Can one grow in faith?
As any Christian knows, faith is an important part of the Christian life. At least we know it should be. But what if you feel you don’t have any faith but you know you should? Or perhaps you feel you have little faith but want more. The common response is to try harder or to psyche yourself up. But mostly you just keep telling yourself you need to have faith and little progress is made. What things in life hold you back because you don’t feel you have enough faith? If the faith you had did what you wanted it to do then you wouldn’t be wanting more, but often, when someone says that they want more faith they are pointed to what Jesus said:
Luke 17:5-6
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.
“With the little faith you have, nothing is impossible!” they say. And yet, no mulberry trees are ever moved. That’s because I don’t think Jesus was trying to say that you could move mulberry trees with a little faith but if you plant the seed of faith and let it grow, it will become big enough to do anything:
Mark 4:30-32
Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."
But even the faith you plant is a gift from God and if you try to have faith in your own strength, you will fail.
Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
Romans 12:6
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
Just like in the parable of the hidden talents (Matthew 25:14-30), he who invested what he was given, was given more. Sow the little faith that you have and it will grow. Faith is meant to grow!
2 Corinthians 10:15
Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand,
2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.
3 comments:
What happens when your faith decreases? When life and events make you wonder if there really is a God? A Master Plan...etc...even after you have been raised as a christian...attending church every time the doors are open....sent to christian schools where you study the bible and memorize verses...etc? When life...and all that God allows happens to you and those around you...such terrible things from such a "loving" God....when you see other "christians" living awfully, and yet still preaching salvation....the hypocricy...the double lives....it just makes me sick anymore....all of it! The leagalism of churches...I really don't believe that when Jesus preached in the Bible about the church he meant a building where we go, become members...follow rules of the church (which are NOT necessarily in the Bible)...at certain times every week...etc...I don't believe thats what God meant about church...
I think if people came to a building where Jesus was preaching...He wouldn't care if they came dressed in jeans and a t-shirt...he would hold no judgment....
oh good lord...I could go on forever....
Lori,
Sorry for the delay in responding. I have been on vacation and have not had much internet access nor time! I should be able to respond to your questions later this week. Thank you for your patience.
I certainly understand where you are coming from. I grew up in a very legalistic church (and school!). You are absolutely right that the church is not just a building. And that realization is actually a gift from God I think. You have realized that there must be something more than what you have experienced in church. Much of the church has become passive and not aggressive in advancing the Kingdom with love and power. The good news is that there are churches out that have what you are looking for.
There are some ways to increase your faith even when you feel like it’s decreasing. One is to simply ask God for more faith. The other is to find those that have faith, and I don’t mean the “I believe is this or that” kind of faith but faith that has a positive effect in other people’s lives. Your own faith will increase when you see the power of prayer open deaf ears or see a loving church support and encourage someone who has stumbled in their own faith.
No one is perfect and no church is perfect but it is how they deal with that imperfection that makes the difference. Is it with wisdom and love or with judgment and fear? I’m not sure if there is one near you but you may want to check out a Vineyard church. I go to one and love it! And I wear jeans and t-shirts anytime I want (sometimes even shorts, oh my!). Check out the national Vineyard site to find one around you. You can also go to a conference. Check out conferences at the Elijah list to find conferences that can totally change your life!
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