What is faith? Are you relying on your expectation of ‘faith’ in God? Or are you relying on faith in God? I’m beginning to think that many of us no longer acknowledge the difference between placing our faith in God, versus placing our faith in our expectations of faith in God.

Choosing to live with faith in God, rather than faith in expectation, allows us to live the life we were called to; an extraordinary one. Continually choosing a life of abandonment to the Spirit of God, results in continually walking in the power of the Spirit of God.

When Jesus called the disciples, he required them to give up everything and walk in abandonment to His will. By choosing to submit to His request and release everything they had, they were able to walk in the miraculous—they lived extraordinary lives.  We have the same opportunity and the same calling.  That is our purpose.

As Christians, most of us are like the rich man, God is asking us to be willing to give up everything, for a life beyond the ordinary.  But because we are so selfish, we aren’t willing to abandon what we know for a life that is unfathomable. Instead, we justify our faith in our expectations of faith by relying on ‘good deeds’.  We give to the poor, we feed the hungry, we go on mission trips, we say God can move mountains, and yet we aren’t willing to sacrifice a moment of temporary pleasure to protect the character of Christ in us. We aren’t willing to surrender our attitudes to protect the heart of Christ in us.  We aren’t willing to cast aside our judgments to protect the love of Christ in us. We aren’t willing.  

Living with faith in God requires a life of abandonment. Living in abandonment creates a life of the extraordinary. That could be your life. That could be our life. I know I personally desire to live a life out of the ordinary. I desire to walk in the miraculous, constantly.  But am I willing?