246 – How do you make your faith your own when people to tell you what to believe?
Why do you believe what you believe? Is it because you saw someone who had a strong faith and just copied their faith into your own life? Did you do and say and believe what they told you to? Or did you make your faith your own by thinking things through, reading the Bible for yourself, and talking to God directly?
When I was a kid, I went to church with my dad. I went because he went. It was just what we did.
I can remember sitting in the pew on Sunday mornings. I didn’t always understand what was going on when I was little, but I loved singing the hymns. And the Associate Pastor would usually invite all the little kids down front at some point during the service for what was called the “Children’s Sermon.”
I always enjoyed that. In fact, I still remember a couple of those sermons today. This guy was talking in a way I could understand and relate to.
As I got older and got a little more involved in church, I started engaging with the ideas more. When I was thirteen, I went through a class designed to prepare me for membership. We talked about what faith and salvation are and lots of other stuff I don’t really remember now.
I joined the church because I thought I was supposed to
I joined the church, partly because it was my church, the church I had grown up in. By this point, I was reading the Bible for myself and trying to understand some of the basic elements of how to practice my faith.
But I also joined the church because it just seemed the right next thing to do and my dad encouraged and expected me to. He was really, really happy the day I was welcomed into church membership. Church was a vital part of his life and one of the greatest gifts I ever got from him was his love of church, which included showing up and being part of the community.
At that point, I pretty much just accepted what I was told to believe without too many questions. But when I got to high school and was beginning to take my faith a little more seriously, I started studying the Bible more regularly. The more I read, the more questions I had.
Learning to ask questions
Some of the things I was being taught in Sunday School didn’t completely fit with what I was finding in the Bible. The more I read the Bible and the more questions I asked, the more distinct these differences became.
Now I just have to say, everyone at this church, as far as I could tell, was sincere in their faith. The Sunday School teachers were loving and earnest in trying to help us understand things.
But all too often, it seemed that their answers were the same things that had been said for hundreds of years and they were just giving the traditional response, or pat answers, passing along what someone else had told them. They usually didn’t even understand my questions or where they were coming from.
To me, it felt like they’d never had questions of their own about certain teachings but had just accepted an idea and then tried to get me to accept it. That’s probably a very unfair judgement, but that’s how it felt at the time.
And when I tried to back up my ideas with something from the Bible, they occasionally told me I was wrong, but usually they just couldn’t see the point I was trying to make.
As you can imagine, that was pretty frustrating.
Making my faith my own
I ended up going to a different church where I got some satisfactory answers to my questions. The Bible finally started to make sense to me more than it ever had before.
It was then I started to really make my faith my own. I was no longer believing in God just because that’s the way I had been brought up. I was not believing something just because someone told me that’s what I had to believe.
Recently, I’ve talked to several people who are in this process of making their faith their own, instead of believing a certain thing because that’s what they were told to believe.
I’ve mentioned before a lady in one of my prison Bible study classes who was brought up in a church where she was not allowed to ask questions. To do so would mean she didn’t have faith. She was just supposed to believe and accept whatever they told her, on faith, whether it made sense to her or not.
But she had very good questions.
Asking questions can be healthy
I firmly believe it’s important to ask questions about your faith, about what you’ve been told you should believe.
This can be a messy process sometimes. Very messy at times. But just because we’ve been taught and believed something in great sincerity, doesn’t always mean it’s the closest thing to the truth, or knowing God’s nature or following Jesus.
Even if you are strong in your faith it can sometimes be healthy to take an honest look at why you believe a certain church teaching or follow a certain practice. This questioning process may end up confirming that you really do believe what you have believed. Or it may result in you seeing things in a fresh way and expanding your perspective and maybe even leaving behind something you thought in the past.
The process of making your faith your own instead of just accepting what someone else says you’re supposed to believe is a really important spiritual step and it always makes your faith stronger.
Don’t just accept what someone else says
Even Jesus’s disciples had to learn this lesson. Think of how they followed Jesus around, heard what he said, and saw what he did. It was easy to repeat those words when he sent them out to preach the good news of the kingdom.
