EMBOLDENED

EMBOLDENED

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Do You Know Jesus? An Invitation to Boldness

September 9th, 2024

Why does it matter if we love our neighbors and our enemies?

Salvation is a personal choice, but once we choose God, it is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. We gain eternal life, and the gift of the Holy Spirit for today, but our faith costs us something too.

What yes have we given when we’ve given our lives to the Lord? What does the Lord give us in return?

About a week ago, on my morning commute, just shy of 8 o’clock, a person I hadn’t thought about for years popped into my mind. Some mornings on these drives, I listen to music. On other days, I sit in silence. On that particular Tuesday, I was talking to God about love. Loving our neighbors. Loving our enemies. Caring about the ones in our homes, the ones across the seas, and everyone in between. I was asking Him how to see people through His eyes. I was asking to experience His promise of an easy yoke and a burden light because loving others well isn’t always so easy.

As I asked for wisdom, God gave me a memory.

Do You Know Jesus?

My mind gathered images, and the story began to unravel before me.

I pieced together a warn gym floor, morning light breaking in through skylights. In the back left corner, I recalled the one long mat haphazardly placed between a row of cycle bikes, a water station, and the entrance to the women’s changing room. It was the one place you could stretch and not take up too much space.

In this memory, a woman sat beside me, cooling down, as I was warming up. We sat in close quarters, on the same mat stacked up against the corner wall. It was impossible to avoid the presence of the other, so she began to ask me a few simple questions about myself as we cohabitated. I told her where I went to school, what I liked to do, etc. In these few moments, she seemed gentle and kind – genuinely interested in what I was telling her. Experiencing that kind of attentiveness from a stranger felt rare. She let me finish a thought. Then, she paused before asking me a question.

Do you know Jesus?

Discomfort filled my eyes as I scrambled to respond. Saving me from my speechlessness and panic, she chimed in again. All she said was He is good. You should read the book of John and see for yourself. I didn’t know how to respond. With a simple ok, I carried on with my workout and she did too.

After that, if we ran into each other, she’d ask about my day, but she never asked about Jesus again. And I never asked her anything more about her faith, either.

I didn’t think about this interaction for years – not until God reminded me of it last week. This woman probably left our interaction thinking I was “bad soil”. In that moment, I would’ve agreed. But the Lord has completely and totally captured my heart since then. Without even realizing it, this woman and her faithfulness have been a part of my story all along.

It’s crazy to think I’d forget a seed.

But now that this memory has surfaced, I realize I did. When we give our lives to Jesus, we are saying yes to Him and His ways. We’re saying, I choose you. I choose your promise despite my discomfort. I choose willingness in light of my apathy. I choose boldness in the midst of my fear.

With that decision comes a laying down of our lives, recognizing that it’s no longer we who live but Christ in us. We live to glorify Him. To draw others into His presence. To go. To teach. To baptize. To make disciples of all nations. To be the hands and the feet of Jesus wherever we go.

We are invited to participate. While some shudder at the words evangelize and the like, I believe it’s one of the most incredible honors in the life of a believer to share the ways Jesus has transformed us. To say I was lost but now I’m found.

We’ve been entrusted with the people of God, and with those who do not yet know Him. We get to share His heart and glory with those around us.

How do we love? We participate. Faith is authenticated through deeds of love.

Our love for the Lord is displayed as we show kindness to grocery store clerks, as we leave generous tips for baristas, as we extend grace and mercy when our hearts would rather grow cold in bitterness, and when we recognize that our actions can prepare the way for people to encounter Christ. We don’t show kindness to draw others to ourselves, but to the feet of Jesus. It’s a lot easier to care in this way when you’ve been a recipient of this supernatural love and kindness yourself.

Boldness is for Everyone

Something I’ve observed in myself and other believers is that fear and discomfort of what others think fogs our memory and convictions. If we’re not careful, we’ll instead choose to live a life of conformity rather than boldness. Scripture says, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. There is a way to be both gentle and hold fast boldly to our faith. To proclaim Christ and hold space for the wrestlings and doubts of others. In fact, by making room for questions and weariness, you’re making room for the presence of God to draw near and do what only He can do. The only way to get this wrong is to not do anything.

God uses ordinary people to draw those around them to His extraordinary love. As I asked the Lord how to love others better, He reminded me of a seemingly random day before I even knew Him to show me what genuine neighbor and enemy love looks like. He used the faithfulness of another to teach me the beauty and simplicity of genuinely caring about those in our path.

