Increased faith sounds like something every Christian wants and needs. Nevertheless, at any given moment, we might be hard pressed to say exactly why. Perhaps, that is because it does not exist. In Milton’s Paradise Lost, God declares Man to have been created “sufficient to stand, free to fall”. You won’t find those exact words in scripture, but that doesn’t mean they are not true.
We possess all we will ever need for eternal fellowship with the Almighty. As Jesus points out, the faith we have been given, when exercised as intended, can do all things. However, faith possessed is not the same as the exercise of faith. Jesus stressed this aspect of faith in His parable of the talents. We have faith that moves mountains, but we never will move a mountain until it is exercised.
In one of the Star Wars movies, Luke uses the Force to lift small objects. When told to lift his aircraft from the muck and water of a swamp, he balks because it’s too big. Many Christians think the same thing about the power of their faith.
When told they must be forgiving of those who bring offenses, the apostles thought that was too much for their faith. Ask us to lead an army into battle, we're ready. Forgive the guilty! That’s too much, it’s too big. Jesus went on to explain that as His servants, performing all He asked of them was not a great accomplishment worthy of everlasting fame—it was only their duty.
But don’t let that discourage you. Doing your duty at every turn is life’s greatest accomplishment. Duty will call when we are sick, tired, frustrated, and weak. It will call when we are afraid, unprepared, and beaten down. To answer, “Here am I” is to serve God’s will for our lives.
President Calvin Coolidge once said, "In life there is nothing more common than talent and intelligence. What is missing is passion, persistence, commitment, and dedication." He was not necessarily speaking of Christians of faith. What is a Christian but a person as God meant us to be, when on the sixth day, He pronounced the Creation very good?
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