The quality of a person’s faith is not determined by their belief in God’s power that can be experienced phenomenally. Many believers not only believe that God is Almighty, but also assume that His power will indeed be manifested in their lives. This belief often develops into an unconscious attitude of trying to “control” God. The name of Jesus—meant to be glorified and honoured—is instead turned into a magical formula to impose human will on God: “In the name of Jesus, God will surely answer my prayer.” Such thinking is theologically wrong. It reduces faith to a spiritual transaction in which God must act according to human expectations. True quality faith does not lie in expecting manifestations of power, but in the willingness to accept life’s realities without demanding that God act according to personal will.
Often, spectacular experiences presented as “faith testimonies” end up being tools for self-justification—to appear more spiritual, closer to God, more special. If pastors encourage this pattern, it builds a false image of genuine Christianity, misleading the congregation. As a result, people see God as discriminatory, as if He favours church leaders or specific individuals. This mindset is deeply damaging and deviates from the Gospel. True faith is tested when someone is willing to accept every situation—including suffering and the absence of help—without losing trust in God. The highest example of this faith is Jesus Christ Himself. On the cross, when He cried, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—a cry reflecting separation from the Father—Jesus still entrusted His life into the Father’s hands. He did not withdraw His obedience; instead, through His suffering, the Father was glorified.
This is the standard of pure faith: “Lord, whatever I experience, it’s up to You, as long as You are glorified.” Sadly, such courage of faith is rare in modern Christianity. One reason is flawed spiritual formation and the preaching of a Gospel that emphasizes “faith that demands miracles” rather than faith that submits to God’s will. Slogans like “Miracles still happen” often shape believers who trust only when a miracle occurs. As a result, they believe more in God’s power than in His Person. True faith does not merely hope in God’s power, but first seeks to understand His will, then submits to it for the sake of His glory and pleasure. The essence of a believer’s life lies in seeking to please the Father. The Christian’s only real “problem” is how to bring joy to God. In any circumstance—whether God helps or not, whether miracles happen or not—what matters is: “I please You.”
Another common mistake is viewing God’s actions solely from the perspective of human needs, rather than from God’s standpoint. In the Old Testament, God’s miraculous acts had clear purposes within His plan. For example, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt to Canaan was not merely for the people’s welfare, but so the Messiah could be born in the promised land. Likewise, the miracles Jesus performed in His ministry were meant as signs so that people would believe in Him, not as a means to fulfil human needs. But for us who are already in the church, we should no longer need signs because we already believe that God is alive. Our task now is to strive to understand His will.
Ultimately, our lives are meant only to do God’s will, just as Jesus did. And our faith is tested when we face something that could make us betray Jesus, yet we still believe. The early Christians demonstrated this steadfastness—they chose to remain faithful to Christ even under severe persecution. Today, our challenges are different but no less heavy: love of the world, indulgence of the flesh, sexual immorality, luxury, and the hunger for human praise. If amid these temptations we still choose to love God, then our faith is proven.
We must not think that because we don’t face persecution like the early Christians, we have no challenges. The challenges we face today can be greater. The difficulty comes when we strive to live holy lives, to love God, not to love the world, focusing on the new heaven and new earth—yet our circumstances remain the same as those who make no such effort, or even worse. Sometimes God leads us into situations where we are brought low, even humiliated, raising the question in our hearts: “Why am I not favoured by God?” But if we can still say, “I trust You,” that is extraordinary faith.