For as long as I can remember, I have had a certain weakness. It’s an innocuous one, but regardless, I’ve been affected by it numerous times in my life, and I will probably continue to be affected by it. My weakness is that whenever someone tells me that he or she thinks that I would be good at doing something, I’m inclined to believe that I can do it too. In addition, almost every sincere claim results in me giving it a try, as long as it is not an ungodly venture, of course. The statements don’t even need to be based on much. I once joined a soccer team because the coach saw me kick a single ball, and asked if I would like to play. Sometimes my attempts at an endeavor that begins with another’s belief in me result in success, but quite often failure.
I recall an early example when I was a member of a Tee-ball team at my grade school. My best friend’s father was the coach of the team, and he told me that he thought I would be a good catcher. In Tee-Ball, the batters hit a baseball from a tee instead of from a pitch, so the role of a catcher only involves catching a ball when a runner is coming into home base. Because of this, I really didn’t have to do very much. I thought that I would be a good catcher too, so I gave it a try. After losing our first couple of games, I was moved to the position that I was destined for—right field. Since I didn’t have to actually catch many balls in that position, I did much better. In this case, I really wasn’t very good at what someone thought that I would be, but I recall giving it my best effort because someone believed in me.
Something that I have become aware of through experience is that when others express their faith in me, I feel like I’m not alone in a pursuit of success. When someone else is involved in my own personal achievement, the support is a huge motivator. As a result, the activities that I get involved in are more meaningful, fulfilling, and even easier when I know that I have someone else standing behind me. I’m sure that many of those reading this share the same feeling – being supported in the pursuit of a virtuous endeavor is extremely motivating.
While I may find that the support and belief of other people in my abilities might sometimes be misplaced, God’s belief in me and His support are not. God’s faith gives me confidence that I can achieve the tasks He sets before me. This is true for all of us. If we find motivation when we are supported by another person, how much more should we be encouraged when we read this, “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). God is faithful in us! Knowing that the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth believes in us should give us all the support, encouragement, and edification that we need to continue trying our best to answer the call that He has given us! God has faith that we can succeed in the great task of overcoming sin through Jesus Christ. We can do this because God the Father believes that we can!
The proof of this godly support abounds in the Bible, and when it is all taken together, it should offer us tremendous and unquenchable encouragement. God calls us to perform a job for a purpose, and not for the purpose of failure. No, we must be encouraged to succeed, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). If God has blessed us with the understanding of the Truth, this gives us the evidence that He has faith in us, individually.
With the faith of God supporting us, and with His Holy Spirit working within us, we have all the raw materials that we need to succeed in turning away from sin to live a life that seeks the Kingdom of God. If we neglect the support that God provides, this is tantamount to choosing death. God can do nothing more to help us if we turn away from Him. However, if we accept His support and allow His Spirit to lead us to righteousness, we are promised salvation. We must always remember, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