Through this memory, God reminded me that we often make things a lot more complicated than they need to be. The key to loving people well is not found in a strategy, but in a person. When you become captivated by the love of Christ, when you experiencing life change and transformation in him, you can’t help but want those around you to know him too. There are certainly helpful tools we can employ, and practices we can engage with to gain confidence and wisdom, but at the end of the day, it’s not about effectiveness of our methods, but believing in the power of Jesus’ love and resurrection and caring about others enough to desire them to know what you do.

Jesus paid it all. You might know that, but many others don’t.

We Are Kingdom Builders

As I sat with the woman in that gym a decade ago, I could tell there was something different about her in the way that she listened. In her genuine curiosity and attentiveness. In her gentleness and kindness. She took me by surprise because I could sense the presence of love in her. Real, authentic, powerful love. The supernatural kind.

Love spilled out as she sat and listened intently to me.

She was a messenger of the Father’s love (so are you and me).

Many people live with their head down, too busy to make any meaningful connections with people along the way. We get from Point A to Point B with no room for interruptions. So, when her eyes were set on me, attentive to what I had to say, it stood out to me. People are precious in God’s sight. So, too, should they be in ours.

Almost 10 years ago, an ordinary woman chose to step out in faith in hopes I may encounter Jesus. She knew the eternal weight of her yes, and willfully walked by the Spirit, planting a seed in me. How many of us live with faithfulness like that, knowing that a simple conversation could lead to others finding the way Home? That everything that we do holds eternal weight and glory?

How many of us recognize that we are each called to seed planting, soil tending, and watering? How many of us see our whole lives as mission, fueled and driven by love? How many of us recognize that because we house the Spirit of God, every step we take is reclaimed as holy ground?

God is patient because He desires all to come to Him and none to perish.

It’s beautiful that we get to be a part of God’s plan with such a vital supporting role.

What you do in the present – by painting, preaching, singing, sewing, praying, teaching, building hospitals, digging wells, campaigning for justice, writing poems, caring for the needy, loving your neighbor as yourself – will last into God’s future. These activities are not simple ways of making the present life a little less beastly, a little more bearable, until the day when we leave it behind altogether. They are part of what we may call building for God’s kingdom (N.T. Wright).

We are kingdom builders. Everything that we do in love becomes a gift of worship, laid down at the feet of Jesus.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

Walk in love. Allow others to witness the goodness and kindness and mercy and love of God through you. Be interruptible. Slow down and get out of your own head, so you can see the people around you. You never know how God will use your yes for His glory. But it’s not your job to know; it’s your job to be faithful.

9 years ago, I had no plans to drop everything and follow Jesus.

I didn’t accept the invitation to come and follow him. I didn’t even want to come and see.

I thought I had my mind made up about Jesus.

But I didn’t. I changed my mind two years later. I said yes to a late night church service in a time in my life where I was looking for meaning and searching for answers. A few months after that, when I bought my first bible, I started with the Book of John. The woman who recommended that book to me never got to see the seed she planted in me become anything. That didn’t stop her from being faithful. It didn’t stop her from showing me Love. She knew that if I just caught a glimpse of His heart, that I would want to know Him. She trusted God could use her for His glory and restoration.

We’re A Part of the Story

Our job in God’s redemptive story is to make room for others to encounter Him. To show them the way to Him. To proclaim the truth of His goodness and love through our words and our actions, in hopes their hearts may be softened toward Him.

This is an honor.

We can’t do this if our heads are down and our eyes are closed. So, let your prayer be this: God open my eyes to see you. Help me learn how to hear you. Teach me your way, that I may walk in it.

Loving others, sharing the gospel, being kind to everyone we meet is not about being a Good Christian. It’s about understanding that Christ died for all, and all deserve to know Him. It’s about walking in the knowledge of His love, and wanting that for others too.

As you walk in love, the light of the Father shines through you. His light is everlasting, and it changes everything. Jesus changes everything.

Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

In David Guzik’s commentary on 1 Corinthians 16, he writes “all the watching, all the standing fast, all the bravery, and all the strength the Corinthian Christians might show meant nothing without love. They were called to do all those things in a meek, humble spirit of love.” So, too, are we.

Let all the we do be done in love, with meekness and humility, and we’ll bring glory to God. We’ll become active participants in Christ’s mission to restore all things unto Him.

This is so much more than showing up to church or ministry nights. This is about putting on the new self, walking by the Spirit, every step we take. Many searching, needy, people will never find themselves in the walls of a church building. The good news is, you, believer, are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Your life proclaims the saving grace of Jesus.

