HOW DO WE DEVELOP FAITH IN GOD?
We strengthen and develop our faith with reminders of God’s greatness, faithfulness and love by prayer, worship, Bible reading and hearing Bible preaching.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
Satan is the enemy of our soul. His great goal is to get us focused on ourselves, on people, on the things of the world or anything that would keep us from walking in faith and in the joy of the Lord. He especially targets those Christians who are effective and have a potential in God to damage his dark kingdom by becoming soul winners. The more we concentrate on ourselves, other people and possessions, the less concentration we will have on God. A focus on self produces pride; a focus on people produces bitterness; a focus on things produces a temporal value system. A carnal, temporal focus on life will also produce fear, which opposes our faith.
The more we direct our thoughts and energies toward God and His Word, the more we stimulate trust and confidence in Him. After all, He never fails and He has no faults or weaknesses. All through the Bible we see people in their good times and their bad times; at their best and at their worst; but God never loses a battle or makes a mistake. It is important to know that our failures and sins ultimately cause us to doubt and even to reject God. Or, we react to the humanity in people as an excuse to violate God’s will for our lives and go our own way.
Our great attack from the forces of darkness is called “secular humanism.” The word sounds like the good word “humanitarian” but, actually, it is an evil philosophy, designed to turn people away from God. Humanism is simply a perspective on life that excludes God from the picture. It is actually a religion based on the doctrine of evolution. It leads to the fatalistic view that life just happened, so just avoid problems and be happy. Secular humanism has resulted in widespread rebellion, depression, addictions and suicide because it keeps us from God and the fear of the Lord.
When we stimulate our spirit with God’s Word, we build purpose, peace and joy in our lives. We realize that God is in control and has a plan and purpose for our lives. Life has meaning and direction and God can give us the grace to live it to the fullest. Not only that, but we also have an eternal hope of heaven.
Isaiah said it best when he said this:
“Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee…” (Isaiah. 26:3)
We direct our attention toward God as we read His Word, listen to godly music, gather to worship, hear the preaching and teaching of God’s Word and fellowship with other believers. The more we include God in our thinking, the more we build up our faith, because everything about God is good.
Indeed, to know Him is to love Him!
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