Focus: Things That Hinder Faith (Pt.2)

Text: Lk.17:5

"Increase our faith."

As believers, faith touches all aspects of our lives. Faith is the yardstick that determines how far God can go with us. In Mk.16:14, Mark reports that Christ reproached His disciples for their unbelief. He says, "Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and UPBRAIDED them with their UNBELIEF and HARDNESS OF HEART, because they BELIEVED not them which had seen him after he was risen." 

Christ would not tolerate unbelief among His own disciples. People of faith should not entertain or tolerate unbelief in all its forms. Unbelief implies absence of faith. 

Faith is born into our hearts by the word of God, and it is also by the word of God that faith is fed, nourished, nurtured and developed.

God's word is faith's natural habitat; faith grows in the river of God's word. The proof of faith is in what it does, and it is proven for its genuineness by the trials and challenges that it faces and surmounts. Faith tested is faith triumphant.

Now let's consider a few more things that hinder the growth of faith in our lives. Already we have noted that sense of logic and sense of sight hinder faith.

Next comes:

*Feelings

Do not let your feelings control you, or your faith will lose its power and get hindered. Believers who surrender to their feelings make it so difficult for their faith to thrive. Our faith is disabled where our human feelings hold sway. Our feelings often lie to us. Faith is influenced by truth; feeling is dominated by facts and circumstances.

*Neglect of God's word

Faith cannot grow where the word of God is neglected or ignored. Faith flourishes by God's word. The word of God is faith's fertilizer.

Anything we exalt above the word of God eventually destroys our faith, because faith cannot function or flourish without the word of God. Stop ignoring the word! Stop undermining the vital importance and the creative power of the word! Stop elevating human opinion above the word of God! You cannot value your faith and at the same time trivialize the role of the word in your life.

*Sin

Sin in the believer's life works against the growth of faith. How can faith grow where sin lives and lingers? Sin is faith's poison. Faith is weakened by existing and lingering sin, and Paul tells us that whatever is not of faith is sin.

*Negative counsel

Listening to negative counsel hinders one from taking bold steps of faith. Human wisdom is not needed after God has spoken. Obedience to God's word is better than sacrifice. Peter and the other disciples said to the Jewish authorities, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Act.5:29). Don't subject what God has told you to the court of human or public opinion. Obey God and your faith will wax stronger! Stop listening to mere mortals who advise you contrary to what God is saying to you! Let no man do your thinking on earth who cannot answer for you in heaven!

We only experience God's peace when we do what God says, and our faith grows by exercise.

*Guilt

Feelings of guilt hinder the development of faith. Guilt over moral or spiritual failures stifle one's faith. Satan is a tactician; he uses the tactics of doubt, fear, guilt, tolerated sins, and anxiety to hinder the progress of our faith.

It's about time we rooted out all the tares that poison and pollute our faith. It's time for us to advance our faith by doing away with all the negativity that militates against our faith. The devil is the enemy of your faith; don't let him win! Let your faith grow!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter