June 22nd

June 22nd      

Ok let’s take another look at how spiritual and physical interact. In the last few weeks we have already established that the spiritual realm affects our physical realm. A few weeks ago we talked about how spending time with the Lord in prayer changes the physical structure of our brains and last week we talked about how other peoples’ prayers for us affect our brain physically which is most certainly because of what prayer accomplishes in the spiritual realm. There is another aspect that is interesting which is the effect of faith and hope on our brains.

Faith and hope activate dopamine pathways in your brain and change your neurological hardware. Not only does it affect our brain, it affects whether we recognize those things when they happen. For example, if you don’t think something will happen, you won’t recognize it when it does happen. However, if you speak hopeful words or statements of faith out loud, your brain will recognize it when it happens. Expectation does make a difference in our brains physically and in our perspective.

Let’s look at some verses:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Psalm 71:14 As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

1 Corinthians 13:13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Faith and hope are tied in together. When we believe or have faith then we have hope and we hope for what we believe. And when we hope, we wait expectantly for it. Hope relies on Faith, but it doesn’t take much faith (think mustard seed) but rather who our faith is based on; and that is what determines whether we can hope. If our faith is weak because we are trusting humans who are flawed, then we don’t have much hope that what we are hoping for will happen. However, if we really think about who it is that we are trusting, then our faith can be solid.

Romans 4:16-17 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

God calls things into being that are not yet. We have this hope and faith because He is a God that calls thing into existence that don’t yet exist. He has no limits. Most of us have no trouble believing that God CAN do whatever He wants to do. I think that often we question whether He WILL do it. When we question whether He will do it our faith gets shaky; but maybe for some it’s not because we don’t believe He CAN.

So why don’t we believe that He will? Maybe we don’t believe He wants to? Maybe we don’t feel worthy? Maybe it is because we know others have free will and we don’t know if they will choose correctly? Whatever the reason, let’s lay that on the altar and ask the Holy Spirit to help us identify our issue with faith and show us how to overcome whatever it is that keeps us from walking in total faith.

This can vary from person to person and thing to thing. There is a line in The Chosen when the disciples are discussing that they believe and have faith that Jesus can raise Lazarus from the dead. One of them states that they all already believe and John says, “Not everyone for everything.” That is the case I believe. Look at Peter. He believed that He could walk on water with Jesus and was willing to step out of the boat in faith even in a storm. Yet, when Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death on the cross, Peter did not have the faith enough to not deny knowing Jesus 3 times in one night.

So where are you at in your faith for the things in your life? Where is your hope? Are you walking around skeptical that you will see the results of your faith or are you walking in faith and hope? It is important because it affects your physical brain and your perspective, which affects your health, your life, and the lives of others.

Jesus, thank you for being able to do all that I can ask, think or imagine. Help me to identify where my faith and hope are flawed and teach me what I need to understand so that I can walk in faith and have true hope. Thank you for understanding where I am, even when I don’t and thank you for being willing to speak my language so that I can understand. Thank you for your patience, Jesus.