was that Is aid until I thought about it.

When I first type it I thought wow what is that about. I heard clearly  Abraham had faith  that is what made him righteous. HIs faith in the relationship he had with the Lord. Then the Lord started talking about faith in relationships , faith and relationships. They are all different aspects. All three have differing levels of connectedness.

We have relationships with all kinds of people and things. For instance there is a certain level of emotions that ties us to many things. We should not have relationships with things. Things  cannot return any feelings we have. We also have relationships with actions. We love to do certain things. We strive to do those things. The more time we put into doing certain things the more our relationships with those actions grow. Sometimes these  relationships are not positive. There are unhealthy relationships with things actions and people. Some of the time the relationship is unhealthy due to addictions . Sometimes it is unhealthy due to negative emotions. When  relationships cause negative reactions, it causes unhealthy results in other parts of our lives. Yes we have relationship with those we feel anger, disgust or are just irritated by.  Also relationships  are at all different levels. We may like one person and love another. WE have relationships with that person that works at the local convenience store. it may be subsurface meaning just a very basis relationship. But we still have some kind of relationship with that person. However we do not have faith in that relationship. That is a different aspect.

Having Faith in people and things is another abstract thing. Well some of us believe it is very concrete idea. As faith produces substance also is a substance. It can be build. many people have faith in many things.  All of us have faith in simplest things. For example  when you go into a fast food restaurant and order food , you expect to receive what you order. Depending on the level of your faith in that establishment  will determine the amount of faith you put into expecting to receive quality service. When this standard is not met we feel left down. We may complain to make sure we receive the level of service that matches the faith we have in the establishment. We have faith in people at different levels. This is also limited in what and we know about the person. Some people we  have more faith in than others. This may be due to a blood connection, an infatuation or  their actions on the past. When a person changes it is hard for others to accept the person changes.  Faith is a big part of the reason. When people change they are no longer living up to the standards of faith we have in them. Yes we can have faith that someone would do negative things  then when they change  not believe it. Or want them to go back to the negative actions so we can continue to put faith in that.  Now we have to work to change what we believe so our faith can match the new actions.  There are different levels of faith in God. The Lord says we only need to have a faith of a mustard seed he will make it grow. it is his goodness that increases our faith. But we have to have faith he will move he will act he will transform. Many people have lots of faith in God but no relationship with GOd. or not a very close relationship. They have faith but keep God at a distant. They believe in him and his ability to achieve things to perform miracles but they do not know him.  Some of them do not want a relationship. or more of a relationship than they have.  Some people have a relationship and faith but have no faith in the relationship with God.

Let me say a few things abo9t5u negative faith. This is when we believe negative things about a person or a place or an event. Expecting the worst.  In Cognitive psychology they have this theory  that we seek the things we believe. So if we believe the worst about someone will only see the worst in that person. This happens from a lot of different things.  . Some of us have negative faith in people for all the wrong reasons. Gossip is one. it is horrendous when it happens. people telling gossip hurt the people more than just saying things that may or may not be true. In addition they take the right for someone to formed their own opinion of someone. They also cause negative faith to happen. It starts to build in other people they are talking about. This in turn affect those people as well as the person being gossip about.  This is important for several reasons. I tried not to listen to Gossip or slander. However sometimes it is hard in a society that endorses this. It does cause negative faith to form and increase in others. it is sad so many have been hurt by this.  I could give a whole sermon on this but moving past  this issue for now. Another way that negative faith happens is  from past events that we had not forgiven them for . Because we believe they will do it again we are expecting the negative. I deal with this challenge all the time. Sometimes the negative events  from others will cause us to think or expect that from  people we do not know or from everything.

Sometimes this affects our trust in people. I have to work on my trust in people. I am being honest here. I have positive faith in people when  they are dealing with other people. But when with me I have a negative faith. I have to challenge myself all the time to change that thought pattern. It is because of so many past experiences from people I had a positive faith in. I expected good things  from them to be treated a certain way. They let me down some in such a devastated way. However strange  when i see people I see them as good and wanting to help people. I believe everyone is born with the goodness in them.   But my perception is changing  . I make a point of  finding good things  or good reactions from people. When i start to feel like i need to protect myself I find the examples of people that help me.  This is one way to change the perception of a negative faith in others. However there is the situation with too much positive faith in the wrong person or in wrong things.

