Faith of Sufficiency

Yesterday we talked about the faith of desperation and how God honors it, just like He does the faith of propriety. Today, I want us to look at a third and final kind of faith: the faith of sufficiency. 

When we have matured and grown through the faith of propriety and desperation, we ultimately come to a faith of sufficiency. This is the best kind of faith because it’s one that has nothing to do with external circumstances; it’s the type of unhindered trust in God’s character and goodness that cannot be shaken by what happens around it. Job ultimately came to this point of steadfast belief in the Lord’s big-picture plan for Him. As he trusted the heart of his Heavenly Father, He developed an inner contentment that carried Him through the worst of times and ultimately saw the restoration of everything he had lost (and even more)! Similarly, the apostles had this kind of faith after they were filled with the Holy Spirit; though they expected things to get easier, just the opposite happened. Nevertheless, in the midst of persecution and famine, they trusted in the heart of their Savior and they were content. It’s also the kind of faith that James is talking about when he says to consider it joy when you encounter various trials. Why? Because perseverance is the sweet fruit of suffering and, when it is digested, it births contentment and sufficiency! 

Friend, because you are in Jesus, you can be content in every circumstance, whether you have nothing or whether you have everything! When your faith is grounded in Who He is instead of who you are or in what is happening around you, you can live in freedom. Just like a tree that is planted by streams of water, when you put down deep roots in the soil of His goodness, you flourish. Since your sufficiency is in the Creator of the universe and the lover of your soul, you are blessed, taken care of, and there is no good thing that you lack!