Like many Christians, I sometimes struggle to activate my faith in a particular situation. Some things just seem so big. How silly of me to ever think that they could be too hard for an infinitely powerful God! Because we are so easily overwhelmed with the things life hands us, we can limit God to what we imagine could be done in a situation to make it right. We don't remember that He told us that He could "do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us". (Ephesians 3:20)
Faith is strengthened by use. 2 Corinthians 10:15 speaks of faith being increased. 2 Thessalonians 1:3 speaks of faith growing exceedingly. I've heard it said that faith is a verb - not a noun. It's something we do, not something we have. If you read Hebrews chapter 11, the "hall of fame" listing people of faith, it shows that their faith was demonstrated by what they said or did, not just what they felt in their hearts or thought in their minds. They trusted God, stepped out in obedience, and their faith was rewarded.
People make faith such a mystery, but we operate in faith every day. When you were still just a toddler, your mother probably carried you in her arms and let you flip the light switch off when you were leaving a room or flip it on when you were entering. You had the experience of having that power at your tiny fingertips. You probably thought it was amazing at first, but in daily life now, you touch those controls with barely a thought. Experience has taught you what happens and you have a very natural faith that the light fixture will respond when you operate the switch.
We trust people that we barely know in our everyday lives. We'll accept a job offer and work for two weeks in a new position with nothing but the promise of a payday. We put money in vending machines and expect a product to emerge. We sit down in chairs that we expect to support our weight. We turn the key in the ignition and expect the engine to start. We do hundreds of things like this on a regular basis and we're surprised when they don't happen - not when they do.
We act first and expect something to happen. You see, faith isn't that hard. You keep doing things because you have the experience of acting and seeing results. If you just stand beside the switch on the wall and hope that light will illuminate the room, you'll be waiting for a very long time for that promise to manifest. It takes the corresponding action to get the result you desire.
Now God's not a light switch and we can't reduce our interaction with Him to a formula. He's not at our beck and call to manipulate to suit our whims. We can, however, in the context of a relationship with Him and a knowledge of His Word and His will, act in faith upon the promises He has given us and expect those promises to be kept.
Sometimes the stepping out is a declaration of faith in prayer. Other times there's a physical action. Right now, my son and his wife are trying to sell their home. When the buyer comes along, they will be moving in with us for a while until they find the next place God has for them. I've prayed for the sale of their house, but I realized that if that is what I really expect to happen, I need to take some actions that match my expectations. So I've been cleaning out closets, reorganizing rooms, making lists of things that might have to go to make room for them - putting some walk with the talk. I need to prepare for what I expect to see.
What's the next action you need to take to make room for what you are believing God to do in your life? Do you need to update your resume, pack up some things, start researching schools, join a ministry in your church, write a book? There are actions tied to your prayers that you can explore, all the while declaring what the Word of God says about your situation. With every answered prayer, you have that experience of faith operating in your life and that experience builds your faith for the next challenge. Get some experience!
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