Faith is Not Denying Reality

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES God's Dream For Your Life

Faith is Not Denying Reality By Rick Warren — May 11, 2015 “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV) Faith is not denying reality. It’s not pretending you don’t have a problem. Faith is not saying, “I’m not in pain” when you are. It’s not saying, “I don’t hurt” when you do. It’s not saying, “I’m happy” when you’re really grieving inside. That’s not faith; it’s phoniness! Faith is facing the facts without being disheartened by them because you know God is greater than the problem. There is a brand of Christianity today that basically says, “Deny all of your problems. Just have a positive confession. Name it and claim it.” That kind of thinking did not come from Jesus. That’s Pollyanna, and Pollyanna is not exactly a good theologian. Faith is facing reality without being discouraged by it. You know that God can change a situation. You can build a family on faith, but you can’t build it on fantasy. You can build a business on faith, but not on fantasy. You can build a life on faith, but not on fantasy. The key is to look beyond your circumstances: “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen [the problem] is temporary, but what is unseen [God’s power] is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV). If you look at the world, you’re going to be distressed. There are problems everywhere! If you look within, you’re going to be depressed, because there are a lot of things that need changing in your life. But if you look at Jesus Christ, you’ll be at rest. It all depends on where you are focused. Circumstances are like a mattress: Get on top, and you rest easy. Get underneath, and you suffocate. When you start looking at your problem, you’re sunk. But if you look at Jesus — if you look toward your Deliverer rather than the difficulty — you’ll make it. Talk It Over In what ways have you been building your life on fantasy because you’ve been afraid to face the reality? Once you’ve faced the facts of your reality, what do you think God wants you to do? What does it mean to focus on Jesus? Our Gift: Everything Is Possible With God Study Kit with Bonus Worship CD: The Sound of Hope Just like exercise builds your physical muscles, God has a workout program for you to strengthen your faith. And in the Everything Is Possible with God Study Kit, Rick Warren shows you God’s divine training routine to help you strengthen your faith and develop your character. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren God's Dream For Your Life teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: How God Builds Your Faith Message 2: God's Dream For Your Life Message 3: How To Make Wise Decisions Message 4: Delayed By Design Message 5: How To Deal With Difficulty Message 6: Dead End To Deliverance PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2015 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe