Growing Faith

 

Luke 13:18-19 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden.

Have you ever wondered why if faith as small as a mustard seed could move a mountain you're not moving any mountains? 

Matthew 17:20 “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

I've been wondering just that. I would think by now my faith was at least as big as a mustard seed right?

But maybe we are looking for great big miracles like mountain moving or raising the dead as benchmarks of our faith growing and maybe we should be looking a the smaller ones that effect our lives daily. I think it starts small and like most plants can continue to grow into something large.

I was at Bible study this week and there is a sweet lady in my group named Alice. Normally I change names but not today. This is Alice.

Alice is one of the sweetest women I know but what I really love about her is her prayers. She shares the most humble sweet prayers to our King.

She taught me about small moments of growing faith in her prayer this week.

Along with her usual prayers for the homeless, the military and our country she thanked God for the long lines of traffic she hit at 3 different churches on Easter Sunday.

She told the Lord how much it blessed her to see so many of God's children worshiping Him on such a special day.

Wow, would that have been my prayer? Would I have been thanking God for being stuck in traffic 3 different times? I wish I could say yes but the truth is I would have probably been complaining about the traffic and wishing I had taken a different route.

I realized at that moment Alice's faith had grown to where she could praise God for her inconvenience because she didn't see it as one. My faith grew as I listened to her. I realized I should be more attentive to what pleases God.

Our faith grows when we grow. Maybe something this elementary could be the start of your mustard seed growing.

Jesus is all about faith, we don't talk about it a lot because we don't want to make people feel bad or make it look like we are bragging about ourselves.

2 Corinthians 10:15-16 Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you.

Paul is saying he's not there to boast about his relationship but to help grow the faith of those he was speaking to so eventually they could share to other regions.  You have to have your own personal faith before you can share with someone else.

When was the last time you gave a testimony of faith to someone?

Romans 12:3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted each a measure of faith. 

God gave everyone a measure of faith, however, you have to use it to make it grow.

Hebrews 10:38 “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”

God's word says He takes no pleasure in the ones who shrink back.

What does shrink back mean? "To pull away from a source of disgust or fear."

Now I know we don't shrink back from God out of disgust so it must be we shrink back out of fear.

The only way to conquer fear is to do what your afraid of. Put your faith in action!

Do you remember the rich guy in the Bible that tells Jesus he has obeyed all his commandments and Jesus says atta boy now give up your dough and come follow me.

(Gena translation to read the story go to Luke 18 )

The guy ends up bailing because he doesn't have faith that Jesus can take care of Him in a manner that he's accustomed to. Luxuries with the world trumped relationship with his Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by faith, not by sight.

For example:

The other day I was at my friends house and I was heating a cup of coffee in the microwave. I apparently was daydreaming and nuked it way too long. When the bell dinged I opened the door and without thought sat it down to add my sugar. I heard the Holy Spirit say “stand back your going to get burned.” It wasn't an audible voice but a strong thought in my head. I didn't process the thought I just stepped back as I added my sugar and

BAM the coffee exploded!

If I wouldn't have moved back like He said my whole hand would have been burned.

You see I have had those faith moments before so now I know to just listen and ask questions later.

No angel appeared with the message, there was no voice from Heaven that caused the earth to shake it was just me having faith that I hear God.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Gems I want to encourage you to start living by faith. I'm not saying you have to walk on water (not yet anyway :) but I am saying you have to start somewhere if you call yourself a righteous one, a believer in Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” 

I challenge you to plant a seed in your own garden and become a faith grower then start harvesting the things unseen with confidence.