The subject of faith is one that means different things to different people. To some it can be attached to a religion, to others it is something that is practiced but may not be formally categorized as “faith”. I contend that being intentional about the proactive exploration and application of faith is a practice that institutions and instructors can emphasize to better prepare students for their careers and for life.
Faith is something within you telling you that it will happen, even if you don’t know how it’s going to happen. It can be stepping out on nothing and believing that you will land on something. It is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” as the book of Hebrews in the Bible defines it. Empowering yourself as a student to deploy the power of faith can unlock the doors of your promise and potential.
Faith can not only be considered and taught from a religious perspective but also from a practical perspective. We can tap into it at any given time. It can be intentionally utilized for both individual and collective progress. The late Congressman John Lewis wrote in his book Across that Bridge: A Vision of Change and the Future of America: “have you ever considered that the same power you activate in the midst of adversity can also be consciously utilized to bring forward the kind of change or transformation you would like to see in your own life? In the Civil Rights Movement, we actively and consciously utilized the power of faith to move our society forward.”
He was referring to the intentional utilization of faith. Faith can be consciously employed and deployed to overcome significant obstacles. Faith is a multi-dimensional force that can be channeled and used to prepare you to face the inevitable array of adverse circumstances that are sure to come.
If there is one thing that is guaranteed across career fields and industries, it is adversity. There is virtually nothing that one can do to avoid facing adversity at some point. Adversity can come unexpectedly, or it can be something that was visible on the horizon. It can be something that people have formally prepared and trained for or it can be something that they are blindsided by. There are situations that seem to be bigger than what one has the capacity to face, when “logical” strategies won’t be enough to bail a person out, but there is faith.
The more prepared you are to deal with adversity, the more you will be able to thrive in the face of adverse circumstances. Adversity is a great faith developer. You really don’t know what kind of faith you have until you are tested. Tests and trials are measuring sticks for faith. With every new chapter comes new challenges so know that you are going to be tested. You are going to have pain that you have inflicted on yourself and pain that is a part of the journey. There has never been a great lesson or a great victory without having to overcome a great challenge. The greater the faith, the greater the blessings.
A person who has great faith in the process that they are engaged in can use that faith to persevere through adversity, remain committed through trials, and pass all of the tests that are required to advance to the next level. Adversity causes you to focus on what truly matters. If you could figure it out by yourself then you wouldn’t need faith. Faith is what enables you to move past your previous conceptions of limitations.
