With What You Have

When Jesus told his disciples that they must forgive a brother or sister over and over again, "even if they sin against you seven times in a day" (Lk 17:4), their response was "Lord, increase our faith" (v. 5).  They saw that the life Jesus was asking them to live would not particularly be easy.  Imagine what it would takee to forgive someone seven times in a day or time after time.  From what do we draw the strength or resolve to accomplish something like that?  Our faith, but what kind of faith would it take to live up to such a standard?

Surmizing the caliber and amountt of their personal faith relative tto the calling before them, they had only one thing to say, "increase our faith."  In a humbler or perhaps more authentic moment than usual, these disciples sized up their faitth and found it wantting.  But Jesus was not in agreementt.  Oh, he no doubt agreed that their faith was not yet to point it would grow to as they fulfilled their mission but he did not agree that they needed a faith implant or enlargement in order to carry out the will of God.

Jesus response to his disciples was, 'If you have faith the size of a ustard seed (excepionally tiny seed," you can do this and much, much more (v. 6).  He was telling them that they didn't need a different faith or a faith like someone else, they needed to use the faith they had and it would be enough for it was God's power, not their faith, that made all things possible.  Notice what Jesus said another time when the apostle questioned their abilit to lie up to a kingdom standard, "With man this is impossible, but with God, all thins are possible" (Mt 9:26).

You may find yourself doubting the size of the quality of your faith to live up to your calling.  But notice what the Spirit reveals about what is acceptable to God: "For if the willingness is there, the gift is accepttable acccording to what one has, not according to whatt one does not have" (2 Co 8:12).  The point?  Don't wait for more faith to act, use the faith you have.  Don't wait for a bigger talent to serve, use the gift you have.  Don't wait for a larger paycheck to share, share with what you have.  God can take mustard seed faith and move mountains, he can take a few loaves and fishes and feed thousands, he can take whatever you have and "do more than you can imagine according to his power at work within you" (Eph 3:20).  Jus' Sayn.