Mustard Seed Faith

“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith 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” (Matthew 17:20).

Like many believers, I used to read this verse and assume Jesus was telling us our faith wasn't big enough. But recently I came across a perspective that gave me pause. One commentator suggested that when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us, He brings all the faith we will need. The issue isn't the amount of faith we possess; it's whether we use it or not.

Faith is a little like the muscles in our bodies. They grow stronger by being exercised. In the same way, faith deepens and matures when we put it into practice -- when we trust God in uncertainty, obey Him when it's costly, and lean on His promises when circumstances try to shake us. Each act of trust stretches us a little. stengthens us even more, and prepares us for the next step as we follow God.

I'll let you study and decide for yourselves what you believe Jesus is teaching in these verses. But regardless, let's make the intentional choice to exercise our faith. Let's speak God's truth over the mountains in our lives, even when they look unmovable. Let's step forward in obedience even when the path isn't fully clear. And let's remember that the power behind our faith doesn't come from us. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. When we use the faith He has already placed in our hearts, we'll find that nothing God calls us to do is impossible.

And the Lord said. If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you (Luke 17:6).

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