The request to increase our faith, the belief that if I had more faith things would be different, reveals, at best, a misunderstanding of faith itself and, at worst, demonstrates our own unfaithfulness. Jesus is very clear that faithfulness is not about size or quantity (Cf. Luke 17:5-10). “If you had faith as a grain of a mustard seed,” he says, “you could say to this sycamine tree, ‘Be uprooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
Faith is not about giving intellectual agreement to a particular doctrine or idea. Faith is not about how much or how strongly we believe Jesus’s words or actions. When we speak about a married couple’s faithfulness, we do not mean they believe or agree with each other’s ideas or even a particular understanding of marriage. They are faithful because they have committed themselves to each other in love and trust. They are faithful because they continually give their life to the other and receive the other’s life as their own. They are faithful because they carry with them that one relationship wherever they go, in all that they are and all that they do. So it is in our faith-relationship with Jesus.
Faith does not get us a pat on the back, a reward, or a promotion in God’s eyes. IT IS SIMPLY THE WAY IN WHICH WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING so that, at the end of the day, the faithful ones can say, without pride or shame, “We have done only what we ought to have done!” Nothing more and nothing less. We have lived in openness to, trust in, and love for Christ. We have allowed him to guide our decisions, our words, and our actions. We have been sustained by him in both life and death. Faith, then, is how we live; the lens through which we see ourselves, others, and the world; the criterion by which we act and speak. Jesus does not supersize our faith. It is not necessary. We live by faith not because we have enough faith but because we have faith, any faith, even mustard seed sized faith. That is all we need. Jesus believes that. So should we.
BIBLE PASSAGES FOR DAILY REFLECTION
To be equipped for God’s work, we must study His word (Cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17), reflect on it daily and live. Ensure you share the fruits of your meditation with at least two people.
Sunday: 2 Timothy 1:1-18
Monday: 2 Timothy 2:1-26
Tuesday: 2 Timothy 3:1-17
Wednesday: 2 Timothy 4:1-22
Thursday: Titus 1:1-16
Friday: Titus 2:1-15
Saturday: Titus 3:1-15
Psalm of the Week: Psalm 27
Prayer:
We trust in you O Lord because you are our light and salvation. May we remain ever faithful. Amen!