This may be the most surprising author I’ve ever quoted on this blog, but save the raised eyebrow and appreciate the quote I read from Anais Nin: “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” I submit in our walk with Jesus, our life shrinks and expands in proportion to one’s faith. What might we do for Christ if we actually believed what He said about faith? What might we do if we only believed we could do what He said we could? If we want to live a big life for God’s glory, we’re going to need a big faith. I believe Jesus intends for us to trust Him in what He says.
He has created us with a unique mix of skills, talents, and passions to accomplish His mission on earth. It should go without saying if He designed us for certain work, He has given us the abilities to accomplish that work. It should excite you to be a part of His mission. If you want to expand the role you are playing in the mission of Christ, it follows you’re going to need to expand your faith.
Jesus said if we had only the smallest amount of faith, we could tell a mountain to move and it would move (Matthew 17:20). What mountains need moving in your life? According to Jesus, we have the authority to simply speak them away. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this were true? Since Jesus said it, it must be true. Jesus is truth and there is nothing false in Him (John 7:18). If the truth is we can speak our problems away, why don’t we do it? The answer is our faith is too small. We don’t believe we can do it, so we don’t. There is such power available to us, but we fail to recognize it. Want more of the power of Jesus to be evident in your life? You are going to have to expand your faith.
When David went to face Goliath, He told the naysayers there was nothing to fear because the battle belonged to the Lord (1 Samuel 17:47). We all have giants in our lives. The giants that cause others to tremble will pose no worries for us. We know the battle belongs to the Lord. When you expand your faith, you learn to step back and let God fight the battles. There is nothing He can’t handle. We’ve just go to get out of His way!
How do you expand your faith? You do it by surrendering your life to Him. You expand your faith by trusting God to do what He said He will do and then watch Him do it. You also expand your faith by obeying the commands of Christ. The closer we walk with Him, the more we will see His power manifested in our own lives. Expanding your faith doesn’t guarantee a worry-free life. It doesn’t mean you can get whatever you want if it is outside of God’s will. The truth is, the more you expand your faith, the more you will be targeted by Satan. If you want to expand your faith, be ready for a fight. Get ready for Satan to throw everything including the kitchen sink into your life. He wants to keep you weak and ineffective. An expanded faith in Jesus is a significant threat to Satan. To me, that’s just icing on the cake! Expand your faith. Live your calling. In this, you will find both joy and significance. For what more could anyone ask?