God gave us a measure of faith, but how do we grow it to handle a crisis? Well, we’re already familiar with the technique, so let’s dive in.
“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6And the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.…” ~Luke 17:5-6
While the world settles into a new temporary lifestyle with the global pandemic of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), many people are naturally afraid. “How long will this last?”, “will we have enough food?”, “what about my friends and family, will they be ok?” are all questions that I’ve heard over the last few weeks. People’s fears are taking hold and we need to have faith in God that He will provide and protect His Children (Christians).
A question of faith
Have faith in God, because, without it, you can’t please him (Hebrews 11:6). That’s all well and good, but how do we “grow” our faith, especially in these times?
Jesus tells us in the passage above that each child of God is given a small bit (measure) of faith and that is enough. We have to look at the difference between “increasing” our faith, which is unnecessary, and “growing” what we have.
If we take the question of faith and keep to the analogy that Jesus was using to His disciples – that faith is a seed – the disciples were asking for “more seed.” Jesus was saying, in a nutshell, that you “don’t need more seed, you just need to grow the seed you’ve got.”
Each Christian has been given a measure of faith (Romans 12:3) and it is up to us to grow that seed so it can become a tree that will not only shade us but others as well.
Ok, so how do I grow this tree of faith?
I’ve often wondered as to how I got from point A to point B in my faith walk with God. How can I have the faith that God will not only carry me but make me thrive during the Coronavirus pandemic that the world is facing as well as the rest of my life?
Then it hit me like a brick. During my 12-year faith walk, I was applying a learning style I had already been using to grow my faith.
When we learn something new, the best and quickest way of taking in information and quickly memorizing it is by applying the new data to something in long-term memory. This is what I’ve been doing – unconsciously – over the last 12 years! I already knew that some of the things that I did or didn’t do had certain results – results that were found throughout the Bible. I had grown my faith in those areas and was rock-solid in them. When new opportunities came up, whether by crisis or not, where I had to have total and absolute faith that God would do what He said He would do, or I needed to act on my own with the tools, gifts, and authority that God gave me, I stepped out and had success, which created new “long-term faith memories.”
It’s about taking in new experiences, stepping out in faith, based upon your “long-term faith memories.”
GREAT! Where do I start?
Look at your life, specifically in the areas where you’ve been successful. Are you great at gaining wealth? Are you a fantastic parent? Take these areas and search the Bible where God speaks on these areas and recognize, “Hey, I’m doing what God told me to do and the results are EXACTLY what He said they would be!” It also pays to look at your past failures and do the same thing. It may be painful, but you’ll see that when you didn’t do what God told you to do or do what God told you not to do, the consequences played out exactly how God said they would.
In doing this and fully realizing this truth, you are building “long-term faith memories.”
As in learning, you increase (grow) incrementally. Doing this creates a pattern of success, which grows your faith in God and the promises He has for all of His Children (Christians).
