If it's not the size of our faith that makes the difference, then it must be the size of the God we put our faith in. If there are mountains in your life that you want removed... fear, doubt, loneliness, concerns and worries, you need look no further than your faith.
Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms that we can use His power to change our circumstances through belief in Him, trust in Him, and without human interference except our earnest prayers. He tells us that there is nothing too big or so broken that He cannot remove and restore... but we have to first believe it can be done.
So much is written on Faith, but little to really explain precisely what it is and how it really works in our lives. We know in vague terms it is an elusive premise since it involves what we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). It is based on a powerful belief in something that is not tangible to human comprehension and relies on something we cannot even hold in our hands. There is no scientific basis to explain it and yet it is the single most important truth and one that defies all logic. It is born of the Holy Spirit and given freely to all who sincerely seek it. It is a discernment that grows clearer to a new believer with each step taken toward a life-long commitment to the message of the cross.
It is that something we can’t really comprehend or explain that urges us on a journey to an uncertain future in this life towards the promises of eternity. It is a clarification and verification of what the Apostles have written about and handed down to us through the Bible. It is the recognition that Jesus died for sinners’ to make a way to receive salvation and be restored to fellowship with God. It is the knowledge that we have been touched by the Savior’s hand, had our souls charged by the power of God through the Holy Spirit, and through that touch we experience our faith.
No matter how small our faith is, it is powerful enough to change any situation if we focus on the possibilities... going beyond ourselves and the situations we face. We can see success through the intervention of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, seasoned by our own measure of conviction based on a trusting faith. If we rely on God’s abilities to alter our circumstances we can know and expect Him to come through for us. It is our distinct dependence on God’s capabilities to handle all things of this earth as they pertain to us as believers, that enables us to “move the “mountains” standing in our way. Often, in fact usually, God does not change the circumstances or the challenges, but enables us to endure them with assurance and peace... ultimately our trust in Him, our faith... changes our attitudes towards our circumstances.
Many times instead of asking God for his help we first see if we can overcome the mountains we face by ourselves, and when we are hopelessly muddled in a sea of tangled despair we offer it up to God for repair. Only then does our faith become motivated. And sometimes we still tie a string to the problem so we can continue working on it along with God. This is the wrong approach.
Faith believes firmly and with supreme confidence; a childlike faith based on the promises of God through His Son. Most of us have or will face insurmountable problems in our lives that we cannot find answers for and these problems stand like great barriers in our Christian journey. We don’t know what to do or how to find our way around them. We become frozen in fear and those of us who are insecure in our faith, find out just as quickly how spiritually weak we really are and just simply give up.
Sometimes we stand in front of that “mountain” and weep in frustration. We look at the problem and throw up our hands in despair and defeat. This is the time to lean on our faith. This is the time to test the strength and fiber of our belief in all that God has done and promised. This is the time to put into practice what we have declared during the good and easy times. This is the time to hand it all to God immediately, then wait, trust, pray and surround yourself with those of like precious faith who will comfort you through your hard times. That’s how God supports you... through the enduring faith of others.
Sometimes we have prayed about a situation and we believe our prayers go unanswered. Or, our prayers do not bring the answer we seek because we’re not "listening" properly. We have pleaded without success and it feels like we’re praying in vain. But it is not the power of prayer that is lacking... it is the faith of the one praying that’s coming up short. When we pray with strong emotions hoping for an immediate “our way” answer to our prayers, we are failing to realize that many of our prayers are not backed up by the faith our heavenly Father requires of us as Christians. In order for us to show our faith, we expect the answer we want first, not realizing answers to our prayers are born of our faith and trust and patience, and come in God’s time in Gods way. Trust and faith must be the foundation of our prayer life.
Faith motivates and encourages us. Faith helps us size up our mountains and see the possibilities even though they loom large before us, giving the appearance of blocking all our hopes and dreams.
In personal and challenging circumstances, we might be inclined to doubt the power we have within us. We seek to solve our problems by our own strength. Jesus Christ asked us to trust in the power within us, the Holy Spirit, by picking up a “chisel” and confronting our mountains, like David of the Old Testament when confronted with Goliath. With a small slingshot and stone and a strong eye on his faith... that it wouldn’t be him but God Almighty, he was enabled to remove his mountain with a single shot. We can do the same with our problems with the powerful aid of the Holy Spirit, but only by totally trusting Him and demonstrating a patient faith.
If you have a mountain in your life and it needs to be removed, get on your knees and ask God for help in confronting and dealing with it. Prove your faith by believing God will give you the strength and wisdom to conquer the obstacle in your way. Start hammering away at your mountains, and watch them dwindle bit by bit to insignificance. Much of your victory will be the “attitude” you development that changes the way you look at life’s challenges. With confidence in God, He will bless and acknowledge your dependence on Him and give you the power to move, minimize and marginalize the seemingly immovable barriers in your life. Remember, the barriers may never leave, but how you look at them and deal with them can, if you work with the Holy Spirit to change your view and attitude towards whatever it is that holds you back.
The daunting sight of an enormous mountain can be a frightening thing, and yes we get tired and weary with the tribulations of the world pressing us down, but we must get those mountains to move. We can only reduce them to insignificance by believing that with God's help we can.
Faith says don't give up... be patient, trust God for the way around the obstacle. You will win if you don't give up. When we STOP depending on our own efforts and depend on God and His wisdom in overcoming our problems, it is then that He steps in and takes control of our lives.
