The Herald Bulletin

Morning Update

Columns

July 25, 2010

Jesse Wilkerson: What is faith?

What is faith? Have you ever thought about the answer to this question?

Everyone is believing or has faith in something.

Here is my definition of faith. Faith is not just believing.

Faith is acting on what you believe.

Some people express their belief system for a wide range of things. People have faith in God, our country, the school system, their city, and even in their job.

In order for anyone to establish a point of faith there has to be a basis of truth.

It is at a point of truth that you and I decide how to act. Remember real faith is acting on what you believe. Say I believe that this community and economy is going to turn around. There has to be a basis of truth that allows me to believe this.

Some people believe in blind faith. It is as if somehow we mysteriously pull something from nothing. I believe the opposite. I believe faith is rooted in the truth, whether it is a stringed together series of documented facts or evidence; faith is never blind. It always has the light of truth leading it and you to a desired outcome.

Truth leads to faith and faith leads to corresponding action.

I sit down in a chair. I repeat this action over and over again. I have faith in the chair to support me. At some point I don’t need faith to sit down. At some point my action is based on knowledge and real life experience. The chair didn’t change. My experience with faith did. My action and behavior are now a result of tangible evidence.

I no longer need faith that the chair will hold me. I know the chair will hold me.

What happens if someone moves the chair or the chair breaks. I will need to rebuild my faith by establishing the truth to the point of being able to act on what I believe.

To make this less abstract, if someone promises you one-half million dollars, you take what they tell you as the truth. You proceed to look at a new home, new car and new businesses based on your faith in what they told you. This is your corresponding action. What if what they told you is a lie? In some instances it won’t change your faith, but it will change the outcome. You may continue to act on what you believe, but at some point the truth prohibits you from going any further.

Here we are in the midst of some of the most challenging times of our lives. Some of you have been here before. Others of you have not. Faith requires us to believe in something. My challenge is to have faith in the truth and allow my faith to continue to paint a picture of what our future will look like.

No matter how bad things may look, faith is acting on what you believe, not necessarily how things appear.



Jesse J. Wilkerson is the principal of a local firm. His column appears here every other Monday.

 

Text Only
Columns
Featured Ads
More Resources from The Herald Bulletin
AP Video
Sister Says She Reported Brother in Patz Killing Patz Suspect's Sister: I Went to Police in 1980s Diplomatic Expulsions Follow Fresh Syria Report 15 Dead in Northern Italy's 5.8-magnitude Quake Angry Birds Spreading Their Wings Witness Describes Fla. Face-chewing Attack Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff Russia Condemns Ally Syria Over Massacre of 108 Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing New Ticks Spread Across Southeast, Diseases Rise Bring Your Own Tech Programs Charge Up Students Pope's Butler Vows to Help Vatican Investigation Mother of Allegedly Abused Girl Denies Claims Raw Video: 19 Dead in Qatar Shopping Mall Fire Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
Parade
Magazine

Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com
Helium debate
Helium
Front page
Poll

Do school administrators do enough to stop bullying?

No, too much of it goes on to stop
Yes, they follow through on complaints
I’m not sure how many really care about bullying
     View Results