Walking in love, with meekness and humility, is the only strategy we need to shine the light of the Father.

Ask God for wisdom. He gives more than we could ever need.

Plant a seed. Tend to the soil. Make room. Give God your yes. When measured with the weight of eternal glory, only good things will come.

…

Do Everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus.

God did not send His one and only son to only exist in one area of our lives. To only be God With Us during our “quiet time” a few hours a week. He is omnipresent, and He is a jealous God. He wants you to welcome Him into every moment of your day. He wants you to see He’s with you always.

Let God’s love, joy and peace transform your entire life by spending time with Him and getting to know His heart. Give Him all of you by developing daily rhythms to welcome His presence into your home, workplace, and all the spaces you inhabit. You will then be able to hear Him when He calls. Seek Him in the desperate, the joyful, and the mundane with the simple prayers of help, thanks, and wow. Becoming aware of God’s presence throughout your days allows you to be sensitive to where He’s moving, and makes His outpouring of love come much more naturally – because it comes not from you, but from Him.

Other people deserve to know God and His saving grace. They deserve the chance to say yes to following Him, and discover that it was because God so loved the world that he sent Jesus, not to condemn the world but to save it through him.

Proclaim Christ in all you say and do. You never know what’ll come of it, but God does. He’s always worth the risk.
Taking Heart

August 9th, 2024

7 years of following Jesus, and every season has invited me into deeper wisdom and understanding of Jesus’ words in John 16. You will face trials of many kinds, he said to his disciples. But take heart, for I have overcome the world.

Somewhere along the narrow path, many of us have misunderstood the presence of God to mean the absence of pain. Maybe we hope that’s true because pain is, well, painful. I am quickly reminded: if that were true, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to come in the first place. There wouldn’t have needed to be any saving.

I thought Jesus would make it all better. I thought he’d heal me. I thought I’d be over this grief by now. I thought I wouldn’t experience such sadness after giving my life to him. Why is this still so hard?

This wavering, this doubt, this pain and this suffering also sound like, God I thought you were my protector. Why is this happening? God, if you’re good, then how can you let these bad things happen? God, I thought you cared about me. Why are you silent? Why aren’t you doing something about this?

There comes a time where we realize we are not immune to the troubles of this world. In the midst of my own questions and doubts, I have been trying to grasp the fullness of what it means that God is with us. As humans, and as believers, it seems it is our natural tendency to hide and stuff away our pain and suffering, thinking that feeling is an indication of weak faith.

The truth is, to have a faith at all is to be made strong. His grace is sufficient for us, and Christ’s power is made perfect in weakness.

As we experience sorrow amidst our faith-filled lives, we come to learn that Jesus’ ever present nearness is the true miracle. He doesn’t take all our pain away now, but he is close to us in it. So, what then, can sorrow and suffering teach us about Christ? How can we take heart when the brokenness of the world seems heavy at every other turn?

…

If we know God can use all things for His glory, then surely there is something to learn in our darkest night too.

While suffering is not the primary avenue for intimacy with God, it is a way God can show us who He is as a Redeemer. In a broken world full of sin, no one is immune to the destruction and heartache of suffering. To the secular world, it remains purposeless – the presence of it leading to evidence that God is not in fact good, but evil. As disciples of Jesus, we can take heart knowing that God does not wish suffering upon his Beloved children, but because He has allowed free will, there will be rebellion and brokenness. In free will, humanity chose rebellion. In great mercy and grace, God made a way for us to be redeemed, including in our darkest night (Brenna Blain).

I have needed this reminder in recent weeks. Facing my own sorrows, I have wondered if God is present even now. I am quickly reminded that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Though I wish salvation meant all my tears would be wiped away in this life, I know there is a joy set before us in the life to come. We can still embrace joy in the days we have now.

For now, through trials of many kinds, we can learn what it means to take heart. To be refined, sharpened, and to depend more wholly on Him.

Take heart, Jesus said.

The million dollar question remains: how?

What is Despair? Can Christ Use It?

I believe despair is one of our heart’s responses to fallenness. It’s the gut reaction that twists and turns as our minds grieve the way things were before the fateful fruit met Eve’s lips all those years ago. This is not how it was supposed to be, we mutter.

The Oxford Dictionary defines despair as “the complete loss or absence of hope”. In Cambridge Dictionary’s definition, despair is further described as not being able to improve a situation. In the natural, our situation might be hopeless. It may lead us to fear a fate of despair. But, because of Jesus, despair doesn’t have the final say. The cross does.

