What Does Your Faith Look Like?

Maybe you’re too young to remember, but back in 1984, Clara Peller delivered her one-liner for the Wendy’s hamburger chain by saying in a traditional grumpy-old-lady style, “Where’s the beef?” Well, in writing today’s SOAP devotional, I was reminded of this commercial, which has become a catchphrase for anything unimpressive and chintzy. I got to thinking that maybe my faith, like the burger in advertisement, was unimpressively small. And it is, compared to some saints throughout the ages and our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. While this is uncomfortable to contemplate, I believe the Holy Spirit is helping me understand more fully what faith could look like if I remembered daily how steadfast our God is, how rock-solid His character is—and forgot my own insecurities.

There is no greater evidence of godly faith than a Christian walking in the good works God prepared beforehand for us to do to give Him glory. We were created in Christ Jesus for this very thing! So, if you ever feel burdened for a particular country, group of people, or facet of Kingdom work but have shrugged it off, perhaps it is wise to take time to get quiet before the Lord and hear His word and heart in everything He inspired in the scriptures. Perhaps my devotional will help you, too.

SOAP Devotional for October 15, 2026

Scripture: “If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.”

Observation: The parallel passage in Matthew 17:20 says, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, ‘if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”

When I was a young Christian, this passage made an impact on me. The thought struck me that if all the faith I need to move a mountain is a tiny speck the size of a mustard seed, how little is really needed in everyday affairs. But I think that I, like most people, hear this verse and think something along the lines of, “If I have the faith and do not doubt, it will happen.” Yet I wonder if Jesus rather meant something like this: “If you have faith in Me and do not doubt, you will act according to my good will and purpose.” In other words, if we do not waver in doubt, we will actually speak what is impossible, we will actually do impossible things and carry out God’s will even when the odds of success seem futile in human terms.

This reminds me of the amazing things accomplished through George Müller, Hudson Taylor, or William Tyndale for example. Today we have Joni Earickson Tada and Nick Vujicic, and countless brothers and sisters around the world who look down the barrel of a persecuter’s gun and tell them they have no power to harm them unless God would permit it–and the gun wouldn’t fire. These men and women actually acted on their faith that God could and would do the impossible as long as they were faithful to His calling on their lives. Note that they didn’t move mountains or uproot mulberry trees. We shouldn’t take the Lord’s examples here literally. He was using hyperbole, a graphic example of something so difficult that it would be humanly impossible to accomplish. Paul said, “If I have faith to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” God’s will for us is not to move literal mountains. It is to act upon His will as revealed in scripture and to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Application: Is my faith inert, or does it move me to act? Inert faith accomplishes nothing, but faith in motion accomplishes all that the Lord commands and directs, any ministry or plan He puts in our hearts. Inert faith attempts only what is feasible, while faith in motion attempts the impossible, knowing that our Lord is able to do all we lack in ability or resources. Has the Lord laid something on your heart lately that you just can’t shake, even though you immediately dismiss it because you lack the know-how or deem your social status too low to gain the ear of a leader? If the desire keeps coming back, and you keep being idle, it is time to pray for the Lord’s direction, to share your heart with mature believer or Pastor, and to begin forming a plan. Ask the Lord for the next step, confident He will guide and provide every single thing you need, and also “do abundantly more than we can ever ask or think.”

We glorify our Lord most when we trust Him with our whole heart. Indeed, we can trust implicitly a Heavenly Father who sent His only-begotten Son to save us and reconcile us through His death on the ross and resurrection from the dead. Our Father, let us not forget, willed this. Do we need more proof then, of His love for us, and His exceedingly great power toward us who believe? When we are finally convinced of this, we will act, and nothing will seem impossible to us!

Prayer: Abba, Father, forgive me for feeling insecure when You are the source of my security, and Jesus is my surety. When doubtful thoughts come disguised as prudence, let me unmask them and realize the lie by remembering Your truths and Your trustworthiness. Father, no greater strength of character has been shown to us than that of Jesus, whose life reflected Your own glory and perfect integrity. Forgive us all when we don’t act according to your matchless love, the love borne out by the scars from the nails in Your hands. Grant us hearts to lend liberally to Your work, that Your will may be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Father, cause us to desire to bring more joy to Your heart than our own.

In Jesus’ precious and holy name, Amen.