The Power of a Mustard Seed
Jesus vividly talked about the Mustard seed to illustrate how our faith can grow into something large and impactful. He says it in this verse: “…For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)
What is Faith?
We have been given the treasures of heaven. However, accessing them requires faith. So, what is faith? “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1). Here we have hope and conviction of things not seen. You hope for something, but you’ve not seen it. What you have is a “conviction”. The word conviction comes from a Greek word, “elegchos,” which means proof, certain evidence, or inward conviction that brings absolute certainty.
For instance, It’s the same as having a title deed, which is proof that you own land. However, you may not have seen it. This is an assurance based on God’s word that we can hope for realities we cannot physically see.
You need to start now!
Jesus is saying your faith starts small. This means not everyone’s faith is the same. This is like planting seeds on the ground. Afterwards, you begin to water them and provide other favorable conditions for them to germinate. This brings something important for us. Now, for your faith to blossom into something big, just like the mustard seed grows into a huge tree and birds of the air rest on it and make nests. You need to cultivate your faith.
Ingredients for activating Faith!
This means reading the word of God and praying without ceasing. He says it here: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) The more you listen to God’s word, the more you’re inclined to follow the correct paths. Therefore, the Lord assures us of this: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Praying without ceasing is something the apostle Paul spoke about. Therefore, he says that “…The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16) These ingredients fuel faith to grow in a believer. The only thing that stands between you and manifesting the things that you need is your little faith. What do I mean? Jesus talked about this when he said, “And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” (Matthew 8:26)
Conclusion
Jesus didn’t say they did not have faith. They had it, but it was little, and that’s okay. This is the starting point. The land you’ve been wanting to buy- just start somewhere. A course you want to do, but you don’t have money; please start it. Remember, faith is now. If you say I am waiting for the right time, that time will never come.
Some things that hinder faith include doubt, fear, and worry. They say the opposite of faith is fear. Fear here means not taking any step towards that thing you want to accomplish. I challenge you today to start doing it.