Help My Unbelief

Sometimes, walking in faith can bring pain, and it's entirely understandable to experience moments when it is hard to continue believing in God. The reality is that when we trust God for something and it hasn't happened, it honestly feels like the opposite has occurred. The struggles have increased, the sickness has grown worse, the businesses keep failing, and the commitment to continue to believe God can clearly be a painful journey.

In our verse for today, the father who approached Jesus was deeply burdened for his son. As a parent, I can resonate with that pain; when our children suffer, we feel every bit of it. We yearn to alleviate their struggles, but sometimes those burdens are beyond our control, and we must instead lean on our faith.

The father had tried the disciples first, and they were unable to heal the boy, which left him feeling hopeless. His plea to Jesus, “If you can…” speaks to both his struggle and his desperation in that moment.

Jesus addresses the father with the same question, "If you can?"

Here, he highlights that there is absolutely nothing impossible for Him to do.

The good news is that this story teaches us that our faith can be both flawed and Jesus will still allow us to approach Him for His help. The father in this verse experienced a crisis of belief in this moment. His belief coexisted with his struggles of doubt, which can resonate with so many of us.

Personally, this verse is one I often reflect on during my prayers as I seek God. It reminds me that while I may have strong faith in some instances, in others, it's perfectly natural to encounter moments of uncertainty that coincide with my belief and trust in God.

Believing God for something He's spoken spiritually to us, in our human experience, can be extremely hard, yet today, what would it look like for you to believe Him even when it's hard?