'How Do I Increase My Faith?': Joshua 24:15 (Faithfulness)

Read Galatians 5:22-23:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Are you ready to make an investment in the Fruit of Faithfulness?

In your day-to-day life, who do you spend the most amount of your time and energy serving?

For example, is it:

Your Family
Your Work
Customers
Your Friends
Your Goals
Your Church or Ministry
Your Self

Think about who you are trying most to serve and please, then write your answer in the space provided.

Read Joshua 24:14-15:

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Select 'Successful' when you are finished.

Go to 'DOCUMENTS' and read Oswald Chambers' observation on these verses in Joshua.

Select 'Successful' when you are finished.

Oswald begins:

"I cannot give up my will— I must exercise it, putting it into action. I must will to obey, and I must will to receive God’s Spirit. When God gives me a vision of truth, there is never a question of what He will do, but only of what I will do."

Do you agree?

Oswald continues:

"The Lord has been placing in front of each of us some big proposals and plans."

What big proposals and plans has the Lord brought before you?

(Note: if nothing comes to mind, no problem. Just proceed to the next step.)

Oswald suggests:

"The best thing to do is to remember what you did before when you were touched by God. Recall the moment when you were saved, or first recognized Jesus, or realized some truth. It was easy then to yield your allegiance to God. Immediately recall those moments each time the Spirit of God brings some new proposal before you."

Describe a time from your past when you were truly touched by God. What proposal or plan did He bring to you then?

Oswald states:

“...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve....”. Your choice must be a deliberate determination— it is not something into which you will automatically drift. And everything else in your life will be held in temporary suspension until you make a decision."

Regarding your intimacy with the Lord, how often do you find yourself feeling like your life is being held in a sort of 'temporary suspension'?

Oswald adds:

"The proposal is between you and God— do not “confer with flesh and blood” about it (Galatians 1:16). With every new proposal, the people around us seem to become more and more isolated, and that is where the tension develops. God allows the opinion of His other saints to matter to you, and yet you become less and less certain that others really understand the step you are taking. You have no business trying to find out where God is leading— the only thing God will explain to you is Himself."

How important to you is it to have other people, especially those you respect and care about, buy into where God is leading you?

Finally, Oswald concludes:

"Openly declare to Him, “I will be faithful.” But remember that as soon as you choose to be faithful to Jesus Christ, “You are witnesses against yourselves...” (Joshua 24:22). Don’t consult with other Christians, but simply and freely declare before Him, “I will serve You.” Will to be faithful— and give other people credit for being faithful too."

Take time now to talk to Jesus. Imagine, for a moment, that He is sitting across from you, listening to what you have to say.

When you are ready, assert your will and tell Him that, like the verse in Joshua, that you too have chosen to serve Him and Him alone.

Keep going until you have reestablished your uncompromised allegiance and faithfulness to Jesus.

If you like, write out what you want to say in the space provided.

Keep in mind that asserting your will for the purpose of increasing your faith is not a one time event, but a daily discipline.

For that reason, this Trail is now in your library for you to schedule as often as you wish.

Are you interested in utilizing this Trail again?

How much has this Trail increased the Fruit of Faithfulness in your current disposition?