An Act of Faith

Over the past few days, we’ve reflected on the story of the feeding of the 5,000, and raised the question: What can Jesus do with just a little bit of faith, and some small action on our part?

You may remember that disciples bring Jesus what little they have. It’s not much – five loaves of bread and two fish. But he takes their offering and blesses it. In his hands, their resources are somehow more than enough. But the disciples do have a role to play, don’t they? It requires something of them. It requires an act of faith.  

Maybe you’re in a place right now in your life where God has placed some need on your heart. Maybe it’s a need that you’ve seen in your community. Maybe it is something in your own family or your own life where you are struggling… Or maybe there is a need in the larger world around you that really feels like a burden on your heart. 

The question becomes, can I trust that God will use whatever I bring to meet this need in some small way? Can I muster just a little faith, that might lead to some small action, and whatever that small action is, whatever that small offering is, do I trust that God can work with that? 

I don’t know where that measure of faith is needed in your own life; whether it’s needing just enough faith to take the small step of forgiveness – to release any bitterness or anger growing inside you, or just enough faith to take the small step of going to counseling… or just enough faith to do one small thing to meet the needs of your community, your church, or the larger world…

Whatever it may be, may God grant you that faith.

Let us pray: O God, give us eyes to see the world not as the disciples saw it, but as Jesus sees it – as a world with the potential for miracles when our lives and our gifts are placed in his hands. Amen.