I’ll Have More Faith, Please!
By Susan Klein
“...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
James 2:17
By Susan Klein
“...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
James 2:17
Recently, while sharing a memorable evening with some dear friends, our conversation turned toward spiritual matters. One of the men in the group was sharing some struggles he was facing, and how discouraged he felt over some long-term issues that plagued him. He made the comment, “I wish I had more faith.” That statement caused me to wonder; can we really obtain more faith?
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus issues the command to “have faith in God,” yet He also addresses the issue of “weak faith” or “little faith” several times when speaking to those in doubt. Is He saying then, that we need more faith? Ephesians 1:3 tells us that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. One of those spiritual blessings is faith! If we believe in God, then do we not believe His word to be true? Do we not already have the faith that we need? Nowhere do we see his command to find more faith than what he has already given us.
Like a cup of water, God has blessed us with a full cup, not one that is half empty and needs replenishing. But it is no good to us if we don’t choose to drink from it. I think the issue at hand is “exercising”, or “putting into action” the faith we have. James tells us our faith must be accompanied by action. I believe this action includes choosing to not doubt. If we say we believe in the power of God then, we must act upon those words and truly trust Him to do as he says He will. When we pray, we must consciously choose to believe that our prayer will be heard and answered, and not be in doubt.
I do believe that our faith can be “weakened” by our circumstances. We know that the water is in the glass, but we are so focused on the desert of our circumstances that we forget to take a drink! Ephesians 6:16 says we have a “shield of faith” to protect us from Satan’s fiery darts of doubt, but it also says we must “take it up.” It is an action that we must choose to make.
As we mature in our Christian walk and grow in our knowledge of scripture, we will be better able to understand how to utilize the wonderful faith that our God has blessed us with!
GOING DEEPER:
1. In what areas of your life has your faith been weakened by circumstances? Are you willing to commit those things to God in “faith-filled” prayer?
FURTHER READING:
James 1:2-6, 2:14-26; Hebrews 11; 2 Thessalonians 1:3
Susan is a We Women Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She and her husband Mark enjoy tutoring and working with inner-city youth.
