“Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.’ (James 2:14-17)
Faith grows when it is fed by God’s word and when it is exercised. Additionally, we are all given a measure of faith to do what God desires of us.
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3)
Faith looks different on every person, but it all comes from the same source. Further, if something that is alive does not get enough exercise, it will atrophy. In other words, what isn’t growing is dying.
“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3)
Not only do we grow our faith through God’s word and by exercising it, we are also to be thankful when see evidence of others growing their faith.
As a result of this look at my faith life, I am challenged to continually feed and exercise my faith in deeper and more expansive ways. I am also more aware of the importance of being grateful when I see faith growing in others.