And yet, you might think, sorrow still exists. And you’re right. Our hearts still drop. Our minds still wander. Finding hope is not always so simple.

When left unattended, despair can stop us in our tracks. Unregulated, unresolved emotions can become an idol – sitting on a stolen throne. This is the throne of our heart – the center of our entire being – where only Jesus is worthy to sit. Equally, when pushed so deep down, we fail to consider the way we can see the Lord’s redemptive power through hard things.

Despair can thwart the movement of blessing in and through us as we begin to wonder if God is good. As seeds of doubt are sown and watered. Despair in the hands of the enemy becomes unbelief and hopeless sorrow. Grief processed in the presence of the Lord becomes purposeful and meaningful pain accompanied by inexpressible joy, a gladness not based on circumstance. It sows seeds of dependence, faith, hope, and love. These moments of processing with Jesus bear the fruit of intimacy with him. They bring hope, meaning, and purpose to our tear-soaked cheeks.

…

In the seen, there is not a way through. In the unseen, God is working.

In moments of desperation and hope lost, we get to look to Jesus and have faith in the supernatural movements of a God who enters in. God made a way for reconciliation and renewal through his son Jesus. This truth does not negate the pain of our heart, but it does help guide our steps through it. Faith is looking at a circumstance with spiritual eyes, trusting that in the end, God is faithful to His promise of restoring all things.

Faith in the midst of sorrow reminds us, we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Parker Palmer says, “the deeper our faith, the more doubt we must endure; the deeper our hope, the more prone we are to despair; the deeper our love, the more pain its loss will bring: these are a few of the paradoxes we must hold as human beings. If we refuse to hold them in the hopes of living without doubt, despair, and pain, we also find ourselves living without hope, faith, and love.’”

As we grow deeper in wisdom, the more the suffering of this world pains us. The more we know God and His heart, the more our own beats like His. The more we understand God’s hope for humanity, the more troubled we become by the presence of sin and suffering.

Here we can learn: the presence of doubt is not the absence of faith, nor despair the absence of hope. Palmer suggests we are even more prone to the impact of this heaviness as we see more and more the fullness of Christ and his heart for the weary and wandering.

But, this heaviness will not crush us. We are instead encouraged to accept the invitation to take Jesus’ yoke upon us and embrace his burdens light.

Palmer’s words beg the question: Do you wish to live a life marked by hope, faith and love?

Do not fear the presence of doubt, despair, and the pain of loss. These mark a life of faith. A heart that beats the way Christ’s does. A mind that is transformed and knows the will of the Father. A life all in on bringing hope and light to this dark, fallen world.

Knowing that grief, loss, and sorrow are a natural part of a faith-filled life is only part of the puzzle. In order to learn how to fight for faith, hope and love, we must look to Christ’s example to know how to fight for it as we endure trials of many kinds.

Hold Fast Hope

In James 1 it says, Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

I believe there are many biblical ways to live out the call to perseverance. What I say here may seem counterintuitive to what a lot of us understand about “standing firm”. And yet, Christ’s way consistently disrupted the wisdom of his time. Jesus was not the one they were looking for as they awaited the promised Messiah. He came, not as a victorious gladiator of sorts (like they expected), but a meek and humble Nazarene man born in a manger. From the beginning, his way has been unexpected.

Our triumph in this life looks wildly different than what all the movies teach us about victory because as believers, ours is an eternal perspective. As we look to Jesus’ example, we realize we are not taught to be strong, but to let him be our strength. We are never asked to hold it all together, to withhold our tears, or to stuff it away somewhere for no one to see.

With trial comes sorrow. With hardship comes heartache. Because of Jesus, these momentary troubles (on eternity’s timeline) don’t have the final word.

So, how do we tend to the heart in these moments of grief and sorrow? How do we learn from Christ’s example as we endure the deepest valleys?

John 11 comes to mind.

Jesus Wept

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

When Jesus receives word of his good friend, Lazarus, dying, he does not drop everything and run to him. He assures his disciples that his friend will live. But, when they arrive at the house of Mary and Martha, three days later, they fall upon a grieving home. Everyone there was deeply troubled by the loss, especially Lazarus’ sisters. Even though Jesus knew how the story ended, he did not hesitate to sit beside them as they cried. Scripture says Jesus was not just moved, but deeply stirred in spirit, and troubled.

