I recently wrote an article that was published in the local newspaper.
My first sentence was this, "It's hard to have faith."
I'm learning that those five words are an understatement. Even in the Christian community, the idea of having faith is no different. What is promising, however, is that greater amounts of faith is something that can be obtained. It's the same as setting goals. It's also along the same idea as tithing. We all start out with varying measures of faith. What we need to understand is that with God as our ally, there is hope in obtaining a strong faith.
Let's relate the idea with my analogy of tithing. God calls us to give the first fruits of our labor to the church. He promises to keep our barns full through the harvest. If we are faithful with little, there will be more. Faith also starts out small. While there is no magic trick to gain faith, we must begin by asking for faith in the little things in life. "Lord, please stretch the budget so I can pay the electric bill and keep my family warm through the winter." Maybe there is a larger expense pending. Maybe even one that you are not even aware of yet. If we start small, not only will we see how much God cares for us, but we will begin to see how He does for ourselves. That expense we did not know about may come just after we get a promotion at work. God has seen that we were faithful with little, and He met our larger need, just in time. It is also critically important to remember that God is an "on time God."
If we are to grow in faith, we must allow God to grant it. No matter how big or how small, go to Him first. Luke 17: 5-6 records Jesus saying to His disciples, "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."
Let's look at two verses from Paul.
In 2 Corinthians 10: 15-17 it says, "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 sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else's territory. But, "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends."
Paul speaks here of the Corinthian church expanding their faith, and also the faith of other nations. When he says, "greatly," his desire is to see faith increase far and wide; not just in Corinth. He also gives credit to others for their work, not just his own, and cautions that the work of others and their success therein, be given to the Lord.
In 2 Thessalonians 1: 3, Paul writes, "We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
Paul again speaks to the strengthening of others--the Thessalonians--by way of the people in Thessalonica expanding their knowledge of the gospel to Macedonia and Achaia. It says in 2 Thessalonians 2: 8, "The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia--your faith in God has become known everywhere"
What if our faith became ever increasing because we went to Him--little-by-little--in all things great and small. What if the outcome of our increasing faith became "known everywhere?"
Oh, how the world would change.
