Do you believe what you believe?

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." {Luke 1:46-47, ESV}

There is something that can happen when we believe in God our whole life.  Our belief can get stacked under a hurried life, unmet desires, and the many disappointments we often face.   What's familiar can often take a back seat and even be pushed to the side, eventually fading into the background.  We don't mean for it to happen, it just does. And never all at once but in pieces and slowly.

For me, I have been a believer of God my entire life.  I don't remember when I made the decision to follow Christ with my life but growing up in the church I knew I had.  And just to be safe, to this day every time a pastor offers an opportunity to pray the Sinner's Prayer, I do!

I've never questioned whether or not I believe in God.  I'm pretty confident that I do. However several years ago, I was asked one question that has radically changed the way I approach my faith in God.  The question was, "Do you believe what you believe?" A simple question that at the time I had no idea would turn my world upside down.  I knew I believed in God and I felt the answer to that question was a resounding, "yes!".

How oxymoronic of me as a professed Christian if I didn't, right?

Unable to shake this question that had so rattled me to my core, I began to pray.  "Lord, do I believe what I believe?" "Do I believe you?"

Almost immediately, I knew in my spirit that although I very much believed in God, I was struggling to Believe God. And more importantly, believe ALL of God!  Over the years, I had allowed my life circumstances, prayers that weren't answered the way I had hoped, and situations that played out way different than I imagine, to rewrite and often trump the truth I once knew so clearly.

Paul warns us in second Timothy to "Guard the deposit {truth} entrusted to you..." {2 Timothy 1:14} because he knew that it would be really easy to be persuaded.  I find it uncanny just how much that warning is necessary today as it seemed to be at the time Paul was writing to Timothy and the church.

We live in a firestorm of information bombarding our thoughts and trying to infiltrate our believe and trust of God.

Mary was blessed simply because she believed God. A belief that would have really been difficult considering her circumstances and life stage.  Unwed and pregnant.

"Blessed is she who believed..." {Luke 1:45}

I started the ministry of She Believes a few years ago to be a community of women, doing life together online and pursuing Christ through free online bible studies, memorizing scripture challenges, and a short interactive Insta Devo found on Instagram  @shebelieves.co.  My dream is to see more women living out the blessings found when we believe God for our whole life while fully embracing a life of greater Christ-centered freedom!

As you reflect on my story, is there an area in your life that comes to mind where maybe you aren't believing God or trusting his truth?  Leave a comment and let's lift those areas up together in prayer!

May you be blessed as you believe God and lean into our Heavenly Father all the more today for your whole life!