Live By Faith
December 26, 2021, I became sick. I had a sore throat, slight congestion and a headache. It felt like the beginning of a cold that would go away after rest, meds and food. However, the sickness I encountered was unlike anything I ever felt before, including COVID. Some days, I felt off and other days, I felt fine. It didn’t matter what meds I took or how much rest I received, I still felt sick. When I visited the doctor about 3 weeks later, the doctor informed me I had a common cold. He gave me meds, but I still didn’t feel 100%. By the end of January, I was over being at the house and ping-ponging between feeling sick and feeling fine. I remembered the scripture, Matthew 17:20 (NLT), “if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” I made up in my mind that “I was healed,” even though I didn’t feel it. Not only did I declare this in my mind, but I spoke and acted like I was healed. After being couped in the house for over a month, I decided to go to the gym. I figured whatever residue was in me needed to be sweated out. My parents asked me if I felt better and I responded, “I am declaring I am healed!” I proceeded to go to the gym and two days later, I felt 100% again.
This is a depiction of FAITH. No one told me a date of when I would feel better. My body still felt like it was sick. I had to believe that God could and would heal me. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) states: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
This event in my life opened my eyes to the truth behind every faith sermon I have ever heard. It reminded me that God wants to bless us, but we must believe that He can. I’ll admit, I am guilty of praying to God for something or believing something in my mind, but in conversation with others or in my actions, I’ll negate the very thing that I asked God for. We shouldn’t do that. If we are going to have faith in God about a thing, then our entire being: actions, words and thoughts need to reflect that.
Now, I’m not saying that doubts won’t arise because they will, but it’s how determined you are to hold on to that faith is what God looks at. After I declared I was healed, I didn’t feel better immediately. I wanted to doubt that it would even work, but I kept reminding myself of the scripture and I kept declaring it. Not only did I declare it, but I continued to act on it. After the first workout, I didn’t feel completely better, but I decided to go again the next day. James 2:26 (NLT) says: “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” In other words, you have to work for and to what it is you’re having faith in. In this situation, the work was going to the gym like I would normally do.
