7 reminders to help build up your faith
It is wonderful to realize that we always matter to God. The fact that we are here matters. Even when we struggle to live a Christian life and sometimes don’t know what to do, we matter. Sometimes all we need are some simple reminders that go a long way to refresh and renew our walk with God. The reminders, repeated at intervals, promote clarity and serve to encourage us, as well as help to drive out negative and competing thoughts. In these challenging times, we need positive reinforcement. Here are just a few reminders to build up your faith and keep you on God’s path.
1. God is able.
Reminder: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you”—Isaiah 46:4, NIV.
Reminder: “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”—Philippians 4:13, KJV.
God promises to take care of us. He knows everything we need, even before we can ask Him. His desire is that we simply focus on Him and on doing His will while we are on earth, and He will take care of the rest.
2. Meditate on God’s Word.
Reminder: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful”—Joshua 1:8, NIV.
Reminder: “Beware how you neglect secret prayer and a study of God’s word. These are your weapons against him who is striving to hinder your progress heavenward. The first neglect of prayer and Bible study makes easier the second neglect”—Messages to Young People, p. 96.
Reading and studying the Bible daily is necessary for spiritual growth and life. If we do not eat food for the soul, we will not grow, but we will starve spiritually.
3. Pray, believing that God hears and will answer.
Reminder: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”—Philippians 4:6
Reminder: “Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Well-spring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience”—In Heavenly Places, p. 83.
God values us and our relationship with Him. Our prayers are precious to Him.
4. There are going to be tough times, but you are not alone.
Reminder: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”—James 1:2-4, NIV.
Reminder: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”—Romans 8:38, 39, NIV.
There are going to be struggles in life—some created by our own actions, some because of the actions of others. The devil consistently is seeking to destroy us at every turn, but “If God is for us, who can be against us?”—Romans 8:31, NIV. Hold on!
5. Focus on the positive.
Reminder: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”—Proverbs 4:23.
Reminder: “Guard your thoughts. In these closing days of earth’s history Satan is working with desperate effort to seduce souls into sin. Keep your tongue as with a bridle. Keep your thoughts upon the Word of the living God. The same spirit that prompted rebellion in heaven is at work in our churches. . . . We are living in the last days of this earth’s history, and Satan is making determined efforts to subvert the mind”—The Upward Look, p. 114.
If you find yourself going through difficult situations where your faith is being tested, begin to look for positive things happening around you. Create your own positive environment by singing, praying, and mingling with others of positive, uplifting mindsets. Make it a habit to pick yourself up every time you catch yourself becoming negative. “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today”—Exodus 14, 13. Remember, the fact that you are here matters.
6. Get involved.
Reminder: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”—Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV.
Reminder: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”—Matthew 28:19, 20.
We are not called to stand on the sidelines. We are given God’s authority to reach out to others with the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Practicing faith takes action. Get involved with people and causes that touch your heart the most. Spend more time with your family and volunteer in your community. The service you do can be life-saving for others. Following in Christ’s footsteps we should do what we can to help the needy, relieve the distressed, and encourage those who are downhearted. Get your light out from under that bushel and let it shine brightly for Jesus!
7. Love one another.
Reminder: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ . . . ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these”—Mark 12:30-31.
Reminder: “In the church of God today brotherly love is greatly lacking. Many of those who profess to love the Saviour neglect to love those who are united with them in Christian fellowship. We are of the same faith, members of one family, all children of the same heavenly Father, with the same blessed hope of immortality. How close and tender should be the tie that binds us together. The people of the world are watching us to see if our faith is exerting a sanctifying influence upon our hearts. They are quick to discern every defect in our lives, every inconsistency in our actions. Let us give them no occasion to reproach our faith”—Counsels for the Church, p. 44.
Go light your world, so that others will see your “good deeds” and glorify your Heavenly Father.
In the hustle and bustle of life whether in the thick of things or sitting by yourself in a quiet space, God’s promises are sure. “The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all”—Ecclesiastes 9:11.
Right here, right now, the fact that we are here matters. “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [let us] press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus”—Philippians 3:13.
Ednor A. P. Davison is the communication director for the Atlantic Union Conference and editor for the Atlantic Union Gleaner.
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.