And Jesus gave them the power and authority to heal when he sent them out to preach. But this didn’t mean they had fully grasped the deeper spiritual meaning of his message and made it their own. They were kind of acting in the power of his faith.
This becomes pretty clear several times during Jesus’s ministry. The disciples had gone out healing people, but once when Jesus was gone with Peter, James, and John, a man approached the other nine disciples and asked them to heal his epileptic son. But they couldn’t.
Jesus returned just when things were getting a bit dramatic and healed the boy on the spot. But the nine disciples were puzzled. They were trying to figure out why they hadn’t been able to heal this problem when they had healed other people. And of course, Jesus cut right to the point with his answer.
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:19, 20 NIV
Mustard seed faith
At first glance it seems like Jesus is contradicting himself. He says their faith is too small but then he says their faith only needs to be like a mustard seed, which is pretty small.
Is Jesus talking about the size of their faith? How do you measure the “size” of your faith anyway?
It’s not really about the size of the mustard seed, but the mustard seed itself.
We get a hint at this in a parable Jesus tells.
Again he [Jesus] said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32 NIV
This parable makes it clear why Jesus said his disciples needed faith like a mustard seed.
Plant your seeds = Practice your faith = Make your faith your own
If it was just about the quantity, or size, of their faith, Jesus could have said their faith should be as a grain of sand. A grain of sand and a mustard seed are about the same size. Actually, one grain of sand is usually smaller than one mustard seed.
So what’s the difference? The sand is inanimate. The seed has life within it and has the potential to grow, produce more seeds, some to be used in food preparation and some for future planting. The sand actually can only become smaller as it’s tumbled on the beach by the waves.
Jesus is making the point to his disciples that they need to plant their faith. They need to take what he has taught them, the seeds, and practice these teachings, in effect, planting them in the way they live their lives and interact with other people.
If you don’t plant your seeds…
What would happen if someone gave you a packet of mustard seeds, the very best quality available and you just left them on the counter in your kitchen, put them in a drawer, or on a shelf? What if you drew out a beautiful garden design, with the perfect spot to plant your mustard seeds, but you never planted them?
Well, of course, they wouldn’t grow.
People who just copy someone else’s faith and never make it their own are kind of like a gardener who buys mustard seeds at the store and never plants them. Oh yes, he has those seeds. He has the potential for them to grow and be fruitful. But it never happens.
It’s the same with our faith. If we don’t put into practice what Jesus, our pastor or Sunday School teacher, has taught us, or what we have learned directly from the Bible, and we just repeat the words we’ve learned, we’re like that gardener who never took his mustard seeds out of the seed packet to plant them.
If you don’t make your faith your own by practicing it, by planting it, so to speak, in your daily life, your faith will not grow.
Jesus told us to put our faith into practice
Jesus did not want his disciples to have a stagnant or lifeless faith that rigidly holds to something he said without questioning it, without putting it into practice in their lives.
In fact, he encouraged, not just his disciples, but everyone listening to his Sermon on the Mount, to do what he was teaching them. It wasn’t enough just to hear his words, and be inspired by them. Jesus expected action.
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:24, 25 NIV
And you probably remember what Jesus said would happen if you did not put his teachings into practice. You metaphorical house would fall when the challenges in life came to you.
Building your house on the rock is a different metaphor but Jesus is teaching the same precept, to make your faith your own, to plant your seeds, to practice your faith.
Modern day parable
A modern day example could be a math class. The teacher goes over a particular lesson for a new way to work out a problem. Then there’s the homework assignment with several different problem all using this new problem solving method. As a student, you take what you learn in class and then apply it to the homework problems. You’re making the process your own by applying the ideas and finding the answers.
And if you make mistakes, you learn from them until you completely understand the process.
It make take many attempts before you totally understand how to do it.
