"Fortune cookie faith" is a term I coined to describe much of the modern beliefs I've come across in meeting people of various walks and faiths. It's usually a handful of quotes and ideas that fit nicely into a Facebook status update, not demanding any real dependence on God, hope, or a desperation for grace. In contrast to John 3:30, many strive to construct a life for themselves that allows for there to be a decrease in the need for dependence on a faith. Saying that God is good, that He is faithful, is easy when life is full of sunshine and sweet potato fries. I wonder then how God must look to a world that doubts His very existence, when under a circumstance that most would denounce what belief they have, a person continues to hold fast.
Most beliefs are adopted because they work for the believer, they provide comfort, meet a need. The critical question I ask myself then is, do I have faith in God, in Jesus Christ, because my life works, my needs are met, or even that I find comfort in the midst of chaos with the idea of a loving deity? Or do I believe simply because it is true? I submit that the type of faith stemming from the latter is the only type of faith that can withstand the pain and suffering of life. Otherwise, my faith is like a fortune from a cookie that is just as easily thrown away.
