In my profession, you must prove you can research to prove you are apt to teach. What I mean by this is that many colleges that hire graduate students who complete their doctoral programs look for candidates who have demonstrated their research capabilities in the form of journal publications. Until recently, I was dismayed by several rejections that seemed to confirm that my writing was not what the academy was looking for. I had a lot of misplaced anger and told myself I would pause sending out more publications once I got the last few rejections for the proposals I sent out. I gave up for the time being and did not have any faith that what I was writing about would be desired in my field.
In Matthew 17:20, Jesus says to his disciples:
“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (NIV).
Serving Christ requires more than our strength—we must derive our strength from Him. When I am at my weakest and feel the farthest from the Lord, it is when I am not trusting in his plan. It is when I feel that I am strong on my own and am not mindful of He who works through me that I, inevitably, am disappointed. There are days when my faith feels as big as a mountain, that there is nothing life can throw my way that God and I wouldn’t be prepared for. And there are times when my faith feels like a mustard seed; I am confused and do not have the foresight to understand how God is paving a path for me. I am defeated and unsure how to press forward beyond the challenge in front of me.
Matthew 17:20 is not just reassurance of the immense power of even a little faith in Christ, but a call to action to realize and preach just how comforting it is to know how a faith-driven life can accomplish anything. It is a clarion call to acknowledge and proclaim the profound comfort and boundless capabilities that a life led by faith offers. Jesus employs the mustard seed as a symbol of potential and transformation. Despite its size, the mustard seed embodies the promise that steadfast faith and reliance on God’s might can surmount obstacles that seem insurmountable, much like moving a mountain thousands of times its own size. Moreover, this metaphor speaks to the exponential growth that faith can undergo. From a tiny seed, vast fields of mustard can emerge, just as a small act of faith can multiply, inspiring actions and resilience across a community or throughout a lifetime. The teaching of Jesus here is not just about the scale of faith, but also about its quality and impact. It encourages us to look beyond the present difficulties and visualize the future through a lens of hope and trust in divine providence.
The landscape of college professorships changes by the year; those positions that are open now will be filled and new ones will emerge wholly unlike the last. I love teaching and writing professionally more than anything, and I know I will be where God needs me. However, the uncertainty of the ‘What if?’ can often shrink my faith to the size of a mustard seed. What if the job I think I need is filled when I graduate? What if my first job isn’t where I imagined? What if I don’t like it? But now I lead with new questions: What if God is preparing a perfect path for me with opportunities I have not yet conjured? What if I gave up my own will and depended more wholly on Him? What if I just realized He will use me for good?
I recently received good news about a few of my proposals sent out, confirmation that I had something to give to my field. It was reassuring that my voice had a purpose in an industry I often am unsure of my place in, and a restorative wake-up call to pour into my faith the same way Christ pours into me. My God is the mountain that absorbs the gusts of winds that blow from every direction against the mustard plants at its base.
Father, forgive me for when I am weary and slow to patience. You move mountains, but remind us that we can too if we have faith in your goodness and allow you to work in our lives. When my faith is as small as a mustard seed, I ask that you intervene with grace and sustain a hunger to know you and trust in your ways.
Tristan, congratulations on your publications and thank you for sharing how you have been navigating being patient about them. Good example of God’s timing.