I used to wonder about faith. Do I have faith just so I could believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Was faith just for those that did impressive feats in the Bible? What about those I hear say they live by faith now? Then, the big question, how to live the lifestyle of faith? Can it be done? Should we live that way?
Then I came across a verse in the Bible that caused me to question my entire Christian lifestyle. It shook me to my core. This verse made me realize as a young man, I didn’t know anything about pleasing God. Here is the verse I read.
Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 CSB)
After I read that verse, I stopped and said to God with tears in my eyes, “I am sorry for not pleasing you. I didn’t know. Please teach me how to please you with my faith.” That simple prayer started me on a journey that continued over forty years later.
Early in my studies of faith, I came across a verse written by the prophet Habakkuk.
But the righteous one will live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4b CSB)
The first time I read this, it had little impact. Then one day, God tripled the impact of this verse. I discovered the Apostle Paul quoted Habakkuk not once, not twice, but three times in his letters. (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38)
I realized if God said something in His Word four separate times, it must be important. I knew I was a righteous one (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, because I am a righteous one, I must live by my faith. And so must you.
What Is the Lifestyle of Faith?
The lifestyle of faith is when we take the measure of faith God gave each Christian (Romans 12:3), and we saturate our whole life with it. God commands us to live our life by faith. Every aspect is to be drenched with faith.
(You can learn more about the measure of faith in my article HERE.)
We please God by living the lifestyle of faith. We must do everything by faith. This is the lifestyle that pleases God. It is a lifestyle based completely on trust in God and His Word.
You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. (Deuteronomy 5:33 CSB)
The first Christians were all Jews. They grew up living Deuteronomy 5:33. This is why they were first called “Followers of the Way.”
They realized Christianity is not a mere religion. It is a journey you take and a path you walk on. It is not making one choice to follow Jesus; it is a lifetime of choices to follow Jesus.
We Are to Live the Lifestyle of Faith
If we are to live by our faith, then faith must be our lifestyle. This requires us to have a different mindset. Therefore, we must renew our mind to this new lifestyle.
(You can read my article about renewing you mind HERE.)
Without renewing our mind, it will be impossible to live the lifestyle of faith. We must change our thinking from the ways of the current age to Kingdom of God thinking. Only by renewing our mind can we do what Jesus commanded us to do:
“Seek first the Kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33)
To live a lifestyle of faith, we must use our faith in every aspect of our life. This means we work our job or business by faith. We parent our children, do hobbies, work around the house by faith. We incorporate faith into our shopping, finances, travel, and vacations.
Every aspect of our life is lived by our faith. How do we learn to do this? By consistent, daily Bible study. God’s Word is the source of the wisdom we need to live this lifestyle. God’s Word is what we use to renew our mind.
(You can read my article about wisdom HERE.)
Our Lifestyle of Faith is Built on Trust
We build our lifestyle of faith on absolute trust in God. This doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and experience to build your trust in God. As you study His Word, pray, and experience His working in your life, your trust in God will grow.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. (Proverbs 3:5-7 CSB)
As you continue deeper and deeper into the lifestyle of faith, this verse in Proverbs becomes more real in your life. It is the key to living the lifestyle of faith.
5 Benefits to the Lifestyle of Faith
- You develop an intimate relationship with our Father in Heaven
- Material things become less important
- Worry disappears from your life
- You prosper in every area of your life
- The miraculous seems to follow you everywhere
Those are the five benefits to living the lifestyle of faith. I have them in my life and I want more of them. Again, this doesn’t happen overnight. The speed at which this happens depends upon us. The faster we put our trust in God, the more quickly these five benefits will appear.
The Challenge
I challenge you to begin living the lifestyle of faith today. If you are already living the lifestyle of faith, I challenge you to go deeper into it. Make faith your way of life. Drench your whole life with it.
Take me up on my challenge. Watch the five benefits appear in your life. Enjoy a relationship with Our Creator in a deeper and more full way. If you do it, you will never regret it.
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