Faith, Fear, and God’s Grace: A Path to Spiritual Growth

July 3, 2024 EMMANUEL ADEBAYO AJIBOLA

Faith Over Fears: Understanding Faith And Practicing It.

Max Lucado once said, “Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.” Understanding and practicing faith requires God’s grace and guidance from the Holy Spirit. The book of Hebrews provides a clear definition of faith, highlighting its central role in our relationship with God. No matter who we are or what our walk in life is, we will face trying times that test our faith and trust in God. Difficult moments such as the loss of a job, health problems, financial hardship, and death can leave us wondering where God is and why such things happen.

Consider the story of a Christian family who loved God, attended church, and participated in various programs. After losing their eldest daughter to an unknown illness, their faith remained strong. However, when they lost another child to a similar, unknown ailment the following year, their faith wavered. They questioned their faith in God, lost faith in prayers, and stopped attending church, unable to understand why God allowed such painful events. Eventually, through the grace of God, prayers from loved ones, and counselling, they were able to regain their faith.

Faith requires confidence in God, even when it’s impossible to understand what He is doing. When things look bleak, we can trust that God knows what He is doing, as He fully sees what we see in part. He knows far more than we do and is always acting for His glory and our good.

A friend once shared a story about her brother, who had been praying and hoping for something from God. When he didn’t receive it, he began to insult God. This brother failed to emulate Job in the Bible, who, despite losing everything, never cursed God or let his faith waver. Because of Job’s steadfast faith, God blessed him abundantly. We have all, at times, fallen into this brother’s category.

Fear can cloud our lives, consume our relationship with God, lead us to make mistakes and wrong decisions, and lead us to live unholy lives. Faith without fear is a beacon of hope that can lead us to new opportunities, growth, and fulfilment. We must learn to stand up with faith and fight our situations, for our God is not a God of fear.

Bible characters like Joseph and the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25–34) persevered through struggles, deepened their faith in God, and inspired generations of believers. Joseph’s unshakable faith and willingness to do what was right, even in captivity, led to God’s blessings and favour (Genesis 41–46). At times, God may seem inattentive or uncaring, but these moments are simply part of the test. We must be prepared.

Cultivating Faith

James wrote that “faith without works is dead” because it doesn’t reveal the transforming work of the Holy Spirit manifested in the fruit of righteousness in a person’s life. Consider great men and women throughout history who changed the world for the better—Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mother Teresa. Without their faith in God and their courage to act on it, where would we be today?

Christians can develop their faith by:

Studying the Scriptures: This enlarges our souls and enlightens our understanding.
“Prayer” is the master key to any situation.
Acts of Service: Seeking out opportunities to serve those in need.

Conclusion

With faith as our guiding light, we can move forward with confidence, trusting that we will find a way through any obstacles that stand in our way.