No, Belief Isn’t My Anchor
(But Here Are My 10 Convictions)
At some point, we all ask the big questions: God, where are you? Who are you? What is wrong with this world, and how can it be fixed?
I understand those questions completely. I believe our human minds struggle to grasp divine concepts, and without God, there’s no universal reference point. It can feel like we see everything only through the lens of our own experiences.
Painfully obvious disclaimer: I am not a Pascal, a Clairvaux, a Nouwen, a Chesterton, or a Lewis ... and I certainly don't claim to be Mother Teresa or on Pope Benedict XVI's impressive list of deep Christian thinkers (it IS a great list btw!). But this is my self, jotting down a few real thoughts about life, love and the pursuit of God. I have collected these over the past around-50 years and at one time or another put them in a particular file (I process slowly! lol). These are brief and may seem disconnected at times, but each comes from an experience with Him. Therefore they connect at the heart.
I am not a great theologian or philosopher, just a fellow traveler jotting down some thoughts on life, love, and the pursuit of God. These are brief reflections, collected over many years, that come from personal experiences with Him.
Here we go ... and here are a few things I’ve learned along the way. When you see the words "MY TINY TRUTH" what it really means is "a fragile theory from my human brain."
Truth is a person.
The truth isn’t just a set of rules or doctrines about Christ; it is His very character, His personality. Think about it: you don’t just know facts about a dear friend—you know their heart, their nature.
"I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life.
No one gets to the Father apart from me." John 14:6
MY TINY TRUTH: You know a dear FRIEND'S nature, right? I'm just going to leave that thought with you and consider how to marry it with John 14:6. ;0)
We must be broken to be built.
Bernard of Clairvaux once prayed, “O my God, deep calls unto deep. The deep of my profound misery calls to the deep of Your infinite mercy.”
"Chaos calls to chaos, to the tune of whitewater rapids. Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers crash and crush me. Then God promises to love me all day, sing songs all through the night! My life is God’s prayer." Psalm 42:7-8, MSG
MY TINY TRUTH: It seems we must allow ourselves to be undone before we can be remade. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but I’m ready.
Listen for the whisper.
"Then he was told, 'Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.' A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper." 1 Kings 19:11-12, MSG
This passage beautifully illustrates the idea of finding God not just in grand displays of power but in the stillness and quiet moments, encouraging us to seek His peace and presence in all circumstances.
MY TINY TRUTH: You may have seen God’s power on the mountaintops of your life, but it’s just as important to listen for His whisper in the quiet moments. Keep searching for His peace and power in the higher places. (Isaiah 54:10)
We all see differently.
This verse highlights the tension between our human reasoning and the need to trust in God’s guidance, acknowledging that our perspectives are limited and flawed, but His wisdom is perfect.
"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track."
Proverbs 3:5-6
MY TINY TRUTH: God gave us the ability to think and reason, but our perspectives are flawed. This is why people have so many different ideas about who God is, (Deuteronomy 10:21). Which one is right? YOU get to decide how much it matters to you.
The past is like a painting.
We can never fully grasp the whole story or the entirety of God’s work, much like being drawn to the beauty of a single moment or detail, such as wildflowers, while the bigger picture remains beyond our understanding. This hit me while I was lost in an art museum, finding myself drawn to a simple painting of wildflowers instead of a busy cityscape. It makes me think of these words:
"True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he’s coming or going."(Ecclesiastes 3:11, MSG
MY TINY TRUTH: You can never capture the whole story, no matter how hard you try.
Seek Him first.
This next verse emphasizes the importance of seeking God first, placing Him at the center of our lives, and trusting that everything else will fall into place. It beautifully reflects the idea of prioritizing Him above all else and the gentle reminder that He provides for us when we do.
“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax... Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out.
You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”
(Matthew 6:30-33, MSG)
MY TINY TRUTH: God tells us to seek if we want to find, but it’s so easy to forget He also told us to seek Him first. I often ask myself why I put Him second or third, and then I wonder why I come up empty-handed. I imagine God has a good-natured laugh at my expense sometimes. *wink*
Anyone who relies on something is religious.
Mssr. Blaise Pascal believed that man wouldn't indeed be able to "find himself" because he is consistently in a battle with religion and reason, vanity and nothingness, which kinda leads to an egocentric predicament. The human being often strives for truth, but can’t seem actually to have it.
"I’ve looked long and hard at what goes on under the sun. Let me tell you, there’s not much to go on. The wisest man in the world knows nothing, really. No one can figure out what God is up to, whether he’s working or whether he’s at rest."
Ecclesiastes 8:17, MSG
MY TINY TRUTH:The human being often strives for truth, but can’t seem actually to have it. I have a guess that Pascal might have agreed with that, n’est-ce pas, monsieur?
