FAITHERCISING - BREATHE THROUGH YOUR MOUTH

Are you familiar with the phrase, "it takes faith to have faith"?

This statement emphasizes that belief alone is not enough.

There’s also a process involved that requires additional effort/work, especially when circumstances become difficult or when positive and affirming evidence is not immediately or readily apparent.

Needing Faith to Faith, highlights the fact that Faith is not an incantation, there are no magic beans, or fairy’s wand to be waved! Faith is a conscience decision to have continuous courage and conviction to go on.

You need Faith to Faith, when you are required to believe in the unbelievable, especially in the face of doubt and uncertainty, mockers and moments, and definitely during those times of ever-stifling deadly silence.

Sometimes, we give up, not realizing the hardest part is behind us.

It is in these moments that we need Faith Stamina more than ever.

For times when you say, “I have faith! but I still don’t see anything”

In moments like these we will learn if we are Faith Fit, if we’ve been faithfully Faith-ercising, a.k.a. Exercising our Faith.  

Are you building up your Faith muscles? What do your Faith abs look like? Can you withstand a gut punch from Life? Family? The Economy?

Are your Faith legs strong enough to stand and still believe God when you are fatigued from waiting so long? Can you run on to see what the end will be?

What do you do when the unknown, undesirable, unprepared for, and unpleasant, hits you?

Do you Gasp for air? Curse? Fight? Flight? Cry? Hide? Blame others? or just Quit!

Or do you breathe through your mouth blessings and thanksgivings that things aren’t worse. Do you use your breathe to thank God for what you do have, or do you blame him for what you don’t have?

Do you remember all that God has brought you through before? During these times you cannot breathe through your nose and be silent; you must open your mouth and redirect your atmosphere with your words! I will Bless the Lord Oh my soul. God is faithful to his children!

The opposite of being Faith Fit is having Faith Atrophy. Atrophy is caused by a lack of exercise, movement, leading to a lack of obedience, unbelief, fear, self-sufficiency or worse.

Faith Atrophy is the declined usage of your faith or disuse of it.

Many describe the opposite of faith as doubt, but in reality, the opposite of faith is uncertainty or outright disobedience. All these things are due to a lack of regular Faith-ercising or Spiritual Exercise.

The Bible instructs us to work out our Faith! Philippians 2

Faith Atrophy is a degeneration of faith that happens when your spiritual muscles are not being properly exercised through consistent practices like prayer, meditation, reading/studying of scripture, attending gatherings with other believers, and various other acts of disuse.
 
Here are a few examples of disuse of your Faith that leads to Faith Atrophy:

Self-sufficiency: Faith is about surrender. Self-sufficiency says I AM IN CONTROL and I will rely only upon myself and not anyone else.

Disobedience: Acting against what one believes and professes is true is the opposite of exercising faith. Leaning to your own understanding!

Unbelief: A lack of faith or making a decision not to believe.

Certainty: Absolute certainty closes a person off to unknown possibilities, while faith requires a degree of trust in the unknown.

Fear: Faith motivates action, whereas fear promotes inaction and stagnation.

Faith is like a muscle, it needs exercise – if it is not used, it will atrophy.

Some of us spend time exercising certain muscles of our physical body that we want to develop. You say, “I haven’t been to the gym for a while, and I feel the difference.” Similarly, when times goes by without Faith-ercising, you will also feel that difference too.

The longer you go without using Faith, the more you increase the likelihood of not remembering how to Faith. Faith needs consistency!

To "Faith-ercise" means to put your belief and trust in God into active regular practice through your thoughts, words, and deeds.

It is not a passive occasional belief, but a dynamic and purposeful demonstration of your faith through obedience, prayer, service, and living in accordance with your beliefs, even when you face resistance or struggle.

If we don’t use our Faith, then we will certainly lose our Faith!

This is a Thompson Truth