THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

By Danelle Carvell 

I'm reposting a past entry that wasn't up for long because it needed further editing.  A video to go along with this post is included.  And, of course, there are comments under the video by those who choose to deny God.  This girl's talent is amazing and what she's trying to tell us through her art is worth our attention.  God does reveal himself to us.  This is one example.

This week I was inspired to write about faith when I heard a young girl say this: "The most important thing is faith, because without faith you can't communicate with God." The girl I'm referring to is Akiane Kramarik, an amazing artist who is only 15. She started drawing when she was four.  Her work is incredible and she says the reason that she paints is because she wants her art to draw people's attention to God.

I write for the same reason. And if you'd ask me why I believe in God and what I get out of it, I would have a lot to say. But first let me define what faith is. Faith is confidence or trust placed in another. I have faith when I'm convinced there is a God, I'm convinced that He knows best, I believe Jesus is who He claims to be and He has the power to save me. I also have faith when I believe the Bible is God's word and that it is absolute truth.

But why do I have faith and what does it do for me? I have faith because I've experienced amazing answers to my prayers, answers that only God could bring because he knows me so well. I have faith because I'm stronger when I'm close to God through prayer and reading scripture. I have faith because it's just too hard for me to believe that every cell in my body just flew together by accident. I have faith when I look at the sun and know that if it were any closer I would burn up and if it were any farther away I would freeze. It's just too hard to believe that the sun appeared by chance at the exact distance from the earth to sustain human life. When I look at a butterfly, I have faith that something so perfectly beautiful didn't arrive through some big accidental bang. Evidence of a creator is all around me and rather than deny it, I choose to believe.

What does believing do for me? As I stated earlier, faith in God brings answers to prayer. Mark 11:24 says believe what you pray for and you will have it. Faith in God brings you a connection to God's power. God's power travels through an atmosphere of faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God, who is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him ( Hebrews 11:6).  I don't think this means that we can get anything we want by simply believing God will give it to us. I think it means that the blessings God wants to give us can only come to us through faith, through believing that God is who He says He is, and by seeking Him daily through prayer and reading the God inspired pages of the Bible.

One thing faith won't give you is a life without problems. I have problems. For the past four years I've struggled with chronic insomnia, brought on by an injection of FDA-approved Lupron, prescribed by my doctor. When I go two nights in a row without sleep, my body responds by shaking uncontrollably.  Shaking is a universal response to sleep deprivation.  When I'm in this exhausted state, I can't drive or do much of anything. I've missed family gatherings and important events because of my sleep problems.  To make matters worse, people say I should be able to rise above this problem if I'm a Christian.  Even people close to me have made insensitive comments that are far from supportive and understanding.

How can I rise above something that God is allowing me to experience? I learned a long time ago never to question anyone's health problems. The bottom line is you don't know what they're going through, and you don't know what afflictions God is allowing in their lives. The notion that a Christian can rise above every problem is hogwash. The bible says that the righteous will have many afflictions and God will deliver us out of our afflictions in His own time. I can only rise above what God allows me to rise above, and in His timing, not mine.

I often wonder why I have to live like this. Then I ask myself what I would be doing if I could sleep like a normal person. I would be right back in the workplace working a full-time job, knocking myself out for money. I wouldn't have the time or the desire to write this blog and like most busy people I wouldn't have time for God. If I slept well, I wouldn't need God.  I wouldn't have to pray myself through each day. So right there are two reasons why God might be allowing this affliction in my life: It keeps me closer to Him and it keeps me doing the work He wants me to do right now.

Sometimes God allows affliction in our lives because the affliction puts us where God wants us. Afflictions can humble us when we're getting prideful. Suffering can bring us to our knees and bring us closer to God, which is what He wants most. The key to getting through the suffering is faith. Someone without faith would have a much harder time dealing with chronic insomnia. I didn't deal with it well at first. I got so worked up with tears and frustration because my sleep switch is broken. Looking back, I can see how my faith has grown. Now I completely surrender the night to God. I don't get frustrated, even if I lay there exhausted but wide awake till the sun comes up. After four years, I've learned to trust God.  I have faith that God will see me through. I get through it because the Lord helps those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7). I've learned to depend on that promise. So building one's faith is another reason God allows us to experience afflictions.

Faith is powerful, but so many of us don't bother tapping into that power. People without faith are fearful, yet they would never admit it. Faith is the only thing that can combat fear and give us confidence. Without faith you are left to a life of worry and wondering what will happen next. Without a connection to God, all you have is your own power, which is nothing compared to supernatural power. Miracles can't be performed without faith. In Mark 6:5-6 when Jesus was rejected at Nazareth, He wasn't able to heal the people. But in Luke 8:43-48 when a woman believed that just by touching the robe of Jesus she would be healed, her faith brought her a miracle and she was instantly made well. Miracles and healings are only possible in an atmosphere of faith.

My final word on faith is that you can't fully understand its power until you try it for yourself. A life without faith is a life lived without the awesome power of God. Just look at the examples of people who do amazing things through faith. The young artist, Akiane, who inspired me to write this blog is just one example. Without her faith, without her connection to God, do you really think that she could paint those spectacular paintings? God is the giver of talent. He gives us the ability to do awesome things. But if you're not connected to that source of power, you will never know what great and mighty things you could accomplish. You'll never experience a miracle. You won't have your prayers answered. You won't be in God's favor and receive the rewards and blessings He wants to give you. And you won't have the strength to successfully endure life's difficulties. With all that in mind, faith truly is the most important thing. Why would anyone want to live without it?
To view the video of Akiane's amazing art talent, you can go to the labels list on the bottom right side of my page and click Videos