Choosing to Value Faith

The well-known British philosopher and atheist, Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), was supposedly asked later in his life how he would explain his beliefs if he was confronted with God after he died. It is said that he quickly replied, “Not enough evidence, God! Not enough evidence.”

I have often wondered how much evidence would it take to convince him, or any atheist, of God’s existence. What kind of proof is necessary to satisfy anybody that there is a personal God? It seems to me that belief in a deity or some kind of spiritual reality is more a matter of human will than anything else. If I don’t want there to be a God, then I am likely to find the means to explain away any “evidence” that might be presented. But, if I do desire a God (of any kind), I am more apt to have eyes to see all kinds of things and happenings as evidence pointing to the likelihood that there really is a spiritual Being and reality outside myself.

Faith (a choice of my will) makes the difference.

But What Am I Assuming?

The word “faith” often gets a bad rap. It is typically relegated to the ranks of the unthinking, naive, and even disingenuous. Mark Twain, the famous 19th Century American author supposedly said, “Having faith is believing in something you know ain’t true.” Whether or not this was his final conclusion, his statement sums up how many people pass faith off as insensible and even moronic.

Beliefs and faith (or lack of faith) run very closely with what we presuppose — those attitudes of the heart from which the process of belief begins. If I assume that miracles cannot happen (because it offends my intellect), then I will naturally come to the conclusion, when reading the Bible, that a good portion of it is imaginary and made up. On the other hand, if I assume miracles are possible (because I sense there is much in the world that my little brain cannot comprehend), I can therefore write off much of atheist Richard Dawkins’ writings as shallow propaganda. Where I start greatly determines where I end up.

Faith as a Choice

Everyone uses faith to a certain extent. I have come to define it as being very closely aligned with trust. Therefore, if I trust the chair I’m sitting on won’t collapse from the weight of my body, I could also say I have put my faith in it or at least in the people who made it. And I do this without ever meeting the designers or examining the credentials of the carpenters.

Faith in God can be similar. I have chosen to believe that there is a supernatural being who is good and is worthy of my trust. And the more I continue to trust, the more I see evidence that He exists and deserves my faith. Why did I make that initial choice? That’s where the mystery resides. I think it has less to do with any evidence and more to do with my desire to be connected with something bigger than myself. In the same way, atheism can be rooted in not necessarily a lack of evidence for God but because people presumptively desire their minds to be able to explain everything and maintain a sense of control. In other words, people often start with not wanting there to be a God. This inevitably leads to a place where they can see no evidence for His existence.

It Pleases God

The truth is that I don’t always see evidence for what I believe. No matter how long I walk out my faith, there always seems to be room for doubt. And for the longest time this perplexed me. If God exists, why does He not reveal Himself in a way that demolishes every question and each potential bit of ambiguity? Could He not produce miracles in such a way that would not allow anyone, even the sharp mind of Richard Dawkins, to disbelieve His existence? I am confident He could if that fit what He most highly values for humans to possess.

Faith, or trust in Him, seems to be among the loftiest qualities God longs to develop in us. Hebrews 11:16 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” But enduring trust is often shaped in the crucible of uncertainty and among the possibilities of betrayal. What secures a lover’s confidence more assuredly than to watch her beloved walk through a field of temptation and potential unfaithfulness and to come out the other side steadfast in his commitment to her? Faith that is tested and tried appears to bring joy to God like nothing else. Thus the trials.

I am confronted at times with the hard truth that I don’t value faith like my Heavenly Father does. 1 Peter 1:7 tells us that the genuineness of our faith is more precious than gold. I still find myself desiring gold more than an enduring faith and steadfast confidence in God. Childlike faith still seems so vulnerable, an inferior intellectual style, and the opposite of mature behavior. Yet it is precious to Him, and He therefore is not afraid to set things up in our lives so that we have to make a choice to trust Him or not.

The Most Valuable Asset

I suspect that Bertrand Russell has had to explain why He did not want to believe in God; why he worked so hard to explain away the evidence that was present; why he chose confidence in his own intellect over confidence in the child-like spirit from which his Creator wanted him to operate. I don’t know in the end how he settled things with God before he left this world. But I am confident that he, like all others, was given a choice to trust in Someone bigger than himself and his own mind. The question is, in the end did he find a place in his heart to value faith enough, even a tiny mustard-seed size, to release himself into his Maker’s hands?

It’s never too late, while we are still breathing. We can yet humble ourselves and choose to trust in who God says He is and what He has done for us through Jesus.

Faith is among the most precious commodities we can access on this earth. Yet it is so simple, a child often takes hold of it before an educated adult. Its value is guaranteed to last forever with ever-increasing dividends. There are different kinds of wealth we can pursue. But some last a lot longer than others and are therefore the wiser choice in which to invest. Can you see what is most valuable?

Response:

• What’s my definition of faith? How do I live it out?
• In what ways do I already exercise faith in my life but in things or concepts? How can I apply this kind of trust to God and what He has revealed about Himself?
• How can it be that faith is more precious than gold? And what does this mean for me if it is true?
• Jesus, how can I begin to walk in faith as a child?