What Jesus said about ... (series)

 

 

 

What Jesus said about ... Faith.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Make our faith greater.” The Lord answered, “If you had faith as big as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Pull yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea!’ and it would obey you.” Luke 17: 5-6

Faith is not a commodity you can buy at the supermarket. Pity, sometimes when my faith fails me I wish I could top it up with another portion which I could buy from the stores. But what is faith exactly? Is it a feeling? An emotion? Like happiness, joy, anger, jealousy and hatred? If it was a feeling then it would be something that everyone has. For example, everyone has feelings of anger, jealousy and hatred at one time or another but they learn to control these feelings before they do great damage. 

So, if faith is not a feeling, something that comes naturally, does this imply that we must do something to have faith? We "decide" to believe in something or someone? Do we need to take some sort of action in order to have faith? Is that it?

Or is faith a gift given by God. We have faith through God's grace. But if it were so, a gift from God, then are all those people who do not have faith to blame for their unbelief and scepticism? They could claim that God did not give them faith.

Often, when people are in great difficulties, they turn to God in prayer. Even people who do not believe in God do so. It is said there are no atheists in foxholes. In the heat of battle even the most unbelieving says a prayer. Here's a thought ... prayer is an act of faith. The very fact you are praying proves that you believe Someone is listening. Otherwise you'd be talking to yourself.

Maybe that's the answer to lack of faith, or to waning faith. To pray for it.

To have faith is to believe when your common sense tells you not to.

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:23