3 Ways to Grow Your Faith (and 1 Way to Destroy It)

You want to grow in your faith. I haven't met anybody (yet) who says they do not want to grow in their faith.

Faith is what gets you through a tough day or season. Maturing faith is like an anchor for not only the rough days but also the good ones.

But here's the catch. Not all ways to grow your faith are healthy. In fact, I can think of some really terrible ways to increase your faith (and erode your soul). I'll share a common one at the end of this blog.

In the meantime, here are three sure (and faithful) ways to grow in your faith.

Listen to Jesus every day.

In Exodus 33, God speaks to Moses like a friend, and we learn in Hebrews 1 that God speaks to us today through His Son, Jesus. So, how can we listen to Jesus, given all the noise in our lives?

Open and read God's Word. Like the disciple John says, the Word becomes human and lives among us (John 1:14). So, whenever we read the written Word, we are also listening to Jesus.

If you already listen to Jesus by reading your Bible daily - great! Keep it up!

If you don't regularly read your Bible, you can start by downloading the Bible App. You can start by opening the app daily and reading the verse of the day.

If you're more interested in a physical Bible, read a Psalm a day or the Gospel of John (if you're into stories). You will be satisfied.

The wonderful thing about listening to Jesus every day is that after a while, you begin sounding more like Jesus when you talk. That's just the way God's Spirit works.

Talk with Jesus every day.

If God speaks to Moses (and us) like a friend, then Jesus wants nothing more than to hear from you, too.

I remember the story of Samuel, in which God speaks to him. Samuel doesn't recognize God's voice until his mentor, Eli, tells him to respond, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." Samuel then talks with God.

I think about how I share my day with my friends. I talk about what I did, what I ate, where I went, and how I felt. But beyond a summary of events, I ask my friends, "How did your day go?".

It's easy to talk a lot about myself regarding my prayers. Recently, I started asking Jesus questions in my prayers, like, "How is your day going?" "What do you think about the election?" "Where do I go with this challenge?" 

It's amazing how talking to God is a two-way experience. Some people see pictures when talking with Jesus, while others hear music. I have scripture verses that come to mind. And while that might be a human phenomenon, God can use sights, sounds, and His memorized Word to respond to our questions.

If you haven't tried asking God a question and waiting silently for a response, give it a go. Don't be bummed if you don't see, hear, or think of anything right away. Sometimes we need to learn to hear God speak. Recognizing God's voice when we talk with Him through prayer is something we learn to do over time.

The good news is that it’s never too late to start. You can start today by saying, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Thank God for everything, every day.

Everything is a gift. The Apostle Paul shares with people in Colossae that all things are made by God, for God (Colossians 1:16).

When I receive a gift, I say, "Thank you". My parents taught me to do that, and other adults reinforced that practice.

I remember in college realizing that everything I had was a gift from God. My Ford Temp, my bed, my time, my skills and abilities, my reasoning and intellect, my clothes, the food I ate, and even the $5.67 in my bank account… They were all gifts from God given to me by means of others (gifts or in exchange for my time and efforts).

At that moment, I began saying, "Thanks, God" throughout my day.

I often drive and encounter a gorgeous view of the mountain, and I say, "Thanks, God."

The posture of not only seeing everything as a gift and saying "thanks, God" in response has increased my faith and trust in God. My family and I have always had enough at just the right time. Sometimes, it resulted from the expected exchange of my time and talents. Other times, it was an unexpected gift.

When did you last say "thanks, God" for something? If you already do it, begin thanking God for something you haven't already thanked Him for (I'm positive there is something). 🙂

If you haven't really thanked God for something before or have done it in a general sense, consider starting small and saying, "Thanks for waking me up," "Thanks, God for being able to breathe this morning," or "Thanks, God for the water I just drank.".

There is so much to thank God for… and it prepares our hearts for the upcoming Thanksgiving season, too!

​So there you have —three sure (and faithful) ways to grow in the gift of faith God has given you: Listen to Jesus every day, talk to Jesus every day, and thank God for everything every day.

If you've read this far, you probably want to know the one sure way to destroy your faith…

Compare your faith with others.

The temptation is real.

You critique others from a distance based on what you see (which is usually about 1% of life). It's terribly unfair. And we are our own worst critics. The comparison game regarding faith (or really, anything else) is destructive. It erodes your sense of your God-given identity.

Instead, what would it look like to encourage each other in our faith journey? Some are near, others are far off - but through the cross, Jesus has connected Himself to all people near and far. So, let's not tear each other down (even in the silence of our minds). We all suffer when one part of the body of Christ hurts.

Usually, the comparison is rooted in insecurity or pride. Either way, when we remember being baptized into Jesus' journey of faith and life by God's grace, our confidence rises, and our pride is drowned.

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