{"id":663,"date":"2013-11-25T18:04:45","date_gmt":"2013-11-25T23:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/yourbestlifenow\/?p=663"},"modified":"2013-11-25T18:04:45","modified_gmt":"2013-11-25T23:04:45","slug":"stepping-into-the-eternal-into-authentic-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourbestlifenow\/2013\/11\/stepping-into-the-eternal-into-authentic-faith.html","title":{"rendered":"Stepping into the Eternal…into Authentic Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"step\"<\/a>All structures\u2026foundations…all pillars of faith\u2026.in other words, all beliefs are uncertain, temporary, and they are not\u2026I repeat\u2026they are not the source of authentic faith\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026if\u00a0authentic faith<\/em>\u00a0is what you seek.<\/p>\n

Faith is authentic\u2026genuine\u2026most real\u2026when it has nothing upon which to stand. Which is why I\u2019ve always liked the picture at the top of this page.\u00a0 It is neither what you say nor what you claim that determines the genuineness of faith. It is instead your willingness to let go of everything\u2026even every one of your closely held beliefs\u2026and take one more step into the oblivion\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026the Oblivion that\u00a0IS<\/em>\u00a0God.<\/p>\n

When you can do this, my friend, you will no longer need anything to hold you up. No belief, no confession, no creed, as helpful and as “right” as any of them may be. For you will have made the grandest discovery of life \u2013 the Eternal in yourself.\u00a0 It is that which takes hold of you.<\/p>\n

The step you fear taking is, ironically, the step you need to take…you must take…into authentic faith.<\/p>\n

So, let go of all attachments. Fall headlong into the authenticity of your own inner doubts. You will not go wrong. You will not lose your faith.\u00a0 You will, paradoxically, find faith…find a foundation that you cannot see but will lift you up infinitely higher than any belief system ever could.<\/p>\n

Which is, of course, why Jesus said, \u201cHe who would lose his life will find it\u201d (Matt. 16:25).<\/p>\n

I know. I\u2019ve been there.<\/p>\n

I took this step some years ago, and I continue doing so daily, not certain where it will ever lead, unsure of what will ever happen to me.<\/p>\n

What I discover over and over again, however, is that the very thing I think I might lose, I actually find.<\/p>\n

This, my friend, is the mystery of faith.<\/p>\n

This, my friend, is the way to discover God.<\/p>\n

When you take this step, you’ll have every reason imaginable to give thanks this Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All structures\u2026foundations…all pillars of faith\u2026.in other words, all beliefs are uncertain, temporary, and they are not\u2026I repeat\u2026they are not the source of authentic faith\u2026 \u2026if\u00a0authentic faith\u00a0is what you seek. Faith is authentic\u2026genuine\u2026most real\u2026when it has nothing upon which to stand. Which is why I\u2019ve always liked the picture at the top of this page.\u00a0 It…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":551,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,98],"tags":[1199,709,102,101,1200,142,1201,1202,211,1204,1203,183,725,726,727,722,1205,1206,1207],"class_list":["post-663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-authentic-life","category-faith","tag-a-foundation","tag-authentic-faith","tag-beliefs-2","tag-faith-2","tag-find-faith","tag-god","tag-grandest-discovery-of-life","tag-he-who-would","tag-jesus","tag-let-go","tag-lose-his-life-is","tag-mystery","tag-no-belief","tag-no-confession","tag-no-creed","tag-oblivion","tag-of-all-attachments","tag-the-eternal-in-yourself","tag-will-find-it"],"yoast_head":"\nStepping into the Eternal...into Authentic Faith - Your Best Life Now<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourbestlifenow\/2013\/11\/stepping-into-the-eternal-into-authentic-faith.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stepping into the Eternal...into Authentic Faith - Your Best Life Now\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"All structures\u2026foundations…all pillars of faith\u2026.in other words, all beliefs are uncertain, temporary, and they are not\u2026I repeat\u2026they are not the source of authentic faith\u2026 \u2026if\u00a0authentic faith\u00a0is what you seek. 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