The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.” The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it would obey you!”
LUKE 17:5–6
Susan sat in the circle with others in the cancer prayer and support group, waiting for her turn to “check in.” The pastor facilitating the group had given instructions. After introducing themselves, they should give a brief update and any praises, prayer requests, or concerns they would like to share. It was her first night and she was nervous. Listening to the stories around the circle, she was even more unsettled. She didn’t belong here. Some of the “regulars” praised God for answering their prayers for healing. Others shared their latest victories or setbacks. In spite of their dire circumstances, they all seemed to have hope. Don’t they understand this is cancer we’re dealing with? Her brother-in-law was right. She needed more faith. A lot more. Without it, her story wouldn’t end well. And he should know. He was a leader in his church. The sound of her name pulled her out of her thoughts. It was her turn. She cleared her throat. “My name is Susan. I have uterine cancer.” She paused. Tears welled up and her thoughts spilled out. “And I’m afraid I don’t have enough faith to be healed.”
Faith is expecting the God of the Bible to do what He says He will. It is the confident assurance that what we hope for will actually happen and assurance of the evidence of things we cannot yet see (Hebrews 11:1). Some believers, like Susan, fear they don’t have enough faith or have been told they lack faith by well-meaning Christians. If they just had more, they would receive their healing. If this has been your experience, the church owes you an apology.
It’s true that Jesus healed everyone who came to Him, and He often told people their faith had made them well. Unfortunately, our human mind can turn this truth into something like this: if people are healed because of their faith, then those who aren’t healed don’t have enough. But it’s not that simple. We can’t put God in a box and apply our human logic to supernatural things. Who can possibly explain these real-life examples?
• Before becoming a pastor, a woman with no faith at all is supernaturally healed of stage 4 cancer.
• A pastor who doesn’t believe in modernday miracles prays for someone who is immediately healed.
• A young man well known for his strong faith who is covered in prayer by an army of prayer warriors loses his battle to cancer.
• Two women of faith receive exactly the same life-threatening diagnosis, but only one is healed and survives.
It’s not up to us to sort all this out, nor should we. We will always encounter mysteries in our walk with Jesus. But our faith in Him must never be contingent on our experiences or our ability to figure Him out. The very foundation of Christianity is that our salvation is by grace through faith alone in what Christ has done, so none can boast (Ephesians 2:8–9).
How much faith is enough? The apostles wanted to know, too. Jesus said a mustard seed of faith was enough for a tree to be uprooted and thrown into the sea at their command. If you have ever held a mustard seed, you know it is very, very small. The amount of faith you have is not as important as the type of faith and the posture of your heart. Just showing up at the prayer meeting was an act of faith for Susan. The Lord can do big things with a humble and obedient heart and a small amount of genuine faith.
Lord, in Your name, I break off any words spoken over me that I don’t have enough faith to be healed. I’m sorry for believing the lie that You will withhold healing and blessing from me if I lack faith. Forgive me if I have made my understanding of You and Your ways a requirement for believing in Your promises. Thank You that there is no condemnation in You (Romans 8:1). Thank You for Your grace that covers me when I struggle with doubt.
Help me reach a place in my relationship with You where my trust in You and Your promises completely displaces all my doubts and fears. I give You my heart, Lord. Please give me a genuine faith and the willingness to trust and obey. My faith may be small as a mustard seed, but in You and by Your power, I can toss my burdens into the sea!