Faith Has Potency

Good Monday morning! Wonderful rain has come our way. How do I get this little mustard seed of faith? It can move entire mountains; I want that power. But if my love does not grow with it, does anyone else want me to have such power? Probably not. Many a dictator or king has enjoyed great power over life and wealth. Without love they have fallen into hatred of their own people and destroyed many lives and subjected others to abject poverty. To seize upon the potency of faith without the love of Christ to go with it is dangerous for me and everyone near me. Is it any wonder then that God limits our mountain moving until love grows strong in us?

The tiny mustard seed grows into a mighty herb. Jesus tells us in Mark 4:32 that the plant grows large enough to shelter birds of the air. The mustard seed does not reach its full potency until it has grown up and then shares its shade and its fruit. In much the same way, Jesus will grow our faith through His Holy Spirit, the church, Bible study, trials, and His many other ways until even such as you and I may see something else growing alongside this mighty herb of faith: love. Before we grow to move mountains, it might just be useful if we should learn to love God's creation as it is. Before we turn a potent faith loose on another person, it may be better to love him first. My flesh desires the power Jesus spoke of, but my new spirit in Christ desires the love of Christ first.

Through love Jesus healed the blind and lame, cured the sick, and raised the dead. The faith of our Lord is without question to those who believe in Him, yet He did not move the mountains of Judea. We often shake a warning finger at each other, 'Just because you can do something, does not mean that you should do this thing!' The potency of our faith should first be taken to the Lord in prayer. As we grow closer to Jesus, we may find the mountain is just fine where God put it. We may find that a mountain of fear in our hearts is what most needs to be moved, and the faith Jesus has raised up in us as the mustard seed contains the potency we need to move that fear. Let the earth's mountains and their trees be; look at the mountain of unbelief in hearts all around us. Let us turn our faith loose to move that mountain in the love of Christ. Amen.

Bucky