Learning to Trust In God and Not In My Own Power

In review of Matthew 17:20 it says, “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

Bottom Line:

You don’t have enough faith, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, Move and it would. Nothing would be impossible.

What this means to me:

My faith matters greatly, often I don’t show enough of it. Jesus told his disciples and followers that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can move mountains. Therefore with my genuine faith nothing would be impossible.

Today's passage comes from a time where Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy that his disciples couldn't heal. Jesus told them, you faithless and corrupt people! After Jesus healed the boy, the disciples asked why they couldn't. Jesus told them that they did not have enough faith. For all they needed was faith even as small as a mustard seed.

While this seems harsh, I remember discussing this passage with some of my men's group a while back. Jesus rebuked the disciples for not having even a little faith. Perhaps the disciples were trying to heal based on their own power and their status as one of Jesus followers, therefore they didn't really use faith in God to request the healing.

The disciples had been given the authority to do the healing, but they had not yet really learned how to appropriate the power of God. Jesus' frustration is with the unbelieving and unresponsive generation. His disciples were merely a reflection of that attitude in this instance. Jesus' purpose was not to criticize but encourage them to greater faith.

It is the power of God, plus our faith, that moves mountains. A mustard seed was the smallest particle imaginable. Jesus said that even faith as small or undeveloped as a mustard seed would have been sufficient. The disciples had tried to cast out the demon with their own ability rather than God's. There is great potential in even a little faith when we trust in God's power to act. So if I find myself feeling weak or powerless as a Christian, I should examine my faith, and make sure I am trusting in God's power, not my own ability to produce results.

In this passage Jesus shows us how important faith is in our ministry. When I'm facing a problem that seems big and immovable as a mountain, I can turn my eyes from the mountain and look to Christ for more faith. Only then will I be able to overcome the obstacles that may stand in my way.

Also I should stop hiding from success because I’m afraid to fail. Failure is a necessary part of life that can motivate me to be a better person than I ever dreamed possible. Have faith, for with Him all things are possible.  Therefore, I need to exercise and use my faith more regularly, even in the smaller things and goals of life.