A story is told of a man asking Jesus to heal his
son. Jesus says to him, “Everything is possible for him who
believes.” The father then says, “I do believe; help me overcome my
unbelief!” (Mark 9:23, 24).
I can REALLY relate to the father in this story! I believe, but there are many parts of me
that doubt. In my low times of sorrow
and sadness; when the pain and pressures of reality surround me; when
exhaustion and experience are not what I want them to be - it is then that I am
most apt to doubt.
Feelings of unbelief flood my mind. Questions that, out of pride I would never
verbalize to anyone other than Jane, easily come to the surface. Like the muddy bottom of a lake being stirred
up to cloud the clear water, so is doubt to my belief...or is it?
I am convinced that it is easy to believe when the
waters of life are calm. Send the waves
and one sees what they truly believe.
Honestly, if everything is possible for him who believes as Jesus stated
to the father, then I am tempted to conclude that nothing is possible for
me! The possibilities of life cannot
rest on my belief...they cannot. And
maybe that is the point - to rest not on what we believe, but on the belief that
God grants us to have or not to have.
I am convinced (and scripture backs up my assertion)
that even the belief we have, originates not within us, but from God (see
Romans 12:3). The question then becomes
what do we do with the belief that we have?
For me, the most honest thing I can do is what the father did: I declare, “Lord I do believe, but help me
overcome my unbelief!” In that,
everything then becomes possible not because of the great faith I have, but
because of the great God my faith is directed toward.
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
