By Ava Pennington—

The ophthalmologist used a swab to numb the white of my husband’s eye in preparation for the injection. I winced at the thought of keeping my eye open for an approaching needle. My husband is much braver than I am. But as he noted, it’s still better than the alternative: blindness.

Few people, if any, would choose to be blind. Yet all too often, Christians speak of the necessity of blind faith. I cringe when I hear that term. Not because I don’t want unreserved faith in the Lord, but because a Christian’s faith is never blind.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) defines faith in part as “assurance about what we do not see.” But not being able to see how God works behind the scenes does not mean our faith is blind.

The natural evidence of creation points to a Creator. The biblical record reveals God’s names, character, and ways. We have historical accounts, apart from the Bible, of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the testimony of Christians around the world through twenty centuries. Finally, every believer has the validating experience of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

I display faith in electricity every time I flip a light switch. I have faith the sun will rise each morning.  I even express faith in the law of gravity as I walk from the front door to the car. My faith in the physical world, based on evidence and experience, is not blind.

Neither is my faith blind when it comes to the God who created it all.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).

 

 

 

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© 2010 Martin Alan Grivjack PhotographyMartin Alan Grivjack PhotographyAva Pennington is thoroughly enjoying her second career as an author, teacher, and speaker. Originally from New York City, she relocated after a 20-year corporate career as a Human Resources executive. But don’t call her retired. In addition to writing and speaking, she teaches a Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class of 200+ women from September through May each year.

Her newest book, Daily Reflections on the Names of God: A Devotional, is published by Revell and endorsed by Kay Arthur, founder of Precepts Ministries International. Ava has also written articles for magazines such as Power for LivingCalled, and Christianity Today’s Today’s Christian Woman. She has been published in 25 anthologies, including 18 Chicken Soup for the Soul books.

Ava is grateful for her husband, Russ, their marriage of 35+ years, and their home in south Florida. She is a passionate speaker and teacher, and delights in challenging audiences with relevant, enjoyable presentations. For more information, visit www.AvaWrites.com or contact her at Ava@AvaWrites.com.

 

5 Comments

  1. 3-20-2015

    Thank you Ava.

  2. 3-20-2015

    Amen, amen, Ava! Wow, you had me blinking and shrinking back at the first lines about the needle. May our faith have the eyes to believe without seeing.

  3. 3-20-2015

    An editorial in our local newspaper said Christians “have given up their ability to independently reason & think…given up the ability to use both hemispheres of their brains.” Thank you for validating that faith in the God of the universe is neither blind nor stupid.

    • 3-20-2015

      Yes, Mona. It bugs me when others say that “Christians check their brains at the door” when they go to church. Not true!

  4. 3-24-2015

    Ava, I’d never thought of it that way! Like it when a new way of “seeing” things is presented. Thanks!

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