Question:
Mr Shaliach, I’m honestly confused. If I’m really walking in faith, why do I need to push so hard in life? Doesn’t faith mean I can just trust and wait for God to work everything out?
— Anish P, Mumbai
Answer:
Hi Anish, I hear your concern and you’re not the only one thinking this way.
Faith doesn’t replace diligence. True biblical faith motivates responsibility, not passivity. Hebrews 11, the great chapter on faith is full of people who believed and acted. Noah built the ark by faith; Abraham obeyed and moved by faith. They didn’t sit back waiting.
James 2:17 — “So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].”
The Greek word for “works” here is “ergon” (ἔργον), meaning labour or action. Faith isn’t an excuse for laziness, it’s the engine behind righteous effort.
Even the apostle Paul, full of faith and grace, said:
1 Corinthians 15:10 — “I worked harder than all of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God [His unmerited favour and blessing] which was with me.” (AMP)
So no — having faith doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means trusting God while doing all that’s in your hand. Faith is not magic; it’s cooperation with God’s purpose.
God often supplies through the work of our hands (Deuteronomy 28:12). Faith doesn’t wait idly — it walks actively.
Hope this gives some clarity.
In Christ,
Shaliach
