Faith Is Not Yours to Build: It’s a Gift from God
There’s afar too common phrase you’ll hear in many churches today. It goes something like “you just need to have more faith,” or “just strengthen your faith through prayer and church attendance!” It's true that spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, reading the Word, and gathering with the the church body are good and commanded but they do not create faith. It's very important that we all understand that... WE DO NOT CREATE FAITH. Faith is not something we manufacture.
Faith is a gift from God. It is a blessing.
What the Bible Actually Says About Faith
Let’s get right in to the point here. The Bible is very, very clear that faith comes from God, not from ourselves. Let me break this down for you using the Word:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
— Ephesians 2:8-9
Let's let that sink in for a moment. Not only is grace a gift but faith itself is a gift. You didn’t generate it. You didn't create it. You didn’t dig deep and find it inside yourself. That is all ego. That is a lie from the Snake. God gave it to you. And only God gave it to you.
Paul reinforces this again in Philippians:
“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake…”
— Philippians 1:29
This word we just read “granted” means given freely. The ability to believe, to have faith, is not self-earned. It’s not discovered through effort or willed into existence. It is granted.
The Centurion and the Gift of Great Faith
I love this one personally but one of the most striking examples of this truth comes in Luke 7. We find a Roman centurion sends word to Jesus and asks Him to heal his servant. And what we see that happens next is incredible:
“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof... But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority…”
— Luke 7:6–8
Jesus’ response?
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
— Luke 7:9
That's wild. This man wasn’t Jewish. He hadn’t followed Jesus around like the Disciples. He didn’t perform rituals, study under rabbis, or work up his faith through actions like prayer and all that. All it was is that his heart was open and receptive and the Lord granted him great faith. Jesus even contrasts this man’s faith with the lack of it in Israel. Just think how many miracles the Jewish people saw over all those years, but they continued to be a "stiff necked people".
Can Faith Be Strengthened?
So what do we make of verses that talk about “strong faith” or “weak faith”?
The Bible does speak of degrees of faith, but never in a way that suggests we are the source of that growth. Romans 12:3 says:
“Think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
Did you catch that? God assigns the measure. We did nothing. God gave it to us freely.
Don't get me twisted though. Yes faith can grow, but only because God grows it. It's the seed of faith that was planted in us. All man does is throw the seed and water the seed, but the Father grows the seed of faith. If we continue to think of it that way (the way Jesus explained it) we can nurture the soil (through prayer, the Word, obedience), but we cannot create the seed, nor can we force it to grow in ourselves or others.
Just like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6:
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”
You Can Harden Your Heart, But You Can’t Create Faith
When we read the Bible we see we are warned again and again not to harden our hearts:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
— Hebrews 3:15
Let's really look at those words there. If we study that we will see that warning implies that our role is not to build faith but to remain open to it. We cannot control when or how God pours out faith, but yes we can resist Him. That's for sure. We can shut our ears, we can close our hearts, and turn from the light and return to darkness.
Jesus Himself said:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”
— John 6:44
Man, that is super powerful. Faith is not you coming to Jesus on your own. No one does. Not a single soul. It’s God drawing you. That's it. He is pulling you and giving you the very ability to believe.
So What Should We Do?
If faith is a gift, and we cannot create it then what can we do?
Ask.
Just ask God to give you faith. Let Him know that you understand you cannot do it. That it isn't up to you. It's all Him and His will. But ask Him to help your unbelief, just like the desperate father in Mark 9:
“I believe; help my unbelief!”
— Mark 9:24
Man, that really hits me. Just cry out for mercy and humble yourself. Leave your ego at the door and repent. Open your heart and beg the Lord to give you what you cannot produce yourself and He will.
In Summary
- Faith is not a muscle you work out.
- Faith is not something you “get better” at by trying harder.
- Faith is a gift. It is granted. It is measured. It is assigned.
- You can’t will it. You can only receive it.
So stop boasting in your belief and stop giving the glory to yourself when it belongs to God the Father. Stop looking down on others who struggle since if we are honest we all do. Start praising the God who mercifully gave you eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to believe. We are blessed to hear the voice of the Shepard and to know the voice and come to it.
If He gave it to you, He can give it to them too.
Let that truth humble you. Let it drive you to prayer. And let it fuel your worship.
“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”
— 2 Corinthians 9:15
Closing Prayer
Lord, I am a dirty, wretched, disgusting sinner. All I am worthy of is your wrath. I deserve Hell. I am undeserving but you are so merciful, God. Thank you for blessing me with faith. I praise your name for giving me faith and growing it. I pray that you grow that faith in others. Lord, I beg you to crush me down into powder. Destroy me and make me anew. Lord, remove the parts of me that must be pruned for me to continue to grow. Lord, I love you and praise you. Thank you for revealing yourself to me and opening my eyes. I also pray for any who reads this. May it bless them and be a seed that you will grow. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.