Most of us will admit we struggle with weak faith from time to time. My faith often feels more like a mustard seed than a mountain mover. When that happens, I tend to do what many religious overachievers do—I try to muscle my way into stronger faith. I grit my teeth, pound the pulpit of my soul, and raise the volume of my prayers as if God might be hard of hearing. Strangely, there seems to be an inverse relationship between faith and loudness. The more insecure I feel, the louder I get. It is not conviction—it is self-convincing. It is as if I am trying to give myself a pep talk: “Come on, faith! Work harder!” But forcing faith rarely works. If the key to faith was emotional intensity, Pentecostal coffee shops would be handing out miracles with every espresso. Real faith does not come from noise, sweat, or flexing spiritual willpower. It is not self-generated at all.
Faith grows not by pushing harder but by leaning deeper. Reaching out to God in honesty—rather than trying to impress Him—is what steadies a shaken heart. I once read a fascinating description of mustard seeds. Each seed contains only enough nourishment to begin life. After the first tiny green shoot breaks through the shell, it must quickly pull strength from outside itself—soil, rain, and sunlight—or it will shrivel and die. The writer made this comparison: “The same is true with our faith. Because it is so weak, it must reach beyond itself for sustenance and growth. It should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” Faith that depends on emotion burns out. Faith that depends on God grows roots. That is why trying harder often leaves us spiritually exhausted. We are digging in shallow soil—our own.
The apostle Paul seems to have learned this lesson too. In First Corinthians chapter two he writes, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling… that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” Paul, the great missionary and theologian, openly admitted that he sometimes felt fearful and shaky. If faith were about personal strength, Paul failed the test. But his confidence did not rest in himself—it rested in God. William Blake once said, “Great things are done when men and mountains meet,” but mountains only move when God gets involved. Any honest believer can admit that progress has little to do with personal brilliance and everything to do with divine help. Even a mustard seed of faith, when planted in the right place, can grow into something steady and strong—not because of the seed, but because of the soil that surrounds it.