The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
Have you ever felt like asking Jesus this same thing?
Is it the faith to accept the mysteries revealed by God in the Scriptures?
Is it the faith to step out and act on the word of God? This is the faith Jesus responds to.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.
We increase our faith by exercising our faith. The more we exercise it, the more we are able to step out in a greater degree. It is not that we do not have faith but that our faith at times may be weak because we are not exercising it. The more we do so, the bolder we will be to exercise our faith in greater matters.
Are we afraid to step out in faith because we are concerned more about ourselves than being obedient to God? Are we concern that if nothing happens it would look bad for us?
The focus of our faith should be the Lord and his power and not on our human weaknesses.
The first thing we need is discernment to make sure that God is asking us to step out and act. Then we need courage to be obedient to God regardless of the consequences.
It was this faith that Peter and John exercised when they healed the crippled beggar at the Temple Gate.
It was this faith that Paul exercised when he raised the young boy back to life."Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
God judges us on our obedience to what he has asked us to do not on the results that occurred or did not occur. As Mother Theresa said: "God wants fidelity more than success."
God is asking us to exercise our faith in him in obedience so that his glory may be revealed through us. What will you do as a result of your reflection on this teaching?
About the Author
Jesus said that we are to go to the ends of the world, proclaiming the Gospel of Salvation. Our recent Holy Fathers have urged us to use the social media to accomplish this task. This is just one attempt to respond to both calls. Join me in this effort.
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