Growing in Faith Keeps the Enemy at Bay

 As we left my daughter’s softball game yesterday, I caught a glimpse of something that reminded me of growing in faith. I had seen this certain tree many times before and didn’t pay much attention to it honestly, but for some reason this day I was awed by its massiveness. Now I’m no dendrologist, but I’m sure this massive oak tree had to have been at least 100 years old! Its trunk and branches were thick and sturdy and it was solid and unwavering in the wind.

 

Our faith is likened to a tree planted by the rivers of water in Psalm 1: 3. The psalmist writes, “It bears fruit in its season and its leaves never wither.” Are you like this tree? Are you growing in faith?

 

Interestingly, right beside this massive oak tree stood another tree—a shabby, skinny and frail-looking tree. You could tell it was very young and hadn’t yet matured like its neighbor. This reminds me of baby Christians or those who have been “saved” for a while yet haven’t been watered or nourished by growing in faith. They haven’t produced any fruit yet and are susceptible to damage by the winds and the rains of life.

Growing in Faith is a Lifelong Journey

We all start out like baby trees. The most scholarly, well-versed Christian communicators began as baby Christians. But they didn’t stay there. They made a decision to grow in their faith. We would think it mighty strange to see a grown man drinking milk from a bottle, right? The apostle Paul speaks of this in Hebrews 5:12 when he is challenging the Hebrew Christians for their lack of maturity. He says they should be eating solid food by now, yet they are still drinking milk. Just like we are growing in stature, we must also be “growing in faith” every day.

 

Growing in Faith Requires a Lifestyle Change

I often meet Christians who talk about faith as if it’s some mystical attribute that only certain people have. The Bible teaches that we’ve all been given a “measure of faith,” but we have to do our part in increasing that measure. Growing in faith is not only a lifelong journey, but it requires we change our lifestyle. If our lives do not reflect Christ’s character, how can see truly say we are “growing in faith”?

 

Let’s not fool ourselves. We will not be given anything more than what we can handle. If we are not willing to say no to our flesh consistently, we will not be candidates for increased faith. We must be first found faithful in little so that we can be put in charge of much (Luke 16:10).

Growing in Faith Keeps the Enemy at Bay

As we continue to grow in our faith, the enemy can bring all the storms of this life in our path, but we will be rooted deeply and immovable like the massive oak tree. He will not be able to beat us around like wimpy little trees. We will stand firm!

 

What about you? What are some ways you are growing in faith? I appreciate your comments below.