The Winds of Faith

Where are the winds of faith blowing you today? Wind is an interesting phenomenon and generally comes from many different directions and can range from a gentle breeze to a violent storm. The temperature can be mild, warm, hot, cool, cold, or down right freezing. If we relate the wind to our faith (i.e. where we put our trust in), we can see that faith, like the wind, can drive us in many different directions. I would suggest that our faith, like the wind, can be hot or cold, and blows us here and there depending on what we believe. Having a cool breeze on a hot day and a warm breeze on a cool day (a chinook) can be invigorating to our soul. It can inspire us to think that things will change and give us faith to believe that the hard times will pass. Wind, like faith, comes from many different paths and can affect each individual differently. We can have faith in self, the world, different gods, other people, institutions, governments, and the list goes on and on. Depending on what we put our faith in, it can impact our daily lives in a substantial way. If we put our faith in self, other people, institutions, governments, or different gods, it can seem a bit cold, empty, and lacking. We can feel that our life is never headed in the direction we want, and that we have a void we need to fill with other things. Our lives can be like a windy day, blowing us here and there, and never finding rest or peace. So, a good question to ask ourselves is what alternative do we have to put our faith in? The kind of faith that will give us the peace and stillness of life, while guiding us in a direction that will comfort our souls? I would suggest that Jesus Christ is the only one to put our faith in.

To begin, a quote from James 1:1-8 (NIV) will help. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” Romans 5:1-5 (ESV) shares “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Last, Ephesians 4:14 states “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”

To avoid being blown around like chaff on a windy day, we need to have faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Jesus will warm our hearts on a cold day. He will show us love, joy, and encourage our faith to grow. He will give us a direction for our lives, so we will not feel like we are being blown here and there and never finding a place to rest. I would suggest that those who do not have faith in Jesus will continually struggle with the direction of their lives. Further, they will miss the peace and joy that we all desire and the warmth of a loving God. Our soul, mind, and body are in desperate need of the warmth and guidance that faith in Jesus Christ can provide. Let’s step out of the whirlwind of the world and embrace Jesus’ love, goodness, care, and allow Him to guide us in our daily journey by Faith!