"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:22)

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth". (Mark 9:23)

These scriptures describe the power of faith. It can move mountains; whatever we ask for will be given to us; all things are possible - if only we believe; if only we have faith. Is this the sort of faith we have? If not, why not? We have a wonderful hope in Jesus Christ. For some reason that we can't truly understand, God has chosen us and called us out of the World. Given such a privilege, how could we dare to doubt; how could we be so ungrateful as to be hesitant or unsure about our faith?

There is almost a feeling of shame to doubt; a dark secret that we can't share with our brothers and sisters. If it were generally known that our faith was weak, some might wonder if we were drifting away from the Truth. The reality may be quite to opposite. We may be desperately clinging to our remaining faith as a drowning man grasps at straws.We see those around us whose faith seems strong and we feel inadequate, because we don't feel we can live up to their example.

I know how this feels, because I have been there myself, more than once. I used to feel that I was a failure in some way, that I could not be destined for the Kingdom. How could one with such feeble faith be found acceptable? How could I stand up and exhort or preach, when my own faith was so shaky? How could I be such a hypocrite?

These feelings need examining and we will look at them in more detail later. But what is the reason for weak faith? Is it our fault? Can we do something about it? We will examine these questions first.

What is the reason for weak faith?

This is a simple question with several answers. Firstly it can be the "fault" of the individual. Faith needs nurturing and faith needs exercising. Therefore a lack of Spiritual nourishment may be the cause of a weakening faith. The parable of the sower and the Seed show us that in certain circumstances, a lack of roots, a lack of firm foundations can lead to faith withering and dying.Or the cares of the world can grow up and choke our faith.

It could also be the fault of others, who cause a "little one" to suffer (Matthew 18:6). But there is another reason, one that perhaps we don't appreciate or acknowledge.

We are each given a measure of faith and this measure differs from person to person.It seems to differ in type and quantity. This scriptural fact is borne out in the following verses:

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, [let us wait] on [our] ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."(Romans 12:3-8)

This short extract shows us not once but twice that God gives people different measures or proportions of faith. The faith that has been given to us may be for a different purpose, whether prophesying, ministering or exhorting (for instance), but we can only carry out these tasks "according to the proportion of faith" that God has given us.

In 1 Corinthians 12:9, we can see that in the First Century, faith was a gift of the Spirit, just as healing was or prophecy; and verse 11 confirms that believers are not given a uniform package.We know that this still holds true for our God-given gifts - some are skilled in teaching, some in music, some in encouragement of their Brethren; why should the same still not hold true for our "measure of faith"?

Other Notable Doubters

These scriptures were a revelation for me and lead the way to understanding (a little better) why our levels of faith are not uniform. Once this realisation came, other scriptures came into focus, pointing out that I am not alone.

"And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." (Mark 9:24)

This is a feeling that everyone with weak faith feels; they want to believe so hard, and yet sometimes they find it difficult. Sometimes they need help.

"And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith".(Luke 17:5)

In this scripture, we can see that even the very apostles needed help in strengthening their faith. Of course Thomas was a prime example of what we are talking about.

"And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:4-6)

Even though Thomas (and the others) had been with Jesus the whole of his ministry, he could not make that leap of faith to truly understand that Jesus, the man before him was the Son of God. Likewise, after Christ's death and resurrection, Thomas could not rely on faith alone but wanted physical proof the Christ has risen.

"But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." (John 20:24-25)

So we are not alone and it is not necessarily our fault. We may have permanently low faith, because that is the way that God has made us, or we may just be going through a rocky patch.

As well as being at some time a gift

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22&23)

A fruit of the Spirit can be cultivated. Like the parable of the talents, it's not so much how much you have to start with, but what you do with it that counts. It can grow, if we work at it, but perhaps we don't feel strong enough or certain enough to work at it. What can we do? What do I do? This where we should consider some of the questions we posed earlier - "How could one with such feeble faith be found acceptable? How could I stand up and exhort or preach, when my own faith was so shaky? How could I be such a hypocrite?"

I hope that we have answered the first question. If we have feeble faith, perhaps that is the way God made us, but how have we used the faith that we have? Have we learned the lesson of the Talents? We'll answer the other questions as we go along.

What Can We Do?

Here are a few ideas for overcoming this problem, which don't include talking to a brother or sister, as this may be difficult.

1. Pray. We may even feel at times that no-one is listening, but we should not get out of the habit of talking to God, even though we may not be tuned in to receiving the answer.
   

2. If you feel like a hypocrite carrying out some of your duties, then perhaps it would be possible to swap with a brother or sister. For instance, you might feel happier doing a talk or Sunday School lesson on the construction of the temple, rather than on the miracles. As a last resort, it might be better to decline, rather than be insincere about the Truth.
   

3. But, I have found that explaining the Truth to others, either through preaching activities or in the Sunday School, helps to reinforce my own beliefs.
   

4. What first convinced you of the Truth? Was it the prophecy? Was it the Bible archaeology or was it the consistency of the Bible message. Re-visit those things. Perhaps they will convince you again. I read "The Bible as History" by Werner Keller, to remind me that the Bible deals with real places, real events, real people. Reading the Protesters by Brother Alan Eyre, together with the persecution accounts in the Acts, reminds me that people actually there were prepared to die for their faith. That willingness has continued all down through the centuries. Why would someone do that if they knew it to be untrue? Perhaps it was the evident design in Nature that convinced you there was a Supreme Architect behind the universe. Take a walk in a wood, gaze at the stars or examine a cobweb. The evidence is still there.
   

5. Remember that you are not alone. Even the Apostles needed help with their faith. Great men of God, such as David and Moses had times when their faith was weak. Perhaps the Brother or Sister next to you on a Sunday morning has weak faith.

"But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

Yes, faith is vital. But it doesn't specify how much we need, only that we need to have some.Yes, it can be a battle, but one that is worthwhile. As Paul says in his letter to Timothy:

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. " (1 Timothy 6:12)

We must fight at times to keep hold of our faith, so we can " lay hold on eternal life". The wonderful hope that is open to all of us, depends on it. Perhaps we won't be able to power forward; perhaps we'll never be a "Super Apostle" but as Christ said to the remnant in Thyatira:

"...... I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have till I come. (Revelation 2:24&25 NKJ)