How to Grow in Faith

This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.


You develop Faith just like you develop any character quality you wish to possess…commitment and practice.  You have to decide for yourself that you want to be a faithful person.  And once you decide, you need to pursue it, practice it, and live it. 

And in this pursuit, we are lucky because we already know the best way to practice and develop faith. It is prayer.  You need to talk to God on a daily basis. 

Start out talking about small, everyday things.  As you progress, you can speak about your blessings, everything going right in your life, and thank Him.  Then you can try speaking to Him about your problems and ask Him to help you.  Trust that He will take care of you.   At first it will be hard.  You might fail.  Don't worry.  Do not give up.  Redouble your efforts and it will become easier. 

Heck, you can even pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for the gift of faith!  You will be amazed at how much quicker your development will take place if you pray about it daily. 

And you should pray about it daily, because the world could use a little more faith.  Faith is a heroic quality that should be celebrated and pursued.  We should all be striving to become men and women of faith.


Keep Pursuing

This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.

Faith vs Works

This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.


A half-truth said too often today is the line that “by faith alone you are saved”.  These people are quick to use Romans 3:28: “For we consider that a person is justified apart from works of the law.” 

Of course, you need to immediately reply with James 2:14-26: "...for just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." 

And now the bickering starts.  Two sides staunchly opposed, absolutely refusing to see beyond this “either/or” argument. 

However, both sides are failing to see "the genius of the 'and'".  This is not an "either/or" argument, this is a "both/and" discussion.  The authors of these biblical letters did not mean to contradict each other, they meant to show two sides of the same coin...faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.  

It is through faith we are saved but, as I stated before, faith is transformative.  If you truly have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be changed.  Your faith will bear fruit in the form of works.  You will be performing works not for salvation, but because of salvation.


Keep Pursuing

This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.

Why is Faith Important?

This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.


Intro

Faith is a value not often sought after in today’s culture.  Intelligence has been put on a pedestal as the value to pursue in this modern age…and it is hurting our society.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in seeking knowledge and urge everyone to develop a critical mind (as mentioned in this post).  But intelligence is not so important that it should be pursued to the exclusion of all else.

There are other, equally important, values like courage, discipline, and faith.  These are invaluable for anyone to possess.  They should not be discarded.  Rather, these noble qualities should be praised and their pursuit celebrated.


Why is Faith important?

Faith in our fellow man is the foundation of society. Without trust, relationships with others would be impossible. It is faith, or trust, that enables teamwork, the coming together of humans to accomplish more than they could on their own. 

Similarly, it is Faith that allows man to have a relationship with God.  Faith is trust in God.  And it is in this capacity that the quality of faithfulness transforms our lives and leads us to explore the teachings of the Church.  Once you trust in God, you experience Him in a whole new way.

...You can already hear it, right?  The line you’ve heard every time you talk about faith.  “But why doesn’t God just come down and shake my hand?  If he does that, then I will believe!” 

But God did come down.  He did more than shake hands.  He performed countless miracles. And still people did not believe.

My favorite example comes from John 6, Jesus performed a miracle in front of thousands of people and the next day when that same crowd heard his teachings on salvation, they abandoned him.  Thousands of followers lost.  They had just seen a miracle!  And they spun on their heel upon hearing something controversial!

It is by faith that you come to know God.  Seeing Him won’t help you if you refuse to believe.  And conversely, when you start believing you will see God.  You cannot put the cart before the horse.  Faith is the crucial first step. 

It is through Faith that you recognize God in the movements of the universe, in the events of this world, and in the happenings of our lives.  Once you grasp the magnificence of God you can’t help but be inspired and transformed.  Because “whoever is in Christ is a new creation…” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17


Keep Pursuing

This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.

Faith

This landing page serves as a hub for all content pertaining to Faith.

Faith is not talked about nearly enough in today’s society.  And when it is discussed, it is often misrepresented.  I hope to set things straight with this mini-series.

First, and most importantly:

• What is Faith?

Other topics relating to Faith:

• Why is Faith Important?
• How to Grow Your Faith
• Faith vs Works

In the comments section below I would love to hear what other topics pertaining to faith you would like me to cover!


Keep Pursuing

Additional Materials

This post is the first in a series of posts dedicated to Truth, to re-capturing the real meaning of words.

This post is part of a mini-series dedicated to the three things that remain.