“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;”
One of the things that concerned the Saviour while He lived on Earth was that He would find faith when He returned.
Jesus said in Luke 18:8, “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” It is a great concern of God that His children have faith, because without faith you cannot please Him, nor can you do any great works for Him. It is faith that allows God to do the miraculous through people. It was David’s faith that allowed God to use a young teenage man to defeat Goliath. It was Gideon’s faith that allowed God to use a ragtag army of three hundred soldiers to defeat the greatest army of their day. It was Moses’ faith that allowed God to deliver Israel from the mighty hand of Pharaoh.
One of the greatest needs of our day is for God’s children to have faith; not just any faith, but an abnormal faith. The verse above says, “…your faith groweth exceedingly…” This faith that “groweth exceedingly” was not a normal faith. There are several things you must notice about this abnormal faith. First, there had to be faith before their faith could grow exceedingly. Second, their faith grew. Faith cannot stay stagnant, or else it ceases to be faith. Faith must grow and continue to grow in order for it to be faith. Third, their faith grew “exceedingly.” In other words, it was an abnormal faith. There are people whose faith grows, but then there are people who put no limits to their faith and their faith “groweth exceedingly.” It is this type of faith the “groweth exceedingly” that overflows on others and encourages them to let their faith to grow. Let me give you a few thoughts about how you can get this abnormal faith.
First, you must start with the faith that you have. Don’t allow yourself to compare your faith to another’s faith, but take the faith you have and start allowing it to grow. Your faith will never grow if you wait until you have another’s faith that seems to be bigger than yours.
Second, grow your faith. A faith that grows causes a believer to become uncomfortable at times because they are doing things that are not normal for them to do. You must attempt uncomfortable tasks for God if you are going to see your faith grow. Those who had great faith in the past were willing to lose everything to see what God could do through them. A growing faith in the life of a believer always causes that believer to attempt great things for God. Always remember that you will stop seeing the mighty power of God working in your life when your faith stops growing.
Third, don’t live on yesterday’s faith. A dead faith is a faith that lives on the blessings of yesterday’s faith because it doesn’t step out by faith today. The word “groweth” in the verse above means that it never stops growing. In other words, you must forget about yesterday’s achievements by faith and continue to attempt great things by faith today to keep a growing faith.
Fourth, a faith that “groweth exceedingly” is the result of a believer who continually prays and tries the impossible. The only reason God can’t do anything of great significance today is because believers don’t attempt anything of great significance. Whatever you do, never put a limit on what God can do, and you will see your faith grow exceedingly.