Held in Christ: A Three-Day Sanctuary Devotional About Faith Amid DepressionSample

Jesus’ Belief for You

Depression can make belief feel slippery—like something you just can’t get a hold of. You may believe in God but feel nothing. And in those moments, it can feel like your faith is fading. Even when you are reminded of God’s love for you, believing that truth doesn’t always come easily. This struggle to believe often leads to feelings of guilt and unworthiness. We might feel like something is wrong with us. Sadly, some people are even told that their mental health challenges are the result of an inability to trust God or believe rightly.

What do we do when belief feels like an impossibility and our faith feels fragile? Hebrews 12:2 tells us something crucial: Jesus is not just the one we believe in. He is the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Faith doesn’t start or end with us. It starts in Jesus. It is completed by him, and it is held in him.

Jesus trusted the Father in joy and in anguish. He trusted through betrayal, through silence, and through the cross. As our mediator, Jesus has included us in his perfect trust. Even when we feel like we can’t believe, Jesus has believed and continues to believe for us.

This doesn’t make our doubts, questions, and struggles any less real, but it does mean faith isn’t something we carry on our own. Jesus doesn’t stand back and watch you try to work your way to him. Instead, he brings you into his perfect trust in the Father. This is the beautiful mystery of our union with Christ: his faith becomes our faith, even when ours feels like it’s disappearing. We can say to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk. 9:24).

The theologian Karl Barth said, “We must not only believe in the risen Christ. We must believe with the risen Christ.” We often think of belief solely as our responsibility. But the truth is that our faith does not depend on our ability to believe. Our faith is carried within Jesus' unwavering trust in God. This means you don’t have to constantly be asking whether your faith is adequate. Your faith is upheld by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

Reflection Questions: When belief feels difficult, what practices might help you remember that you're held by Christ? What would it change to know that Jesus is believing for you, even in your moments of doubt?

Prayer: Jesus, sometimes it’s difficult to believe. Thank you for believing in my place. Thank you that my faith is held in you. Help me rest in your faithfulness when my faith feels weak. I believe; help my unbelief. Amen.