Did you ever notice that you have been made human?
Well, of course you have. But it's a problem, isn't it? I mean, you were made human, but it seems like every time we turn around, we're being told to be something else. More spiritual, more perfect, more like Jesus. And none of these things seem to fit in to the reality of humanity. Humanity is random, very flesh and blood, and full of error. It's a thing, for sure. What exactly, then, are we to do with these two things that seem so far apart, spirit and humanity?
Well, Simone Weil had something so say about that.
"Whoever puts his life in his faith in God can lose his faith but he who puts his life in God Himself will never lose it."
We are often told that the bridge between the perfection of the spirit and the imperfection of humanity is faith, but Simone doesn't think that works. The problem is that faith only stops with the act of believing and doesn't go far enough. Believing isn't going to do it because it centers on us, not on God. Believing is what we do, not who we are supposed to be believing in . Believing is a created thing. We create it with our mind and intellect. And as such, it is as misguided a goal as wealth or fame. Faith is just a thing. It's God we really want, isn't it? And God isn't reached by faith or any kind of constructed belief or practice. God is reached by encounter and fellowship directly with Him.
It's kind of like believing the Bible. If belief in and following the Bible is our goal, that's one thing. But it can end up kind of like worshiping a book. A good book for sure, but it is still a book. The Bible is not God. It may be from God or about God, but it is not God. Neither is faith. The Bible and faith are both tools, means to an end, but not good final goals. There's more. With God, there's always more.
The temptation is to go to church, read your Bible, learn prayers and verses, then kind of dust off your hands from all the effort (and it is an effort) and think you're done.
But that's just the beginning. It's like putting a carcass on the table without meat. There's a framework to build on, but nothing of real substance to nourish.
God gave us the Bible to lead us to Him. That's it. Nothing more.
He gave us faith, and prayer, and church families for that, too. Nothing more. It's Him. It was always Him.
Faith and doctrinal frameworks provide support on which those things might grow, but there's little point in growing a tomato plant if you never pick the tomatoes.
Faith is not the fruit of a well-lived life. Life in God is. Faith is temporary. You will not need it in heaven.
Knowing your Bible is not the fruit of a well-lived life. God is. You will not need someone else's idea of what God is saying in heaven.
Building a strong church is not the fruit of a well-lived life. God is. You will be part of a church with no walls, no hymns, no bake sales in heaven.
When God tells us to focus on the eternal, He means Himself.
So lose your faith, and focus on Him, where faith becomes irrelevant because He is so real.
image: beliefnet
