Focus: Little Faith Syndrome

Text: Mt.8:26

"And he saith unto them, Why are ye FEARFUL, O ye of LITTLE FAITH?"

Faith is a fundamental necessity in our relationship with God. It is the spiritual network that connects us to God and makes our conversation with Him flow freely and finely. Faith is a divine technology that allows for authentic and hitch-free communication between us and God. 

Spiritually speaking, we hear by faith, talk by faith, walk by faith, work by faith, pray by faith, live by faith, act by faith, sing, worship and serve God by faith. To live without faith is to live away from God and to operate outside of His covenant.

Our text talks about little faith, and the problem with little faith is that it entertains fears and gives room to doubts and unbelief.

The word 'little' in the Greek does not mean that which is minute or insignificant in terms of size. It is the word 'oligos,' and it means 'temporary, not lasting, or not durable.' It is a kind of fair weather faith. It can neither stand inconveniences nor withstand obstacles. It is the kind of faith that breaks at breaking points. The Lord Jesus Christ said to His frightened followers, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" Little faith fears. It can't bear or withstand stormy attacks. 

The presence of fear means the exit of faith.

Mark expresses the words of Jesus Christ this way, "And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have NO FAITH?" (Mk.4:40). Where fear is present, prominent and preeminent, little faith turns to the absence of faith.

We read concerning drowning Peter, "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou DOUBT?" (Mt.14:31). Little faith doubts. It can't stand a raging storm. The Lord Jesus Christ says to His followers, "Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Mt.6:30). Little faith is anxious about basic needs of life. It can't stand being in need. It is frustrated in the face of unmet needs. Christ said to His disciples, "O ye of little faith, why REASON ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?" (Mt.16:8). Little faith lacks spiritual insight. It fails to understand spiritual significance. It can't rise above natural reasoning.

Little faith is tantamount to a weak faith. Paul says concerning Abraham, "And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb" (Rom.4:19). In Rom.14:1, he talks about "him that is weak in the faith…" Abraham was not weak in faith. Indeed he was not a man of little faith. Paul tells us that he was strong in faith.

You know what? 

The absence of faith is the presence of unbelief.

Christ in His post-resurrection appearance said to skeptical Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not FAITHLESS, but BELIEVING" (Jh.20:27). Thomas was faithless. He couldn't believe in the possibility of the resurrection of Christ.

Unbelief makes a man unqualified for spiritual benefits or blessings.

The Scripture says, "Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and UPBRAIDED them with their UNBELIEF and HARDNESS of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen" (Mk.16:14). The eleven disciples could not even believe the testimony of those who had seen the resurrected Christ. Unbelief and spiritual insensitivity had taken root in their hearts. Spiritual dryness had set in within their hearts.

Unbelief made Paul do terrible things to Christ's church. He says, "Who was before a BLASPHEMER, and a PERSECUTOR, and INJURIOUS: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in UNBELIEF" (1Tim.1:13). Unbelief turned him into a blasphemer, persecutor, and dangerous human being. The writer of Hebrews says of the Israelites in the desert, "So we see that they COULD NOT enter in because of UNBELIEF" (Heb.3:19). They were unable to enter the promise land due to their lack of confidence in God's word. They denied themselves access to Canaan land. 

Of Rehab, we read, "By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace" (Heb.11:31). Because of her faith she was not treated to the same fate as those who believed not. By faith she escaped destruction. It is written that "Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through UNBELIEF…"(Rom.4:20). 

Unbelief makes us stagger or waver at the promises of God.

The writer of Hebrews instructs, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God" (Heb.3:12). Unbelief makes the heart evil, and it makes a person depart from the living God. Unbelief separates a person from God. A father cried out to Christ, and said to Him with tears in his eyes, "Lord, I BELIEVE; help thou mine UNBELIEF" (Mt.9:24). Inside of him faith and unbelief seemed to coexist, and he knew it was not right, and so he asked the Lord for help.

Get a spiritual casket; put your little and weak faith, fears, doubts, and unbelief into it and bury them, and then have faith in God - strong faith in your God.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter