The Rules of Thumb for a Life of Faith

“Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [Ps. 110:1.]” (Heb 12:2 Amplified Bible)

Journal,

Living a true life of faith in Jesus is not that difficult simply because it is relational. Everything is personal.

In 2010, I provided a journal entry entitled, ‘Ten Nuggets of Gold”. The responses to that entry have been good. However, I wanted to set forth a rescript of that entry by combining and concentrating on the major ‘rules of thumb’ that deal with the very heart of a life of faith. In this case I’ve set forth eight rules that that have been a major part of my faith walk as a servant of the Lord during these past forty-seven years.

This entry has its primary emphasis towards those who already believe in Jesus Christ. However, it also has much to say to those who have yet to receive Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior.

Rather than give a fuller commentary with each rule of thumb, I will generally share Scripture references on each rule with a few comments about what that rule means in a personal way. Place your cursor over the Scripture references and they will appear.

Let’s begin with…

I – Leave the Past in the Past

Keys: Rom4:5-8; 2Co5:17-21.

Whether as a sinner, or if you have stumbled as a believer, don’t dwell on past failures. It is important to remember what Jeremiah said about God’s mercy.

“The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.'” (Lam 3:22-24)

II – Do Personal Faith Check Ups

Key: Here are the ‘working out’ and ‘testing’ principles: Cf. Phil2:12,13; 2Co13:5.

The walk of faith is deeply personal. Don’t compare yourself to others. And while it is good to listen to mature Christian counsel, don’t allow others to try to design your future for you. It is your future and your life. The Lord has His own plan for your life. Discover it and live.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (Joh 10:27-28)

III – Learn to Draw on God’s Grace

Keys: Grace for today. John1:16; Eph2:8,9.

Even in difficult times always keep in mind what the Lord said to Paul:

“Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’

“Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2Co 12:8-10)

IV – Recover Lost Ground

Keys: Isa30:15; 54:17 – The ancient people of God considered repentance as a form of worship. To them it meant making continued adjustments to stay on a right path with the Lord. True repentance always involves the mind, the heart, and the walk. It is very much a part of our walk of faith. 

Yes, there will be mistakes and even sin failures in every believer’s life. No one is perfect aside from the Lord. This is why He came into our world. It was at the cross where God dealt with all our failures and sins. The blood of Jesus atones for the total of our life, our past life, our present life , and our future life. Salvation is a total saving.

Always keep in mind that the new covenant is a covenant of the heart. Listen carefully to what God says about the covenant of the cross:

“And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws [Torah means God’s personal instructions] upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them,’

“He then says, ‘And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any [other] offering for sin [needed or required. The cross was sufficient].” (Heb 10:15-18)

V – Refuse to Live in Doubt

Keys: Prov4:20-23; James 1:5-8. The greatest enemy of faith can be summed up in the terms, doubt and unbelief. Doubt can honeycomb your whole personality. It is a destroyer of faith. There is an old adage which says something like this: “If you are going to doubt anything from the Lord, then doubt your doubts.” 

Keep in mind that a walk of faith is never a step into darkness. The sage said, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter into the full day.” (Pro4:18)

Once again the ancients believed that when God said, ‘Let there be Light’, that this Light was the light of wisdom, and that this light was removed until the coming of Messiah. With this in mind, listen to Jesus.

“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.'” (Joh 8:12)

VI – Allow the Lord to Choose for You 

Keys: Gen13:14; Psa16:5,6; Isa25:1; Jer29:11. It is not that we should never make any plans for the future. It is in realizing that God’s ways are not our ways. In a walk of faith it is impossible to know fully what the Lord has in store for us. This is why a walk of faith is always about, ‘Today and now.’  

This is why I urge believers to learn to live by their last instructions from the Lord. A believer will always know when He has something else for their life.

The Lord speaks to this:

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles [earthly nations] eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

“But seek first His kingdom [This means, ‘God’s direct rule over your heart] and His righteousness [His path for you to walk], and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Mat 6:30-34)

VII – Leave Room for the Unexpected

Keys: Isa55:8-11; Eph3:20,21. Don’t limit your faith walk to what you think the Lord can or will do in your life.  God’s measure of life far exceeds our greatest expectations. The Psalmist David addresses this quite well: 

“How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men! You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.” (Psa 31:19-20)

Also note the apostle Paul:

“…but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has nor heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.’“ (1Co 2:7-9)

VIII – The Language of Faith is Laughter

Keys: Gen17:15-19; 18:10-15; Gal4:28; Psalm 126:1-3. Do you remember those special times when the Lord put laughter in your mouth? Laughter and joy are the natural language and outflow of a faith-filled heart. We laugh because we know that God is true to all His promises. We laugh because we know that the enemy is a defeated foe.

The very name Isaac means ‘laughter.’ Paul says that we are the children of laughter. 

Once again the Psalmist:

“The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.” (Psa 118:14-15)

And so the prophet Isaiah:

“So the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. ‘I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies and of the son of man who is made like grass.'” (Isa 51:11-12)

While you meditate on these ‘Rules of Thumb for a life of faith’, here is a song that will minister to your heart.

‘Jesus, Be Jesus in Me’

Much love coming your way,

Buddy

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