A Little Faith Is All I Need

In Matthew 17:20 it says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (NIV)

Here’s a surprising truth: It’s possible to have faith and doubt at the same time.

In Mark 9, a man brought his sick son to Jesus. Jesus told the father that he could heal the boy—if the father would believe. The man replied, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24 NIV).

What I’m finding is that I can have faith in God and, at the same time, be nervous—or even terrified—about something he wants me to do. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is when I go ahead and do something in spite of my fear. This man was filled with faith and doubt. He went to Jesus with his honest doubts, and Jesus did a miracle.

I don’t need a lot of faith to be a great Christian—because it’s not the size of my faith that makes the difference. What matters is where I put your faith. I just need a little faith in a big God.

The good news is that I don’t have to figure everything out in advance. I begin with the faith that I have. 

Matthew 17:20 says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (NIV).

No matter how weak or frail I think my faith is, it’s enough to get me through. Why? Because God is able to accomplish far more in my life than I could ever imagine. It’s not up to me anyway! God wants me to have faith. But he also wants me to trust him. 

Every little step I take toward Christ moves me further away from doubt, discouragement, and despair. I need to continue to take a step forward in faith today.

Jesus wasn't condemning the disciples for substandard faith; he was trying to show how important faith would be in their future ministry. If I'm facing a problem that seems as big and immovable as a mountain, I need to 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.