Are you lacking faith...

When people say, “If you had more faith, God would have…” I want to smack the person upside the head with a large print edition Bible! Not only are they believing a lie, they are perpetuating the lie. This attitude has twisted faith into something it was never meant to be. Faith has become the idol that you must worship. It puts your faith in the size of your faith instead of putting your faith in God. Do you really believe that if your faith is big enough, God will be your magical, wish granting genie. I don’t.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith (570); for truly I say to you, if you have faith (4102) the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. {But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”]

Matthew 17:19-21

…You may have noticed that I tend to use the New American Standard Bible translation. I’m going to dust off the old King James for this because we need to look up these terms in their original form…

Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief (570): for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith (4102) as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Matthew 17:19-21

According to the Strong’s Concordance, “because of the littleness of your faith” is referring to unbelief or disbelief… not believing the truth about God in that moment or it could be referring to disobedience in that the disciples did not pray and fast as is mentioned at the end of verse 21. Either way, it’s not that their faith was too small. Their faith was not in the Truth of God, it was in themselves. “I believe their disobedience was in seeking their own glory. Why could WE not drive it out?” 570 - faithlessness, i.e. (negatively) disbelief (lack of Christian faith), or (positively) unfaithfulness (disobedience):--unbelief. Now, let’s look at “faith (4102) as a grain of mustard seed.” This use of faith is embracing reliance on the truth of God.

4102 - …persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity. I can have a tiny little mustard seed sized faith. Mustard seeds are usually about 1 to 2 millimeters (0.039 to 0.079 in) in diameter. That’s not what any one would call big. I believe the point is more where my faith is directed than how big it is. Do I see God as BIG or do I see my concerns as big? Do I trust who I know God to be regardless of my circumstances? If I do, He can use my little mustard seed sized faith to make a lasting and far reaching impact for His glory. Mustard bushes reach an average mature height of between 6 and 20 feet with a 20-foot spread, although exceptional plants can reach 30 feet tall under ideal conditions. That’s a big plant from such a small seed. Be mindful of the fact that those little seeds need just the right environment to grow in and it may not be what you expect or hope for. Mustard bushes come from arid climates and have evolved to deal with poor soil, scarce moisture and extreme heat. Did that paint a picture for you of the oasis we all wish we could live the easy life within? No, it did not. This world may allow you to visit the oasis on occasion but we aren’t going to live the “easy life” and have our faith grow big and far reaching. The truth is that we as human beings grow complacent when life is easy. Jesus told us that we are to pray God’s will be done… not our will, not my will, not your will, His will. I want God’s will to be done in my life. God’s answer may not be the one my flesh wants, but it is the right answer. I trust Him enough to believe it is the best answer. I don’t have to like every aspect of “it”. I might not like any aspect of “it.” But that doesn’t matter because I know He loves me. I know He is in control and that He is working all things together for good and for His glory. We can trust God with “it”. Whatever “it” may be for you.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to purpose.

Romans 8:28

Isaiah 55:9 tells us that His ways are above our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts. We can't always understand the why, but we can always know Who.

Lord,

Help me remember that this life isn’t about what I want. It isn’t about what I deserve. If it was, I’d deserve Hell… so thank You for that! This life that I’ve been given, it is Your story. You are the star. You are cast in the trinity of leading roles. I am a supporting character. You have put me here to spread Your Fame, Your Glory, not my own. If that casts me in a role that I don’t like or don’t want, I choose to trust that You know what is most beneficial and impactful.

-me