So far in this series, we have learned that Faith is the solution to fear. But where does this faith come from?
Most of you will likely have already answered that question in your heads. You are thinking, “Why Faith, like all good things, is a gift of God! It comes from Him!”
And you are right. But why is it that so many times we cry out to God and ask Him for faith, and nothing seems to happen?
I have this little default with my body. Anyone who looks at me, especially in the summer when we’re wearing short sleeves, will see it immediately: My upper arms are spindly. They look like pencils. Literally.
So what does this have to do with faith?
Just bear with me.
As many of you know, I am an avid rider. Though I’m not overly good at it, horseback riding is one of my favourite pastimes.
Now there is a certain mare that I ride. She’s a great horse, but she has this one little fault: She didn’t come equipped with brakes. If she’s got her mind set on something, I’m certainly not going to be able to stop her! Every time I ride her, I spend the next 3-4 days with aching upper arms from my fruitless efforts to curb her independence.
There are times when this particular mare just decides to take off. Run away, if you wish, only usually she is in the confines of an arena. I’ve ridden her through several of these little stubborn moments, and I remember crying out to God time and time again, “Please God, make this mare stop!”
His response? “Oh ye of little biceps and triceps!”
And He is right. I don’t have the physical strength to stop that mare. I can’t pull as hard on her mouth as she needs in order to be curbed.
But is God saying I don’t have biceps or triceps?
Not at all. I was born with a complete complement of muscles, including the ones that form my pencil-thin upper arms. What He is saying, is that I’ve never taken the time or effort to develop the all-important musculature required for stopping a brake-less mare!
Faith is like my upper arms. We are all born with the capacity for it: “… as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” (Rom 12:3b NASU) Just like I was born with biceps and triceps, I was also born with a measure of faith. But if I neglect my faith as I have neglected my upper arms, then I cannot expect for my faith to be strong enough to stand the tests of life.
After coming down off the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus was confronted by a desperate father: “‘Lord, have mercy on my son,’ he said. ‘He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.'” (Matt 17:15-16 NIV)
When the disciples later asked Jesus why they hadn’t been able to cast out the demon, His reply was: “Because you have so little faith” (Matt 17:20 NIV). Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Because you have NO faith …” He said, “Because you have so LITTLE faith”!
You see, faith is like a muscle. It becomes strong with exercise! When we cry out to God to give us faith, His answer is simple: You already have faith! You only need to strengthen it! So the proper prayer is not, “God, give me faith!” He’s already done that! The proper prayer is, “God, please help me to exercise my faith so that it can grow!”
But just how do we go about growing that faith? Join us next week for FREEDOM FROM FAITH, Part 10: If Faith is the Solution to Fear, Where does Faith Come From? Part B
In His love, Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org, with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org.
(To access the entire “Freedom From Fear” mini-series, please click here.)