How Faith is Forged

And why the answer is uncomfortable for us

If you have been raised in church it is one of the first Bible verses that you learn. It hangs on posters and billboards and finds its way onto pillows, blankets, and mugs. It goes like this,

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

    and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

    and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

The concept is simple enough here: trust in the Lord with all that is in you and everything you have, and He will guide you. I've heard this verse most of my life and it has always been encouraging, but it becomes harder and harder to live out the older I get. Mainly the challenge comes from trusting in the Lord with all of my heart. The older I get the more I get accustomed to control (or what I believe is control). I like the feeling that comes with knowing what is going to happen and why it is happening. When I have a general understanding of circumstances I feel more in control. But if I am to truly trust with all of my heart, that means I relinquish all control.

So how do we grow in this? How do we take the leap and trust with all of our hearts? The answer is not fun, but necessary; challenging yet efficient. I believe that our faith is most shaped by the difficult situations and seasons we encounter and endure. It is only when we discover the faithfulness of God amidst the chaos of our circumstances that our faith is increased.

I thought that if I knew enough about God then when I faced a crossroads the knowledge would sustain me. If I knew the right answers then the right answers would manifest themselves in times of trouble. Knowledge and learning the deeper truths of God are important, but knowledge must work hand in hand with experiencing God. For experience is the forge on which faith is matured and refined, and suffering is the hammer and anvil that strengthen it.

Think of it this way. Imagine you live close to the water and own a boat. You are told consistently that the life jacket below deck will keep you afloat if you have it in on the water. It is ready inside your boat in case of emergency, but you never test it, you have no need to. But just to make sure you are ready for any situation you begin to research it. You learn all the details of the jacket, how it's made, where it's manufactured, and what materials are used. You read all the fine print checkered throughout it. There isn’t a single thing you don’t know about the life jacket, except how it actually performs. Now imagine your boat is sinking. You grab the jacket, clip it on, and jump into the water hoping that it works to what it is capable of. Your trust in the jacket is based on how the jacket should operate.

Now imagine a different scenario. You want to be prepared for an emergency exit so on a calmer day you decide to test it out. You grab the jacket, clip it on, and jump into the water. You learn how it fits, and how all the parts work together. You lean back in the water and you float. It works. With this prior knowledge, you are more comfortable jumping into the water when the boat is sinking. You have experience with the life jacket. It's not simply an idea or concept meant to keep you alive. It is a physical object you have worn before and it has sustained you in the water. You know it works.

In a similar sense, I believe our faith is strengthened through our experiences with God. Knowledge is good and helpful and leads us to understand more of His character. But it is not until we have experienced that character for ourselves that we surrender our whole heart. It's not until we have been comforted by God in immense sadness when all hope and joy seems lost. It's not until you have been forgiven by God after slipping up and making a huge mistake. It's not until you have felt the crushing pressure of failed expectations, lost dreams, and lingering regrets and realize He has never left your side. It's not until you've laid in bed at night wondering how your life ended up where it is and questioning what's next, and are reminded of His perfect plan. It's not until you find yourself at the end of your resources, and yet provision comes from an unlikely place. It's not until you've come to the end of yourself and given everything you have and grasp that He has not changed. He is not at His end, but is remaining steady and faithful.

Once we have these experiences we can now approach with a heart full of wonder, reflection, and praise. Our faith is no longer being placed in a notion or feeling, but in a living God who has proven Himself faithful again and again. And herein lies the challenge of this verse, faith is strengthened through experience. It is solidified by experiencing the power and love of God in specific seasons and times. The struggle is we then have to endure the hard season first. I think this is why James writes about steadfastness,

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

I love the way the New Living Translation phrases steadfastness. It says, "For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow" Our trials and challenges give us an opportunity to grow. It opens the door to deeper faith and understanding of God. What trials are you facing today? What are the hard questions you are asking of God? Take them to Him. Now is the time to lean in! For it is in these moments that He teaches you the most.

But isn't there a gap here? If we are looking at the life jacket illustration isn't there an initial jump required? There is a moment where the jacket is untested and we have never tried it on before. Don't we at some point have to take the plunge and test the promises of God? I believe this is one of the beautiful aspects of the heart of God. He made the jump for us. Instead of simply telling you how to float in the water He jumped into the water with you. You weren't left wondering if it would work, you saw that it has worked. God has been faithful in His promises already. He fulfilled the greatest promise in the person of Jesus. All of God's plans came to reality in His Son who entered the world. Yes, there is a jump required from us. But the jump holds no risk, for He has already proven Himself faithful.

So the next time you see the ocean beginning to storm around you and are questioning if your life jacket is going to hold take comfort in knowing that it will. It has held and it will hold. God has not changed. He is the same yesterday today and forever. May the trials you face now develop in you a faith that is unshakeable and grounded in the experiential faithfulness and sovereignty of God. May you learn to trust in the Lord with all your heart