Skip to content ↓

The Essence of Faith

Here is a noteworthy quote from author James Spiegel. It is drawn from his book Gum, Geckos and God.


The other day I was sitting in a faculty meeting, trying not to doze off during some committee reports. As I looked around, I mused over how much each of my colleagues understands about his or her discipline. It occurred to me that if there was a single mind that possessed all of the knowledge in that room, its intelligence would be surpassed in human history. I also considered how easy it would be to trust such a person if he or she were to counsel me on some matter. From there I extrapolated: What if that person had all of the combined knowledge of everyone in Indiana? In the United States? Of the entire world population? Even if God had merely the sum of all human understanding, he should be easy to trust. Yet his wisdom and knowledge infinitely exceed the best human comprehension. Still we struggle to trust him. How twisted is that?

Faith is essentially the practice of trust. And our routine failure to properly trust an infinitely wise God reveals something of our own perversity. We all desire to control our circumstances, and faith is a surrendering of that control. So we naturally tend to rebel against faith. But God graciously counteracts this tendency by nurturing us. Like a good parent, he consistently demonstrates his love. And we, like kids, must trust him on this basis.


  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (May 12)

    God pursued me / It’s okay to love the church / Living in an empty nest / The gratitude shift / Help me let go / The right focus in leadership / New book releases / TGC church map / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (May 11)

    The wife whose husband isn’t a good spiritual leader / 9 hours of screen time / Advice for college graduates / Righteousness like the mountains / The tests of life / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Works & Wonders

    Works & Wonders (May 10)

    This week’s Works & Wonders: a devotional on God as the ultimate fact, a wedding celebration and photos, baby bird advice, the pope on hold, Come Unto Jesus, and the Moylan Arrow.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (May 9)

    Long-form content and think pieces on motherhood, Costco, grade inflation, GIRLS®, detransitioning, abortion rulings, book reviews, and more.

  • Feasting

    Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

    God’s path of wisdom for you is both serious and delightful—more of both than you might expect. Following Christ will both deepen you and free you. It’s a brilliant strategy for glad sanity and steady integrity—all the way.