Mustard Seed Faith

If you have grown up in or around the church you have most likely heard the term "faith like a mustard seed". I remember the first time I heard that and thinking what the heck does this even mean, what does some seed have to do with Christianity. Fast forward about a decade and it became clear, even if you have such little faith, so little that it is the size of a mustard seed, God can work supernaturally through you. I think that especially having been in the church my whole life and attending a Christian school sometimes people become competitive about the size or amount of faith one has. We tend to think that "oh I have been a believer Longer so that means my relationship with God is stronger." However, that is not necessarily always the case. He has the power to use you in whatever stage of life you are in, whether you are new to the Christian faith or have been a believer most of your life. We are told in Matthew 17:20 "Because of your little faith. 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." With God all things are possible, He will not give you anything you can not handle without Him. The cool thing about faith is that it can grow, you are able to dig into a more personal relationship with God and can really see how he is working in your life. Mark 4:30-32 explains it in a way that you can have faith as small as a mustard seed but when a mustard seed is sown and taken care of it can grow to become larger than any plants with large branches extended for the birds to make nests in its shade. Now I am going to break this down a little bit further to show how this parable truly relates to our walk with God. So think of it this way, you are the mustard seed, and like how any seed needs dirt and water and sunlight help it grow, we need the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Leaders to help us grow in our faith. Without those factors the seed will not grow, just like how we cannot grow without relying on God. Additionally, if we take advantage of the relationship God wants with us we will grow more than we think possible and over time we can grow those "branches" and reach out to those who may not know Him. We can reach out and provide a place for others to come and experience the character of Christ and the security we can find in Him. Though Christianity does not guarantee a perfect stress-free life, it gives us a solid foundation and a God we can rely on through the times of trouble where we feel like nothing is going right. Do not be discouraged by those who may know more about the factual side of Christianity, that comes with time and learning, but be confident in who you are as a believer and as a Child of God because with faith eventually the knowledge will come through engaging in God's word and conversation with mentors. I pray that you who has faith will reach out to others so that you can plant a seed in their hearts and minds and be a vessel for our God.