Motivation connects being and doing.
"But whoever catches a glimpse of the real counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight or affirmation in the action.”
James 1:25, MSG
This verse beautifully captures the essence of motivation rooted in faith. It highlights that true motivation comes from glimpsing God's "real counsel"—His guidance and truth—and then acting on it with purpose and focus. The imagery of catching even a corner of God's wisdom and finding delight in action is both inspiring and empowering.
It reminds us that motivation isn't just about willpower; it's about aligning ourselves with God's truth and living out our faith in practical, meaningful ways. The "free life" described here emphasizes the liberty we have in Christ, which fuels our actions with joy and purpose rather than obligation. It's a powerful encouragement to stay grounded in God's word and let it propel us forward with clarity and confidence.
MY TINY TRUTH: How we motivate ourselves is often a mystery. I am so grateful we can live under a law of liberty. I get that ... but/so/and (choose a conjunction!) ...
Be careful with your wounds.
"For God wounds, but he also dresses the wound;
the same hand that hurts you, heals you." Job 5:18, MSG
While we all experience pain and hurt, God is both the healer and the one who brings restoration. The first book written in the Bible, the book of Job (it wasn't Genesis), encourages us to trust in His plan, even when we don’t fully understand it, and to handle our wounds with care, ensuring they don’t negatively impact others. It’s a reminder of God’s faithfulness in both our struggles and our healing.
MY TINY TRUTH: Everyone experiences hurt. Be mindful not to pass your pain around like a virus. It has always served me well not to second-guess God, and to simply hang on, even when I can’t see His plan. The connection between knowing and doing is motivation. BEING and DOING are two different things, but the relationship between them remembers what you looked like in the mirror this morning.
I don't know about you, but I've found that HOW to motivate (myself or others - but mainly myself) is often a mystery. I'm so grateful that Christians can live under a law of liberty (see James 1:25!).
Prayer can be silent.
"If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans."
Romans 8:26, MSG
Should we all capture the idea that prayer doesn’t always require words? Even in silence or when we feel we have nothing left to say, God understands the depths of our hearts and intercedes for us. It’s a comforting reminder that He hears us, even in our quietest moments.
Ask any guidance counselour to confirm that one, right? Praying often begins when you feel you have nothing left to say. Sometimes, a quiet heart and a closed mouth say exactly what He needs to hear. I definitely learned that one the hard way!
MY TINY TRUTH: Don't second-guess God, hang around (sometimes hanging ON for dear life!), and be quiet - even (and often especially) when I can't see His plan.
Has anyone else learned that the hard way?
It has taken me a long time to share this list. I’m not a famous thinker like Luther or Lewis. I’m just a forgetful person who wants to remember what God has taught me, especially when it matters most.
I have collected these thoughts over the years by recording them in a very NON-public place because I know my forgetful self (ok, you got me, it was just in a box) -- I want to remember what God has taught me, especially at the moment it matters.
Life feels so short lately, and I find myself wondering where we should put our energy to make a difference. Is anything worth being angry over? I don’t think so. Instead, let’s get out there and serve a lost world. Feed the hungry, be there for a struggling teenager, be kind to the people you live with, and love those who annoy you. Be a miracle. Believe. Know.
NEVER MIND, IT'S ELEVEN!
It's your bonus, and my favourite.
Believing is not the same as knowing.
In short and finally, believing is NOTHING like knowing. I don't simply "believe" in God ... I like to think I know Him. One might “believe” in God as he or she believes the sun will rise or the grass will grow in Spring. That's really, really cool. But one can also “believe” in God as an encouragement to the Almighty (“I believe in you!”), a show of confidence in the Creator (as if He needs assurance). I tend to think even God might like to know we give a rip. ;-) But even that isn't the kind of belief we are talking about here, is it?
I don't know about you, but I have obsessed of late with how short life is. Where should our passions and energies go to make a difference in this world? Is anything worth being angry? No. Find the desert experience from someone who has come out of it, not someone who is still wandering around there. Get out there and serve a lost world. Feed the hungry, be there for a teenager who lives with things that are destroying his or her life, be kind to the people you live with, love people who annoy you ... be a miracle. Believe.
Believe or Know? One might "believe" in God the same way they believe the sun will rise. That’s wonderful, but it’s not the whole story. You can also “believe in” God as a show of confidence, like cheering someone on. I think even God might appreciate knowing we care.
And ... at the end of the day, however long your "day" may be,
I just hope that you don't "believe" in God either.
I pray that you KNOW Him.
(If you have a second, I would love to hear some things that He has taught YOU.
We learn from each other. And I have no doubt I can learn a LOT from YOU. Teach away!)
