When it comes to faith, it’s our responsibility as leaders to make what is intangible and supernatural, practical and assessable.
Our challenge is clear.
“. . . without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6
In a rapidly changing culture in which making up one’s own truth is acceptable, faith in God becomes unclear.
Leadership that cultivates faith is rooted in prayer, committed to the gospel, and champions life change.
However, for many, the Bible is merely an optional moral guide, and irrelevant to others.
It has become ever more challenging to set the table for a life of abiding faith in Jesus.
Our need is to create environments where people in all stages of a relationship with God, sense a grace-filled invitation to pursue faith in God.
This includes:
- Agnostic and Atheist
- The disenfranchised from church
- Those who have deconstructed their faith
- Sincere seekers with honest questions
- Maturing Christians who have faith but desire greater faith
- Christian leaders who deeply believe but wrestle with doubt
The process of spiritual understanding (coming to faith) and maturation (growing in faith) should not be rushed.
We lead toward “steps and decisions” which is practical and helpful. However, in the larger view, it’s more of a natural process, one that is fluid in nature. We grow faith one day at a time over a lifetime.
Even for those still coming to faith in Jesus, it’s not wise to shortcut their process. That’s not a lack of evangelistic zeal; it’s a realization that faith can’t be rushed. Allow the Holy Spirit to move, giving the needed time and space.
4 Practices to Cultivate a Life of Faith
1) Make room for doubt
Fear, not doubt, is the true enemy of faith. When we embrace our doubts and work through them, we develop a deeper more resilient faith.
Fear dilutes faith because it makes us avoid risk. Yet, trusting God requires risk—which is why we often describe it as “taking a leap of faith.”
Developing faith is challenging within a secular culture that does not intuitively trust God.
We have a major role in this process. As leaders it is our responsibility to live and lead in a way that makes our faith believable. Not overstepping or playing it safe in our faith.
To pursue what God has not promised is foolish; to lead by our own strength alone is faithless.
Take a risk to be honest and vulnerable about your faith. (In an appropriate manner and timing.)
Let people know that even though you fully believe and trust God, there are times of uncertainty. Yet at the same time, you know that God is present, active, and faithful. He is a God of miracles, power and has planned a preferred future by His design.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:8
2) Lead from the Gospel and lead to faith
All are welcome to receive the love and grace of God.
The foundation of the gospel is unconditional love. The only requirement is faith (belief).
One of the most recognizable verses of all time is John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
God’s love and our faith could not be clearer.
The next verse is not quoted nearly as often but is vitally instructive in this process.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:17
God accepts each person as they are, and it’s our great privilege and responsibility to do the same in our churches.
It’s only after initially trusting the love of God that there is an appropriate challenge to grow in one’s faith. This process of spiritual maturity brings about change from the inside out.
3) Communicate faith challenges that encourage and inspire, not overwhelm
Faith seldom grows by leaps and bounds; it’s more commonly experienced day by day in bite-sized pieces.
For those that have experienced the miraculous in their faith development, that’s great, but that may not be the pattern over decades to come. Therefore, a consistent and steady pursuit of faith is often best over the long haul.
What do you believe God can do? That’s a foundational faith question, recognizing who God is.
What can you believe God will do? That’s a faith stretching question, based on your walk with God.
These are not small questions, and we wise to learn to hear and trust the voice of God.
A common example is a person’s ability to trust God for their financial future. Imagine a new Christian hearing about a “tithe” for the first time. Do you present it in a way that encourages and inspires or in a way that overwhelms?
I’m not suggesting that we dumb down the Word of God to accommodate our humanity, it’s about helping believers grow to understand, embrace and act upon their faith in the fullness of a loving God.
4) Elevate the hope of a better future with the promises of God
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1
Hope is a core component of faith.
Eternal life for a Christ-follower begins here on earth. We have hope for the promise of heaven because we have faith in the promise of God.
Point to what you have seen that only God could orchestrate, that increases hope and strengthens faith.
Consistently teach about the Holy Spirit’s role to bring comfort, teaching, correction, conviction, wisdom, intercession, spiritual fruit, spiritual gifts and power.
Few things are more inspiring than real stories of people engaging their faith.
When you tell stories of marriages that have been restored, addictions that have been broken, and physical sickness that has been healed, faith increases for nearly everyone.
Emphasize what to embrace, not merely what to avoid.
It’s true that the Scriptures contain numerous things we should not do, and we can’t ignore that instruction. However, a steady diet of mostly “thou shall not’s”, discourages faith and hope.
In contrast, if we emphasize a lifestyle of things such as prayer, forgiveness, generosity, humility, grace, serving, sacrifice, gratitude etc., that life has a way of crowding out the sin that causes us to stumble.
A balance of admonition and encouragement is important, but the presence and power of the Holy Spirit has a way of increasing what is pleasing to God and slowly eliminating the things that break His heart.
This is not a comprehensive list, but it can serve as a helpful guideline or conversation starter to evaluate if your leadership toward faith is what you want it to be.
