When people ask me this question, I often sense it comes from a desire to understand what truly connects us to God. We all “believe” certain things — that God exists, that Jesus lived, that Scripture tells His story. But faith is something more intimate. Faith is not just knowing about God; it is trusting in Him with our whole being.
Belief can live in the mind, but faith lives in the heart. You might believe that a bridge can hold your weight, but faith is walking across it. The Letter to the Hebrews says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). That kind of assurance only comes when we place our lives in God’s hands, even when we cannot see what lies ahead.
Faith also grows through relationship. The disciples believed Jesus was the Messiah, but their faith deepened only as they followed Him, saw His love, and witnessed His resurrection. In the same way, our faith matures as we walk daily with Christ—through prayer, trust, and obedience—allowing belief to become personal encounter.
So, belief may begin the journey, but faith is what keeps us walking when the road grows dark. It is the courage to say, “Lord, I trust You,” even when we don’t understand. Faith transforms information into relationship, and knowledge into love.
May our beliefs never stop at ideas but bloom into faith that lives and breathes in trust, love, and surrender to God.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
