In my weekly meeting with CM this week, I gave an update on my Wednesday night group. Last week I posted that we had a breakthrough of trust, each of us making ourselves vulnerable while sharing the problems that we've been experiencing lately. One of the things I kept hearing was "if only I had more faith I wouldn't be in this situation".
When I heard this first come up, I don't think I really addressed the issue well enough, so I thought I would do it this week. We started off reading John 21:1-14, the final time that Jesus appeared to 7 of the 11 apostles. In Matthew 28, Jesus asks them to go up a mountain and wait for him. Apparently they got a little impatient because the next thing we read (chronologically) is Peter essentially giving up and returning to his previous life, becoming a fisherman once again, but an unsuccessful one. He and the other disciples are out fishing at night on the Sea of Galilee, it is dawn and they are coming back to shore empty handed. But there is Jesus, loving them all just the same, and he tells them to go back out and cast their nets again. They go, not knowing that it is Jesus, and come back with nets bursting with fish. But before they could even get back to the shore Jesus is there with a fire and a feast waiting for them.
The picture painted here is one of trust and provision. The disciples didn't trust Jesus enough to stay where he had commanded them to wait. When they take matters into their own hands they are unable to provide for themselves. But here is Jesus, not admonishing them, but providing for them. They had little faith, but Jesus met their every need anyway.
I don't think that faith is a measurable commodity. Jesus (and God) will never say, "Gee, you only have .9 ounces of faith, but you really need 1 full ounce before we can work in your life." That is NOT how God works. Even the faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.
And yet we do recognize in ourselves that our faith can grow. I know that I have more trust in God today than I did 12 years ago, or even 2 years ago. But whatever measure of faith that I do have does not, in any way, shape or form, guarantee my present (or future) circumstances. Our circumstances happen regardless of how MUCH faith we have. What does change, though, is the level of peace we have in the face of trying circumstances. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow: He will always love me. But, we live in a fallen world, and that means that there are some things in our lives that are beyond our control: getting into a car accident, getting laid off from a job, getting sick, etc. What DOES change is our response to those circumstances - and in that response we can have peace and even joy. God works miracles every day, regardless of how much faith we have, but the more faith we have our response to those circumstances can change.
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