The Measure of Faith

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” 

Romans 12:3(KJV)

 

            The measure of faith….  Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (NLT)  As is seen in Romans 12:3, God had placed a measure of faith into the spirit of every believer.  This faith is divinely appointed and is free to all.    

            Faith works like yeast.  When you put yeast into your bread dough and allow it to work, it grows and grows and grows.  It keeps growing until it is punched down and its momentum is stopped.  The same is true for our faith.  If we resist the temptation to return to our old ways of thinking and choose to put aside our fear; take up the Word and claim the promises that apply to our current situation, our faith will grow and grow and grow.  However, if we “punch down” our faith by allowing doubt, fear, worry, and anxiety to take up residence in our spirits, our faith will not grow. 

            The ironic truth about faith is that while our faith can and does grow, it is only necessary to have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed.  Matthew 17:20 (NLT), says, “’You don’t have enough faith,’ Jesus told them. ‘I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, “‘Move from here to there,’” and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”  The key is to act on the faith you have no matter the size. 

            When we live our lives in bondage to doubt, fear, worry, and anxiety, we close our fists tightly around the things we hold dear (family, friends, job, income, possessions, etc.  This feels like the only way we can keep them safe.  When we hold our fists tightly closed we are often unable to receive the answers to our prayers because God won’t force them into clenched fists. 

            The opposite is true as well.  If we exercise our faith and open our clenched hands, we open our lives, our families, and our friends, up to receiving the blessings and answers to prayer for which we seek. 

            The enemy tries to convince us that the only way to keep what we have and hold dear is to grasp it in a death grip and not let go. The Word tells us, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” Matthew 16:25 (NLT).  The same holds true for everything we try to hold on to.  Giving up is simply (yet not so simply) handing God everything and trusting (exercising faith) Him to take care of it. 

            As a mom, I am reminded daily that I cannot protect my children on my own.  Even if they are with me 24/7, there are things that can harm them that may be out of my control.  We hear stories of children choking to death, drowning, etc. even when the parents are at home with them.  If I lived my life in bondage to the fear that something might happen to them, I would be a basket case. 

            2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (KJV). “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”   

            Our doubt, fear, worry, and anxiety all stem from allowing our minds to dwell on vain imaginations.  When we dwell on the “what ifs”, we open the door for the enemy to fill in the blanks for us.  For example, “What if I lose my job?  The enemy will fill in the blanks… you will lose your home, you will lose your car, you will lose your security, etc.  Or “What if I get cancer?  The enemy fills in the blanks … you will die leaving your children without a mother, you will not be able to enjoy your grandchildren, you will be in pain and sick all the time, you won’t fulfill the call of God on your life. 

            However, if we cast down those imaginations by standing on the promises, God will fill in the blanks for us.  If I lose my job the Word tells says, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NLT).  If I get cancer the Word tells me, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (NLT)

            With each successful activation our faith will grow, as we will see the salvation of the Lord!  Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV) demonstrates activating faith and watching God work.  “Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance (salvation) the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Sometimes God will ask us to do something after we activate our faith, but often, we need only trust and He will bring about the miraculous in our life!!!!

            Today let us run to God and ask Him to teach us to act upon the measure of faith He has given us.