He did not hurry past the heaviness. He felt it. He allowed the grief of the ones he loved some room to breathe. He saw their tear soaked cheeks, and his heart swelled with compassion.

Jesus sat, and he wept.

Here, Jesus shows us how to grieve. How to pause in our pain and allow it to hold space. To not be in a hurry to leave it because we can learn something about him in it. Not to dwell in a way that becomes all-consuming, but to give our grief some room to breathe.

Jesus teaches us to pause and be still. To acknowledge the feelings that tear at our heartstrings, so they don’t become rulers of our soul.

Jesus was perfect and sinless and beautiful and has all authority and dominion in heaven and on earth, and he wept.

We can learn from him.

Tears are a natural response to the brokenness of this world, and it is not weak to be moved by sorrow. It is Christlike.

So, if you think tears are not the appropriate response to your or another person’s suffering, think again. If you think lamenting loss, and wrestling with doubt or despair puts your faith on trial, think again. If allowing yourself some space to grieve feels like the “weak” thing to do, remember this: Jesus wept.

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In Ecclesiastes, we are told there is a time for everything. A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

Be encouraged.

In our grief, His joy is just around the corner. His light is waiting to break through the darkness that hides us, so that we remember the hope to which we belong.

Take Heart

In the moments before Jesus raises Lazarus back to life, he speaks to Martha.

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?

27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Martha got to witness a miracle of her brother being raised to earthly life again, but she didn’t forget the ultimate prize: eternal life with Jesus. She fixed her eyes on the joy set before them, not realizing Jesus planned to bring him back right then. I believe Martha invites us into this living hope that Jesus promises to those who love him. She knew that hope was not lost – if their prayers were not answered in this life, then they would be in the life to come.

After Jesus wept, he raised Lazarus up to new life. Tears didn’t minimize the miracle Jesus planned to work back then, and they won’t in your situation either. Grief and sorrow have a worthy place. Through it, we can learn how to trust and depend on Christ. But after a time, we must fight for our hope. We must press on, being anchored confidently in the truth of His promise. We must hold fast to the hope that we will each rise again in the resurrection at the last day. We will be redeemed, healed, and delivered – if not in this life, then in the one to come.

One day, He will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4).

One day, all our prayers prayed in alignment with the will of God that were not answered on this side of heaven will be poured out onto this land (Revelation 5:8).

As we exist in the in between – healed, yet not fully – we can look ahead to the greater promise of eternal life with him. This is the lesson of John 16. This is the invitation in John 11. We can take heart and hold fast to the hope we have in Christ because today’s sorrows are tomorrow’s victory.

Our grief is not the end of the story. Resurrection is.

Responding

Grappling with the pain and disappointments of this world is a daily thing. Making sense of our grief and sorrow, while not allowing it to become our ruler, is driven by the wisdom of our Cosuffering King, Jesus. Without him, our despair may just swallow us up whole.

So, what does it look like to stay anchored in faith as we face the troubles of this world? Here’s a few things that help me practice dependence on Jesus, so I don’t fall into the pit of despair:

Be Honest, & Seek an Eternal Perspective. Allow yourself and God the honor of feeling what is honest and true, then release it. Lay it down. Trust that your story is safe with the Author of Life himself. (This is a daily thing).

If God sees the heart, and you offer him up anything less than what’s honest, don’t you think He’ll see through it anyway? Allow God the opportunity to show you who He is, in every season.

Try to see your situation through the lens of 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Notice this scripture also starts with the words about taking heart.

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, since we know that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Be honest with God, but do not lost heart. Remember His promise. Remember your inheritance.

Grieve in Good Company. James Coffield writes, the real decision is how and with whom you will grieve.

Let it be with Jesus.

As our hearts ache. As our souls cry out with wordless groans. As our bodies carry the weight of a fallen world. Jesus is our source of hope eternal. We can be encouraged by this truth from Hebrews:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

God knows the weight we carry. He invites us to lay it down, and instead take his easy yoke upon us. This is why Jesus wept. He feels the weight as we do – and yet, heavier still. He bore the sins of all humanity, for all of time. We can trust him with our pain and suffering and questions. He’s not afraid of it.

He knows exactly how we feel, in the highest highs and the lowest lows. And he wants to be God With Us. To be a friend in the fire.

Come to Him. The enemy loves to whisper lies. God speaks what’s true.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Remember God. Remember His promise. Remember who you are to Him. Then, approach His throne of grace.

