And why do we want more money? Some say we need more money for security, but basically, it's so we can buy more things, newer and bigger things. The fly in this ointment is that bigger and better things usually require even more money to operate or maintain. Whew, it's just a vicious cycle. What will it take for us to be satisfied with what we have?

And when someone is faced with a particularly difficult problem it is not uncommon to hear he or she to remark, "Oh, if I only had a little more faith I'm sure I could get through this fine." If, however, one feels that a little "more" faith is needed, I wonder how one ever knows what is enough?

Yet, this question is not at all a new one. I came upon it in my Bible reading this week. It is found in Luke 17:5 (NLT). One day the apostles said to the Lord, "We need more faith; tell us how to get it."

The truth is, unfortunately, that faith is faith. You either have it or you don't. Faith is not a commodity that comes packaged by the pound or quart. You either have faith in God or you don't.

When we, like the disciples, ask about getting more faith what we are really lacking is trust, trust in the faith we already have, and trust is the part of the equation that we, not God, must supply.

We come to have faith in God because of the evidence we see and the testimony of others. Now we have to trust that faith, trust God's promise God that he is always with us, always cares for us, and will always sustain us through all of life's perils. Just as soldiers must trust in their weapons and athletes must trust in their ability, so also, Christians must trust in their faith.

Learn more about St. James Reformed Church online: www.stjamesreformedchurch.org.