Encouragement for Today
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Decemebr 27, 2024 When Our Faith Falters |
“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” Mark 9:24 (NIV)
I crawled into bed, my friend’s words lingering from the call that had ended moments before. “You’re so strong.” That’s what she said.
Why, then, was I sobbing into my pillow? I loved my friend, but at that moment, I hated the self-doubt that sprang from her words.
Lord, can You make something good of this heartache? Where is my faith? You know the truth: I’m not strong.
It had been another season of disappointment. I was patching up a hurting heart, scrambling to make sense of a broken engagement. I had endured three major surgeries, and recovery felt halting. Living with constant pain siphoned off any joy, and I struggled to feel like myself. Untimely life circumstances also led family members to move away, making me feel lonelier.
Lord, help me in my unbelief. This tucked-away phrase surfaced through my tears and bumped up against my friend’s well-meaning words. Wasn’t there some Bible character who said this to Jesus? Someone besides me who dared to admit in front of … well, God … that he just didn’t have what it took to believe for something good?
I turned to Mark’s Gospel and the narrative of a father with a demon-possessed son. With his child writhing in a demon's grip at Jesus’ feet, this man admitted two things that seem strange to pair together:
“But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (Mark 9:22b, NIV).
“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).
Well, which is it?
I saw myself in this grieving father with just enough faith to see God but not enough to believe Him. Did such honesty discount me in the eyes of Jesus? Did it mean that my faith was lost for good or, worse yet, that the little faith I had was no good at all?
I think about how I feel when one of my grandchildren comes to me and admits their weakness: “I was scared, Nana. I should’ve been stronger.” Or, “I didn’t do as well as I could’ve, Nana. I knew it, but I felt unsure.”
The last thing I want to do in that moment is chastise. My natural response is to gather that grandchild in a tight, reassuring hug.
What about our heavenly Father’s response to us as His children?
Maybe this paradoxical story in Mark 9 is not a statement about faith versus doubt but about faith and doubt. It suggests both can be present, and this doesn’t stop God from working. My confession of faltering faith draws me toward God, revealing a genuine heart longing for authentic relationship. Nothing hidden. No masks worn. Our hearts on our sleeves, so to speak.
I love to think of our heavenly Father as the One who cherishes the moments when we freely admit our deepest doubts.
Lord, sometimes my life feels too heavy. To make it worse, I doubt that I’m strong enough to handle it. Can You take my unbelief and help me carry this today? In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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As believers, we know the Bible tells us God is with us at all times. And yet there are “dry seasons” where we don’t feel the closeness of His presence at all. Is this normal? Is there anything we can do about this? Dr. Joel Muddamalle will help you answer these questions by pointing you straight to Scripture in his recent teaching, “How Can I Feel Close to God Again?” Start watching on YouTube here!
ENGAGE
Carole understands what it’s like to believe and to doubt at the same time. Read about how she learned to borrow the faith of her friends in those times of uncertainty in her book, I Don’t Know Who I Am Anymore: Restoring Your Identity Shattered by Grief and Loss.
Enter to win a copy of Carole’s book on her website here! And follow her on Instagram @caroleholiday.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (NIV).
What constitutes weakness? Is it an admission of our lack of faith? What do you think? Share with us in the comments!
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