Faith is tough to gauge and frequently hard to detect, at least from the outside looking in. How firm is our faith?
There are events, situations or outcomes in life that will strongly test our faith and maybe even push it to the brink. The longer we live, the more chances and opportunities we have for this to occur.
Tragedies, accidents and unexpected incidents are bound to happen to us or someone we know. Diseases, viruses and ailments will somehow creep their way into our own life or the life of someone we love. I could go on, but you get the point.
Whatever the case and scenario, at some point in our life we will have to rely—and rely heavily—on our faith to pull us up out of the muck, to draw us away from the darkness and to instill in us a sense of peace and hope.
Our faith must be strong enough to withstand these troubles and tests. The foundation of our faith must be so firm that even though the house may shake, the foundation will not give way and is strong enough to withstand the toughest and longest of storms.
If our faith is stored in something simple, shallow or artificial, then of course it can easily wilt, succumb to storms, or wash away.
For example, if our faith resided solely in a specific leader or corporation, and everything we believed in, had hope in, found a reason for existing and living in, resided with that person, and then that person or entity made a mistake or did something wrong, our faith could be shattered.
By contrast, having faith in an all-powerful, perfect, infallible God means that our faith can never be broken by anything God does. Having faith in a God we can trust, believe in, and find hope, love, mercy and peace with empowers us to live joyfully in this life.
How can we grow, enhance or upgrade our faith? There are many ways—some intentional, some that will just happen over time.
We can take classes, either at a seminary or at our church. We can participate in community work and volunteer for local charities and organizations. We can engage in prayer, scripture reading and spiritual practices on a more regular basis, ideally, doing these things daily.
Our faith can also grow in and through relationships with other people. Maintaining our friendships, rekindling old or lost relationships and being faithful members of a church can always enhance and cultivate our faith. Even listening to the pastor’s sermons will help us grow in our faith.
We need to continue to learn and grow, ensure our faith is firm and find ways to expand it in life. We will be much better off for it.