Faith is not the focus -- Christ is

Christ must always be the focus. Unfortunately, the predominant focus even among Christians is faith, which is evident through sayings such as "My faith is important to me". On the surface, it seems like a good thing to say, considering how much the Bible talks about faith... The problem described is not new -- after all, Jesus' disciples had the same wrong mentality as narrated in Luke 17:

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. -- Luke 17:5-6

The disciples came to Jesus asking for more faith because they realized that their problem was insufficient faith.  But, Jesus' reply is surprising but not in the way I've always thought.  I used to think that his reply was primarily that of affirmation to let the disciples know that they needed just a little bit more faith (and it's certainly true).  However, I'd always missed the main point: faith must be to me like a grain of mustard seed, that is, barely noticeable.  Why?  Because as soon as faith becomes my focus, the object of faith becomes faith itself, not God who moves mountains.  That type of faith drives men mad.

Instead, my eyes (i.e. my faith) must be fixed on Jesus:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. -- Hebrews 12:1-2 (emphasis mine)