“Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:40 (NIV)
Jesus asked this question of His own disciples, They had left everything to follow Jesus, but they still had a great deal to learn. The problem was not that they were without faith, but that they were not using the faith that they had.
In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus said: “Do you still have no faith?” So, imagine a father and son at a store, and the boy asks, “Dad, will you buy this football for me?”
“Have you no money?” the dad asks. The point of the father’s question is that he wants his son to use what has already been given to him. The father gives his son a decent allowance. In fact, the boy often has more money in his pocket than the father does.
So when his dad asks, “Have you no money?” he is telling the boy that he needs to use what he has already given him.
Faith is the gift of God. And the special work of the Holy Spirit is to open our eyes to perceive who Jesus is, to help us see our need of Him, and to create within us the capacity to trust Him.
The Holy Spirit takes away our heart of stone, gives us a heart of flesh, and puts His Spirit in us, making us new creations. If you are born again, you are a new creation, and you have the gift of faith.
But Jesus’ question makes it clear that you can have this gift of faith and never use it. Think about a couple who receive china as a wedding gift. It’s too beautiful and expensive for everyday use, so they put it on display in a china cabinet, and only bring it out for special occasions.
Chances are, after many years, they will only have used it a handful of times—for very special occasions. It is a beautiful gift that has been carefully preserved, but rarely brought out.
You may have received the gift of faith with joy, but how often do you bring it out and use it?
