Growing Your Faith One Step At A Time

For many believers, it’s easy to have that initial faith. To say a quick prayer asking for forgiveness and letting Jesus into your heart. We willingly accept the free gift of salvation and promise of eternal life with excitement for the new life we are going to lead (Ephesians 2:8-9).

But then along the way, our faith starts to be challenged. It’s attacked in small yet powerful ways that make us feel choked and afraid.

The car breaks down. Hours at work are cut. The kids start acting up in a new and challenging way. The balance in the checking account gets tighter and tighter each month.

Maybe a fight with a loved one puts us in a bad way. Or that prayer we have been praying so fervently simply hasn’t been answered in the way or time we want it to be.

Whatever the cause, whatever the catalyst, our faith that was once new and rich and strong is now dwindling, fading, and struggling to hold on. What once gave us such joy now brings on an added level of stress.

How can we possibly grow our faith when life, and the cares of this world, are slowly choking us (Mark 4:19)? How can we hold tight to the promises of Jesus when we are being pulled into a spiritual quicksand where every move we make seems to only make things worse? When it’s as if every move we make only makes things worse and we are feeling so very alone.

What Exactly Is Faith?

Before we go any further I think we should answer one critical question: do we truly understand what faith is? What this one tiny word truly means? Because even though it’s just five letters long, it’s a big word in terms of importance.

Not only that, it’s extremely personal. While some struggle their whole lives, others seem to grasp this concept so easily.

Hebrew 11:1, which also happens to be my favorite verse in the whole bible, describes faith this way: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

It’s a two-part definition, according to the author of Hebrews. The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. You can’t have one, without the other.

Faith, you see, is the realization or confidence of things we have hope for, but things we cannot see. It’s knowing that things are going to work out, even when we cannot see how. And I think it’s the second part of that definition that Christians, new and old alike, struggle with.

Worldly Faith vs Biblical Faith

We have faith that when we put the key in the ignition to turn our vehicles on that the engine will turn over. We cannot see the key turning inside and starting that process, but we do hope for it.

We have faith when we apply the brakes at a stop sign or red light that the vehicle will stop, even though we cannot see the brake pads as they start to cause the friction that allows the vehicle to stop.

We have faith that when we slide our credit card at the checkout that our purchase will be approved, even though we cannot see the technology inside the card reader working.

We have faith each and every day. Faith in our vehicles, our bank balances, and even that the water heater will supply the hot water needed for that morning shower.

Yet, we can quickly see the evidence of these things working out. The vehicle roaring to life. A car coming to a stop. The receipt being printed out at the checkout. And even the steam rolling up from a hot shower.

These things require so little faith because our faith is quickly given the evidence to transition from faith that it will happen, to proof that it occurred.

And this is where biblical faith differs.

True Biblical Faith

See, with biblical faith the proof, that is the evidence, is not always made known. It’s not always clearly shown. Sometimes, we are not even shown the evidence of it.

And that is what makes biblical faith so unique. This idea that it’s tied so closely with hope, rather than evidence. The knowledge that God has it taken care of, however He sees fit.

Further in chapter 11 of Hebrews, we are reminded of some great stories of faith. From Abel and his offering to Noah and the flood. From Abraham and Sarah to Moses. Each of these stories starts out with “by faith” and the author goes on to remind the reader that it was by faith that each one of these people was able to accomplish the tasks that God set before them.

It was by faith that each one of these people followed God. And it’s by faith, that you will grow in your life. It’s by faith that God will lead you through all the trials and tribulations of this life – if only you allow it.

I think this is the second biggest struggle when it comes to faith. The idea that we have to be patient. That we have to wait on God for His direction, His answer, and His leading. Knowing that the answer is not always in the form we are looking for, but willing to accept the will of God.

It’s by faith that God shows us that He is bigger than all of the challenges we face, no matter how large they seem right now. And it’s the testing of our faith that allows us to grow in all the wonderful ways that God has in store for us (James 1:3).

A Little Goes A Long Way

In both the book of Matthew and the book of Luke, Jesus clearly indicated that a small amount of faith can do mighty things. In Matthew 17:20 we are told that faith the size of a mustard seed will allow us to move a mountain by simply speaking. And in Luke 17:6 that same sized faith, just a mustard seed, will move an entire tree, root and all.

So if just a small, almost minuscule amount of faith can move objects large and rooted right into the earth, why can we not have the faith needed to trust God with the things of this world?

Why can we not trust Him to provide for our need as he does the birds and the grass (Matthew 6:25-30)? Why are we so concerned with the things of this earth – the balance of the checkbook, the argument with our spouse, or even the newest attitude from a child – that we let our faith waiver for even one iota of a second?

I know it’s hard. I truly do. I know that stepping out in faith and allowing God to work in His time and in His way can be so difficult. We are programmed to do things our own ways and in our own time. Stepping back and letting God handle things is not an easy thing to do.

Yet, it’s so vital to growing our faith.

Because when we get out of God’s way and let Him work and simply follow His plans, well, God does some pretty amazing things. The Old Testament is full of God doing glorious things for His people from the walls at Jericho to David and Goliath to sending a savior in the form of His own Son. And the New Testament is full of promises that all require faith.

Today I invite you to take the plunge and start growing your faith. Ask God for the strength and courage to take you from where you are right now, to stronger and bolder in your faith.