Faith is the assurance of things that we hope for and is arguably one of the most important aspects that every believer must grow in. Faith is God-given, made available through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and given to God as we put our complete trust in His ways.
Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Faith is the backbone with which every member of Christ's body stands. The ultimate aim of every believer is to grow in faith in God and faith from God.
To give honor and glory to God, a believer must devote himself or herself to growing in faith. Admittedly, this growth in faith is not as simple as it sounds. There can be much opposition that keeps us from growing in faith.
What is the greatest prohibition to growing in our faith in Jesus Christ? Most people will actually answer that storms and failures hinder growing in faith the most. After all, Jesus would often criticize the disciples for their lack of faith when they would either fail to accomplish a task or overcome a storm.
But is trial really a detriment to faith? Was Jesus ridiculing the disciples for a lack of faith or rather challenging them to use failure and trial to grow more in the faith because they actually bring growth to our faith?
James 1:2-3 actually says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." Trials actually build faith and the biggest enemy of growing in faith is the complete opposite of trials -- certainty.
When we are certain, we lose reason to believe that God is able to fulfil promises and deeds even when circumstance and our own capacity dictate against it. The number one way to lose faith is not to face trial because this actually builds faith. The number one way to lose faith is to live in comfort and complacency.
That's why God opens up our lives to storms, trials and temptations -- because He has every intent of helping us grow in the knowledge of Him by giving us motivation to seek Him. That's why 2 Corinthians 12:9 declares, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
If you want to stay complacent and mediocre in your faith, ask for certainty and comfort, but if you want to grow in your faith, start believing God for His grace and empowering presence in the midst of trials. There will be persecution and brokenness in this broken world, but Jesus has overcome once and for all. That is faith.
