As Necessary As Air

Some figure faith is for the weak.  It is for those who think something more than just hard work and determination is needed.  Or, maybe it is just for those who are lazy and do not want to pay the price of making their own way.  Those who need no illusion of having an edge find faith an unnecessary thing.  It is something that makes no difference in life.  Some have simply deluded themselves into thinking that it does.

Actually, no one can live without it.  Faith is as necessary as air.  It may be that love gets us to the altar, but it is faith that keeps us in the marriage.  And, everyone who drives an automobile does so believing that the people in the other cars will stay on their side of the road and obey traffic laws.  And, anyone who has ever been in an airplane is literally putting their life in the hands of the pilot.  The truth is we all practice faith to some degree every single day of our life or we would not make it at all.

So, if faith is so built into the fabric of life, why is it difficult to accept that the way toward God is also the way of faith.  Our relationship with God is based on grace.  God is the One who initiates the relationship with us.  Apart from His act of grace and love toward us, it would be impossible for us to enter into a relationship with Him.  Our response it the act of faith.  God does not force Himself on anyone of us.  He waits for us to respond.  Faith is the necessary human response.