July 2018

7 Principles for Living by Faith
1. What does God have to say
about our issue or dilemma?
Doing a daily dig into the
Bible for nuggets of wisdom is
the best way to start our day
(Psalm119:115). We often skim
the surface for tidbits of comfort
instead of mining deep for the
wealth of truth contained inside.
It is not always comfortable, yet
it is very important. When we
need to find something particular
in the Bible, it will bring light into
the situation.
2. God does not contradict
Himself. If you want to do
something, but it goes against
God’s Word, then it would be
foolish to continue that direction.
The timeless principles you
have learned from your Bible
study and devotional time you
can confidently put into practice
(2 Timothy 2:15,19, Proverbs
3:5-6). You can trust God’s
instruction.
3. Look to godly role models
and consider the outcome of
their decisions (1 Corinthians
11:1). Examine the lives of
Bible greats for examples of
wise living, remembering they
were not perfect. What are they
commended for? What were the
results of their sinful areas of
living? Find a mentor who loves
the Lord and lives out God’s
Word daily. How is God blessing
him or her? What are they doing
that is seen as wise by other
Christians? What are the results
of their faithful obedience?
4. Pray about important decisions
(Philippians 4:6). Making
hasty, rash decisions without
thought and prayer will result
in disaster every time. Joshua
made this mistake by entering
into a treaty with the
Gibeonites who fooled him into
believing they had travelled in
from far away (Joshua 9) Listen
for the still small voice of
the Holy Spirit on your issue (1
Kings 19:11-13).
5. Learn from past mistakes
(James 1:21-25). What were
the results of going against
wise counsel? According to
one Christian Ethics professor
at a Christian college, “If
your decisions were published in
the news, would you be embarrassed
and ashamed for your
friends and family to read about
it?
6. Compare the lives of Christians
versus non-Christians
dealing with similar issues
(Psalm 1). Watch those in the
news who are doing well compared
to the lives of those who
are not. Note the differences to
find out what each one did and
the outcome of such decisions.
7. Remember to set the right
example for the next generation.
Be careful to avoid setting up a
stumbling block for your children
and their friends (Matthew 18:6).
Often times, we can see our
behavior and words mirrored
by them. When we see or hear
something undesirable, it’s time
to make a personal assessment
and change course (Romans
12:3). Also, let them know
when God has blessed you in a
decision so they learn how God
works in our time.
66 www.faithfilledfamily.com July 2018