"...great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." Matthew 15:21-28 - These are the words from Jesus to the Canaanite woman who's faith may very well have been greater than any of the apostles gathered around him. Jesus gives us a real insight into the blessings that are received for those who have faith and to those who's faith is great...a faith that is great enough for God to heal this woman's daughter from demonic possession. How strong is your faith? Does it waiver...is it good sometimes but often lacking trust, communion, and openness to the will of God? If God spoke to you at this very moment could he honestly say that your faith is GREAT? Me neither. I have great moments...even days and maybe a full week that my faith is strong, but then I struggle, the pressures of life seem too great and I begin to hesitate to do God's will, the burdens seem too great and I either begin to do things without consideration of God's will or I become lazy and excuses set in. Then the power of God I had experienced the previous week is gone...ughhh! I wonder why we are thrilled when we experience God's blessings in our lives (when we have great faith), but why we don't keep up our faith and communion with Christ in prayer to keep us joyful, holy, at peace, and following His will?
Certainly, many struggles we experience is for our benefit (read up on the trials and persecutions of Peter and Paul or the lives of the saints, now they had huge trails), they help us to persevere under trial of faith in Jesus and they help us to grow in faith, but I suspect the majority of most peoples struggles are due to lack of faith in God, a lack of allowing God to guide their life, a lack of trust in the Lord who created us from nothingness to be his good stewards in this world and to be a light to the world for nonbelievers and those indifferent to God. Let us listen to Jesus' words again and let us more completely comprehend God's love for us. Jesus said to the woman, "..great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." WOW! When we have GREAT faith, a faith that draws us closer to Christ as trials and tests plague us, this type of unwaivering faith God will find sweet, pleasing, and acceptable so that what we ask for shall be "done for you as you wish". Notice, though, that which she desired to be done was not for herself but for her daughter, for another person. Her unwaivering love for God and for the good of her daughter (may have been many years of trials) opened the way for the love that God has for this mother to be transmitted and received to loving and healing her daughter without the daughter ever having loved God back. This is the Good News of Jesus Christ. God's love is unconditional in the sense that he loves us, cares about us to death, even if we have never even considered loving him, even if we hate God. Remember what Jesus said from the cross as he was being crucified and underwent the most agonizing pain he still thought of others out of love for them...."Father forgive them for they do not know what they do."
Therefore, let us be more faithful to God. Pray daily to God that you may have greater faith, a greater will to follow Him come what may. Certainly, we will experience God's power and blessings in our lives like never before. If what you have been doing with a lack of faith is not working then maybe a sure commitment or even a stronger commitment to follow Christ is the path that will lead you to the life you desire and the life God had planned from the beginning. May you strive in prayer to trust in God that your faith may be great and your life a blessings for your own sake and for the sake of others!
