faith |fāTH| (noun)

1 complete trust or confidence in someone or something: this restores one’s faith in politicians.

2 strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

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It is usual for people to assume that faith comes and stays for a lifetime, for a believer. The truth of the matter is that faith is something that grows with you during your walk with Christ. As your faith grows, your personal relationship with God grows as well. The Bible tells us, in 2 Corinthians 5:7, to “walk by faith and not by sight.” This is a passage that is commonly recited in our daily interaction with society. Yet this is definitely a phrase that is easier said than done. When life is good, our faith in God is rocket high, but the moment things get rough in life and things do not occur in the order we think they should, our faith decreases. Why is that? Is it that we do not completely trust or believe that God will fulfill what he has promised us? Or is it that we are just accustomed to instant gratification? Our society teaches us that everything can be obtained in the blink of an eye, but our walk with Christ teaches us that nothing worth having and keeping will come easy. The ideology of faith is one that can be applied to any aspect in life, no matter what stage of life you are currently in. As a college student, I personally can attest to my faith being tested.

My first year into college I thought I had God figured out. I was accepted into my first college choice and I would be living on campus. Life was great until the fall semester bill came in the mail a week prior to class starting, when I found out that my tuition was more than my mother had anticipated. She sat me down and told me that it would be a struggle for her to pay, but I knew that God had not brought me through the acceptance process to have me not attend, so I made a bet with my mother. I told her that if God did not make a way for me to attend that particular institution, I would settle and go to a local community college. I left the conversation with my head held high, but as soon as I got to my room I got on my knees and asked God to create a miracle.

Although my faith was tested and I felt weak and hopeless for a moment, after giving my situation to Christ I instantly felt like everything would work out for my good. I went about my week like everything was going according to plan. I did not stress, fret, or even talk about my remaining balance for tuition. The Friday before the final payment was due, I received an email from financial aid that stated that not only would the remainder of my tuition be covered but that they are also adding two additional grants for my first semester. I was overjoyed that God not only had come through for me but that my walk in life was based on my faith in Christ and not on the obstacles that are before me.

Over time, I have come to grips with the fact that as my faith continues to grow, it will consciously be tested. As college students, we are at a pinnacle point in our lives. We are constantly growing and learning about ourselves in addition to learning and understanding the world around us. Here’s the beauty of faith – as long as we continue to grow and get better, life will become easier because we become well-prepared for any situation that may come.

In conclusion, I challenge you to dwell on these questions: What exactly does faith mean to you? And if you are a believer, how are you showing God that you are prepared for whatever it is that he has promised you?