We have a high priest who can empathize with every weakness because he knows the depths of the human experience. He is deeply moved and troubled by our grief and sorrow, and desires to be close to us as we wrestle.

To encounter his goodness, we must be aware of his presence.

So, approach God’s throne of grace. Call upon Him in your wrestling. In your sorrow. In your grief. Confidently enter the presence of the Lord, knowing he gives mercy and grace to help in our time of need.

Allow him to meet you in your suffering, your questions, and your doubt. Allow Jesus to be God With You. Allow Christ to restore your hope.

I say the word “allow” because the nearness of Jesus is never a question of whether he wants to be close to us. Relationship relies on our turning to him, opening our hearts to him. Saying yes to him.

Come home to Jesus.

He’s been waiting for you.
Little Faith. Mighty God.

January 30th, 2024

For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

At the end of my life, I hope to hear “well done good and faithful servant” not “oh you of little faith”.

Mustard seed faith is genuine faith – sometimes it’s all we can muster – but God has more for us too. If we ask Him to open our eyes to see Him in His fullness, and actually believe that God is who He says He is, we would surely have more. We would surely be confident to take more risks, believing wholeheartedly in the sovereignty of the God we love, and who loves us.

In my hometown, there’s rolling hills that dance across the landscape through winding backroads. In the springtime, wildflowers and kaleidoscope colors cascade across your view. My favorite part about coming home in the spring is seeing the way poppies, lupins, and mustard flowers dominate every landscape there. I think about how small one of those mustard seeds is, but how eventually they multiply so that all you can see are clouds of yellow painting the rolling hills.

This is the kind of faith we’re called to have: faith that builds in such a way that no one can escape it. That catches like a wildfire. That you can’t help but pour out onto the spaces and places you inhabit. For some, mustard seed faith is as far as they ever get, knowing God can still move mountains but not taking the chances to build mighty and resilient faith. And yet, when mustard seeds are fed, they can’t help but multiply. To pour out. To invade.

To embrace the fullness of a mustard seed is to watch it grow abundantly. If it doesn’t, it’s often because something along the way chokes its roots, dries its water up, or stunts its growth. A storm. A drought. Fear. Worry. Doubt.

When our faith isn’t fed, seeds don’t spread. And when trials come, it cannot withstand. While I would consider myself a person with relatively bold and resilient faith, I still wrestle with doubt and I can still relate to all the stories of those with little faith, but through the person of Jesus, we come to know God. He has given us all of Him through His son, Jesus. Thus, the cross is enough to know that God is faithful. His faithfulness doesn’t always manifest through us getting what we want or hope for, but faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Christ is the only one in whom we can place all our hope and expectation and never leave empty-handed. Mustard seed faith grows into abundant fields of depth, intimacy, and hope in Jesus when we continue to believe in His goodness and trustworthiness.

Setting the Bar

As I set out on a fundraising journey for Dressember last month, I was reminded of this truth and of relying not on my strength, but the God who sees all, knows all, and is in all. At the beginning of the month, I prayed for a number. There was a part of me that knew I could set the bar higher, but I felt good about starting with $1200. For some reason, even playing it “safe” felt daunting at the time, but what I had to give was a mustard seed. The fundraising process wasn’t foreign to me, but it wasn’t something I felt very confident about. As I watched God far exceed my expectations and prayers in fundraising, I was wildly humbled. My soul jolted awake, and I was reminded of the meager offering I’ve given to God: limited belief in a limitless God.

Yahweh doesn’t always answer prayers in the ways we might hope He would, but this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray them. Through this part of the journey, I was reminded of the faith God asks of me, and the trust He is worthy of.

In settling on a number, I hadn’t factored Him in. I factored in human strength, effort and power, and in so doing, exercised little faith. At the time though, it felt like a lot. Wearing a dress as a symbol of solidarity for an entire month felt like a lot, but only because I forgot that when we’re weak, we’re strong. God is worth so much more than little faith. Even so, He takes what little we have and multiplies it to move mountains. Thankfully, God is still faithful even when we aren’t. He can move even when we’re afraid and have shaky faith.

Oh You Of Little Faith

I heard the words ring in my ear so clearly as I watched my fundraising goal be met and surpassed in the first two days of the month: oh you of little faith.

God doesn’t always move in the same ways, so surely the element of surprise is part of trusting in Him. A lot of times He’s an eleventh hour God. He shows up right when we think all hope is lost. When rent is due and we have no money in our checking account. When our relationships are hanging on by a thread and we can’t see the way through. When a woman suffers internally for twelve years and has tried everything to be healed. When the world goes dark and there’s no cure for blindness. That’s when God’s power often shines.

