How Do I Get More Faith? (The Truth About Mustard Seed Faith That We M

“How do I get more faith?”

It’s an honest question. A hungry question.

It usually comes from a place of need— a desire to see God move, to believe Him more, to experience something real.

The disciples asked it too:

“Increase our faith.” — Luke 17:5

And if we’re honest, many of us are asking the same thing. We want faith that works.

Faith that moves. Faith that does something. But…

What if our closeness to God has made us too familiar to actually believe Him as Lord?

Sit with that for a second.

The Response We Think We Understand

Jesus responds:

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed…” — Luke 17:6

And most of us hear that as comfort. You don’t need much. Even a little is enough.

But if that’s all He meant... why doesn’t our faith produce what He describes?

Why doesn’t it move like that?

The Part That Didn’t Make Sense

Because right after saying this… Jesus starts talking about a servant.

A servant coming in from the field. A servant preparing a meal for his master. A servant not expecting thanks.

“We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” — Luke 17:10

And at first, it feels… out of place. Almost like a separate thought.

Like maybe this is just a collection of teachings placed next to each other.

And honestly, I almost treated it that way. Because the connection wasn’t obvious.

The Wrestling Was in the Placement

It wasn’t the mustard seed that I wrestled with. It was the placement. Why is this here?

Because even if it is a collection of sayings… it’s still placed here.

Right after:

“Increase our faith.”

Right after:

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed…”

And that made me pause. Because why would Jesus answer a question about faith…

and then immediately start talking about servants?

I tried to move past it. Tried to give myself permission to disconnect the two.

But the more I sat with it, the more it felt intentional.

Like it wasn’t random. Like it wasn’t separate. Like it was the point.

It’s Not About Size

Because Jesus doesn’t actually say: “You have a little faith.”

He says:

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed…”

That’s not affirmation. That’s exposure. It’s almost like He’s saying:

It’s not that you don’t have more faith… you don’t even have this much.

Because if you did— if your faith had even the substance of a mustard seed— it would produce something.

Faith Has Substance

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for…” — Hebrews 11:1

Substance. Not a feeling. Not a statement. Not something we say we have.

Something real. Something that carries weight. Something that forms.

A mustard seed is small… but it is complete.

It contains within it everything it needs to become what it was created to be.

It is not lacking. So, if Jesus is pointing to a mustard seed…

He’s not highlighting size. He’s highlighting wholeness.

The Missing Link: Posture

And that’s when the servant started to make sense.

Because a servant has a posture.

A servant doesn’t negotiate. A servant doesn’t serve based on preference.

A servant doesn’t expect reward for doing what is required. A servant obeys.

Not because everything feels good. Not because everything makes sense.

But because of who the master is. And suddenly, it didn’t feel like Jesus changed the subject. It felt like He was explaining it.

Faith Isn’t Just Belief—It’s Position

We often think of faith as belief alone. Do you believe God can? Do you trust Him?

But what if faith is also about how you stand before Him?

Because if He is truly Lord… then faith isn’t just agreement. It’s submission.

When Intimacy Blurs Reverence

God has revealed Himself to us as:

Father
Friend
Helper
Comforter

And those are real. Beautifully real.

But I started to wonder…has our intimacy with God made us too familiar? Too casual?

Because the things Jesus says a servant doesn’t expect…are often the very things we do expect from God.

We expect:

grace
mercy
patience
provision

And He gives those things. But somewhere in that… something can shift. We begin to relate to Him in a way that softens His Lordship.

Where:

expectations creep in
entitlement subtly forms
obedience becomes optional

And without realizing it… we stop approaching Him as Master.

And That Changes Our Faith

Because faith is not just about what God can do. It’s rooted in recognizing who He is.

If He is Lord— then faith submits.

If He is Master— then faith obeys.

If that posture is missing, then what we call faith may not have substance at all.

Obedience: Where Faith Becomes Visible

A servant obeys. There’s a kind of fear in that. Not just fear of punishment— but reverence. A weight. A recognition of authority.

Maybe even:

a fear of going the wrong way
a fear of missing what God has
a fear of dishonoring Him

And I think this is where something has been lost. Because we have emphasized grace—

and rightly so—but often without the balance of:

reverence
obedience
the fear of the Lord

We draw from the well of His blood, but sometimes without considering the weight of what it cost.

So… How Do You Get More Faith?

Maybe you don’t need more. Maybe you need something real.

Faith that:

recognizes God as Lord
submits to Him fully
obeys Him without negotiation

Because mustard seed faith isn’t about having more. It’s about having something whole.

Something with substance. And substance… produces.

How Do I Get More Faith? (The Truth About Mustard Seed Faith That We Miss)