Another year has come and gone. It is time once again to make resolutions, and imagine how the new year could look. If you are a Christian, there's probably no better goal to pursue in the new year than deepening your faith. But how do you do that?
Navigating the "how-to's" of faith in Jesus can be complicated, and often seem intangible. But that is not what God intended for faith to be or feel like.
So here are 5 tangible things you can do to help deepen your faith this year, for real!
Faith needs time to grow - just like you. Time with God could look very different based on the season of life you are experiencing right now, and that's okay! Have patience with yourself, and try choosing a time that best fits your schedule. It can be an hour, even 5 minutes; the key is being intentional with the time you choose. Try journaling, or praying, whether out loud or quietly. You can meditate on a section in the Bible, or even sit in silence. You will notice a difference in your life during the intentional time you spend with God, because the more time you spend with Him, the more you will think and act like Him.
As cliche as it sounds, it is so essential to our faith that we aim to live our lives as Jesus did; and there is no better place to find how Jesus lived than through reading stories about Him. In the New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), it specifically focuses on how Jesus navigated his faith during persecution, confrontation, joy, and healing - relying entirely on God's strength. Jesus’ life reflects one of faith, with his final act being on the cross, and He made sure there were tangible ways we could learn how to walk out our faith by relying on the Holy Spirit.
Fear encourages an avoidance of acting out faith. It leads us to think that we aren’t capable or that God won’t actually come through. But in the book of Matthew Jesus said, "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 17:20). So you don’t have to be afraid that your faith won’t be enough, because God wants to work through whatever you can give to show himself! All we have to do is say yes to Him, act in faith, and believe that He's got the rest. Moving from fear to faith is what God wants for us so that we can welcome others into living faithful and fearless lives.
Faith doesn't end with us sitting alone in our rooms reading our Bibles. In the book of James he talks about how if our faith is not paired with action, it is worthless (James 2:17). God intended faith to be an outward expression that shows the world more of who He is through the way we imitate him. Our faith requires action because it shows more of who Jesus is to the world when we do act on it.
We weren't meant to stand alone, especially in our faith. The author of Hebrews makes it very clear that because of our faith, and Jesus' sacrifice, we should rally together and encourage each other in our faith in Him, based on His faithfulness. (Hebrews 10:24-25). But what does that look like, and how do we find that community to connect with? A lot of people get more involved in their churches, some find a group of people to share more of life with, and some do a YWAM Discipleship Training School (DTS) with YWAM. DTS is designed to take people deeper in their faith alongside other people, and then act on it by going on a 2.5 month outreach overseas. DTS creates community and accountability, that encourages growth, faith, and acting it out!
Start this new year with deepening your faith, ad check out our upcoming DTS programs running in the summer, fall, and winter!