Somewhere within us lingers an illusion of faith growing on its own as we pray or read or talk about it. But faith can only grow in the right environment, and it isn’t a very comfortable one. It only grows by stretching.
That means we can’t have more faith unless we experience times of need or pressure and rely on God in the midst of them. Faith fills a gap between our current situation and God’s provision for it and forms a bridge between the two. The only way for our faith to be bigger than last time is for the gap to be bigger than last time. Then we can exercise to a greater extent than ever before. We have to be stretched.
Don’t resist the stretching. It’s as normal as a weightlifter moving up to a heavier burden or a musician playing a more difficult piece. If you feel the discomfort between your present and God’s future for you, it means God is growing your faith. He’s expanding your capacity to believe. It’s a blessing, even when it doesn’t feel like one. The greater the problem, the greater your opportunity to believe in an all-sufficient God. And the greater you’ll find your faith rewarded.
