Faith

Cinnamon raisin biscuits from Hardee's...they don't have 'em anymore, but they used to, and they were the bomb! They had this warm, gooey white frosting if they were fresh, and my brother and I would always get 'em on the mornings that Dad woke us up early before school to go to breakfast.

That's what came to mind as I did my devotion the other day in Ephesians 5 & 6. Dad always prayed with us on the drive from Hardee's to the junior high, and part of that prayer was the "Armor of God" from Eph. 6:10-20. When I read it again over the weekend, vs. 16 brought me to a halt. The version I read said, "Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."

It's that "above all" part that got me. There are several Godly attributes listed here: truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, prayer...but it's the "shield of faith" that gets the mantra "above all." Why? I thought about it a lot, and I came up with three reasons that resonate with me:

• We can lead a "good" life, doing our best to tell the truth and do the right thing, but if we don't have a real faith in our hearts that believes in a real God, what's it all for anyhow?Heb. 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

• I don't think that most people consider faith as a shield. It seems they treat it more as a banner, waving it around and knocking others who don't believe the same way in the head with the flagpost. What's up with that?! A shield is primarily a defensive weapon... Maybe it would serve us believers well to stop flailing around so much and live out our beliefs meekly, keeping our shield up and our hands free to do some work for God.

• Many people struggle with self-doubt, including me. I read a book that showed me that my greatest strength is BELIEF. That has really changed the way I look at my life. Do I really believe in God? Do I really believe in the big dreams that He's put in my heart? Do I really believe in myself enough to get there? I should...because He does.

Take up your shield...you might be surprised by what doesn't bother you anymore!