“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” James 2:14, 17
We can talk about faith all day, but in order for our faith to grow, we must put it to work. It’s one thing to say “I trust you God” and it’s another thing to take an action that is based on faith (taking action on something that God is speaking to you about, stepping into new territory without having all the facts, etc.). There are three key things that prevent us from taking steps of faith:
1. Fear – Fear cripples us physically and spiritually. Think about the last time you feared something. Our vision gets clouded, our hearts start racing, our mind stops functioning rationally because we are consumed with fear. The only way to beat fear is to have facts. When we face fears about the things that concern us, we need to get facts from the Word of God. The Word of God is where we can check our emotions and our thoughts. It is our reminder of who God is, how he delivered in the past, and what He has promised to for us in the future. (2 Timothy 1:7)
2.Lack of confidence in God’s ability- It is tough to exercise faith in tough situations when you are unsure of God’s ability to come through. We can build our confidence in God’s ability by reviewing God’s extensive resume of delivering His children when the odds were against them. We can also look at how God is working in the lives of other believers. If He can do it for others, what would stop Him from doing greater things in your life? (Jeremiah 10:12, Psalm 66:7, Psalm 147:4-5)
3. Lack of confidence in what God has placed inside of you – Often times, we miss opportunities because we have little to no confidence in the gifts and power that God has placed inside us. We do not exercise our faith because we doubt our gifts, we doubt our talents, and we downplay the power we’ve been given as children of God. We have the spirit of God living, moving, and working in and through us. (Isaiah 40:29-31, Isaiah 12:2)
What is preventing you from exercising your faith?
Lord, I desire to live by faith and not by sight and to release my fears and hold on to you. I want to to live believing in Your Word not in my own words or the words of others.
