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. 

Doubt Is the Enemy of Imagination

In James 1:5-7 it says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” (NIV)

Doubt is the enemy of imagination. When I was a young kid, I had a great imagination. But the older I’ve gotten, the more my imagination grows rusty. I stop imagining the way things could be, and I just start living the way they are. I can get stuck in the status quo.

Doubt and fear neutralize what God wants to do in my life. It takes courage to imagine. Most people don’t imagine anymore because they’re afraid of failure.

Courage is doing the thing I fear the most. If I’m not afraid, I won’t need courage. Courage is when I’m scared to death and I say, “I’m going to do it anyway.”

I should do it so that I don’t let fear dominate my life. I need to move forward despite my trembling.  

Courage is when I do the right thing while I’m afraid. I shouldn’t wait until all my doubts are gone, but rather move forward against my fears. I need to ignore all the insecurity I’m feeling and just go for it.

James 1:5-7 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord” (NIV).

My imagination is either going to be governed by fear or it’s going to be governed by faith. That’s a choice I get to make!. If I let fear govern my imagination, I’ll end up being freaked out,  stressed out, and worried all the time. When I allow fear to control my imagination, I’ll end up living a miserable life.

So, I need to decide that I’m not going to allow fear to dominate. I’m going to let my faith dominate. I’m going to trust in God. When I do then I’ll be able to move forward in faith and allow my imagination to be filled with all kinds of possibilities—because all things are possible with God.

I’ve recently started a coaching practice to help others transform their behaviors and thoughts regarding finances. I have a tremendous amount of experience in the practical sense, along with completing the Ramsey Financial Master Coach training. I have a great support group that I can continue to learn and draw from as being part of the Ramsey Preferred Coaching network. Unfortunately, I let my fear of creating interactions with others get in the way of being able to work with people and make a difference. Today’s devotion reminds me that I do need to trust God with the vision he has given me, and take the courage to move forward in faith, counting on God to guide my interactions. I need to pray and believe in faith to execute the dream and vision he has given me.  

Conquering Giants to Fulfill My Dream

In 1 Samuel 17:47 I read, “Everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!" (NLT)

Before King David faced Goliath in 1 Samuel, he had to fight four other giants. They weren’t physical giants, but they were giants in his mind.

I am far more likely to face mental giants than a physical one. But mental giants can be just as big and intimidating. And they can keep me from becoming who God wants me to be and fulfilling the dream that God has put in my heart.

The first giant in facing my dream is delay. No dream is fulfilled instantly. God gives me the dream one day, but he doesn’t fulfill it the next day. It may be years before I see the fulfillment of my life dream. There is always a waiting period.

After the prophet Samuel anointed David as king, David’s father, Jesse, told David to get back to tending the sheep. Talk about a delayed dream! It was about 15 years before David actually became king.

But God used that time to build David’s character, teaching him to be obedient even when things didn’t seem to make sense. As David waited for God to fulfill his promise, he learned to trust in God’s sovereignty. The lesson is that God is faithful, and he will complete his work within me, in his time.

The second giant you may face is discouragement. Goliath created a climate of fear in Israel. Everyone was convinced they were going to lose the battle against him.

What people am I listening to that say it can’t be done? Who is putting down my dream, saying it won’t ever happen?

Sometimes I just need a fresh voice, like a shepherd boy with fresh eyes who says, “This guy’s nothing. We can take him down.”

The third giant standing in your way is disapproval. In David’s case, his own brother questioned his motives and disapproved of him going after Goliath.

When God gives me a dream that other people are afraid of and I go for it anyway, I will be misjudged, maligned, and misunderstood. I have to decide what matters more to me: the approval of other people or the approval of God.

The fourth giant I have to face is doubt.

Nobody was a greater expert on war than King Saul. He told David he was crazy for thinking a boy could fight a warrior like Goliath.

Maybe an expert is saying I can’t do it either. And that’s enough to make me start doubting myself.

Remember, experts are often wrong! I won’t be deterred by the naysayers when I focus on God’s promises and trust the Lord is faithful to fulfill my dream.

