“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” – Martin Luther

I am currently training for a half-marathon, which is unique for me because I’ve never formally run any kind of race. With the colder weather, most of my running is done at the gym on a treadmill. It is usually my first form of exercise, and a great opportunity to clear my mind and connect with God. I’ll set my goal, run, and then mark down my progress on a workout tracking app. 4 miles, 5 miles, 6… with my primary goal of 13.1 on the horizon! It is truly a test of endurance of legs, lungs, and mindset, with a celebration of each mile behind me. It has built me up and made me feel very accomplished.

A short wave of beautiful weather became an opportunity to run outside! I started just as the sun was rising, and was excited to see how far I could go with all of the training I had done thus far. As I approached each mile I quickly learned the inaccuracy of the treadmills at the gym. Using them as my measuring stick, I had convinced myself that I was making more progress than I had. Running in a controlled indoor environment also had its influence. I realized that my accomplishment was inaccurate and very much “in my head”, and when put to the test it was MUCH harder for me to close the distance I had been working toward.

These are moments I love to reflect on. I believe that God gives us experiences like this with the intent to reveal a deeper meaning or truth.

Testing Your Faith in Real Life

How are you measuring your faith? It can be easy to measure your faith – or rather your proclamation of faith – as being strong and abundant when life is working in your favor. Often you will see seemingly hyper-spiritual people shout about their faith in God’s might and power when everything seems to be going their way, only to completely fold and fall apart when met with trials. 

This false faith usually isn’t the “lie” it may seem to be from the outside though. We have a desire to give God the glory when He blesses us. It makes us feel like we’re “doing our spiritual duty”. It is also easy to believe that as long as we glorify Him in prosperity, He will honor us with continued prosperity and we won’t have to go without. The problem with this mindset is that it categorizes everything good and easy as a “Blessing from God” and everything hard or challenging as “Evil and not from God”. This is certainly a false belief, which is what leads to a false sense of faith.

Biblical Faith in Trials

The life of Job is arguably the strongest display of faith in the entire Bible. Having lost EVERYTHING he had in the world, he did not lose his faithfulness. Job 13:15 says “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” not fully understanding why he was enduring such trial, but placing his faith in God’s control over his life all the same. 

Another amazing display – especially as a parent – is in the life of Abraham, who took his only son to the top of a mountain to be sacrificed. Can you imagine?! And that was only one of many examples of trials in Abraham’s life! Yet the Bible says God commanded and Abraham followed through not fully understanding God’s plan but having faith in His provision.

“He [Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God” – Romans 4:20 

Spiritual Growth Through Trials

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” – James 1:2-3 

Not every trial is the presence of evil nor is it the absence of God. Like the muscles I stress in my running, the only way to grow in faith is to exercise it. The likelihood of you voluntarily throwing yourself into trial with the intent to endure and grow is very slim. Think of God as your faith coach. He is going to push you. He is going to put you into situations that test you. But He is watching you all the time, and He is not going to just let you crash and burn. He wants your faith to grow so that when you do face real trials – and yes, real evil – your faith foundation will be strong enough to stand on.

Where Do You Stand?

If you want to be truly faithful in the face of adversity, you need to take an honest look at where you stand. Are you quick to praise God in prosperity but doubtful of His goodness when things don’t go as planned? Are you measuring your faith based on how you feel, or is it rooted in trust, obedience, and reliance on Him?

True faith means praising God in both the highs and the lows, trusting His plan even when it doesn’t make sense, and making a daily effort to walk in His will. Growing in faith requires intentional surrender, endurance, and a willingness to embrace both blessings and trials as part of God’s refining process. 

It must be measured honestly and exercised regularly to ensure it will go the distance!

Ask yourself:

• How are you measuring your faith?
• Are you quick to claim God’s blessing in prosperity, but doubt His will or purpose when things don’t go as you would want them to?
• Do you allow yourself to rest in His promises?
• How are you talking to Him about it?