Words of Faith: Jodie's story about faith and muscles

Faith and Muscles
A Words of Faith story written by Jodie Wolfe

“For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ~ Matthew 17:20 (HCSB)

I'm not crazy about working out and building up a sweat. The only weights I've lifted are those little hand ones that are only about 1-2 pounds. You might call me a weakling. My muscles look more like this photo to the right:

Okay, maybe not even quite as impressive as that.

Now don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I don't exercise...I just don't work out with weights. I do walk, though that's a subject for a different day.

I've found through my many years of being a Christian that faith is like a muscle. You only develop your faith by exercising it. In other words, you have to use it in order for it to grow.

Faith starts out small, like a mustard seed - small, insignificant. But when planted, the seed cracks open and produces a tree that grows as high as 20 feet. Jesus said the mustard seed was smaller than any of the other seeds of the ground. (Mark 4:31)

Our muscles may start out as small and flabby but as we continue to work out our arms and our bodies, we strengthen them. The muscles harden and grow and may become as strong as this photo in the middle: 

Faith may start out small, like a mustard seed or a flabby muscle. But each time we choose to believe, choose to trust in God and His faithfulness, even when we can't see the outcome, it grows. With each circumstance and situation we face, we have a learning opportunity to exercise our faith and strengthen our spiritual muscles. 

I don't know about you, but I desire my faith to be like the second photo! :) Are you ready for a faith workout?

~*~
Author bio: 

Jodie Wolfe loves to stroll through history with the characters she creates. 

When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband, reading and walking. 

You can connect with Jodie via her website, Facebook and Twitter.

31 Days of Prayer: Because WE are the REASON

A beautiful holiday song called "We Are the Reason", performed by a Christian group called AVALON, speaks volumes to my soul because it reminds me of why Jesus Christ longs to hear from us through prayer. It's because we are the reason that He gave His life for us and honestly, HE is the reason for us to live. Christmas Day is about more than material gifts and delicious holiday dinners. Christmas is about celebrating the life and ministry of the BEST gift ever given to humanity--the Lamb of God (Jesus Christ).

The older I get, the less I care about the gifts under the Christmas tree and even enjoying my favorite dish for dinner. Why? Because I'm learning more of what is important in life. And it's not about the material treasures we buy and collect throughout our life journey. It's about what we will treasure at the end of our time here on Earth. When we are dying, we're not going to wish we had more material possessions, or another delicious dinner or a holiday bonus from the office. But we are going to want to know, "What's next?" and, "Will I ever see my loved ones again?" And for the Christian who is a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, we know that answer is yes. Yes you will see your loved ones again when Jesus Christ returns to Earth to take His faithful followers home. 

Earth is not our home. We are just journeying through this land. Heaven is our home. So when life becomes too much for you to bear just remember-- Jesus Christ loves you with His life! And He's coming again to take His children home.

So today, I'd like to pray for faith. Yes, faith. I pray that God will give you the faith of a mustard seed because it can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). And I pray that once you have that mustard seed, you will water it by spending time in God's Word (The Holy Bible) and practicing applying the lessons in that great book to your every day life. I pray that God will increase your faith in Him to the point where it inspires others to want to know the God you serve. And finally, I pray for you during this holiday season. I am asking God to fill your heart with His HOPE, your life with His LOVE and your home with His PEACE. I ask all of these blessings in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.