The 40-Day Challenge : Day 2
- 22
- Jan
- 2013
“For you to be independent in your faith, you need to learn how to read the Word of God, which is a fundamental tool for our spiritual life.” Viviane Freitas
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.” (Luke 1:5-7)
Even though Zacharias was a righteous man before God, and he and his wife led a blameless life, they had a problem: they could not have children because Elizabeth was barren.
That was his situation despite being a priest and preaching about a Living God…
But there is something very interesting that most people do not understand and even misjudge: the fact that Elizabeth could not have children did not make her feel “guilty” or “weak”.
If that were the case, the Bible would not say that they were both righteous before God.
What does it mean to be righteous?
It is to live by faith!
No human being is perfect in all the commandments of God, but there are those who “think”, who use their faith intelligently. And they are the ones who become “righteous”.
Even though the couple was going through that problem, they were not affected by it; their faith was not “weak”. On the contrary! Both of them were righteous and blameless.
Think about it: a priest without children. Everybody knew about it… Wasn’t it shameful?
However, they were not worried about it!
To live by faith has nothing to do with how you feel or what other people think.
To live by faith is to be “righteous”, it is “ignore” our feelings; it is to detect what separates us from God and get rid of it immediately. It is to reject the idea that “this is who we are…”
It is to lead a blameless life and not to depend on the circumstances; on the contrary, we should make every circumstance work for the good of our faith.
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks!”
Examine yourself. Are your words negative? Do you complain a lot? Do you look at the circumstances in a negative way? Do you badmouth others? Do you get angry easily? Do you judge people by their personal failures?
The righteous are not like this. They’re independent! They do not rely on other people’s faith, but on their own faith, that is, on their own belief in God.
Nowhere in the Bible do we see Zacharias and Elizabeth complaining, feeling sad or discouraged because of their problem. On the contrary: they had joy. They did not allow their circumstances to overwhelm them, but they trusted in God’s justice. They relied on God and on His power! And the same must happen today.
You have the right to make your own choices when you decide to think and examine your life.
Go on, examine you life!
If you search for the truth, you will find it; but if you allow your emotions to take over, you’ll end up thinking that you’re a lost cause.
Think! God wants your life to develop the way it should. If this is not happening, it is because you’re not using your faith in the right way.
If you feel weak when faced with adverse circumstances, you should examine yourself and seek guidance in the Word of God.
You too can become a righteous person, but you have to make use of your ability to think and… cut the evil at its root.
Do not waste your time… The time is today — it’s now!
Ada
2nd January 2018 at 11:27
Thank you
I will take some times today to examine myself
Joanna
20th June 2016 at 13:10
Amen! I leaned if i want too be righteous before God I need too live by intelligent faith. I need too examine my self everyday and put this to practice.
catarina ( Ypi ireland )
12th June 2014 at 14:36
Hello, Miss Viviane, I learned today that, if a problem comes and I don’t live by faith but by emotion, I am not being righteous, i learned that i must relly on God and His power, niot on what i feel.
And that if we do not use our faith in the right way our life will not develop the way it should be the way God wants it to work out for us. I learn that we cannot be emotional, everything must be intelligent faith, and that i must be independent in my faith.
Thank you for your posts Dona viviane they are veryyyy helpful.
Siphosethu Cpt
21st May 2014 at 6:31
Thank you Mrs Vivi for the post. It is true indeed that faith doesnt depend on how I feel or what others think. It solely depends on God not circumstances. Very helpful.
Jessica Mukogo
29th March 2014 at 15:56
Mrs Viviane, I have realized how much l need to be independent in my faith despite the surrounding circumstances. To be firm having a solid foundation of faith that is not based on other people’s faith.
Nonsikelelo Ncube
27th March 2014 at 16:05
Hello Mrs Viviane
I learnt that I must live by Faith and put how I feel aside and put God first never loose my Faith no matter the circumstances.