The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17:6)

Here!

That’s often the response when a teacher takes attendance in the morning. Maybe you raise your hand or simply say your name, but it doesn’t seem like it takes a whole lot of effort to simply announce (or mumble) your presence.

I disagree.

I’ve taken many spiritual-gifts assessments over the years and one thing that’s been pretty consistent is that the gift of faith has never been particularly high for me. I have no idea how exactly the creators of these assessments measure faith, but I must not respond to the statements in a strong way. When you think of a person with strong faith, you may imagine a woman down on her knees praying with strong assurance that God will provide. That could very well be. But faith is also just showing up. It’s saying, “Here!” even when you don’t feel like being there. It’s lying in bed in the morning, wondering if anything will go your way that day, and then getting up, even when your heart feels cold. It’s saying, “I’m here today, Lord. That’s about all I can do.”

That’s faith, my friends. It’s about the size of a mustard seed, but that’s all Jesus asks.