In the unpredictable rhythm of life, marked by economic hardship, health concerns, strained relationships, and daily uncertainties, one truth stands out clearly for me: faith is a determinant of life.
Not the fleeting kind that comes and goes with emotion or circumstance, but true, anchored faith that holds steady even when everything else seems to fall apart.
In recent months, many of us have been grappling with how to provide for our families amid our country’s political tensions coupled with economic downturn. Prices soar, opportunities shrink, and the pressure to “hold it together” weighs heavier than ever. Yet, through it all, faith remains our most powerful response to adversity. Not as a magic formula, but as a spiritual posture, one that declares, even when my back is against the wall, I believe better is coming.
Scripture puts this idea in beautifully simple yet powerful terms. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus reminds His disciples, “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.” That tiny seed of belief has the power to shift monumental challenges. Not because of the believer, but because of the One in whom we believe.
I’ve come to understand that our faith is not measured in the absence of hardship but in our response to it. Will we continue doing what’s right even when it’s hard? Will we show up for others even when we ourselves feel depleted? Will we trust that God is still good even when life feels unfair?
This month, I’ve chosen to declare and decree that our blessings, yours and mine, will overflow. Not from wishful thinking, but from anchored faith. That the unseen seeds we’ve sown in tears, sacrifice, and perseverance will bloom into testimonies of provision, healing, and joy.
Deuteronomy 28:7 offers yet another encouragement. It says, “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.” What a promise! Not only will adversity be overcome, but our blessings will be multiplied, sevenfold. In a culture often obsessed with quick wins and instant gratification, this reminder of divine timing and justice is balm to the soul.
But we mustn’t confuse faith with passivity. Faith is not denial of the problem; it is determination to walk through the storm with hope. It’s what compels a single mother to pray as she packs school lunch with borrowed ingredients. It’s what gives strength to a jobless graduate applying for the hundredth time. It’s what allows a caregiver to smile through tears, believing healing is still possible.
So I encourage us this month, especially as we step into May, not to lose sight of the power of faith. Let us not grow weary in well-doing. Let us be people of true faith, not little faith. Let us reject the temptation to quit, to curse the darkness, to turn on each other. Instead, let’s keep pressing forward, trusting that what we are doing in good faith today will bring forth fruit tomorrow.
We may be bruised, but we’re not broken. We may be delayed, but we’re not denied. And with faith, just like that mustard seed and we will move the mountains that once loomed over us.
I say these in the mighty name of our young republic, South Sudan!