The Apostle Paul wrote that Christ-followers are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). The Bible teaches that as followers of Jesus, faith is the key component.
During Jesus’ ministry on earth, faith was something that He looked for, and it was something that moved Him. One time, He said to a Roman officer, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (Matthew 8:10) In Luke 8:48, He said to a woman, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Faith is something that moves Him to action. Throughout scripture, however, we find that not only was faith something Christ looked for, but also it was something He expected from His followers. We find in Matthew 8:48 that He said, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
Faith is clearly something we need and should be developing; unfortunately, many Christ-followers are living by sight instead of by faith, and by default, they are experiencing little of the life Jesus came to bring them. You may ask, “Why should I be working to grow my faith?” I believe there are five key reasons why.
1. You will have trouble in this world.
The reality is that life is full of trouble. Many things simply go wrong. Without a strong belief that God is in control and has a plan, you could find yourself slipping into a pit of discouragement, confusion and doubt. As a pastor, I see many people give up on faith because of things that go wrong in their life and in the world. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Faith that God is using everything that happens to us for our good is an amazing stabilizer to life.
2. You will have to move in new directions.
Life takes twists and turns. You will often need to move in a new direction such as take a new job, end a relationship, invest more time in your children, start a business, or become a small group leader in your church. Sometimes your life moves in a new direction without your consent, such as a spouse leaves you, it’s time to go to college, someone gets pregnant, or your employer lets you go. A strong faith in God will give you the courage to move in that new direction and take on a new challenge.
3. Fear is real.
A strong faith is necessary because of the emotion of fear. Fear is paralyzing. Fear can and will keep you from living the life that God has designed you to live. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of disappointing others. Fear of not measuring up. No wonder “Do not fear” is given as a command more times than any other command in the entire Bible! You will need a strong faith to overcome your fears in this life.
4. Others will struggle.
The reality is that you will have people around you–whether they are friends, family, or co-workers– who will struggle with confusion, doubt, and discouragement. If your faith is strong, you will be able to help them in their time of struggle. Your life will serve as an anchor in the waves for them. Inevitably, some of your faith will rub off on them. I have heard many stories of people who say, “If it weren’t for my friend, I wouldn’t have made it. They kept me believing.” You can be that person for the people in your life who are struggling.
5. You will experience an overall better quality of life.
Again, Paul said that this life is to be lived “by faith, not by sight.” When you deepen your trust in God and learn to put your life in His hands every day, you experience higher levels of peace and joy in your soul. Jesus made this clear when He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) When your faith grows, your levels of frustration, anger, fear, and worry decrease. Life simply becomes more enjoyable. You can take things in stride and relax emotionally because you know in your heart that the God of the universe loves you and has a plan through it all.
Questions to ponder:
- On a scale of 1-10, how strong is your faith?
- What would you have to do to grow your faith?
- What new direction do you need to take in your life?
- What fear would a stronger faith help you to conquer?
- If you grew your faith, who would benefit from it?
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