FAITH!

Today’s Reading: Matthew 17:14-21

You know I am beginning to think that there is something to this ‘faith’ thing. Seriously, how many times does Jesus have to punctuate how important faith is? He seems to be frustrated with his disciples at this point. They have been following him for a while now, he has been teaching them how to live, they have witnessed many miracles, yet they still lack faith. Sound familiar? Well it does to me! I have been following Jesus, he has been teaching me, and I have witnessed miracles, yet my faith fluctuates regularly and sometimes completely collapses. Why? I do love God and I do want to follow the path that he sets before me, so why do I slip? It seems that I am on a roll and doing so well, but then something happens that frustrates me and I find myself saying I just don’t know. Really, ‘I just don’t know?’---yes I do, I know very well what the answer is---the answer is Jesus. So why, why do I do this? It’s not that I don’t believe that God can do anything, I know that he can. I tell you what it is, it is my lack of faith, but my faith becomes lacking when I let go of those promises, when I step out of his will, even if it’s only for a few seconds. My faith becomes lacking when I don’t find time to fall down on my face and worship my God. My faith becomes lacking when I get too busy to listen to what he is telling me. My faith becomes lacking when I don’t read and study his word. My faith becomes lacking when I don’t seek him with everything that I have in me. Is it possible for my faith to always be at the prime level faith can be at? Not during my life here on earth, but as long as I acknowledge my weaknesses, as long as I humble myself, as long as I strive to build my faith through Christ, it will grow and become stronger. My faith may never become perfected on this earth, but as long as it deepens each day then I am doing the will of my Father. Let us be reminded that Jesus told us that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, then we can move a mountain and that nothing will be impossible for us (vs.20)!

I do also want to say that our faith is not just about us and our walk with Christ, it is about all the people that cross our path as well. The faith that you show will speak volumes to others and possibly strengthen their faith as well. I have witnessed the faith that some of my friends have in Christ while going through terrible circumstances and because of this my faith has deepened. There is nothing like seeing the face of Jesus in the middle of a difficult trial. We are truly brothers and sisters in Christ and our faith in him should be witness to that, our faith should be strengthened by the faith of our brothers and sisters and their faith should deepen by our faith as well.