Once you have decided to put your belief, your hope, into action with faith and you believe that you are exercising faith in something that is true and correct then you have to deal with the 3rd principle of faith. This is the hardest one but absolutely the most considerate when evaluating if you will actually achieve what have designs toward. The concept is what I call, but if not.
But if not is the do it anyway attitude. Basically you fill in this sentence…..I have faith that if I do X then I will achieve Y. BUT IF NOT, I will do X anyway. This is the ultimate test of faith, the ultimate crucible, the refiners fire if you will. So many people that claim to believe, claim to have strong faith do not and will not have the but if not attitude. They will give up to soon. They will give up with only 2 yards to go and punt. Completely ridiculous to anyone looking from a far, but so many people do just exactly that. They cave when the going gets tough when it looks like you will not succeed. You give up just as you were about to fulfill your quest.
But if not is the way to prove to yourself and others that you are really serious about your objective. If you will do something anyway, despite the failure, then there is no denying that you really believe. That you really have faith. No one doubts that Elon Musk actually believes that he will put people on Mars. They may doubt he will pull it off, but you certainly cannot deny the faith. He has failed repeatedly, he has risked it all, multiple times. He will try anyway. He will try despite the failure and perhaps because of the failure. That is the but if not concept.
I believe that God will reward me because of my great faith, but if not, I will do what I set out to do anyway.
Guy Reams
