When people hear the word faith, they often think of religion. “I have faith in God,” or “I don’t have faith at all.” But that’s not how life actually works. Faith isn’t just about whether you believe God exists. It’s about what (or who) you rely on.
Think of it this way: I don’t “have faith” that my wife exists. I know she does. But I do put faith in her love, her character, her loyalty. So, you see, faith isn’t about existence; it’s about trust and dependence.
And here’s the truth: everyone lives by faith. Even people who say they don’t.
Faith and Worship Go Hand in Hand
We are worshipping beings. To worship is to give something your trust, your loyalty, your dependence. And that means every single one of us worships.
We may not bow down to a statue, but we build our lives around something:
- Money, career, and status
- Relationships or romance
- Politics, leaders, and causes
- Even our own abilities, health, or intelligence
Whatever we count on to give our life meaning, that’s our god.
Here’s the problem: every one of those gods eventually fails.
- Careers end.
- Money disappears.
- Relationships break.
- Leaders disappoint.
- Nations collapse.
And when that happens, we do what people have always done: we move on to the next god. We pin our hopes on something new. But eventually, that too lets us down.
It’s like being in a string of broken relationships. When one love fails us, we run to another, and then another. It may keep us busy, but it never truly satisfies.
The Void We Can’t Escape
If we’re honest, deep down we all know this: nothing in this world lasts forever. The things we put our faith in eventually slip through our hands.
The Bible calls this “the world passing away” (1 John 2:17). Modern thinkers call it the void—the reality of death, change, and meaninglessness. Either way, the point is the same: all our little gods eventually fail us, and we’re left facing the emptiness they couldn’t fill.
So let’s be clear: you have faith. Everyone does. The real question isn’t do you have faith? But what are you putting your faith in?
In the next post, we’ll look at the different kinds of faith people live by and why only one can truly bring fulfillment.