Oh the Mustard Seed

"The mustard seed. Faith like the mustard seed." This is a common Christian phrase I heard many times growing up. And while I always understood the basic principle behind the saying it was only recently that I truly understood how one has faith like a mustard seed. I always supposed that the faith of the mustard seed was simply that although he was small, if he had "faith" he would grow to be the mighty tree. But now I realize that having faith like a mustard seed is much deeper than that. The lesson from this seed is not just that small things can become great, it's that from death God can create life. Seeds don't "grow" into trees. Seeds die, and out of that death comes a mighty and powerful tree. But the faith that the mustard seed has is that if it dies, life will be the result. People are like seeds, full of flesh. And in order to grow and become mature in Christ, we must die. Slowly, a little more each day. Constantly giving up what we desire for what others want, sacrificing our pleasure for theirs. Having faith that from the death of our flesh, a new person will be born full of the Spirit and empty of our flesh. THIS is the faith that our Teacher spoke of when He told us to have "faith like the mustard seed." So strive with me, my friends. Strive to die to yourself a little each day, with the hope and confidence of being made new in the Spirit.