Don’t Have Faith. Do this Instead:

 Categories : A Culture of Listening Listening to God

 

‘Faith’ is a word we all use and think we understand. But what’s God’s definition of faith? How does that definition change the way we live today?

How can we know the meaning of ancient Hebrew words?

In our culture, words are abstract combinations of symbols, disconnected from their meanings. Meanings change over time, and vary from person to person. In ancient Hebrew culture, each character of every word had concrete meaning. They represented sounds and ideas (like hierglyphics). We can experience these meanings with our five senses.

What does ‘Faith’ really mean?

Most dictionaries base their definition of faith on trust. Faith and trust are related, but I hope to convince you there’s more. Several dictionaries define faith as “Belief that is not based on proof”. Most believers in the West agree. They use II Cor. 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”as the basis for their interpretation.

This idea of “blind faith” isn’t biblical. Hebrews 11:1says faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The ancient Hebrew word translated as ‘faith’ is אֱמוּנָה. It’s composed of five characters, each adding a layer of meaning. One symbolizes strength. Another represents continuance. One represents seed (agriculturally and biologically), and another means to pay attention.

Let’s focus on the central letter, because in Hebrew the central character of each word reveals its essence. In this case, that character represents a tent stake. It depicts the act of driving a tent stake into the ground. So the ancient Hebrews understood faith as an action, based on experiences everyone related to.

THE BEST VIEW(2)

Imagine living in ancient Israel. Every time you pitch your tent, you drive the stakes into the ground, because you believe they will support your tent. You believe this because you’ve lived in a tent your whole life, and the stakes have always supported the tent. Faith is action based on conviction, trust based on experience. If we pay attention , our actions provide strength and security for the next generation.

When the Bible says Abraham “believed” God, it’s not describing an abstract thought process. It’s saying Abraham pitched his tent where God told him to pitch it. Faith doesn’t always contradict sight. Faith is walking according to the decision we’ve made to follow God (which is still based on evidence) rather than what we currently see.

How does this apply to us?

A very successful business coach told me, “You need to put a stake in the ground and let people know what you stand for”. She didn’t share my faith, but without realizing it, she illustrated what faith means in my life.

This message is very personal for me. When people hear our story, they often say they admire our faith, our willingness to go in spite of uncertainty. But the uncertainty isn’t what makes it faith. Faith is acting on our experience of God’s faithfullness to us so far.

It isn’t something we have, it’s something we do. It’s the substance of what we hope for, the evidence here and now.

What action will you to take in response to your experience of God’s faithfullness?



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  • Chris Bliss

    Many people who say they began believing because God showed them
    something they asked for; e.g., He sent them a special person to take
    away their loneliness, they had a miraculous prayer or need answered,
    they were healed of physical illness or injury, etc. What if none of
    those things have happened to a person? How do I encourage someone who
    hasn’t been sent the right partner, is lonely, has not had the physical
    healing they’ve prayed for? Someone who has lost a lot of loved ones,
    has seen a lot of suffering that they prayed would not happen? Thank you
    for your insight.

    • Hannah Kallio

      This is a really important question Chris. When I think about my life, there is always evidence of God at work, but it’s not necessarily the proof I’m looking for. It’s like I need to tune my senses to His frequency to notice Him in my circumstances.

      And even though many people first trust God because of a miracle or answered prayer, those aren’t the times they typically feel His presence the strongest. My experience and the experience of so many other people I know is that we feel God’s nearness more vividly during times of hardship.

      I think the main way you can encourage your friend is by being with them in their pain. Don’t try to apologize for God or explain it away

      If they’re open to the idea that God would speak to them through their painful circumstances, then I would recommend Immanuel prayer. It’s a simple, very Biblical prayer process that mirrors the process a healthy brain goes through to recover from trauma. Here’s a link to the book that introduces this process: (honestly, the writing style of the book itself was quite annoying, but it’s worth seeing past that because the tools they present are truly valuable) http://www.amazon.com/Joyful-Journey-Listening-Immanuel-Wilder-ebook/dp/B00VS7AUJU?tag=duckduckgo-ffab-20

      Thanks for being the kind of friend that will wrestle with the tough questions on behalf of another! Blessings to you!

  • http://www.delightfullydisheveledmom.com Kelly

    Hannah,
    Thanks so much for this post! I was reading She Reads Truth this morning and saw the link to your site. This really helped me understand what faith is. Thanks!

    • mlekallio

      You’re welcome Kelly! This understanding has been so life giving for me, so I’m delighted to share it!

  • Steph Jans

    Hi Hannah! Thanks for that great definition. It’s less elusive for sure. I like too that we are not “acting out of nothing.” We have this track record with God and have experienced so much of His faithfulness in our journeys. Which leads me to ask “how can I remember this even when anxiety creeps in again on those not so good days?” I guess just “remembering” He is there and will not give up on me. I LONG for that day when I can take more CONCRETE “Action Steps” towards the things He is stirring about in my own heart. I wrote it down and will be meditating on it more in the days to come for sure… Hope to see you Saturday!! :-)

    • mlekallio

      I love what you said about God’s track record. He’s already won the battle, but our fight is the struggle to remember. Thanks for sharing your thoughts .

  • deana

    Hi Hannah, Just a few words.. I found your article in the link on the IF comments yesterday and I want to thank you for writing and sharing on what faith is and isn’t. This is the best description that I have heard on FAITH! So again, THANK YOU and BLESS YOU !

    • mlekallio

      Hi Deana,
      Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know that it blessed you! I hope you can carry this with you and encourage many other people to choose faith!

  • http://danavaudrin.com Dana Vaudrin

    I love your definition of faith, Hannah.

    “Faith is walking according to the decision we’ve made to follow God (which is still based on evidence) rather than what we currently see.”

    Faith has always seemed like something mystical that I needed to conjure up. I loved how at the IF:Gathering last weekend, Jennie Allen reminded us that it isn’t the measure of our faith that matters-what matters is that we put our faith in our immeasurable God. The way you’ve defined it here reminds me that faith is a choice, not a feeling or a vapor or something I can’t quite grab a hold of! I can choose to believe God.

    • mlekallio

      Dana, your comment really blessed me, because you beautifully articulated the reason I wrote this. God doesn’t want you to have to conjure up anything, or feel inadequate between you can’t quite grab hold of this mysterious quality. He’s given you everything you need, and you can choose to act on it because He loved you and chose you first. You are a woman of faith!

  • Heidi

    Dear Hannah!
    Wow, this message seems to confirm my “rough” insisting towards a client today!
    While he just begged God to give him more trust / belief /help in a special point, I interrupted him and said: “Could you rather say: I decide to…..do no more / do / change my thinking…, because, God wants to have a clear decision from us, he needs an action from ourselves to act himself.”
    That is like the action to put a stake in the ground, isn’t it? Or do you think it always has to be a seen action by itself? Visible repercussions have to follow, for sure, but as a first step into faith (stake into the ground), it’s necessary. You know what I mean?
    Thanks for your answer! Love you,
    Heidi

    • mlekallio

      Heidi, You’re right. Resolving in your mind can be a first step. I see this in the lives of the patriarchs. After that initial resolve, we make ongoing decisions of faith (after all, you need to pitch your tent again and again). So it’s not either/or, it’s both/and. Faith is both initial resolve and ongoing choice. Thanks for sharing your experience, and for your friendship!