Hennie Symington

The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.” The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it would obey you!’ Luke 17:5-6

Some believers struggle to believe, while others receive the gift of faith with little inner turmoil or doubts. Some even seem to receive an overabundance of faith while others are advised by Paul to be humble in the measure of faith that God has given to each one.

In 1 Corinthians 12:9 we read that faith, as a spiritual gift, is given to some, while others receive the gift of healing or the gift of tongues or the gift prophecy or hospitality. It’s not about the gift. What is important is to accept that all gifts are given by the Holy Spirit.

Truly believing is not a walk in the park. Neither is it a perfectly annotated road map with ample signposts indicating your exact position and distance to destination.

Faith is not a lie detector which paints a clear picture in black and white of what is true and what is false. Instead, faith is a dialogue between God and his people, it’s a journey which allows for space to search and space to be found. Ultimately, it’s a journey of prayer, or a song of ascents,as it is referred to in the Psalms, and a coming home to the house of my Father.

So, whether you struggle with believing, or find it a piece of cake, it remains the greatest gift from God. For most of us, however, it is a case of “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.”(Mark 9:24b)

Prayer: Lord, sometimes it seems to us as if we are on the bottom rung of belief. Thank you, Jesus, that you are faithful and there to help us to take the next step in faith or pick us up when we have lost it all together. Amen