Status of Faith
“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’
The Lord replied,
‘If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.’”Luke 17:5-6
How would you describe your faith? Would your answer include answers such as “strong” or “weak?” Or would they include some other adjectives or phrases? In my own experience, most people would describe their faith with an answer somewhere on the spectrum of strong and weak. Some may also describe their faith with either “having a lot of faith” or "having a little bit of faith.” The truth is faith is not necessarily something that can be really quantified. There may be more of a qualitative component, but faith is something that goes beyond what is quantitative or qualitative. Faith is something that is deep within the recesses of our hearts, a response that calls out from the depths of our hearts to the Voice that constantly calls out to us.
Along the way, the Apostles asked Jesus to “increase their faith” to which Jesus replied if they were to have faith the size of a mustard seed, even the mulberry tree would obey them. It is not the size of one’s faith that matters, but rather how one cultivates and nurtures it. Like a muscle that is already in our bodies, we do not really “add muscles” but rather we strengthen and grow our muscles through training and exercise. Faith can not really be “added” but only “strengthened” through prayer and exercise of our faith.
So, what is the status of your faith? Has it been exercised lately? Has it been nurtured? Again, we can nurture our faith by praying, talking with God and allowing Him to speak to us. We can exercise our faith by allowing prayer to move us to works of service and mercy. Do we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, encounter the homeless, and comfort the grieving? Do we share the Good News with others?
May we take some time today to examine the status of our faith and ask the Lord not to increase our faith, but rather to give us the grace and strength to practice and nurture our faith.
