Little Faith vs. Great Faith

I've been a Christian for a long time. When I was young, I got so excited about doing "projects" for God and for my church. When a few of them didn't turn out exactly as I had envisioned, I was sorely disappointed. Missionaries from exotic foreign lands visited our congregation and my emotions ramped up again, then just as quickly died out. I was immature in my faith.

Charles Spurgeon, a British Baptist preacher in the late 1800's, wrote: "Strong faith, like Mary, sits still in the house. Little faith would convert the world before the sun went down, and she grows faint because her zeal has not fulfilled her wish. Little faith must pluck the promises while they are green. She is not content to wait till they become ripe and mellow."

Seems like I've seen a lot of people come through our church. They join in, get excited about service and spend hours working in ministry. Within a few months or years, though, they seem to fade away. Perhaps they had a fight with another member, or felt they weren't appreciated for all their contributions. Whatever the case, their faith fizzled.

Little faith needs instant gratification.
Great faith is patient.

Little faith needs constant monitoring.
Great faith is mature.

Little faith is mercurial, her moods are an emotional roller coaster.
Great faith is steady.

When the Centurion pleaded with Jesus to speak a word of healing for his servant, the Lord said He had not seen "so great faith, no, not in Israel." I have found that my spiritual maturity has increased when I study and meditate on His Word, spend time in personal prayer and give to others without expectations. Sometimes I am more successful than others. I keep my eyes on Him, and off everyone around me. God rewards the effort.

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Female in Motion is preparing for big things in February! Read every blog entry next month for a lot of life, inspiration and an awesome prize. It will be a Fun February with Female in Motion!

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Female in Motion Exercise Update: I did four 40-minute Wii workouts last week, including one session of jogging 1.5 miles. I had to lay off most of the jogging last week, because I increased my workouts and pulled a thigh muscle. Big things to report next week!

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Notable Quote:

"Faith can move mountains, but don't be surprised if God hands you a shovel."--Author Unknown