Faith That Erases Doubt

"...Lord I believe, help my unbelief." Mark 9:24

These words of a desperate father give us a powerful picture of what faith can look like when it's mixed with doubt. "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" he cried out to Jesus, pleading for his son's healing. This simple sentence shows us that it's okay to struggle with our faith, and that honesty with God is more important than pretending to have perfect belief.  

We should be thankful Mark wrote down this man's plea. It shows us that faith isn't just about our emotions or getting what we want. It's not about need or desperation. Instead, it's about acknowledging that we believe Jesus can do something, even when we're not completely sure how. The father knew he believed, but he also knew his belief wasn't perfect. He wasn't ashamed to admit his weakness to Jesus.  

This man's statement reminds me of Simon Peter walking on the Sea of Galilee. Peter had enough faith to step out of the boat, but when he saw the storm, he started to sink. He cried out to Jesus, and Jesus reached out and saved him. Just like Peter, we can have moments of strong faith followed by moments of doubt. What matters is that we turn to Jesus for help.   Even David, the king of Israel, also struggled with doubt.
 He asked himself, "Why is my soul cast down (or in our words why am I so sad and discouraged)?" Then, he reminded himself to trust in the Lord. He knew that even when he felt down, God was still worthy of his trust.  

Understanding our limits is key to trusting God. We all face times when we feel like we've done everything right, but nothing changes. We look up with tears in our eyes and say, "Lord, I believe you can, but I just don't see how." It's in these moments that we realize some things are beyond our control. Only God can do them. He also expects us to do our part. But sometimes, amazing things happen when people with imperfect faith choose to believe anyway.