What Is Faith? Part 4

What Is Faith? Part 4

It’s no accident that we use the words “practice and exercise” to describe how we live out our faith. If you are not practicing, learning, refining and exercising your faith, you are not growing spiritually. It’s as simple as that.

There are certain things that every believer needs to do on a regular basis to grow in their faith. I call them the “Big Four” tools of the believer and they look like this:

•The local church

•The Bible

•Christian friends

•Prayer

Just having those things is not the goal. Almost every person in America has those four things, to some degree or another. The issue is this: are you exercising and practicing them?

Owning a Bible is absolutely meaningless if it is just sitting on your bookshelf gathering dust. Prayer means nothing if it is just empty words from an unchanged heart. Knowing some Christians not the same thing as have fellow believers in your life who challenge you and hold you accountable.

That’s not working for you. The words in your Bible have to get into your head and heart where they can shape you and mould you. Prayer must come from a heart inclined to God, wanting to grow closer to Him, calling out to Him and yielding to Him.

Going to church does not make you a mature believer any more than walking into a garage makes you a car. You have to become a part your church. It’s the same with all of those things. Exercising your faith means you are engaged and participating - trying to use those four tools to build you into the man or woman that God created you to be.

Are you a practicing Christian? Are you exercising your faith? If so, your faith will grow and you will be a difference maker, not a spectator.

Deuteronomy 28:13

“The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD…”

Now, start doing your calisthenics and I’ll see you at practice!