This time though, He was an in the wee hours of the morning on the first day kind of God. I set the bar low, but He displayed His power nonetheless. I was afraid of failing, so I played it safe. God saw I had forgotten who He was, so by grace, He showed me again.

These words, oh you of little faith, didn’t draw me into shame; they drew me into humility. They brought me back to the feet of Jesus to remember His power. These words wrapped me into the arms of God in holy conviction, in awe of what He can do.

Why did I think it would go any differently?

Our God is the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He is the only one who can quiet the winds and the waves, multiply bread loaves to feed thousands, bring the dead back to life, walk on water and heal in ways we could never ask, think, or imagine.

Oh you of little faith.

This refrain is only mentioned four times in scripture, one of which is the famous story of Peter and Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14. Each time, this phrase is Jesus’ response to an expression of fear, doubt or anxious preoccupation among his disciples. It is not motivated by a complete lack of faith, but for an insufficient amount, especially from those who have witnessed some of Jesus’ greatest miracles.

I heard once that some believe the invitation to come out upon the water wasn’t just an invitation for Peter; he was just the one bold enough to climb out of the boat and leave his friends behind. We often remember the mighty faith that drew him out onto the waters, but often forget the shaky faith that made him fall in. And yet, through that doubt and worry, Jesus presents the true invitation. The invitation to trust in him as the mighty one who makes a way when there is no way.

Along the winding road of life with Jesus, in more ways than one, I have identified with Peter and his child-like faith. It’s not just his willing heart that has made him relatable for me, but his momentary, meager faith too. The way he says he’d never forget Jesus, how he’d always fight for him, but then denies him three times.

For Peter, it was never for lack of trying. It was never for lack of honor, integrity, or heart. Fear got the best of him sometimes, but Peter so desired to love and serve God, to believe wholeheartedly that God is who He says He is. I see myself in Peter. Often I feel I have enough faith to step out, but not always enough to sustain me. Maybe you can relate to that too.

It’s the condition of little faith that holds us back, keeps us secure in our position. It’s sobering, really, to realize that even those who walked closely with Jesus wrestled with faith. That even the ones who journeyed with Jesus had to fight unbelief. The condition of little faith is one I have identified with over the years – having less faith than I should when I’ve seen God move the way He has in my life. Even still, the Lord has been so gracious and faithful. In that, I am humbled. For that, I am grateful.

Of you of little faith

A tender, yet firm, rebuke from Jesus. Here, he reminds us that the ask of wavering trust in him is not always comfortable but is surely worth it. Blessed are those who believe and yet do not see. In each account where Jesus gently corrects the doubt and weariness in His disciples, there is a charge to remember the faithfulness of God, and in so doing, to return to faith in Him. So how can we remedy our little faith? By listening for His voice, and quieting all the others, by praying bold prayers that exemplify the mighty faith you have in God.

Oh you of little faith.

One by one, in each account, Jesus exchanges a wrong assumption about himself through holy encounters and stories of rescue. He doesn’t just tell his disciples to trust him blindly, or have faith in him because he said so. Instead, Jesus told His disciples who He was by showing them. He still does this for us. Wrapped up in the convicting, sobering, but ever so gentle and loving phrase oh you of little faith is a reminder to live in a way that screams “I trust God and His ways”.

In this, I am brought to my knees.

Why is it so easy for us to believe God’s goodness is too good to be true?

Why is it so hard for us to understand His holiness and perfection? To trust in it after embracing the reality that no one can fathom his understanding?

Doubt can feel so easy sometimes, and faith so hard.
Even in all of God’s promise keeping, miracle working, and way making, we waver and doubt like waves tossed by the sea. Why else would scripture tell us not to fear 365 times? Often, we are more likely to talk ourselves into fear and worry than faith and trust. Even the disciples let doubt creep in, but Jesus was always quick to correct this. We would do well to slow down and draw near to Jesus in moments like that. Every oh you of little faith is a new opportunity to trust God more. Every do you trust me? Is a second chance to be renewed in our minds and transformed in our hearts to become more like Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Christ’s Invitation to Stand on Faith

To those preoccupied with urgent need for provision, Jesus says trust in me, oh you of little faith.

To those afraid of the storms that arise, fearful of their own perishing, to them Jesus says look to me, oh you of little faith.

