Genuine Faith

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. —Ephesians 2:8, 9, NIV

Are you growing weary? Feeling spiritually stale? Are the tough times telling you that you cannot go on? If you need to hear some encouragement, choose to step away from life’s pressures, take five minutes to exercise your faith in Jesus Christ, and see the difference it can make in your life. For years, a friend shared how she felt challenged by knowing whether her faith was genuine. Then she learned that what makes faith genuine is the object of its focus—Jesus Christ. But before she could testify of faith’s genuineness, she had to personally experience it. Once she had, she was able to proclaim that her experience demonstrated genuine faith.

One day, as she read Paul’s letter to the Romans, she came across these words: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17, NIV). It was then that she was able to experience Christ’s genuine faith. Sometimes, my friends, tough times can hinder the application of genuine faith. But you need not worry because the Maker of our faith is able to calm the storms of life.

As Mark states, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm” (Mark 4:39, NIV).

You see, genuine faith means to put your trust in Christ and not in yourself. Do you want to experience faith like that—despite the world’s chaos? “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Ephesians 3:16, 17, NIV).

Sisters, hold on, because as Paul declares, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV).

Whenever your faith is challenged, remember, Christ has not brought you this far to leave you. He wants you to know that developing genuine faith is a lifetime journey.

So, when we allow Him to dwell in our hearts, we will experience and proclaim genuine faith!

Juliet L. Lucas Languedoc