Insight from the Almighty :)

Reading this morning's devotional, I was really reminded that growing our faith DEMANDS immense pressure. In order to grow in our faith, God puts us in trying situations that we may perceive in the moment as requiring more faith than we possess. This

reminded me of a quote that ironically, with some help from the internet, I discovered comes from Bruce Almighty:

"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?"

When I pray for God to grow my faith, am I expecting that when the next difficult situation comes along, I will suddenly find the God-granted necessary faith with no problem? Or do I see the difficulty as a God-granted opportunity to step up and grow and strengthen my faith? I know I can easily fall into that second mentality and get frustrated when I find myself doubting or struggling with something I am uncertain about. But that is what faith is! Believing in something without tactile proof! Its not supposed to be easy, its hard and it puts us under pressure! Just like any learned skill, strengthening one's faith takes hard work, perseverance, and pain as we allow our minds, bodies, and spirits to be crucified with Christ.