August 13

Written by Bill Grandi on August 13th, 2019

My title for this devotion is Growing Faith vs Stagnant Faith.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that faith is a “building” thing. What I mean by that is simple: When a person come to faith in Christ, his faith, at best, is in its infancy. The longer he/she is a follower of Christ the more his/her faith ought to grow. Each new day; each new challenge; each new set back, is designed to help us increase our faith.

One of my favorite stories in the life of Jesus is after He comes down from the Mount of Transfiguration and is confronted by a father whose son often has fits and even throws himself into a fire. The disciples could not cure him so the father asks Jesus to.  Mark 9 records the conversation. He says to Jesus, “If you can do anything.” Jesus then says, “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.” The man says, “I believe. Help my unbelief.” I’ve often described that as if the father was saying, “My faith is a 3.  Make it an 8 or a 9 or a 10.” In other words, increase my faith.

Our faith was never meant to be stagnant. Or worse, going in reverse. It is meant to be growing. Always increasing. Always forward. Will there be times of no growth? Slow growth? Sure. Will there be times of plateau? Yep.  But it never stops. Never stays there. Our faith keeps growing. Keeps progressing.

“Father, may every event, every circumstance, every challenge, every set back, simply be a new opportunity for my faith to grow. And let my faith not become stagnant or cold. May it be an ever-increasing faith.”

 

2 Comments so far ↓

  1. Ryan S. says:

    The conversation between Jesus and the father a conversation I have had a number of times. So much so, I have made it a regular prayer of mine.
    The idea of growing faith is right on target. I suppose there are some where this comes naturally. It does not for me. I like to see proof. I like to scrutinize the evidence.
    Where there are gaps, I pray for faith until those gaps can be filled.

    • Bill Grandi says:

      I think most people today, especially Millenials, do not want easy answers and pat answers or banal answers. They want to “know.” I applaud you wanting to scrutinize and investigate. Thanks for the comment Ryan.