This week at the Bible Cafe we are discussing Believing God by Beth Moore. Many women are joining us from around the world for online Bible studies. During Believing God Week 2, we’re experiencing spiritual growth and expanding our understanding of the Bible.

Open your Bible to Numbers 15:39 NIV: “You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember (God).” In our online small groups, we discussed those things we look at to remember God. I was delighted when women said their Holy Bible reminds them of God. Others mentioned jewelry or a piece of art on the wall. Several women talked about gratitude journals. If you remember the One Thousand Gifts Bible Study by Ann Voskamp, we learned how to record small blessings and not just the “big stuff.” A journal is a great method to remember God.

As I record my daily gratitude, I am often thanking God for His creation such as the sunset, ocean waves, beautiful flowers, and the harmony of birds singing in my yard. When my eyes observe creation, I remember the One who designed this masterpiece called Earth.

During our Bible Cafe™ conversations this week, we got deep into the discussion and talked about things that take our eyes off God. While our answers were diverse and interesting, we examined things that might distract us from remembering His goodness. Three noticeable things distract us from God’s goodness: Division, anger, and fear.

When we look back at recent years, we see evidence of these distractions during the pandemic. Instead of turning to faith for strength, we saw people turn to division and disagreements. Turn your Bible to Galatians 5 and you will observe that strife is a fruit of the flesh (worldview). When the two-week pandemic turned into two years of restrictions, people turned to anger rather than to the peace of God. Television celebrities and politicians encouraged us to “be afraid” and many forgot to open their Bibles.

Beth Moore writes, “Believing God isn’t a book or a Bible study. It’s a lifestyle.” Looking at your life over the past few years, is your lifestyle a reflection of belief or unbelief? Rather than picking up a cloak of division, anger, and fear- wear the character of Christ in your heart. Be convicted if you need to change from division to unity. Be convicted if you need to release anger for peace. Be convicted if you have remnants of fear that need to be washed in faith. To be transformed and renew our minds like Christ, we need a lifestyle conviction.

Turn your Bible to Psalm 100:3 NIV:  “Know that the LORD is God.” Has your pursuit of knowing God been steadfast, or wobbly? Maybe you had weak knees after a recent diagnosis, job loss, or relationship problem. Get back up and claim your faith again. Believe in GOD for your victory in these areas. If you’re not believing God, then you are most likely believing the worldview and its decision about your identity.

My Bible does not say I was created in the image of the world. Does yours?

Since my first Bible study, my walk with God has been steadfast. I saw the Living God in my Bible and wanted to pursue a persistent and unbreakable relationship with the Father. But many years ago when I depended on religion instead of God, I was deeply disappointed. My faith became wobbly and I fell off a spiritual cliff right into the pigpen of life just like the prodigal son (see Luke 15).

Beth Moore identifies the “teachers of theology” as television, parents, schoolteachers, and preachers. Initially, in my walk of faith, I was influenced by my grandmothers. Later my religious schoolteachers, then my pastor, and then a missionary. In Bible college I developed a desire to read and interpret MANY commentaries and denominations, to question everything like a Berean, and to measure everything through the Scriptures. My theology has changed since my childhood faith. Perhaps yours has room to grow too? When I removed the bow on my childhood God box, I experienced God rather than religion!

What might happen if we think and act with the mind of Christ (biblical), rather than the mind of man (worldview)? In my opinion, the world will be beautiful and like Jesus, it starts with ONE person. Then we make disciples and more people are walking by faith instead of devilish decisions.

According to the Scriptures, “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV).  Are you comfortable walking by faith, or do you need to walk by sight? It’s called faith for a reason! God does not need to convince me He exists today. He doesn’t need to prove Himself to me, that work was done at the cross with Jesus His son. Today I live a life of abundant faith, seeking Him daily for spiritual food and living water.

Perhaps, you will too.

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Christine Abraham writes for the Bible Cafe™ community. Learn about living by the Fruit of the Spirit as you enjoy her online Bible studies. Join Christine at the Bible Cafe™ University for weekly Bible teaching.