Have you ever been guilty of “fake” faith?
I know I have.
This kind of faith is all talk. So much talk, in fact, that we can convince ourselves that we truly believe. But when the thing we’re believing God for doesn’t materialize when or how we want it, we sink into anxious, depressive, or grumpy thinking.
And suddenly, our faith doesn’t look much like faith at all.
Faith Shows Up in Our Behavior
This kind of faith deserves to be examined because we demonstrate what we truly believe through our thoughts and behavior.
If I say I have faith that God is going to provide a financial breakthrough, yet I spend my days wringing my hands and my nights unable to sleep because I’m consumed with worry, I need to examine what I actually believe.
My mouth may be saying, “God will provide.”
But my mind may be saying, “Disaster is coming.”
Which one am I really believing?
Your Thoughts Reveal Your Beliefs
One way we recognize faith is by examining the object of our thoughts.
If my mind continually dwells on impending disaster instead of God’s faithfulness, hope, and provision, peace will be difficult to find. My mind responds to what I repeatedly feed it, and my emotions and behavior tend to follow.
That’s why what I say isn’t always the best measure of my faith.
What I consistently think about may reveal my beliefs more accurately than what I say.
I can put on an act for the outside world, but I cannot fool God. And eventually, I can’t fool my own emotions either.
God designed our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to influence one another. What we continually meditate on matters.
You Move Toward Your Meditations
We tend to move in the direction of our dominant thoughts.
I may temporarily behave contrary to what I feel or believe, but maintaining that contradiction becomes exhausting. Eventually, the double-mindedness begins to show, and my underlying beliefs are revealed.
That’s why Scripture repeatedly directs us to renew our minds and meditate on God’s truth.
So here’s my challenge to you:
Get honest about what you really believe.
Not what you say you believe.
Not what you think you should believe.
What do your thoughts reveal that you actually believe?
If those beliefs don’t line up with the truth of God’s Word, challenge them.
Replace them.
Meditate on what God has said rather than what fear is predicting.
And then choose to trust Him—not necessarily to give you exactly what you want, but to provide what He knows is best for you and your situation.
That’s a deeper level of faith.
It’s saying:
“God, I know what I want. But more than getting what I want, I want what You know is best.”
That’s where peace begins to replace anxiety.
Steps Toward Genuine Faith
1. Evict destructive beliefs.
Identify the fearful, negative, and catastrophic thoughts occupying space in your mind. Stop allowing them to live there rent-free.
2. Meditate on God’s truth.
Don’t continually rehearse everything that could go wrong. Fill your mind with God’s character, promises, faithfulness, and Word.
3. Pray boldly for what you desire.
Bring your desires before God with confidence. Ask. Believe. Expect Him to move.
4. Surrender the outcome.
God may or may not provide exactly what you requested. Faith isn’t controlling the outcome. Faith is trusting the One who controls it.
5. Make God’s best your ultimate desire.
What God determines is best should ultimately become what you want most.
Scripture tells us:
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”
— Hebrews 11:6
So put your faith into practice.
Watch your thoughts. Challenge your fear. Meditate on God’s truth. Pray for what you desire, and then trust Him with the outcome.
You may not always understand what God does.
You may not always receive what you expected.
But you can trust the character of the One you’re placing your faith in.
God will not fail you.