There comes a moment in every believer’s life when secondhand faith just isn’t enough. It may get you started—but it won’t carry you through. 

You might have grown up in church. You might know all the right words, the right songs, and the right Scriptures. But if you’re only living off what your parents believed… if you’re only repeating what your pastor said… if your faith has never been tested, wrestled with, or made your own—then what you have is borrowed.

And borrowed faith doesn’t last. 

Jesus warned us about this in Matthew 7 when He spoke of two houses: one built on rock, the other on sand. When the storm came, only one stood. Not because it looked stronger—but because of what it was built on. 

Let me put it another way: 

Imagine trying to build a house using borrowed materials. You gather extra wood from a neighbor. You use your friend’s tools. Someone lends you bricks. It looks fine—until one by one, they come back asking for what’s theirs. 

Suddenly your house is empty. Hollow. Pieces are missing. What looked strong collapses under the weight of real life—because it was never really yours to begin with. 

Faith works the same way. 

When the pressure hits… when doubt shows up… when culture asks why do you believe that?—you can’t just say, “Because that’s what I was taught.” That’s not a foundation. That’s a hand-me-down. 

“And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it." — 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT) 

Your hope. Your reason. Your relationship with Christ. 

To make your faith your own is to get in the Word for yourself. To ask the hard questions and trust that God is not offended by them. It’s to know what you believe—and why—so that when the winds blow and the culture shifts, you remain rooted. 

Borrowed faith can inspire you. But only personal faith can sustain you. 

So don’t settle for imitation. Don’t just inherit beliefs—invest in them. Spend time with God outside of Sunday. Let Scripture confront and comfort you. Let the Holy Spirit challenge your assumptions. Let your testimony be more than “I was raised this way.” 

Because when your faith becomes yours—deep, tested, personal—no one can take it from you. 

And when the storm comes (and it will), you won’t be scrambling to hold up a borrowed house. 

You’ll be standing on a Rock that doesn’t move.