Size doesn’t matter where faith is concerned. Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. Throughout my lifetime I’ve heard many people describe their own faith or the faith of others as being ‘great’. Someone might say they have great faith, or strong faith. On the flip side they might say they have little or weak faith. But Jesus says that faith is faith. What matters isn’t its size or strength, but who or what we put our faith in.

These days there are many things that people can put their faith and trust in. It could be money, fame, success, other humans, or themselves, but ultimately those things will let you down at some point, because stock markets crash, businesses become unviable, trends change, and the fragility of human life is a reality. I am no different, and, I too have put my faith in ‘things’ that have led to disappointment (mostly with myself) in the end. 

The one constant in my life has been God and every time I have found myself in a state of disappointment, God is always there to help me pick up the pieces. In those moments I can literally picture Jesus, shaking his head at me, perhaps even rolling his eyes and saying, “You know how you got here.” Or maybe that’s just my own inner voice.

The thing is, we all make mistakes. That’s part of what makes us human, and when I reflect on the times when I’ve needed God’s unconditional love the most, I find that sometimes I’ve ended up there because I have felt safe enough to try new things and to challenge myself. The reason I felt this sense of safety is because I know that God has my back and will always be there to help me pick myself up and start again. 

It’s okay to hope for money, fame, and success, but where it becomes problematic is when we place our faith in those things, trusting that they will make us happier, better, people. And it’s okay to have money, fame, and success, but it’s how we use them (if we get them) that matters more than having them in the first place.

The happiest people I know are not wealthy or famous. They are those who have faith in God, and adding an adjective doesn’t make any difference. Faith is faith. It’s what we put our faith in that’s important.

Reverend Jane Markotsis

College Chaplain