For instance if someone is abusive and you just keep letting them abuse you. Keeping the positive faith that they will change and see you different is detrimental to you. God does not want anyone continuing in any type of abusive or harmful situations.  God has shown me over the years also it is time to walk away from others. This can be hard when you have build up a lot of positive faith in someone believing they will grow and change. Sometimes it is time to walk away let God take care of the seeds you planted.   I know someone right now I have a lot of faith in. I believe this person can be a great man of God one day. However they have gone out of their way to find things to do to change my faith in them. I am no longer allowing them to have that kind of access to hurt me or to take the opportunity to  make a point of what they think of me. They are not justified  in what they believe. But they feel justified in causing me harm. But I still have positive faith in them. I look and see what they do for others based my faith ion that rather then how they had treated me or treat me.  That is a healthy way to see them. I believe one day they will look back see all the things they did. How they went out of their ways to set me up for disappointment and change.   Until then I will not allowed them to set me up no more for disappointment. i will keep building my positive faith in them without  including  an relationship with faith. So we have a relationship but i do not have faith in that relationship.

See negative faith and positive faith also needs to be balance. You do not want to have any positive faith in things not of God. But then again you want to have positive faith in things of God. This can become quite complicated. The thing is knowing how to separate the faith in people  with their actions. God does this quite well. There is a good reason why he says to forgive move on. Bitterness causes many hurtful things to form in us. It is the same in negative faith though. When we are expecting the worst in people w\we will only see the negative things in them. We will miss out on seeing their potential.  While we are not God  , and can not forget negative actions . We can forgive totally and move past them. Seeking the good things in a person building on that. helping them to shine more of the good things letting God deal with the not so good things. It helps both us in seeing Christ in them and helps them to become closer to Christ. Besides how it overflows in so many areas for both parties.  Now there may be some people that you will have negative faith in about certain areas and it may be healthy. Such as expecting someone who is abusive to  abused. for this reason you stay away from those people. If someone continues to hurt you with words or lies avoid them. If someone is hitting you avoid them. But see the good qualities in them focus on those things. if you know of someone where you cannot see or have a hard time admitting any good things about them, Then search inside for unforgivenness. Or jealousy as sometimes jealousy will cause negative faith to happen. Some people no matter what you do will always have a negative view about you. But dont let that stop you from seeing the Christ in them. realize their negative faith is hurting them.  As some have formed opinions of me based on slander and gossip  . These opinions will never be change nothing I can do . But I still will seek to see the Christ in them. Cause there is nothing more  satisfying to me then being able to see his face. Another thing is this these who have negative or positive faith in you may never have a relaTIONSHIP WITH YOU. tHEY MAY NEVER TALK TO YOU EXCEPT IN PASSING. tHEY WILL NOT HAVE ANY FAITH IN RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.

