I met a man recently who said he does not believe in anything but himself. He does not believe there is a God or even a higher being. He has lived his whole life this way and appears happy.
This got me to thinking about faith.
I don't understand how you can live without it? I don't mean this as a criticism of those that don't believe in God or Buddha or Allah. Actually it is a deep intellectual inquisitiveness that drives the question. I accept that I am biased since I have deep faith and was raised with it. So I want to understand how one can live without faith?
I am not suggesting that one has to believe in God or be a Christian. I accept that any religion is a form of faith and I grant that each delivers the comfort, strength, patience etc. that I think faith should. So what I want to focus on is how you live with no faith at all?
Who do you pray to for guidance and strength? Who do you ask forgiveness from? Who do you ask to help you through tough times? Who do you give thanks to for all you have and the blessings in your life? I need to understand.
I have a had a life long friend who is an atheist. To be fair to him he has held firm to that truth his entire life. A few years back he had his first grandchild and I noticed when I saw him soon thereafter he was elated. Not just happy to be a granddad but truly changed. Then came his second grandchild and just recently his third. This third one was particularly special as his eldest daughter had been trying to conceive for years and had really struggled. He also sold out his share of his business and is now semi retired - working only 3 days a week and taking about 8 weeks of vacation a year. He is healthy, he has some money, a good wife, two daughters, two homes and now 3 grand kids.
Talking to him a week ago he was sharing how happy he was as he lay on the beach in Florida soaking up some rays. (lets be clear he was in Florida I was on my cell in the office). He said that he felt so blessed that he was starting to believe there was a higher power perhaps a God. I was shocked but intrigued as well. What had caused this change? He said the miracle of his third grandchild. He said that this combined with all the blessings has received recently (last 5 years) is leading him to believe he is being "looked out for".
This man has had big challenges in his life and at no time, even in the darkest hours did he even think to reach out to God or pray. No he shouldered all of it and fought hard to survive his trials. He came through and still had no place in his life for faith. Now as blessings are showered upon him he feels the need to be thankful and feels it is not all his doing. Very interesting.
Last night a couple that my wife and I are friends with lost their son in a tragic car accident. This was a great young man. He played football with one of our sons, he was in Chiropractic school and had a beautiful girlfriend. He was a kind person with a zest for life and a warm personality. Late last night God called him up. Needless to say the family is in shock and all of us that were close to him are numb.
On our morning walk today my wife and I agreed that a tragedy of this magnitude is devastating. We wondered how our friends will get through this? We wondered what we would do if we ever lost one of our boys? While we agreed that our friends were fortunate in that they have a great family and a large group of friends to support them in this impossible time, it is ultimately faith that will see them through. We can't imagine their pain and we both prayed that God spare us ever having to experience this. At the same time we agreed that faith would be the only long term comfort these folks would have. My wife explained that they really did not even have each other because each was suffering this loss individually and one could not provide comfort to the other as they grieved.
No it is faith in knowing that God called this young man for a higher purpose that will bring some peace over time. It is knowing that they will see him again in heaven one day that will keep them going as they grieve. It is being able to share their sorrow, anger, loneliness with God that will slowly walk them through the pain. It is the prayers of their family and friends that will comfort them as they bury their only son.
So today I ask how can one live without faith? And I pray for my friends and their family but also for all those that have no faith. Without faith your life is not complete. Sometimes the ignorance of absence is blinding. Perhaps those with no faith are blind because they have no idea what they are missing? R.I.P. Davin
This got me to thinking about faith.
I don't understand how you can live without it? I don't mean this as a criticism of those that don't believe in God or Buddha or Allah. Actually it is a deep intellectual inquisitiveness that drives the question. I accept that I am biased since I have deep faith and was raised with it. So I want to understand how one can live without faith?
I am not suggesting that one has to believe in God or be a Christian. I accept that any religion is a form of faith and I grant that each delivers the comfort, strength, patience etc. that I think faith should. So what I want to focus on is how you live with no faith at all?
Who do you pray to for guidance and strength? Who do you ask forgiveness from? Who do you ask to help you through tough times? Who do you give thanks to for all you have and the blessings in your life? I need to understand.
I have a had a life long friend who is an atheist. To be fair to him he has held firm to that truth his entire life. A few years back he had his first grandchild and I noticed when I saw him soon thereafter he was elated. Not just happy to be a granddad but truly changed. Then came his second grandchild and just recently his third. This third one was particularly special as his eldest daughter had been trying to conceive for years and had really struggled. He also sold out his share of his business and is now semi retired - working only 3 days a week and taking about 8 weeks of vacation a year. He is healthy, he has some money, a good wife, two daughters, two homes and now 3 grand kids.
Talking to him a week ago he was sharing how happy he was as he lay on the beach in Florida soaking up some rays. (lets be clear he was in Florida I was on my cell in the office). He said that he felt so blessed that he was starting to believe there was a higher power perhaps a God. I was shocked but intrigued as well. What had caused this change? He said the miracle of his third grandchild. He said that this combined with all the blessings has received recently (last 5 years) is leading him to believe he is being "looked out for".
This man has had big challenges in his life and at no time, even in the darkest hours did he even think to reach out to God or pray. No he shouldered all of it and fought hard to survive his trials. He came through and still had no place in his life for faith. Now as blessings are showered upon him he feels the need to be thankful and feels it is not all his doing. Very interesting.
Last night a couple that my wife and I are friends with lost their son in a tragic car accident. This was a great young man. He played football with one of our sons, he was in Chiropractic school and had a beautiful girlfriend. He was a kind person with a zest for life and a warm personality. Late last night God called him up. Needless to say the family is in shock and all of us that were close to him are numb.
On our morning walk today my wife and I agreed that a tragedy of this magnitude is devastating. We wondered how our friends will get through this? We wondered what we would do if we ever lost one of our boys? While we agreed that our friends were fortunate in that they have a great family and a large group of friends to support them in this impossible time, it is ultimately faith that will see them through. We can't imagine their pain and we both prayed that God spare us ever having to experience this. At the same time we agreed that faith would be the only long term comfort these folks would have. My wife explained that they really did not even have each other because each was suffering this loss individually and one could not provide comfort to the other as they grieved.
No it is faith in knowing that God called this young man for a higher purpose that will bring some peace over time. It is knowing that they will see him again in heaven one day that will keep them going as they grieve. It is being able to share their sorrow, anger, loneliness with God that will slowly walk them through the pain. It is the prayers of their family and friends that will comfort them as they bury their only son.
So today I ask how can one live without faith? And I pray for my friends and their family but also for all those that have no faith. Without faith your life is not complete. Sometimes the ignorance of absence is blinding. Perhaps those with no faith are blind because they have no idea what they are missing? R.I.P. Davin