A Growing Faith!

             Recently, while rereading the book of Acts, I came across verse 25 in chapter 8.  To set the stage, the verses before 8 say that the Apostles sent Peter and John to Samaria after hearing that the Gospel had spread there.  Then, in verse 8, we find Peter and John preaching in many Samaritan villages as they returned to Jerusalem. 

            So, what’s the big deal?  Consider the bad blood between the Jews and the Samaritans.  These two groups hated each other so much, they would often go out of their way, regardless of how much extra travel time it took, to avoid each other.  As Jesus and the Disciples made their way toward Jerusalem one final time, Jesus purposely traveled through Samaria.  When the Samaritans refused to be welcoming hosts to Jesus and His party, James and John lived up to their names as the “Sons of Thunder”.  They wanted to call down fire to destroy the Samaritan villages.  Jesus wasn’t happy with their idea, but He simply moved on to another area (Luke 9 51 – 55). 

            At that time, the Disciples had not yet come to a complete understanding of who Jesus was, but more importantly, they had not yet been filled with the Holy Spirit.  My point is that the way that the Apostles looked at people, be they Jews or Gentiles, changed when, in God’s perfect timing, their eyes were opened, their mission was made clear, and their faith was changed forever.  When Christ gave that final command to “go into all the world”, I doubt that they stopped to consider, “Does He mean that we should go to the Samaritans too?”  They were changed men!  Their faith in Christ had grown from a fledgling seed to a mighty oak.

            My question to you and me is, “How has our faith changed?”  Recently, I wrote that we can’t just “maintain”, we must grow.  Just as we first learned to crawl before we were able to walk, and as we grew into adulthood, we must also move from that first encounter with Christ, until we are walking with Him daily, and growing in Christ. 

            Walking daily with Christ should change us, just as it changed the Disciples.  Walking daily with Christ should grow our faith as we see Him move in our lives, just as He did in the lives of the Disciples.  If we haven’t changed and our faith hasn’t grown, it’s not Jesus’ fault.  He’s right there, waiting for us.  It’s more likely that we have become distracted and distant, not taking the time to get to know Him as we should.  Remember, the Disciples had three years of living with Him every day and they still didn’t get it completely until after His resurrection.  Why would we expect that we could “get it” without seeking an intimate relationship with Him?

            Today, take a moment to consider your faith and your relationship with Christ.  Has your relationship grown stagnant or are His mercies new every morning?  Is your walk with Him more of a “have-to” thing or is it a walk through the Garden where He walks with you and talks with you?  Faith is a living thing!  If it’s not growing, it is in danger of dying. 

            How’s your faith today?  How are you inviting God to change you?

Acts 4: 13