What is your definition?

The events of the last two years, with the constant posturing by candidates, speculation by pundits, musings by those of us who are acquainted with Bible prophecy have been bothersome, a motive for concern, laughable, scary, revealing, and many other things at different times.

I found them bothersome in that an expression has come to the forefront which has been used to a point of causing weariness. This expression is "person of faith". What is the new usage of the expression? May I point out that for those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, this is not even an understandable expression, as it lacks the personal touch that comes from a walk with the Savior himself.

But in its use by the world around us, it can be used to signify anything from the simple trust a child places in his/her father and mother all the way to a deep confidence which gains its strength from having its taproot sunk very deep into the source of that faith.

For the past few elections, nearly all the participants have claimed to be persons of faith. Depending on who gave them that title in their written or spoken communications, the expression can be used as a term of reverence, derision, suspicion, hatred or love. The facial expressions involved can show pity, a feeling of superiority, a snarl of dislike or in isolated cases a wide-eyed look of unbelieving respect.

It is for the reasons above that I do not choose to call myself a person of faith. You see, faith is of no value unless the Object of that faith is worthy and trustworthy. Mankind, education, money, other persons, corporations, political systems, philosophies and creeds are not a good enough object for my faith. Faith, in my understanding, is not "believing in spite of evidence", a condition which the world seems to ascribe almost universally to Christians, but rather "Obeying in spite of possible consequence."

As the events of the next few hours, months or years unfold, it will be necessary to have the obedient kind of faith that weighs the possible consequences, but chooses to do God's bidding nonetheless. It will have to be the kind of faith demonsrated by Hannaniah, Mishael and Azariah, who chose not to act out their world imposed names of Shaddrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but rather made a deliberate decision to live like servants of the Most High God, and said "O king, our God is able to deliver us...but if he doesn't choose to do so, we will still obey Him".

I am quite sure that, if and when the occasion comes when I must make such a conscious decision, God will give me the grace to do so. My concern, however, is whether I will do so with the right attitude, a conviction that I am on the winning side, not the 'whining' side.