Our faith grows and develops as we cling to Him awaiting the final redemption of our body.(Romans 8:23) Faith is both a gift of God and an act of our will. We are to personally exercise faith, but the decision to do so is helped along by His gift of hunger for more of Him. It reminds me of that popular soft drink slogan, “Obey your thirst”—God wants us to step out in the “obedience by faith” to receive what He has made us thirsty for.
The proof of our faith is found in our actions, because people behave only in a manner which conforms to what they really believe. When we take action (the assurance and conviction aspects of faith), it grows. And as our faith grows, hope becomes stronger, in turn fostering greater faith, snowballing to promote growth in both our maturity and effectual use by God.