Yes, this is a mustard seed!

Have you ever seen an actual mustard seed?

Tiny, right?!  It’s hard to imagine that inside that bitty thing is a tree!

But that tree will only grow if the right conditions exist.  The same is true of our faith.

When Jesus challenged His “interns” to choose forgiveness instead of offense–over and over–they must have been shocked!  Their response was, (in my own words) “You have to be kidding!  You want us to forgive someone that many times?  Then You are going to have to increase our faith, because we want to knock them a good one that doesn’t seem possible!”

His response: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (Luke 17) He said it this way another time: “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Amazing thought, right!! (Matthew 17)

Remember that teeny tiny mustard seed?  It’s chock FULL of potential for power in the spirit realm!  It can rock mountains, uproot challenges, and knock down giants!

But that seed needs to be nurtured and cared for, so that the tree within can mature and become a flourishing tower of declaration that is well-known in hallways of Hell!

Check out the size of this mustard tree!

So… how do we nurture our mustard seed faith?  How do we provide and enhance the conditions needed for our faith-seed to grow?  Consider what every plant needs to grow:

Soil: Our faith needs to be planted in truth, the Truth of God’s Word, His love for us, and His promises to us.  Be sure that your soil is kept healthy and fresh.  Daily devotionals like Jesus Calling are helpful for stirring in Truth each day. Also, remember to add nutrients! (Psalm 119:105)

Nutrients: These are the truths of what God has already done for you!  It’s the memories of prayers answered, the miracles we have experienced, the people who have been blessings to us. (Psalm 89:1,14-18) Create a journal of remembrance that you can re-read when your faith needs a boost!

Water: Pouring thankfulness over your heart and mind will water that seed of faith!  Thankfulness is a declaration that life is far from perfect, but there are blessings all around for the faith-building heart to find.  (Psalm 103:1-14) Start each day by listing 10 things you are thankful for!  (Hot water is one of my list-toppers!)

Pruning: This is the uncomfortable part of growing.  Sometimes we need to remove that which hinders growth.  Pull out the weeds of negative thinking, tear down lies the enemy whispers, and cut off commentators comments of gloom & doom.  This will leave plenty of space for faith to grow! (John 8:44 says that satan is the father of lies!)

Sonshine: Soak up the light of His Son! There is no substitute for sitting at the feet of Jesus!  If that sounds foreign or odd to you, try finding a quiet place and calm the frantic pace of your mind; ask the Lord to come and rest on you… then wait!  His warmth and light will bring you peace that will cause your faith to bloom! (Mark 6:31)

Faith seems abstract and hard to grasp… we wouldn’t call it “faith” if it wasn’t!

Hebrews 11:1 in the International Children’s Bible says it beautifully: “Faith means being sure of the things we hope for. And faith means knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.”

Sometimes it’s hard to see beyond life’s struggles to the victories on the other side, but taking concrete and purposeful steps to grow our faith will help us stand strong believing that victory will come!

Watch out giants!  There’s some rock-sized faith coming your way!

Live Loved,

P.S. Click the reply button to share some of your victories to encourage other readers!  P.P.S Also, sharing this post on social media will bless others (and me!) Thank you!