Growing Our Faith

Trust the Gardener's process

One of my favourite people to study in Scripture is Abraham. I love this verse in Romans that sums up Abraham’s faith: “He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (4:19-21 ESV, emphasis mine).

Abraham didn’t set out from his homeland and suddenly develop all this amazing faith. It took years and years of growing his faith, often through hardship. He followed God and obeyed Him through some very turbulent times—moving to an unknown land, facing enemy kings, losing his brother-in-law, being barren for many, many years, and then being asked to sacrifice (literally) his only son.

Growth is a process that cannot be rushed. It takes lots of different seasons for a tree to grow. The biggest trees that produce the most fruit take years of winters, springs, and summers before they are fully grown. Oftentimes, the plant has to be pruned before it can grow. The gardener has to trim the dead parts off so that there can be life again. Imagine a bush that's overgrown with no space left for growth. The gardener has to make space for him to step closer to the bush. In the same way, our Gardener has to clear away the dead branches and foliage around our hearts so that He can come nearer to us. All those doubts and fears must be cleared away so our faith and trust can grow.

Sometimes, I want to rush the process, or I wish I were further along. But thinking about my faith as a plant that has seasons, sometimes in bloom and sometimes in the waiting, helps. Both are very important stages, and both are beautiful. Rushing from one season into the other is not healthy for the plant. If you rush the waiting season when the roots are growing deep, then the bloom season will not be as full.

It’s tempting to want to rush the waiting season of our lives to get to the blessings God has promised. Instead, let’s trust that God is faithfully growing our faith in this waiting season just as He grew Abraham’s faith through his!