Life presents difficult and challenging moments to each of us. When it does, we must be intentional in the way we choose to respond and where we decide to focus our attention in the middle of the situation.
‘You gotta have faith’ – that’s a phrase someone usually says to you at a time you really don’t want to hear it. Like, when you’ve been facing a difficult situation, believing for things to change, or you just need a break from the daily challenges. A well-meaning friend or family member comes along, pats you on the back and says ‘you just gotta have faith!’ If I’m being completely honest, that statement sometimes rubs me the wrong way and causes me to inwardly roll my eyes and think, ‘really, is that all I need?’ But what if I paused for a moment, stopped rolling my eyes and took the time to ask myself that question again a little differently, putting the emphasis on the all. Let’s try it …. “Really? Is that ALL I need?” It becomes an entirely different question, doesn’t it? It takes it from a sarcastic, rhetorical question to a realization that ALL I NEED is faith.
But what is faith? If that’s all we need, then we need to figure out what it is and how we can get it. The definition of faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing. If you are a believer in Christ and have accepted Him, the good news is you already possess faith. It took faith in believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins, rose again and redeemed you from a life of sin and hopelessness. When we accepted His salvation, we believed with all of our heart that He is who the Bible says He is and He accomplished on the cross everything the Bible says He did. Why then, does it seem so difficult for us to take that very same confidence and trust that was necessary at the time of salvation and apply it to other areas of our lives?
Faith: Having confidence or trust in a person or thing
When we’re up against an overwhelming situation, it’s easy for us to begin focusing on the thing we’re facing rather than looking to the One who has the answer. Our minds start to wander and think about all the things that could go wrong, all of the different scenarios and outcomes a situation could have. Fear and anxiety start to settle in. We want to believe, we want to trust, but the problem is just too big. If faith is the confidence or trust in a person or thing, and our focus is on the thing and everything that could go wrong with the thing, then essentially our confidence or trust is in that thing. The truth is we all have faith. The question is where does our faith lie? Matthew 17:20 says “…if you have faith like the grain of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” If we understand that our faith has this kind of power, shouldn’t we be more conscious of what we’re putting our faith in?
Faith like the grain of a mustard seed …. have you ever seen a mustard seed? They are tiny and round measuring one to two millimeters in diameter, which is about three times smaller than a grain of rice and probably not much bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. BUT, when these seeds are planted, they grow rapidly into the largest of all garden plants. If our faith was like the grain of mustard seed, that means it can be the smallest of faith, even just a little. And just that little, tiny bit of faith has the ability to grow and produce something greater than we could have ever imagined. When we are standing in the face of what seems to be an impossible situation, where will we choose to put our confidence and trust? Choosing to trust in God, even if we are afraid, even if we have some doubts, does not disqualify our faith! We have convinced ourselves that if we don’t have the faith of a giant, or if we have even a little inkling of fear or doubt, it somehow cancels out any bit of faith we have and that simply isn’t true! It is that very way of thinking which can cancel out our faith. Mark 9:22-24 is the story of a father with a child having an unclean spirit. The father cries out to Jesus and says "'But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.' And Jesus said to him, 'If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.'" Wait! What did he say? He said, 'If YOU can!' "Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, 'I believe; help my unbelief!'" This father was scared, this father had some doubts. After all, he had been dealing with this situation since his child was little. BUT he also had some faith, just enough faith, and he asked Jesus to help him with the part of himself that was struggling. The story ends with the child being healed, and I have to believe that the tiny little bit of faith the father had, somehow grew bigger and was ready to be planted again. That’s the amazing thing!
I love Proverbs 4:25 that says, “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.” The next time a situation calls for faith, let’s be intentional not to put it in the things that surround us, but keep our eyes on God, who is the Author and the Finisher of our faith.
Scriptures
Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Matthew 17:20 – “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Proverbs 4:25 – “Let your eyes look directly forward, and you gaze be straight before you.”
Prayer:
Lord, I put my confidence and trust in You. According to Your word, You work all things together for my good. I may not always understand the good in every situation, but my faith knows that Your promises are true. In moments of fear or doubt, help me to keep my gaze straight ahead and my eyes on You.
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