The Bible speaks about many kinds of faith we can experience such as little, great, precious, etc.

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as a substance, something that is so real we act on it. Faith also produces evidence, which is the result that others see. It is not so much what we believe as what we do. The book of James says, “ … so faith without works is dead.”

Faith’s certainty is in the source and not in the means. How the Lord accomplishes something is His responsibility, obedience is up to us. Faith is not limited to our reasoning or understanding. It is, however, an absolute trust in the unseen even though there is no visible evidence. Faith is to believe God’s promises and act on them.

Our Lord addresses Peter and the other disciples saying they have little faith. There is nothing wrong with having a small amount of faith. The problem arises, however, when there is no growth. Our faith develops from experiencing answered prayers and the study of God’s Word.

Always keep trusting the Lord by taking advantage of new opportunities, which helps our faith to grow. By doing this, the disciples’ faith did grow with all dying as martyrs except John. He lives into his nineties and suffers many horrible things. Their great faith would bring the disciples through it all.

Our desire for growth in our personal faith should be a priority. We must never be satisfied with our giving to the Lord, our love for Him or our obedience to Him. Our faith enables us to be the means through which God works. If we do anything for the Lord, He alone should get all the praise and glory. God gives spiritual gifts which equip us for the work He has called us to do.

In Romans 12:3, He gives us the measure of faith which is to accept the challenge and see it through. The verse also warns us not to overestimate our accomplishments or abilities. When we serve the Lord, He gets the credit and we reap the benefits. If we drive an automobile, we believe it will take us where we want to go. By faith, we get in, turn the key and put it in gear. We also have faith others will drive safely so we may reach our destination.

The first step in becoming a Christian is to believe Jesus Christ is the Savior who died for our sins. Secondly, because we recognize this truth, we are then able to trust Him by faith. Because we believe He can accomplish what He has led us to do, we serve Him by faith. Our good works glorify our Father in heaven. I believe the greatest ability for a Christian is availability. Remember, without faith it is impossible to please God.

STEVE CONWELL, pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church is heard mornings on WFLO and WVHL in “A Thought For Today.” His email address is Steve Conwell@outlook.com.