To those stepping out, going against the grain, seeking to do the impossible, to them Jesus says do not waver; fix your eyes on me, oh you of little faith.

To those afraid that God will not provide, to them Jesus says, do not doubt, oh you of little faith.

Our God is the one who dresses the lilies in all their splendor, in whom the winds and the waves obey. He is the one who feeds thousands with but a few loaves of bread and who can walk on water. In Him, we can trust. In Him, we can have faith.

For those of us who may wrestle with little faith syndrome, it can feel hard sometimes to live in a way that shouts of the faithfulness and might of God. We say we believe that God is who He says He is, but when asked to respond, our hearts hesitate. For those of us with little faith, we allow anxious care, unnecessary fear, and doubts to take up more space than they deserve. We care far too much about what others think, and not enough of what God has to say instead. We allow fear to hold us back, and struggle to leave it all at the feet of Jesus where it belongs.

Hebrews 12 says, throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles so that we may run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

The antidote to anxious care and unnecessary fear isn’t just faith; it’s honesty, confession, repentance. It’s creating space for God to speak truth over our fear, so He can remind us that He is faithful to every word spoken.

Any time God has pointed out my little faith, it was always with tenderness and clarity. It has never been either/or, but both/and. He draws me near gently and lovingly, and rebukes the hesitation in me. So it was with fundraising. So it has been with so many other things in my life too. He is kind enough to show me again who He is, and make space for me to try again. Most of the time, we don’t just need to hear “do not be afraid”, but we need to be reminded of the sovereignty and might of our Lord. We need to linger a little bit longer in His presence so He can show us His glory.

Practicing Remembrance

If we called upon our memory of moments God has been faithful to us more often, I believe our fires would burn brighter for Him. We wouldn’t be afraid of aiming high and watching the Lord do what He does best. Calling upon the moments and situations where I have seen God move in my life and others’ has done wonders for me. Tethered to the vine, I desire to always be. But this takes work. It takes intentionality and time. Spending attentive time with Jesus takes sacrifice. Faith is a fight, but it’s well worth it.

We might still fall, we may still waver like Peter did, but I’m sure we would end up with far more stories of crazy ways we have seen God move if we looked back upon our history built with the one who goes before us and hems us in from behind.

Remembrance renews us and compels us to act. Forgetfulness keeps us stuck. Remembrance draws forth a desire to see more of God in our lives, never less.

When we allow God the space, He faithfully leads us into moments and experiences that can help us know Him deeper. These moments show us His glory, His might, His omnipotence. God can do anything, and while He loves to partner with us in His plan for restoring all things back unto Him, He remains faithful even when we’re faithless (AND when we set too low of expectations for how we might see Him move).

Have you ever heard that faith comes by hearing? I believe faith comes by knowing too. Trust is the fruit of intimacy with God. When we pray, He shows us His heart for this world and the ways we can be a part of the mission. We catch a glimpse of our Creator and why we were created. In God’s presence, we receive His love. We remember who He is. When we see God for who He is, it’s hard not to believe for more because there, in the quiet place, history is built, hearts are softened, and faith increases. When we ask Jesus to remind us of who He is, He never leaves us empty-handed. When we bring Him what little faith we have, He moves mountains. Not just the ones we see in front of us, but the ones in our hearts too, so that our faith might grow. He takes our worry and fears, and builds an altar in place of them.

Great Faith

Great faith knows its Savior.

Great faith knows the only One who can quiet the voice of fear.

Great faith knows the One who can satisfy the aching longing in its heart.

Great faith belongs to the one who looks beyond the natural, and believes that in the unseen, God is moving. Beyond what our naked eyes can see, something is stirring.

When all we have to offer God is ourselves, in our brokenness and flaws, Jesus still displays His power and supernatural love through us. He can work with those of little faith, but He can do greater things through those with greater faith.

For when He makes a promise, He keeps it.

When He says He’s good, He always will be.

When He says He’s heartbroken over something, He will continue to be until all things are made new.

These are reasons to trust Him. His holiness is proof that we can and that He’s worthy of it.

The difference between one of little faith and one of great faith is willingness. A simple yes is the only thing setting those with great faith apart. A devotion to God and a commitment to pushing forth in light of fear and worry.

God longs to see those with bold faith rise up. So, here’s to new beginnings with more willing hearts. With more risk taking and ruthlessly trusting in the One who says He’ll make a way. Our God is the God of impossibilities and miracles. He can do anything. Here’s to the grace that meets us, the hands that hold us, and the voice that speaks truth over us.