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East
Orrington Congregational Church
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2026
East
Orrington Congregational Church |
Pen of Power
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Faith: Where It Comes From (and Why It’s Not a Self-Help Project)
A Pen of Power article that has resonated with me for many months thanks to my brother
Dan. It has taken me some time to find the correct words so please enjoy!
We talk about faith all the time. We pray for more of it. We admire people who seem to have an endless supply of it. And sometimes we quietly wonder if ours came in the “starter size” package. Faith is one of those words we use so often that it can start to lose its weight. We treat it like something we are supposed to manufacture, like patience or better eating habits or finally committing to that gym membership we paid for back at the start of January. Scripture offers a different view on the origin of faith. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17, NIV). In other words, faith is not something we produce. It is something God gives. It is something God awakens. It is something God grows in us. Faith does not begin with our effort. It begins with God’s voice. That alone should take a little pressure off. Because if faith were built only on our discipline, our consistency, or our emotional strength, most of us would be in trouble quickly.
Scripture is honest about this. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8, NIV). Faith is not a spiritual résumé item. It is not something we earn by being good enough or churchy enough or sincere enough. It is a gift. And like most gifts, it often shows up in surprising ways. Sometimes faith is born in joy. Sometimes it is born in pain. Sometimes it is born in questions. Sometimes it is born in exhaustion, when we finally admit, “God, I don’t have what it takes. You’re going to have to carry me here.” That is not weakness. That is the doorway faith walks through.
Jesus once told His disciples, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed…” (Matthew 17:20, NIV). Not a mountain. Not a cathedral. Not a fully developed theological system. A seed. Which is comforting, because most of us don’t feel like we are walking around with spiritual oak trees in our pockets. Most days our faith feels more like a few fragile roots clinging to the edge of life. And Jesus says, “That’s enough for Me to work with.” Faith grows as we listen. Faith grows as we obey. Faith grows as we stumble forward, not because we are brave, but because we trust that God is faithful. Hebrews puts it this way: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV). Faith is not pretending everything is fine. Faith is not denying reality. Faith is not having all the answers. Faith is choosing to trust God when you don’t see the whole picture yet. Which explains why so many of us feel like our faith grows the most in seasons we never would have chosen.
God does not waste suffering. God does not ignore doubt. God does not abandon us in confusion. He meets us there. James tells us, “Consider it pure joy… whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2–3, NIV). Most of us would not describe our trials as “pure joy.” We would describe them as inconvenient, unfair, exhausting, or downright rude. And yet, somehow, those are the places where faith deepens. Not because the pain is good. Butbecause God is present. One of the quiet lies we sometimes believe is that strong faith means never struggling. Scripture tells the opposite story. Abraham doubted. Moses argued. David broke down. Elijah wanted to quit. Thomas asked for proof. Peter sank in the water. And God did not discard any of them. He met them. He corrected them. He strengthened them. He kept walking with them. Which means your moments of doubt are not disqualifications. They are invitations.
Faith is not a straight line. It is a relationship. Faith grows the same way relationships grow, through time, honesty, listening, failure, forgiveness, and trust. And yes, sometimes faith grows because God answers our prayers exactly the way we hoped. But just as often, faith grows because God does not change our circumstances and instead changes how we walk through them. I have learned this the hard way. There are seasons when I have prayed for God to remove the storm, and He has chosen instead to teach me how to stand in it. That is not the answer I usually want. But it is often the answer that makes our faith real.
So if you are wondering where your faith comes from, here is the simple, Scriptural truth: It comes from God speaking. It comes from God calling. It comes from God staying with you. It comes from God doing His quiet, patient work in your life. Your job is not to manufacture faith. Your job is to receive it, nurture it, and walk in it, remain in community. Listen for God’s voice. Stay close to His Word and His people. Keep showing up. Keep trusting when you don’t see. Keep obeying even when it’s uncomfortable. And when your faith feels small, weak, or worn out, remember this: Jesus never asked for impressive faith. He asked for honest faith. And He has a remarkable way of growing what we are willing to place in His hands.
So rest comfortably, knowing we are in God’s hands. Stay close to Him, faithful to your community and see how faith grows.