By Daniel Bobinski
Imagine you’re holding a magnificent diamond perfectly cut by God. As you turn it slowly, you see five brilliant facets reflecting God’s glory. The beauty isn’t in any single facet, but in how they complement each other.
This is how I’ve come to view what God wants to do in us. When properly aligned with God’s light, five aspects of our relationship with God will illuminate our path while simultaneously attracting others to Christ.
Facet One: Your FAITH
The Greek word for faith, pistis, encompasses unwavering trust, complete confidence, and absolute reliance. Jesus said if we had faith (pistis), we could move mountains (see Matthew 17:20). I am convinced that God wants this kind of faith to be the lens through which we view every circumstance.
Abraham demonstrated this faith when God called him out of Ur. He left everything familiar. Yet his faith wasn’t based on understanding God’s plan; it was based on trusting God’s character. If you read Hebrews 11 you’ll learn about people who demonstrated great trust (pistis) in God.
Jesus wants us to fully trust in God’s plan, provision, and protection. If we struggle with this, we can turn to Scripture. The entire Bible is replete with promises that God made and kept. But know this: your faith grows by exercising it.
Facet Two: Your AUTHORITY
The Greek word exousia, meaning dynamic power and authority, appears over 100 times in the New Testament. Jesus delegated His exousia when He gave His disciples power and authority over demons and diseases (Luke 9:1).
Unfortunately, too many Christians today act like beggars when they should be standing firm in God’s authority. Why? Because the same exousia that Jesus exercised comes into us when we have the Holy Spirit.
Exousia isn’t about dominating others; it’s about relying on God’s spiritual authority to defeat darkness and bring healing. Recognize that this authority is in you, and God wants you to put it into action. Think of it this way: God adopted, equipped, and commissioned us. Therefore, by using the authority God gave us, we can command fear to leave and declare healing over the sick.
Facet Three: Your PRAYERS
The Greek word proseuchomai means “to pray.” Unfortunately, too many Christians don’t pray regularly because they think they need special training or that God will view casual conversation as irreverent. Neither is true. Jesus talked with our Father naturally, whether it was blessing a meal or crying out on the cross.
And note this: Jesus modeled prayer as relational, not as a religious performance.
James 5:16 tells us that the prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much. Notice it doesn’t say our prayers must be “perfectly worded” or “theologically correct.” And a “righteous” person isn’t perfect, but rather someone who is earnestly seeking alignment with God.
To me, “praying” is simply a fancy word that means “talking with God.” God delights in hearing from us, whether it’s saying, “Thank you for this beautiful sunrise” or “Help me get through this difficult meeting.”
Also, Paul said to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This doesn’t mean spending the entire day on our knees, but rather talking with God throughout our day.
We’re also told to be bold in approaching Him (Hebrews 4:16). Why? Because we’re His children!
By the way, Jesus said, “If you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14). This is not adding a magical phrase at the end of our prayer so Jesus hears us. It means we’re to pray in alignment with our Lord’s heart and purposes.
Facet Four: God’s LOVE
Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). This is agape love, and its definition (1 Corinthians 13) is comprised of verbs— action words — not emotions. Frankly, it’s a type of love that only God can provide, so it comes through us when we get out of the way and let God’s love manifest through us.
Jesus also gave us the second-greatest commandment: love our neighbor as ourselves. He even told us to love our enemies! That said, we’re not called to manufacture love for difficult people; we’re called to let God’s inexhaustible love flow through us. Loving with God’s love changes how we treat our families, coworkers, and even our enemies.
Practically speaking, agape love means choosing to act in someone’s best interest regardless of how they treat us. It means offering forgiveness before a person asks. It means serving others as Jesus served, even when no one notices. When we operate in this type of love, it draws people to Christ.
Facet Five: Your SPIRITUAL GIFTING
The Greek word charismata refers to spiritual gifts God freely gives every believer. These aren’t spiritual trophies for display, but rather tools for building God’s kingdom. Paul makes it clear that every person has been given gifts for the common good (1 Corinthians 12).
God equips each person for a specific role, so whether God equipped us for teaching, serving, encouraging, giving, or leading, our gifting plays a part in helping to make disciples.
Sadly, too many Christians never discover their gifts because they’re comparing themselves to others or waiting for special feelings. Don’t wait! Many spiritual gifts tests can be taken online for free. I recommend taking several and looking for what keeps appearing.
Also, pay attention to where you feel energized rather than drained, and ask mature believers what gifts they see operating through you.
Putting It All Together
God developed a design for each of us before we were born. Every trial, victory, and moment of growth has been part of His precise “diamond cutting” process. Each of these five facets is not just for our benefit, but also so His light will shine through us and draw others to Him.
Daniel Bobinski, Th.D., is an award-winning and best-selling author, and serves as the Education Director at the Biblical Studies Center in Boise (www.boisebsc.org). Reach Daniel directly at danielbobinski@protonmail.com.
