If you have not read the last three weeks inspirational word, please read Part I, Part II, and Part III. In this last week of the month, we will try to wrap up the issue at hand, living by faith, not by sight.

Last week, we have seen that we were made to operate by faith and despise the effort of sight to take the place of faith. Sight is there to interface our soul and then spirit and provide visual data to be analyzed by our brain which might send some nerve impulses to the different part of our body for appropriate action or it just store the data as information for future retrieval. There is no also question that it is one of the pivotal parts of our body. For that matter, sight informs when there are dangers, threats, and bad conditions for us to pay tribute before a larger effect. One of the reactions we may take is prayer. That means, sight has a great role for our successful living on earth including our spiritual life. The challenge is when our sight dictates the reaction and the stand we take. Other than that, sight is a beautiful gift that revealed to us the beautiful creation of God in the physical realm. I love my eyes man!

We have also seen how God and then Jesus used to be irritated when there had been lack of faith in His people. The incident of Thomas not being with the disciples when Jesus showed up, while His disciples were afraid (based up on the information sight gave them) of Jews and locked their door, brought one moment how Jesus was provoked by the lack of faith and despised those who trust sight to believe (John 20: 19 - 21). Though his best friends whom he knew never lie told him the appearance of the Lord, Thomas over trusted his sight, as it is the problem of most of us, and he said "Unless I SEE the nail marks in His Hands and put my hand into His Side, I will not believe it." (John 20:27)

We know the story, a week later the Master, who cares for His sheep and the One who always gives a second chance, used all avenues to teach, mentor, correct, and show compassion, and build sense of trust with His beloved, showed up again, with out further due, He faced Thomas and his anointing to believe in sight. Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your figures here; SEE my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." One interesting truth we learn from this incident that Thomas couldn’t know Jesus while he was using his sight but the moment corrected, he could be able to know Jesus in a new way, as his Lord and God (John 20: 27 - 28). The other BIG truth was found from Jesus’ statement "blessed are those who have not SEEN and yet have believed." (John 20: 29) Friend, do you see the word ‘blessed’? Abraham was blessed because He believed. There is a blessing behind believing. We are blessed and hire of Abraham’s blessing (possessors of heaven and earth) through Christ when we believe.

Humanity has been advancing its existence on earth because it has been known to find some ways, against what sight could provide, to despise limiting laws in this material world whether physical, economic, social, or what have you. The law of gravity, Malthus (renowned for his pessimistic predictions regarding the future of humanity) economic theory and many more were some examples of laws that had been finally despised by men who had faith to challenge the status quo. It took faith, initially, to think the possibility of despising gravity and articulate the use of aerodynamics through mathematical analysis, empirical approximation and wind tunnel experimentation to form the scientific basis for heavier-than-air flight. Likewise, it took faith and denied sight to think beyond Malthus who was pessimistic and had a negative future outlook about population growth which he predicted to precede the expansion of the population's resources. All discoveries, for that matter, whether it were airplanes, boats, ships, various technologies, and many more were to pass over the limitations nature imposed on us. These discoveries were possible mainly because humanity exploited its potential well beyond trusting its sight that just reflects what it sees.

We were made to work on the earth and accomplish our assignments by being creative to overcome visible limitations of nature. Without faith, I don’t think that those inventors and discoverers started their journey to come up with something which was not seen previously. We could be able to say that faith was one of the keys behind those discoveries and faith remains the denominator for future endeavors to change the destiny of humanity and regardless of what sight implies. However, in most cases, we forego of the spiritual tool we were giving to rule and dominate on earth; that is faith. If we need more progress on earth and accomplish the original intend of God to make man the governing authority and manager of His colony, faith is the only tool that despises the gigantic challenges visible in front of us; and it is the only power to tap into the invisible world for the birth of new discoveries and insights that help us execute our God given tasks.

I believe that we know whether we are controlled by sight or faith. If we are worrying based on the information we have been getting from sight, we are controlled by sight. On the other hand, we can take in the information and realities from our sight and still remain cool and fulfilling life regardless of the situations around us. Daniel had the chance to be controlled by his sight as he knew that he was thrown into the den of the lions that could eat him right away and before he reach the bottom as they did his accusers. It was easy for the three Hebrew boys to be terrorized based on the reality in sight, the fire furnace that could burn them alive. There were many frustrating reasons sight could provide Abraham. He could have been bowed down for the reality that his and Sarah’s body had been fading away and too late to conceive a child at their old age.

The other thing we should be careful is that we shouldn’t be double minded as the Bible says, "Because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (James 1: 6 -8) The challenge to fall into the trap of doubt and double minded is ‘what if scenarios’ and when we blend both sight and faith. It takes to stick into God’s ability to honor faith, we should be single minded if we expect something from God. That was why Jesus said, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you! (Luke 17:6). Theologians agree that it is not about the size but it implies the purity of faith that requires having that command to cast away a mountain of any kind that threaten us by standing between us and our next destination.

I don't think of a field where faith of any degree is not required to achieve extra ordinary performances. Even in the motivational and personal development world, it is clearly understood that it takes more than sight to motivate and change someone’s attitude about health, wealth, and success at large. Who is lagging behind maybe is the faith community that should despise sight and use faith to aide the eye and enter into the spiritual world to enjoy holistic success. For that matter, motivational speakers and personal development gurus are using faith (a faith on the universe or self or an unknown something bigger than self). This approach has been giving people success and we cannot deny the positive role the personal development and inspirational speakers have been portraying to help humanity out grow sight. Most of them may not use the term faith but it is Faith that is demanded from individuals who are looking for success, health, and wealth. I heard Doug Wead (presidential historian) as saying that most of the motivational teachings, especially by those who have Christian background, are Biblical principles but scriptures are taken out. He is right because I have read many inspirational and motivational books by such personnel and it is easy to notice the finger print behind the truth they teach that aligns with the Bible; and Bible is about faith.