A LITTLE BIT GOES . . .

YOU HAVE PROBABLY HEARD it said many times, "A little bit goes a long way." And, that is true if you are talking about salt, pure vanilla, or cayenne pepper. It might also be said of strong perfume, or a vaccine. However, there are areas of life where a little bit is not sufficient. If you are in the ICU ward of the hospital, a little care will certainly not suffice. If you are in an arid desert, a little bit of water will not be seen as adequate. If you are having a family reunion during the holidays, a little bit of food will not be seen as a good thing.

THERE IS ALSO AN ESSENTIAL FACET in which "a little bit" goes nowhere. It is a domain where "a little bit"is dangerous, and brings great jeopardy to the individual. I am speaking of spiritual life. You might refer to it as religious life, or that dimension of life where strength, help, and stability must come from outside of your own feeble resources. It is the area of life that tends to be seen as more important at the time of death, or when one's world is caving in on them. This is a part of life where FAITH becomes all important – faith in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

PERHAPS YOU HAVE HEARD people speak of "mustard seed faith." In some people's mind, that is a reference to something Jesus once said of faith. "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" (Matt 17:20). Jesus, however, was not referring to a small amount of faith. A "mustard seed" was not a reference to the size or amount of faith, but to its potential. Although it is exceedingly small at first, Jesus said of this seed, "Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof" (Matt 13:32).

FAITH "AS A GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED" cannot stay small, and has no lasting value while it remains small. Do you remember when Peter attempted to walk on water? He did so in response to the word of Jesus. However, while he was traversing on top of the water, the storm caught his eye. His attention was diverted from Jesus, who Himself was walking on the water. The consequence was that Peter began to sink in the stormy deep. He cried out to Jesus saying, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately caught him, and lifted him to the top of the water again. He then told him why he had failed to walk on the water. "O thou of LITTLE FAITH, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matt 14:30-31). He had a "little faith" – enough to get him out of the boat and begin walking on the water. But that "little bit" got him NOWHERE! It was not enough to keep him on top of the water, or bring him all the way to Jesus.

YOU MAY BE TEMPTED TO THINK that a little bit of faith is enough to get you through life – but it is not. The kind of faith God expects from you is one that is "strong" (Rom 4:20), and does not "doubt" (Matt 21:21). Jesus never did commend anyone with "little" faith. He did, however, bring marvelous benefits to those whose faith was "great" (Matt 8:10; 15:28). One of the times Jesus was said to have "marveled," was occasioned by the "great faith" of a Centurion who sought His help. There have also been people who were "full of faith" (Acts 6:5,8; 11:24). There is also such a thing as "the full assurance of faith"(Heb 10:22). This speaks of having confidence to come to God and obtain what He offers, and what you need. One church in the Bible was commended because their faith was growing "exceedingly," or was "greatly enlarged" (2 Thess 1:3, NASB). But no one was ever commended or praised for having a little faith, weak faith, or a faith that was not growing.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAITH? How strong is it? Would you say you have a "little faith," or are you filled with faith? Perhaps you are somewhere in between the inadequate "little" and the all sufficient fulness. But wherever you are, you must settle it in your heart that a "little faith"will really take you nowhere. At some point, your faith has got to grow, advance, and become more dominant within you. It will, indeed, start small, but it cannot stay small. Your faith must mature, just like your body.

FAITH COMES TO YOU BY "HEARING" – hearing the Gospel of Christ (Rom 10:17). It is also brought to you on the wings of the grace of God, which is said to be "exceeding abundant with faith and love"(1 Tim 1:14). Additionally, it is said to come to you "from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph 6:23).

WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN? It means to have a growing faith, you must be hearing a lot of the Word of God, especially what it has to say about Jesus Christ's Person and accomplishments. It means your life must be lived within the framework of an acute consciousness of God – an awareness of Him. If these two things do not happen, your faith, at best, will be "little," and will take you nowhere. Now, examine yourself to see if you are in the faith, as God tells you to do (2 Cor 13:5).

– Given O. Blakely