Make your faith your own by learning to forgive
Sometimes our faith is a little like this. For example, we learn the principle of forgiveness, but that doesn’t mean we are very good at actually forgiving someone. We have to take the idea of forgiveness and practice it in our lives. It’s like planting those mustard seeds. And we usually need more than one attempt to forgive someone before we completely understand the process and can practice it the way Jesus would want us to.
We need to take what we’ve been taught and put it into practice.
Jesus’s disciples had to learn this lesson over and over. They couldn’t just copy Jesus’s words or actions blindly.
The disciples’ lack of faith
Once when Jesus was with them on a ship in the middle of a storm, they were afraid but he was asleep in the back of the boat. When they woke him up,
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Matthew 8:26 NIV
Let’s look at this phrase “you of little faith.” It’s as if Jesus is saying to them: Why is your faith so small? You could have used your own faith to rely on God for protection instead of relying on my faith. You have your own ability to trust God. Why didn’t you do it?
This is just one of many examples when the disciples needed to learn to exercise, or practice, their faith, to plant their mustard seeds. And the more they did do that, the more their faith grew.
Believing not just because of someone else’s faith
There’s another example in the book of John of having your own faith and not just believing what someone else says.
Remember when Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well? He reveals to her that he is the Messiah. And she believes it. She runs to tell people in her home town. And they believe her. But the story doesn’t end there.
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him [Jesus] because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”
So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42 NIV
Now you may be thinking: Hey James, this all sounds pretty good. I get it. I need to make my faith my own and not just believe something because that’s what I was taught. But how do I do that?
Well, there no perfect little formula to follow, but I’ll share some things that have been helpful to me along the way.
How to make your faith your own
Spiritual curiosity: First of all, I think it’s important to have some spiritual curiosity. What I mean is, ask questions. Take all the puzzle pieces you’ve been given in regard to faith, and see how they all fit together, or if they do actually fit together. Some things you may let go of.
Be alone with God: Another thing that’s been really helpful to me is just to be alone with God. Listen for His voice to guide you. Ask Him questions. If He tells you to do something, do it. That is planting your mustard seeds.
Read the Bible: Another thing that’s crucial is to read the Bible for yourself. Oh sure, you can listen to what other people say, but read it for yourself. Ponder it. Ask questions. As I said earlier in this episode, take an honest look at the faith you’ve been taught and evaluate it in comparison with what you’re discovering in your relationship with God and in your Bible study.
Plant your mustard seeds of faith
Practice what you believe: Then take the ideas that resonate with you and live with them. Embody them. Practice them. Plant those mustard seeds. It could be as simple as loving your neighbor as yourself, or truly and completely forgiving someone. Every time you do that, your faith will grow stronger.
Ask God for direction: All along the way, ask God to show you the next steps you need to take in your faith journey.
Keep track: Keep a record of how God has worked in your life. I’ve been keeping a journal since 1981. It’s really amazing to look back at my spiritual journey over many years and see the growth and progress. And when I read something I wrote many years ago, or maybe just a couple of months ago, I’m inspired all over again.
Surrender to God: As you go through this process, at some point, in the fullness of faith, you may just find yourself completely surrendering to God to guide your life.
Be part of a community: And somewhere in there, it’s nice to be part of a community of like-minded people who are also planting their mustard seeds, who are living and practicing their faith. Being with people who are also growing in their faith can inspire you to grow more in your faith and you can inspire them to grow more in their faith.
Your faith is growing
If you really want to make your faith your own, quit believing something just because that’s what you were taught. Take what you were taught and put it into practice. And follow where God leads.
Then, Paul’s words to the church in Thessalonica will ring true for you as well.
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 2 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV
This is a promise and a prophecy. Your faith, not someone else’s faith that you accepted, but the faith you have made your own, is growing and will continue to grow and glorify God.
_____________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Contact him here.
Make a donation to support the show
_____________
Bible References
Matthew 17:19, 20 NIV
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Mark 4:30-32 NIV
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?
31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth.
32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
Matthew 7:24, 25 NIV
24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
Matthew 8:26 NIV
26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
John 4:39-42 NIV
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him [Jesus] because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”
40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.
41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
2 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV
3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.
