The Impact of Troubles and Trials on Our Faith

Essentially everybody ought to have the Faith. Faith is not a religious entity but often alluded to religion. Faith is the feeling of believing and trusting in someone or something wholeheartedly. But for people who practice religion, Faith is essential, and for Christians, Faith is mandatory.If you call yourself a Christian meaning a disciple of Jesus Christ, you need to have full trust in Jesus Christ wholeheartedly.Faith is generated from understanding, meaning before we trust and believe in someone or something first, we educate ourselves about them or it. The information we receive and perceive become the manufacturer of this very entity we call Faith. We start to build our confidence in someone based on the information we assembled. We begin to trust a system based on the sufficient information we know.Apostle Paul explains this in biblical writing and says: So Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. We become followers of Jesus Christ by hearing about His stories. We build our confidence in God when we hear about what God did for others. His credit score gives us the confidence to entrust Him with our shares. So it turns out that we trust God a little by hearing about what He did and what He's doing.

Faith And Growth

Faith does not grow, Faith remains the same size. However, more hearing and reading the word of God allows us to grow in Faith. We grow in Faith, but Faith does not grow. Growth is maturity. Growing in Faith means knowing how to use your Faith; maturing in ways to handle your Faith. As they often say: it is not about the size. Size does not matter, but it is how you use it. Don't strive to increase your Faith but instead, grow in Faith and learn how to use your Faith. 

A Christian woman who has been following Jesus for 40 years compared to a newly born Christian who just committed their life to Christ a week ago are the same. They both have the same Faith, both believe in Christ, but each uses their Faith differently. The newly born Christian might be in love with Jesus and enthusiastic about following Christ. We call that 'the honeymoon phase.' However, the veteran Christian might also be in love with Christ, but their love for Jesus is robust. Life experiences turn your Faith into a robust faith. Life experience does not make your Faith big but steady and healthy. It is not about trusting God more, it's about how you trust God. 

So Jesus, in his own words, ends the argument by stating that Faith as little as a mustard seed can uproot a giant tree and move mountains. Meaning that don't burn yourself out trying to increase your Faith but instead allow life experience and the word of the Lord to grow you in Faith.

Faith Revealed

Faith is proven in trials. When Faith is tested by trials and troubles, we then have a proof of existence that there is such a thing as Faith. I repeat. We identify the presence of Faith and our maturity in Faith when we encounter troubles. It's easy to confess Faith when life is good and when things are working according to the plan. You wouldn't know how faithful you are to God until you face troubles. It's easy to forget how much we need God's help until nobody offers to help. We learn to trust God until we can't trust anyone else.

Can't But Can See

Faith is not tangible. It is madness when we believe Faith is perceptible by touch. We can see Faith, but we cannot touch Faith. However, the outcome of Faith is precipitable, meaning we can touch the product faith produces. For example: 

• Miracles prayed for (things and situation you spent night and day praying about, now it came to pass)
• Long-awaited dreams (You prayed and patiently waited)
• Things hoped for ( You were hoping to have, and now you have it)

Faith consists of Patience and Trust. If you own a jar of Faith, it means you ought to have Patience and Trust as the two elements to fulfil that jar. When we go through trials, we claim that Faith is tested, but the real test from trials weighs on the elements of Faith such as Patience and Trust. In the face of troubles, it is our Patience and Trust that is under the test. Evidently, in our personal lives, relationship with others and not just religion.Faith in God does not signify that there's:Exemption from Troubles: Although you have Faith [Patience and trust in God] it does not mean you are exempt from troubles and trials.No immunity: Just because you are a Christian, it does not mean you won't suffer.No exception: just because you follow Jesus Christ does not mean you won't face temptation.

Failure Is Inevitable

Faith does not guarantee that you won't fail. Newsflash! You will fail personally, but Faith will not fail you. The gospel of Luke relates to us a moment Jesus revealed to Peter what the devil was planning against Peter. Following the conversation though, Jesus then says to Peter: "But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail." Jesus did not guarantee him that he wouldn't fail, but Jesus assured Peter that if he dares to trust (Faith) in Him, then he would not fail. The failure of Peter happened when he denied Jesus because Peter leaned back in his own understanding (fear, disappointment, loss of trust in the messiah). Suppose Peter had trusted (Faith in) the plan of Jesus, then he wouldn't have denied Him. [Luke 22:31-32]

Refining Process

Trials and troubles come for all sorts of reasons, and one of the main reasons ultimately is to refine our Faith. Faith does not grow more prominent, but Faith changes its resolution. When it comes to Faith, it's not about growth, but it's about quality. The only thing that sets you apart from everyone is the quality of your Faith, not the size. The only difference between you and your Bishop or senior congregational pastor is how they use their Faith. If all you do is move churches and attend multiple conferences a year to grow your Faith, maybe you are doing it wrong. Nobody teaches you how to be faithful to God, but life's circumstances will teach you, Faith. Therefore, the only form of changes Faith experiences begins from Faith to Quality Faith. Quality Faith, also known as Pure Faith or we can also define Quality Faith as Complete Trust. In the simplest form possible, Quality Faith is just known as Faith when mastered by the user. Quality Faith is the result of the refining process. Trials, troubles and circumstances become the refining process for our Faith. Gold becomes 99.9% pure Gold after the refining process. The Pressuring moments, the crashing moments, and the burning moments are all part of refining faith. In the middle of his trials and Suffering, Job made this declaration: 10 "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."

 So....

Don't seek to grow Faith but instead, try to grow in Faith. The size of your Faith will not cease your circumstances, but the quality of your Faith will be your shield against your circumstances. Your maturity in terms of how you are operating your Faith will be crucial in helping you navigate your way through your circumstances. It's not about the size of your Faith, it's about the quality of your Faith and how you operate your Faith.