{"id":671,"date":"2013-11-27T15:46:51","date_gmt":"2013-11-27T20:46:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/yourbestlifenow\/?p=671"},"modified":"2013-11-27T15:46:51","modified_gmt":"2013-11-27T20:46:51","slug":"what-does-it-mean-to-believe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourbestlifenow\/2013\/11\/what-does-it-mean-to-believe.html","title":{"rendered":"What Does It Mean to Believe?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"parachuting\"<\/a>To believe, what does that mean?<\/p>\n

To have faith, can you explain?<\/p>\n

Faith, the capacity to believe, is an innate gift of Divine grace imparted to you at birth. In other words, you are a believer at birth.<\/p>\n

How do I know this?<\/p>\n

I was reminded of this as I awakened today. I went to sleep last night, as I have done 21,000-plus times before, knowing\u2026believing\u2026trusting\u2026that I would awaken the next morning.<\/p>\n

I did. You did, too.<\/p>\n

I am often asked, \u201cHow can I trust God will take care of me?\u201d \u00a0\u201dHow might I be a stronger believer?\u201d<\/p>\n

Stop trying.<\/p>\n

Whenever I \u201ctry\u201d to go to sleep at night, I lie awake. When I let go of everything, however, I fall into sleep as effortlessly as a skydiver falls through the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

The more you can let go of trying to control your life\u2026your circumstances\u2026your anxiety over how your going to make it\u2026the more you practice just turning loose, closing your eyes, and then taking the leap, the more quickly you will discover, what I call, the parachute of Divine Presence.<\/p>\n

Just when you feel you\u2019re falling, you discover you\u2019re flying<\/p>\n

This is what it means to be a person of faith\u2026beyond all beliefs.<\/p>\n

This is what Jesus meant when he asked, \u201cDo you believe?\u201d (Jn 11:25-28).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To believe, what does that mean? To have faith, can you explain? Faith, the capacity to believe, is an innate gift of Divine grace imparted to you at birth. In other words, you are a believer at birth. How do I know this? I was reminded of this as I awakened today. 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Leadership Coach... Counsel to Non-Profits, Faith-based Organizations and Congregations... Adjunct Professor of Communication at the University of Kentucky... Spiritual Teacher... Inspirational and Motivational Speaker. But not always in this order. On the university campus, I teach students the Art of Communication. In my public talks, however, I teach leaders the Art of Leading; I teach everyone the Art of Living...so that... when you come to the end... and, you will come to the end... You're able to look back on life feeling... Fulfilled... Accomplished... Content, Peaceful, and Happy, too... Knowing your brief but important journey has made this world a more... Conscious... Compassionate, and... Charitable place. 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