We Want to Be Strong in Faith

The apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that he hoped to see them so that he could `perfect what is lacking in your faith". Let us examine our hearts to see whether our faith is strong: if we find that this is not the case, we have to do everything in our power to gain strength and fortify our faith. Yes, we are children of God. The word that is proclaimed to us is the word of God. These are the true apostles who have been commissioned by the Lord. Our Lord's return is imminent. We expect it any day.

There are various signs that indicate a weak faith. One of these is that our prayers diminish in frequency and intensity. We may no longer pray as fervently as we used to, so that our prayers become superficial. Maybe we forget to pray together. Let us be alert here. If we notice something is wrong, let us begin today and seek a connection to our Heavenly Father in prayer.

Hesitating when it comes to offering is another sign that indicates a weak faith. If we neglect to give and to do our share because we think that first of all we have to see to our own needs this is a sign that our faith is inadequate. This realisation would help to remind ourselves of all the good and all the gifts we have received from the Lord. Contemplating these things creates thankfulness in our hearts. And thankful hearts offer, and sacrifice, gladly. Those who are strong in faith accept the word of God with pleasure, and want to do the will of God.

Another sign of a weak faith would be if we were not to take following Christ seriously and decide to put off doing so until later. We must follow now and not hesitate. We must do our best and put everything else off. The Lord Jesus was very clear about this. Let us concentrate on the Lord and His will; that is true discipleship.

Lack of trust in the Lord and His word is a very serious matter. If we lack trust and stop following Christ, then it is a sure sign that our faith is weak. We find a wonderful example of real trust in the book of Daniel. There we read of three men who refused to obey the king's decree to worship a golden idol. The king was infuriated and threatened to have the three men thrown into a fiery furnace. "Let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up". Let us act: it is unlikely that we will be threatened with a fiery furnace, but there are certainly situations in which we have to demonstrate our ability to trust in the Lord and have confidence in Him. We prove that we have confidence in the Lord when we say, "No matter what happens, we will stay with the Lord and His word. We want to have a strong faith".

Bro Blessing Ngigwe (Mbalse, Nigeria)