The Only Step It Takes to Grow Faith

by Texas Stready

After paying for my Christmas gifts at the store, I happily trot towards my car. In the parking lot a few rows over, I notice a little boy. While his father is loading the trunk with items, the child attempts to pull what looks to be a crockpot from the bottom of the cart.

When the man turns around I hear him say, “I’ll get that, son.”

In that moment, the boy grabs ahold of his dad’s leg in total dependence and smiles at me. I laugh and continue on.

As I settle in behind the steering wheel, I hear what I’ve learned to be the Holy Spirit’s voice. “Don’t laugh too hard, you can learn something from him.”

Stop – Look – Listen

Instantly this sentence floods my mind. “Why don’t I have more faith?”

How often do we think that?

Not like this is a negative thought. Actually I believe it to be a healthy search for deeper relationship with our Creator, and that’s never a bad thing.

The problem resides with the sigh that accompanies this idea. It comes quickly and with frustration, as if we think our efforts can get the job done.

Don’t Strain

There’s no use depending on your own ability in the matter of growing faith. That, my friend, is a weight that will certainly crush you.

More faith is about partnership with God. He is our heavenly Father and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Faith is a Response

It’s the outcome of knowing who God is, not a goal to achieve. Like a girl who’s willing to be tossed in the air by her daddy. She’s unaware of the physics involved; never does she ask for her father’s tossed-to-drop ratio.

Why? Because faith is produced by relationship.

Countless encounters have indeed proven her Papa to be trustworthy. (2 Timothy 1:12)

Fact vs. Faith

No amount of information can produce the ability to believe. There’s only one road to true confidence, and other peoples paths won’t take you there. We must live our own way into more faith.

Absolute knowledge can be gained, but only by experience.

Each encounter we live through, helps us relinquish our hold on life’s circumstances. Personal involvement is what teaches us to rest in the safety we’re entitled to.

Receive Your Resource

No one’s ever written a thank you note for a present they didn’t accept.

Faith is automatically accelerated by thanksgiving. Our heartfelt appreciation proves we are in agreement with our Source. It’s like saying, “Ok this belongs to me—I’ll take it.”

Make the divine exchange of worry for trust. This action takes place without thought, when we’ve learned to bask in the adoration of a God who’s madly in love with us.

Exercise Your Experience

Rehearsing your blessings will increase your gratitude, thereby fortifying you’re resolve. The more sure you become of God’s heart towards you, the faster you’ll be engulfed by the ability to hope for unexpected assistance.

This is a spectacular time of year. It’s set-aside to celebrate the most clear-cut demonstration of grace ever given.

The only step it takes to grow faith, is to receive the measure of grace that’s been allotted you. (Ephesians 4:7)

Acceptance is what alters our ridiculous attempts at achievement into delighted reliance on a powerful Father who remains by our side.