Where is Your Faith in God?
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1–6)
It’s something we talk about, sing about, pray about and encourage others to have because without it, it is impossible to please God. Faith without works is dead. It should be alive. Nothing fruitful can be done with something dead.
Mustard Seed Faith
But what about when challenges arise? How much faith do you need to get through it? The Bible says you only need faith the size of a mustard seed. That’s the faith that is needed to move mountains. Imagine being able to mountains with mustard seed faith. Health mountains, family mountains, relationship mountains, finance mountains and employment mountains, move aside. But even mustard seed faith can seem feel like a challenge when you are faced with hard facts.
Where is your Faith?
This was the title of a gospel song sung by the late Rev. James Cleveland. That was a question that was meant for those in their darkest hour, seeking answers. Are you always ready to practice what you preach? Trials can arise at any time and they are never welcomed or convenient. When the storms of life roll in it’s easy to lose sight of our peace. God will purposely allow storms in our life at times to get our attention and turn our eyes towards HIm.
If you find yourself in a place where your faith is being challenged. Turn to God and ask what it is should be doing or learning from your experience. Perhaps He is seeking to break your dependence upon people or material things and help you to recognize that He is still the source and supplier of all your needs and no good thing will He ever withhold from you. (Psalm 84:11)
Faith Shaming
When we are in the midst of a crisis whether perceived or real, we often tend to turn to loved ones or friends for advice. Although they may be well-meaning, they may not have the answers you seek.
I have personally witnessed as well as been on the receiving end of “fellow Christians” who had expressed disappointment with those who are wavering. To say that someone is not believing hard enough or praying long enough to change their circumstances is simply not true. For this reason, many Christians choose to suffer in silence.
God will determine how long an individual’s season of difficulty shall last. Faith will be the result of duration during your trials. Despite how others’s may react to your disappointment during a trial rest assured your response whether adverse or correct will not come as a surprise to God nor will it somehow block you from your blessings.
Broken by Design
The truth is, when God is in the process of breaking someone their response does not automatically mean they are questioning God’s ability to deliver on His promises, they are simply reacting to their circumstances the same way that Jesus demonstrated His own humanity on the Cross during the time of the Crucifixion when he cried out to his Father “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
God understands our despair, our fears and our doubts and doesn’t take it personally. He’s a loving Father who’s ways and understanding surpasses our own, yet He is patient with our growing process.
Remember Moses? He pleaded with the Lord when he was instructed to lead the people of Israel and had a list of excuses as to why he should not have been the one chosen. Moses faced several other challenges along the journey and faith was not always his strong suit, but look what the Lord did with him and through him.
Everyone’s Faith is Tested
Don’t be fooled. Whether you are a Pastor, Minister, Bishop, Deacon or Deaconess, choir member or simply sit on a pew. Your faith will be tested and you will have to put your faith to work in the face of the tragedies, disappointments and devastations of this life. We all come to different levels of faith at different stages throughout our lives. As our relationship grows so does our faith. Always remember that God will never give us more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Encourage Yourself
When life’s trappings become a distraction either in the form of people or material things, God will sometimes intentionally move them out of way to disrupt our thoughts of being self-reliant. When this happens think back on those times in the past when you were either in dire need or when things seemed impossible and God blessed you with the provisions you needed or changed the course of events in an unexpected way. Use those times to comfort you during your current circumstances. Write them down and revisit the list as often as needed.
Don’t concentrate on the crisis or the pain. Pray and ask God to reveal to you exactly what it is you should be learning from the difficulties you are facing either about yourself or others around you. No hardship is ever a wasted moment in your life. Maybe you are about to demonstrate strength you never thought you possessed.
Sometimes we imagine situations to be way worse than they are. God also sometimes sends people to assist or bring a message that will speak specifically to your situation but the message will be unmistakably from God. This is not a coincidence.
