Written by Pastor Ben McCary

So often, faith seems like a given. Sometimes we have it, sometimes we want more of it, but we rarely consider what it is and why we should try to help it grow. The question may have never crossed your mind, but if you can answer it – "why should I grow my faith?" – you'll have the perfect answer to the other question..."how do you grow your faith?".

For me, the answer to all of these questions started when I think about who I am as a person. I've been undergoing so many changes in the last 2 years that I feel like my head is spinning, even now. I'm learning I'm not as cool as I thought I was, but also that being cool isn't really that important to me. I'm learning that being a father is the most important thing in the world to me. I'm also learning that faith in Jesus is always a miracle.

Here's what I mean: so often, we want our faith to grow. We think of it like a monetary amount, something to stock pile so that we're ready in times of trouble. But that's not how faith works. Faith is a part of a relationship.

In John 7, Jesus says “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” That means that whoever takes the step to walk with God will see whether Jesus' words are true. It's in a relationship that faith begins to unveil.

 As a youth pastor, I get to watch students start to take that step into a relationship with Jesus, and as they do, the small seed of faith is planted. Over time that seed grows. It blossoms. Now, I'm seeing students that used to be in my middle school class becoming adults, youth leaders in our church, and even youth pastors. What started out as a small miracle became a big one.

And it's not the sort of miracle that anyone can atribute to their effort. Anyone who has a strong faith is quick to step back and say, “Jesus did this in me.” It is a miracle that our faith grows when we take the step to form a relationship with God. It happens because we see that God is good and faithful. We see that God loves us no matter who we are or what we've done. As we take steps to be transformed into the likeness of Christ, our faith grows.

So often, we want to know how to grow our faith: To grow your faith, get closer to Jesus. That's the thing that revolutionizes your family, your community and your world.