How Faith Changes the Way We Respond

Welcome to Purpose of Heart the Podcast, where real stories meet God's promises. I'm Priscilla Allman, and every week we dive into powerful conversations about purpose and the pressure through caregiving, illness, grief, addiction, and more. If you've ever asked God, where are you in this? You're in the right place. Be sure to follow the show and let's find purpose together. Hello again, and welcome to Purpose of Heart, the podcast. I'm your host, Priscilla Allman, and today we're going to talk about how faith changes the way we respond. If you're listening today and you're feeling stretched by people, circumstances, by unexpected moments that caught you off guard, this conversation is for you. Because faith doesn't mean that life stops happening. It means we begin responding differently when it does. Living the Christian life doesn't eliminate pressure. It doesn't eliminate circumstances, and it doesn't eliminate bad things from happening, but it redirects and reframes it. One of the biggest misunderstandings is that somehow being a Christian, having faith, somehow shields you from difficulty. Scripture never promises a pressure free life, but it does promise us his presence within it. John sixteen thirty three says, These things I have spoken to you that in you in me you may have peace. Instead of asking, why is this happening to me? It teaches us to ask, how can I respond in a way that honors God's here, knowing that He's with me? You know, it's reminding me a little bit about, you know, the story of the disciples when they were in the boat crossing from one place to another, and they encountered a storm. And Jesus was sleeping during this storm, and they're like, Don't you care that we're like dying here? And you know, he awoke and spoke and said, Peace be still, right? And the the winds and the waves, they obeyed him. And so, yes, they encountered an unpleasant occurrence while making the journey. However, he was there with them and he and he showed how completely in control of the situation he was. In general, faith can help to create a pause before a reaction, right? So that we're not reacting from emotions or from fear or from hurt, but with a pause. Proverbs 1632 reminds us he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Faith doesn't always change or alter the circumstance, but it changes the space between what happens and how we respond, and that is a powerful thing. One of the first places of you know who we truly are shows up in how we speak. When things go wrong, it's so easy to speak from discouragement or from defeat, but faith calls us to speak with hope, even when things feel uncertain. Proverbs 18 21 says, Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Faith-filled responses don't mean pretending that everything's okay. They mean choosing words that align with truth rather than fear. It means speaking scripture over your life. Praying, it means choosing the right words and knowing that the tongue has power. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. That's it's such a small like organ in the body or member of the body, but very powerful, right? If you think about the way words can hurt, even in a practical sense, just talking to people, um, it's a good thing to keep cognizant of. Romans 12, 17 to 18 tells us, repay no one evil for evil. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Faith doesn't give us permission to avoid boundaries, but it does invite us to respond with grace instead of revenge. And sometimes the most um faith-filled response is restraint. When life feels unstable, oftentimes our instinct is to control the outcome. But as we walk along this Christian journey, we learn to release control and to lean into trust. Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. It doesn't necessarily mean that we'll always have the answers, but we have a promise of assurance. Right? A lot of times this passage of scripture, even in general, helps to redirect anxiety. Faith invites us to respond with prayer instead of panic. Philippians 4, 6 to 7, be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Right? We're given a command to be anxious for nothing. And by following that, we turn our response from worry to worship. Some of the hardest responses are required when nothing changes quickly. But having faith in God reminds us that He's still working even in the waiting. James 1, 2-4 says, Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Faith teaches us that patience isn't passive, it's purposeful. So here's some simple practical ways that we can let faith shape our responses this week. We can have a pause before reacting and pray silently. We can ask ourselves what response reflects trust in Him right now? Speak scripture over difficult situations, choose obedience even when emotions run high, and remember God's faithfulness in past seasons. Psalm 37 5 encourages us to commit your way to the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. So as we go into this week, remember that faith doesn't remove the moment, it redeems the response. And when faith leads your response, God is glorified and your heart is guarded. So until next time, this is Purpose of Heart the Podcast, encouraging you to live a life with faith at the center of every response. Until next time, my friends, I'll see you soon. Thanks for listening to Purpose of Heart the Podcast at www.purpose of heartpodcast.com. Make sure you hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. There's so much more God is doing, and I don't want you to miss a thing. Thank you in advance for the reviews and shares. They help this message reach more hearts. I can't wait to walk with you again in next week's episode. See you there.