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Why Believe?

Why believe anything? Most of us believe in mathematical formulae because our math teachers demonstrated them to be true. On a daily basis we usually aren’t aware of any particular benefit from believing they are true, but they’re nice to have around in case you need to know the capacity of a barrel with a diameter of 22½ inches.

Personally, I believe that reasonable amounts of exercise are good for my body. Mostly I believe this because I have experienced benefits exercise. I don’t enjoy most forms of exercise, but I do some stretching exercises on an “as needed” basis for my back because they help keep the stiffness at bay.

Some people believe things that are patently not true, because of some perceived or expected benefit. You don’t have to look very hard at the numbers to see who the real lottery winners are (hint: check the books of organizations that run lotteries). But people who buy tickets believe that they might hit the jackpot; never mind the statistical odds. We’re talking hope, not truth, here.

Speaking of hope, some people believe things in the spiritual realm because they hope they are true. Believing that there is no God is a good example of this. They ignore the evidence of an Intelligent Designer and Providential Provider because it allows them to enjoy the illusion that they have no one to whom they are accountable.

Others believe in God for all the wrong reasons. For them, “faith in God” is the spiritual equivalent to buying lottery tickets. If they have enough faith, maybe they’ll hit the jackpot and God will give them what they want. But the purpose of faith is not to get God to do our will, but rather it puts us in the position of knowing and doing His will.

You don’t have to look far for examples. In Hebrews chapter eleven, in the Bible we have a list of people whose faith in God didn’t help them to accomplish their plans or reach their goals, but it did cause them to align their behaviour with God’s purposes.

Many are listed in that chapter alone, but all of the notable figures in Scripture are great because they were people of faith. What did their faith accomplish? Their faith put them in the place where God could use them to do something absolutely amazing things, hardly any of which had anything to do with what they wanted and everything to do with what God wanted.

When you think about why you believe what you believe, be honest with yourself. It is most important that you what believe is true. Believing what is true may be inconvenient for you and even block you from living the life you think would be most pleasant and satisfying. But believing what is false is a sure road to disaster.

Today, I invite you to look at the truth God revealed to us in His word, the Bible. Don’t write it off because of the way you think it will affect your life. Embrace it because it will give you life.

Ron Hughes
© July 2007