What if I believed in God?

According to a recent Gallup poll, 96% of Americans believe in the existence of God. 96%!

If I would have guessed how many Americans believe in the existence of God according to some survey, I suppose I would’ve guessed that it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of around 95%. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who told me, straight up, that they didn’t believe in God.

On the other hand, what if that were really true? Just imagine it for a minute. What if 96% of Americans truly believed in the God of the Bible? Unfortunately, with all the horrors we hear about in our culture every day, it’s fairly obvious that we can’t possibly live in a country with such a high rate of God-believers.

And as I consider the outrageousness of that statistic, it all becomes very personal. It’s easy for me to look at others and judge that although they say they believe in God, their lives do not reflect that fact. But then I consider my own belief and I have to ask myself, does my life reflect my belief in the Living God?

This past Sunday, my pastor said that if our lives don’t match up to what we believe, then perhaps we don’t really believe it. That’s what got me thinking about my own belief in God. It’s easy for me to scoff at the 96% “believers”, but what about my life? There is no question that I believe in God. The question really is, how does that belief reflect in this life?

I believe God is Holy. Do I believe that when I’m choosing to murmur and complain?

I believe God is Omnipresent. Do I believe He’s right there with me when I indulge my flesh?

I believe God is Merciful. Do I believe that when I fail to be merciful to someone who has hurt me?

I believe God is Faithful. Do I believe that when I lay wide awake on my bed, worrying?

I believe God is All-Powerful. Do I believe that when I’m facing an impossible situation?

I believe God is Love. Do I believe that? Do I? Do I believe His love is greater than my worst sin? Do I believe His love is deeper than my greatest need? Do I believe His love will never ever fail?

And if I believe in this Amazing, Eternal, All-Loving, Holy God who sits enthroned in the heavens and yet knows every intimate detail of my life, extending mercy, counsel, power and blessing, then how might that effect my worship of Him? Will I soberly stand in my pew while being distracted by my Sunday lunch plans or will adoration and thanksgiving explode from my soul to the One who is worthy of everything I have to offer Him?

And if I do, if I REALLY believe all this - then am I sharing the reality of GOD and His irresistible love with others, as though their life depended on it? (Because it does!)

"They that know Thee not may call upon Thee as other than Thou art, and so worship not Thee but a creature of their own fancy; therefore enlighten our minds that we may know Thee as Thou art, so that we may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise Thee.

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” ~ Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.