The Apostle Paul - “Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” (Romans 12:3)
Faith is multifaceted. It is having the spiritual audacity to confront any challenges in the name of God and for His glory. Faith is the absolute determination to do the will of God, regardless of opposition, threats, and hardships. Faith is the source of our spiritual weaponry. With faith, we overcome the pressures of this world and we confront the fears and spiritual battles of life. Faith is extremely important to have in our lives. If all of this is true, it should lead us to ask, “How do we obtain faith? How does it come into our lives?
Faith itself is a gift from God. Scripture tells us that “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3 NKJV) This means that every child of God has at least some amount of faith. The Apostle Paul writes “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Faith is nothing that we do in our own power or by our own resources. We don’t have the resources to create this faith. It can only come from the Lord.
There is also a spiritual gift of faith. The Apostle Paul writes, “To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given… To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit. To another faith by the same Spirit…” (1 Corinthians 12:7-9) As with all spiritual gifts, the gift of faith is given to some Christians who then use it to edify others in the body of Christ. Those with the gift of faith are an inspiration to their fellow believers, exhibiting a simple confidence in God that shows in all they do and say.
Faith comes from hearing and receiving the Word of God. The Apostle Paul writes “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17 NIV) The hearing here does not simply mean the physical hearing of the words. Instead, “hearing” seems to mean the receiving or the acceptance of what is being communicated, in this instance, the Word of God or the Gospel of Jesus.
Followup Activity - Read through the above devotion again and select one of the scriptures above to memorize. Write it down in your journal or on a piece of paper and review it before each meal today. Then, try to quote it to someone else before you go to bed this evening. If you’re leading your family through this devotion, lead them through the same exercise.
Prayer for Today - Lord, thank You for giving us faith. Please increase my faith as I study Your word and grow in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.