It is a known fact that during the ministry of Jesus on earth, there were varying degrees of faith in those who came to Him. Consider the following three examples. In Mark 9:17-24, Jesus cast out a mute spirit from a son whose father wavered between faith and doubt. In Mark 1:40-45, He healed a leper who knew He could heal but was not sure He would. In Luke 7:1-10, our Lord healed the servant of a centurion who was so sure of the outcome that he asked Jesus merely to speak the word from afar.
As you can see from these three examples, not all people exercise the same degree of faith. In our day, not all Christians exercise the same degree of faith either. Some people seem to think their problems are too big for God to solve. Others are sure that God is all-powerful, but they are not confident that He will do what is best for them. Still others affirm, “I know what God can do, and I’ll trust Him to do what He has promised.” Such attitudes range from a weak and tentative faith to a firm confidence that takes God at His word and believes He is loving, cares and is good.
What does God want from us as His children? His ultimate goal for each of us, when it comes to our faith, is that we may know and experience the fullness of His ongoing fellowship. Your faith will grow and be more effective when you fully recognize the greatness of your Father God, His Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit. For further study, read all three gospel accounts (Mark 9:17-24; 1:40-45; Luke 7:1-10) and ask the question, “What kind of faith do I have – strong, weak or wavering between faith and doubt?”
