But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12-13 NRSV
H. Richard Niebuhr states that there are five ways in which we come to believe:
1. Things that are taken for granted
There are things that are accepted for fact which we do not try to dispute, the example Niebuhr gives is that the sun rises in the east, and sets in the west. This is something that is known that we often don't think critically about.
2. The authority of others
Other people tell us a lot of the information that we know. Our mother or father tells us not to sit too close to the TV or it will hurt our eyes and we accept their authority on the matter.
3. Through experience
Through trying things and failing or succeeding, we learn truths about life. For example, when you put off doing your chores and then cannot hang out with your friends later in the week because you still have chores to do, we learn something about time management and procrastination.
4. Persuasion
Sometimes, we are influenced by the culture and media around us. A celebrity who endorses a vegetarian lifestyle and posts about it consistently online may influence us to give it a try.
5. Reasoning
Here, we are convinced of something through investigating sources, hearing from experts and observing conditions. For example, through observing extreme weather and researching global temperature shifts, we come to believe in climate change.
Perhaps, your faith or belief in Jesus falls into the first category sometimes. But this belief, as stated in John's gospel, is a very powerful thing. Do we believe in God because our parents tell us that God is here for us? What about our own experiences in our life: do any of these point us towards God? I would argue, that while we may journey to belief through different paths, John affirms that we are given the power to be children of God, if we chose to accept. I challenge you this month to think deeply about your belief. Why do you believe the things you do? Why don't you believe other things? Use that beautiful mind that God has given you to investigate.
John 1:12-13 NRSV
H. Richard Niebuhr states that there are five ways in which we come to believe:
1. Things that are taken for granted
There are things that are accepted for fact which we do not try to dispute, the example Niebuhr gives is that the sun rises in the east, and sets in the west. This is something that is known that we often don't think critically about.
2. The authority of others
Other people tell us a lot of the information that we know. Our mother or father tells us not to sit too close to the TV or it will hurt our eyes and we accept their authority on the matter.
3. Through experience
Through trying things and failing or succeeding, we learn truths about life. For example, when you put off doing your chores and then cannot hang out with your friends later in the week because you still have chores to do, we learn something about time management and procrastination.
4. Persuasion
Sometimes, we are influenced by the culture and media around us. A celebrity who endorses a vegetarian lifestyle and posts about it consistently online may influence us to give it a try.
5. Reasoning
Here, we are convinced of something through investigating sources, hearing from experts and observing conditions. For example, through observing extreme weather and researching global temperature shifts, we come to believe in climate change.
Perhaps, your faith or belief in Jesus falls into the first category sometimes. But this belief, as stated in John's gospel, is a very powerful thing. Do we believe in God because our parents tell us that God is here for us? What about our own experiences in our life: do any of these point us towards God? I would argue, that while we may journey to belief through different paths, John affirms that we are given the power to be children of God, if we chose to accept. I challenge you this month to think deeply about your belief. Why do you believe the things you do? Why don't you believe other things? Use that beautiful mind that God has given you to investigate.
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