Be a Friend with Faith
This article is by Joel Osteen
It’s great to have faith for yourself, to believe for your dreams and speak victory over your life. But God didn’t give you faith just for you. There will be people you encounter who feel overwhelmed by a sickness, a loss, a difficulty in a relationship. Maybe at one time they believed, they were strong, but now they’re so discouraged and down that they don’t have the strength to get back up. The way they’e going to see a breakthrough is not through their faith, but through the faith of a friend. You can be the one who steps up and believes for them. You can encourage them, pray for them, speak healing, favor, and victory over their life.
In Mark 2, four friends put a paralyzed man on a stretcher and carried him to a house where Jesus was teaching. In effect, they were saying, “We’re taking you to Jesus. You may not think it can happen, but we believe you’re going to walk again.” When they got there, the house was so packed they couldn’t get in. Rather than give up, they carried the man to the roof, took off the covering, and lowered him to Jesus. It says that “when Jesus saw their faith,” He healed the man. It wasn’t the faith of the paralyzed man but his friends. They lifted him, carried him, believed for him, and would not give up.
Will you let someone borrow your faith when they don’t have any faith? Will you stand in the gap when they’re down, even if they’re off course, not making good decisions? It’s easy to criticize and find fault. “Why did they do that? They should have known better.” They don’t need your judgment; they need your faith. Try a different approach. Pray for them, ask God to show them mercy, to get them back on course, to help them fulfill their purpose. You can be the one who pushes them past the discouragement, who lifts them back on their feet.
God is counting on you to be a friend with faith–not a friend with criticism, a friend with judgment, a friend with jealousy. There’s enough of that in the world. Be a lifter, be an encourager. Tell them that you’re praying for them, that you love them, that you believe in them. Your faith can be what lights their passion. Your faith can be what breaks the addiction. Your faith can be what God uses to propel them into their destiny. And you’ll discover that when you help others rise higher, God will help you rise higher. When you help others in need, when you let others borrow your faith, there’s no limit to how high God will take you.