Faith in What?

Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:22)

I was raised Presbyterian and am now a member of an independent charismatic church. I often feel torn between these two worlds, between “sola scriptura” (a statement of the Reformation that the Bible alone should be the authority), and the reality that God still speaks to us today (John 10:27). One of the aspects of some streams of the charismatic movement that has always bothered me is the emphasis on faith as a kind of tool to be wielded. The other day I read the following, which I found very helpful:

“In some Christian circles an unhealthy emphasis is placed on positive thinking or positive confession – the idea that whatever we believe or verbally affirm will become a reality. Although it is a mark of vibrant faith to maintain a Biblical optimism in the face of obstacles, an overemphasis on positive thinking may come perilously close to the New Age idea that thought controls reality and that we are masters of the world. This view overlooks the mystery of God’s providence, his final control of all events.”
Douglas Groothuis, “Unmasking the New Age”, p. 172

As Mark 11:22 says, our faith is in God, not in faith itself.