Belief V Unbelief

Mark 9:14-29

      There is often a struggle deep inside most human beings and that struggle centers around belief. Not simply belief in the spiritual realm. I’m talking about belief in others and belief in one’s self. This plays out repeatedly throughout our days. Can I trust them? Am I getting this right?

      Most of this doubting takes place in our mind as part of our internal dialogue. Some people’s internal tapes contain multiple tracks of doubt. Some only have a few. It can be hard to overcome some of these imbedded negative thoughts. Some people never do get rid of this doubt.

      After seeing Jesus changed before their eyes, the three inner circle disciples and Jesus rejoin the rest. A big crowd has gathered because a boy has been brought to the remaining disciples who were unable to ‘fix’ him. Jesus has no problem with the boy’s affliction.

      Even in the face of imperfect faith, Jesus acts. The boy’s father exercises his faith. He does believe. But at the same time he struggles with some unbelief. This unbelief, this internal struggle does not prevent Jesus from acting. The reality is that we all have imperfect faith. Some of the time we struggle to believe God. Some of the time we struggle to believe in ourselves. Some of the time we have trouble believing another person who we know to be trustworthy.

      We as humans doubt. We as humans have faith. And we as humans waver between the two. All of us do. You are not alone in your on again, off again trust. Or like the father in our text his imperfect belief, we have imperfect belief and need help with our unbelief.

      The disciples had a problem as well. They tried to fix the situation in their own strength. They could not, or would not admit their own inability to handle this demon-possessed boy. How many times do we try to fix someone before we realize that only the LORD can fix them? And the someone may be us!

      Next time you get down on yourself for not having enough faith, take heart. You are not alone. Admit your struggle to Jesus and ask Him to help you with your unbelief. Take your doubts and fears to Him. Bring them into His presence. Lay them at His feet. Then be honest with those around you. Include them in your internal conversation.

Stuck in the Struggle

Mark 6:47-48

      I don’t know the last time you watched an infant begin to sit, crawl, stand, scoot, or walk. Every parent is torn between providing safety and allowing growth. They want to jump in, but they want to see if they can make it on their own. When they do fall, healthy parents provide comfort, safety and security, and then encouragement to give it another try. One fall does not stop the growth process.

      In many areas of life we allow failure. Learning just about any skill requires failure, multiple tries, hard work, concentration, and tenacity. No one who excels at their trade becomes the best overnight. Even those with natural gifts and abilities must practice. The greatest musicians in the world don’t pick up their instrument at age 4 and go to Carnagie Hall the next day. Gold Medal winners didn’t decide the day before their competition to become an Olympic Gold Medalist.

      Spiritual growth requires struggle as well. Our faith must be tested, given an opportunity to be used in difficult situations. No one who lives a life close to the LORD can expect a lack of difficulties. In fact, I think the closer we are, the more difficult the struggles can be. We have been tested and we passed, at least so far.

      The disciples have been dismissed from the crowds and told to take a boat across to their next destination. Jesus stays behind and ties up the loose ends after the 5000 had been fed. I guess there were a few dishes to wash!

      And now they find themselves in the middle of the lake rowing against the wind. I don’t know if you have ever been in a boat rowing against the wind, but it can be very discouraging. It seems the harder you row, the more the bow rises and catches the wind, pushing you further back. It can feel very defeating as you row and make little or no progress. Sometimes you even lose ground despite all your effort.

      Now put yourself in the middle of a large lake, in the middle of the night. There are few if any lights along the shore. Remember, this is before electricity. The shoreline would have only been visible if the moonlight had been bright enough. You are already tired from a long day of business and service. Jesus has had you walking around in a crowd of 5000, serving bread and fish and gathering large baskets of leftovers.

      Jesus knows you are struggling and He is going to pass you by. He has the power to make a real difference in that moment, and He is going to choose to leave you in the struggle.

      Maybe Jesus is allowing you to stay in your struggle despite the intensity of that struggle. And I don’t know why. I have to trust that the current struggle is preparing me for some future triumphs. There is a lesson to be learned in the struggle, just as there is a lesson to be learned in the abundance of the twelve baskets full of leftovers. Learn the lesson in the abundance and in the want. Both lessons are important.

Pressure Relief Valve

Proverbs 15:18

      Some people have a way of stirring up trouble. When they enter a room, or when they come into a new situation, they seem to find the center of the record and start it spinning. They don’t seem to be happy, and of course they never really are happy, unless they can stir things up.

      Many of us have family members who are like that. They stir up conflict and strife. Perhaps they always swing the conversation toward controversial topics. Perhaps alcohol, what I call “liquid stupid,” gets flowing and they don’t know how to shut up.

      By contrast there are some folks who just seem to bring calm to any situation. They don’t get “spun up” when others seem to be spinning out of control. They have a way of bring a non-anxious presence into the room. I like it when these folks are around. They seem to have a perspective about the current struggles that make them seem small and manageable. They exude quiet confidence.

      Because they have perspective, the current struggle is relatively small. They are able to enter a conflict and help all sides gain some perspective. They don’t take the aggression and anger being directed at them personally. They act as a pressure relief value for the parties. Instead of reacting to the anger, they let it pass right by them and out of the room. And when that happens, the temperature in the room drops.

      The one quality mentioned for these kinds of people is patience. If we are willing to wait, to hear people out, to not react, then we are able to diffuse the tension. But patience must be practiced. It takes effort to not react, even on the inside. Some things just push our buttons, and it takes effort to find the buttons in our life and figure out how to unwire them. Many people don’t take time to do this. They don’t take time to pay attention to their own reactions and then figure out why they reacted they way they did.