We all put our faith in something, and we do so every single day. So the real question isn’t whether or not we should have faith. The more important question is who or what should we put our faith in, and why? And further, if faith is such an enormous part of our everyday experience, why don’t we pay any attention to it?
Think before you leap. Real faith requires that we have a knowledge about who we put our faith in and what good it does for us.
Each of us has a burning desire to understand the deeper things in life. The only way to come to understand, rather than simply feel, is to recruit our intellect. When we choose to pursue faith, we must keep our eyes and minds wide open, but we must keep our hearts open as well. We must find the balance between learning, reading, and seeking answers on the one hand and following answers that we feel God is giving us on the other. We should seek and then when God answers, find what He gives us. So where do we start?
Read and then read more. There are countless resources and I recommend starting with the real thing. Read the Bible. If you find it intimidating, Eugene Peterson has rendered the Old and New Testaments in everyday language in a lovely work. If you are Jewish, read the Torah. Go to the knowledgeable in your community whom you admire and ask for readable materials that will help you figure out the tenets of your faith. It can be done in little bites—a few minutes each week.
If what we come to believe about our faith is real, then it must stand the test of questioning and reasoning. So question the material you read and question it again. If what you’re reading is true, you will know it over time. The wonderful thing about the truth is that it is hard to talk yourself out of it.