In summary, the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!. Before King David faced Goliath in 1 Samuel, he had to fight four other giants. They weren’t physical giants, but giants in his mind. I’m more likely to face mental giants than physical ones. They can keep me from becoming who God wants me to be and fulfilling the dream that God has put in my heart. The first giant is delay. No dream is fulfilled instantly. It may be years before I see the fulfillment of a dream. There is always a waiting period. God uses this time to build character, and teach me to be obedient even when things don't seem to make sense. As I wait for God to fulfill his promise, I need to learn to trust in God’s sovereignty. God is faithful, and he will complete his work within me, in his time. The second giant is discouragement. Who am I listening to that say it can’t be done? Who is putting down my dream. I just need a fresh voice. The third giant is disapproval. In David’s case, his own brother questioned his motives and disapproved of him going after Goliath. When God gives me a dream that other people are afraid of and I go for it anyway, I will be misjudged, maligned, and misunderstood. I have to decide what matters more: the approval of others or the approval of God. The fourth giant is in doubt. Maybe an expert is saying I can’t do it. And that’s enough to make me start doubting myself. Experts are often wrong! I won’t be deterred when I focus on God’s promises and trust the Lord is faithful to fulfill the dream He has given me.

To fight like David I need David's kind of fearlessness. David had grown strong in his confidence by trusting God when he had encountered wild animals while guarding his father's sheep. When I face towering problems, recall how God has helped me in the past. Take heart because God gives me strength. Use the skills God had already given me and move forward. 

Five Things to Do in a Storm

In Matthew 14:30 I read, “But when [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” (NIV)

I must remember that when I’m going through a storm, God is not distant or uninvolved. He is with me, and working in my life for my good.

If I feel like I’m sinking in a storm, here are five things God wants me to do:

1). Have courage, because Jesus is with me. Don’t ever argue with fear. Just tell it where to go! Tell it to go talk to Jesus.

2). Take a risk in faith. Don’t ask God to bless what I’m doing. Instead, do what God is blessing. Ask him what he wants me to do, and then be willing to do it with him.

3). Stay focused on Jesus. The moment I take my eyes off the Lord, I’m going under. Matthew 14:30 says, “But when [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’”  (NIV). If I focus on the wind and the waves, my circumstances, I’m going to sink, just like Peter.

4). Don’t doubt. I don’t need great faith to make it through the storm in my life. I just need faith in the right person, Jesus Christ.

5). Praise God. Even in the storm, even when I feel like I’m sinking, even when I’m scared to death, praise him all the time. Thank God in the middle of the storm.

I should consider what storm is scaring or sinking me? Why do I think God is letting me go through this storm?

He’s letting me go through this storm for the same reasons he sent the disciples into the storm. He wants me to know: “He’s all I’ll ever need. I can handle anything. And he’ll come walking on the very thing that scares me the most. He’s not asking me to come to him. He’s going to come to me.”

If I feel like I’m sinking today, don’t fear. Just call out to Jesus. I’ll find he’s with me.

In summary, when I’m afraid and feel myself beginning to sink, like Peter, cry out to Jesus to save me. When I’m going through a storm, God is not distant or uninvolved. He is with me, and working in my life for my good. When I feel like I’m sinking, here are five things God wants me to do: 1). Have courage, Jesus is with me. Don’t argue with fear. 2). Take a risk in faith. Don’t ask God to bless what I’m doing. Instead, do what God is blessing. Ask him what he wants me to do, then be willing to do it with him. 3). Stay focused on Jesus. The moment I take my eyes off the Lord, I’m going under. If I focus on the wind and the waves, my circumstances, I’m going to sink. 4). Don’t doubt. I don’t need great faith. I just need faith in the right person, Jesus Christ. 5). Praise God. Even in the storm. Thank God in the middle of the storm. If I’m experiencing a storm, why do I think God is letting me go through this? I’m going through it for the same reasons he sent the disciples into the storm. He wants me to know: “He’s all I’ll ever need. He’ll come walking on the very thing that scares me the most. He’s not asking me to come to him. He’s going to come to me.” If I feel like I’m sinking, don’t fear. Just call out to Jesus. I’ll find he’s with me.

Peter started to sink because he took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on the high waves around him. His faith wavered when he realized what he was doing. I won't ever walk on water, but I will walk through tough situations. If I focus on the waves of difficult circumstances around me without looking to Jesus for help, I, too, may despair and begin to sink. To maintain my faith when situations are difficult, focus on Jesus' power rather than on my own inadequacies.  

Although I start out with good intentions, my faith sometimes falters. This doesn't mean I have failed. When Peter's faith faltered, he reached out to Christ. When I'm apprehensive about the troubles around me and doubt Christ's presence or ability to help, remember that he is always with me and is the only one who can really help.

Father I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, my future job role and leading a small group. I pray these things in your Son Jesus’ name, Amen.