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Have you ever planted a seed and watched it grow into a full-grown plant or flower? It’s so exciting to see the first sprout come through the dirt. Eventually it grows stronger and taller until it produces a flower, fruit, or vegetable. In the Bible, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to one of the smallest seeds there is: the mustard seed. Read on to discover what it means to have mustard seed faith and what faith as small as a mustard seed can do.
Mustard Seed Scripture in the Bible
The mustard seed is mentioned multiple times throughout scripture as a symbol of faith. The book of Matthew recounts Jesus talking about a mustard seed two particular times. The first is in Matthew 13:31-32, which says, “He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’”
The second time Jesus talks about a mustard seed is in Matthew 17:20, which says, “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’”
What it Means to Have Mustard Seed Faith
To understand what it means to have mustard seed faith, you first need to learn a bit more about the seed itself. A mustard seed is only one to two millimeters in size. However, once planted, watered, and well taken care of, the plant can grow nearly 20 to 30 feet tall and wide.
When Jesus talked about the mustard seed, He wasn’t saying we should only have a little bit of faith. He was saying that even a small faith in Jesus is enough. God can work with faith as small as a mustard seed. He can use you and grow your faith, no matter what you start with. When little faith is placed in the great hands of God, miraculous things can happen. God cares less about the amount of faith you have, so long as what you do have is faith placed in Him.
What is Faith?
When talking about mustard seed faith, it’s important to remember the Biblical definition of faith. Namely, that faith has nothing to do with what you can do. It has everything to do with God’s goodness, kindness, and loving character. Your faith isn’t dependent on your strength or wisdom. It is all dependent on your dependence on God.
How Does Faith Move Mountains?
While God can surely do whatever He wills, it is highly unlikely that anyone’s faith will physically move mountains. Jesus used this example to illustrate the miraculous things available to believers when they have even the smallest amount of faith in God. God does miracles. God makes the impossible possible. When your faith is in God and your desires align with His will, He will “move mountains” in your life.
Trusting God to Move Your Mountains
As you go throughout life, you’ll experience different “mountains,” or obstacles and challenges, in your way. These challenges often feel impossible to overcome. Maybe your marriage is falling apart, and you don’t see how it could come back together. Maybe you’re facing unemployment and financial strain and aren’t sure how you’ll make ends meet. Maybe you or a family member are ill, and the doctors all say there is no hope. These “mountains” are enormous. But no matter the size, they are no match for God. He is bigger and more powerful than anything you’ll ever face in this life.
When faced with huge “mountains,” it can be hard to have faith. How can you look at scans that say the cancer spread and, at the same time, have faith that God can heal? It comes down to trust–trusting that God can move mountains, and His will is perfect and good… whether He moves the mountain when and how you want Him to or not.
God only asks us to have faith in Him as small as a mustard seed. He understands that when faced with overwhelming “mountains,” it is hard to see the hope and promises of God. But if you don’t lose hope, and if you remain faithful, God will show up in your situation.
How to Keep the Faith
At All Things By Faith, we know what it’s like to face mountains. But we also know what it’s like to hold on to faith in God, believing He can and will see us through any and every situation. That’s why we are so excited about our new Mustard Seed Faith jewelry. Each piece comes with an actual mustard seed embedded to remind you that our BIG God can do BIG things, even when you have the smallest faith.