Faith in relationship is different than a relationship or in faith alone. Having faith in a relationship is believing this relationship will  aFFECT YOU SOMEHOW.  dEPENDING ON HOW MUCH FAITH YOU YHAVE IN RELATIONSHIP WILL DEPEND ON THE EXTEND AND THE CLOSENESS OF THE RELATIONSHIP. Enoch HAD ENOPRMOUS FAITH IN HIS FRIENDSHIP WITHT HE lORD. sO tHE LORD TOOK HIM. Abraham HAD FAITH IN HSI RELATIONSHIP WITH THE lORD. HE KNEW THE lORD WAS WITH HIM HIS FRIEND AND PROVIDING FOR HIM. sEE THE THING WAS HE DID NOT HAVE FAITH THAT gOD COULD PERFORM A BIRTH WITH SARAH BEING SO OLD. tHAT WAS HIS SIN WITH THE   Sarah servant girl. it was not a lack of faith in his relationship with God. it was a lack of faith in what God could do. That is why despite his mistake his fall he still was able to continue in his relationship with God. as his faith in the relationship grew his faith in God grew. The Longer he knew and sought God the more his faith in God grew  the mroe the faith in relationship grew. Throughout the bible we read of all the trials of the people of God. How they had fallen numerous times. How they let others get in bwetween them and God . It was a lack of their faith in the relationships. We see God building this in Gideon. He surely build the israelites faith in the relationship with David. David had such a faith in their relationship. he knew that his relationship with God was important. he knew if he ask for forgiveness when he mess up God took him back. it wa this faith in his relationship that sustain him thorough the darkest storms. Seriously have you thought about anyone wanting to seek you out to try and kill you. Then for it to be someone you love someone your expected someone  you look up to. ah David’s storms were fierce but he had faith in his relationship with God he knew God was with him and would not forsake him cause of their relationship. Moses knew God would not forsake the israelites because of his faith in their relationship > Moses gave up a lot to appeal to God . This appeal was based on his faith in God’s relationship with Israelite. Many times we read in the book of how prophets and others appeal to God to leave a remnant to step in stop something all based on who they were and who he was. what they meant to God. They pushed forward their faith but not just their faith in who God was but who they were to God . Their faith in the relationship saved Israel many times. Many people have faith in God.  Demons , satan and other power have faith in God. They know what God is caPABLE OF. They also have a relationship with God. However their faith in that relationship is based on negative faith. They know that God will destroy them one day. We as believers are called to a positive faith in God . A BELIEF THAT HE WILL PROTECT US PROVIDE FOR US , SHOW US THE WAY. aLL BASED ON THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH HIM. mANY TIMES WE PRAY AND SAY WE ARE YOUR CHILDREN YOU PROMISE US THIS OR THIS WE ARE ASKING FOR YOU TO KEEP YOUR PROMISES. wE KNOW HE WILL BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH IN RELATIONSHIP HE AHS WITH US. IT IS NOT JUST FAITH i BELIEVE IN OR IS IT A RELIGION i FOLLOW  > OR JUST SEEKING ANY TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP. nO WE ARE TO SEEK TO BUILD OPUR FAITH IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH gOD TODAY. tO BECOME MOPRE LIKE JESUS WHO HAD FAITH HE COULD CALL ON HIS FATHER ANYTIME .  oR LIKE ABRAHAM WHO BELIEVE GOD WAS WALKIGN WITH HIM GUIDING HIM AND WAS AND IS HIS FRIEND. mOSES WHO BELIEVE NOT ONLY IN RELATIONSHIP HE HAD WITH GOD GBUT THE FAITH IN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ISRAELIRTTES.

Now you can have a relationship with God not believe in that relationship. many people have this . They talk to god but dont believe he talks back to them . They dont seek his communication or even believe he is hearing them. Some will show this lack of faith by trying to stop others from hearing or convincing them they do not. Some have faith in what God will do and his miracles but do not believe he is performing for them or that he has stop for some reason. God does not throw his children to  the side and stop doing things for them. He is not a dysfunctional parent. but is very loving and caring. he will step in front of that train for his child if he  saw it was what they needed. he even died for his children .and has not stop performing for them today or stop talking to them.  hOWEVER YOU ONLY NEED TO AHVE FAITH IN HIM AND ACCEPT HIM TO BE SAVED. SOME INSIST ON BEING ON THE EDGES. PUTTING LITTLE FAITH INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BUT LOTS OF FAITH INTO GOD.  tHE THING IS THIS FOR ME I SEEK TO INCREASE MY FAITH IN THE RELATIONSHIP./ tODAY WHEN I STATED THIS IT TOOK ME ABCK. i ASK THE lORD WHAT i WAS TALKING AOBUT . HE OUTLAY THIS TO ME . i THINK HE IS CONTINUING TO EXPLAIN IT TO ME.  The thing is it is a process. Now some will never realize the faith int he relationship. Some start a relationship with the Lord put no effort in building on it. They even block the Lord from building on it. Some refuse to place any faith in the relationship. it is not that they dont have faith in God they have a hard time seeing themselves as God children or God as a being that would associate with them, I pray they see the way the lord see them. Anyway today the Lord reveal something in me I did not know existed. I did not understand it when i stated it. This new concept a faith in relationship. I never heard anyone talk about it like this.  But when he started to unfold what it was he was showing me I understood what he was saying. I am building on my trust in him. I am forming a strong faith in oru relationship. Because I know who he is what he is what he will do for me. I can trust lean on this relationship he offers to me. I can have faith the relationship I am building he is guarding never letting me fall from his grasp always building in me. With just a mustard seed  he is building an empire based on faith I have in our relationship. That he will do great things .that he will love me that he will protect me that he will provide me it is all based on the fact that he loves me that he delights in me that he does not have negative faith in me but only see the things that cre4ate a positive faith of me. He sees me as his daughter his love part of his body . This is what my faith in our relationship means. as i build by praying trusting listening worshipping  my faith in our relationship in hi9s love for me gets stronger.  I am not studying or practicing a religion . Nor am what I am following is a relationship . But what i am doing is finding ways to build a stronger foundation of faith in the relationship I have with him. he blesses me enormously only because i seek his closeness more and more