“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’” — Mark 9:23-24
This short piece of a larger passage of Scripture describes a situation many of us are all too familiar with: desperation. This situation involved a father who was desperate for his child to receive deliverance and healing. As he pleads with Jesus to perform a miracle on his child’s behalf, Jesus reminds the man that his son’s healing rests in his ability to believe.
What a predicament to be in. What a weight on the man’s shoulders, knowing that the possibility of his son being “normal” again hinges on his belief in Jesus. The man, realizing the awesomeness of such responsibility, quickly states that he believes, but also adds a caveat to his statement: “help my unbelief.”
Many of us easily understand what this man is dealing with. Your family may be desperate for a financial miracle. You may be desperate for your marriage to work. Or you may be desperate for someone to reach out to help you. No matter the situation, in a moment of desperation, we each have a choice to make. We can choose to believe or not to believe.
Like the man above, we would all like to proclaim, “Lord, I believe.” But many of us have a little voice of doubt that creeps up and reminds us of all that we’re up against, changing our proclamation of belief to a mouse-sized squeak of a half-hearted “maybe.” However, we must learn that in the wake of desperation, pain, hurt, unforgiveness, fear and seemingly insurmountable obstacles, it is the choice to believe that will sustain us through moments when we’d rather throw in the towel.
All things are possible to those that believe! Do you dare to believe? Are you able to believe? Can you put everything in the hands of Christ? A sinner can be saved only if he or she believes. A child can be healed only if he or she believes. And a marriage can be reconciled only if the couple believes.
Today, let me encourage you if you are depressed to cry out with tears and put your belief in Jesus. If you are walking with the burden of unforgiveness, believe that Jesus can help you forgive the one who hurt you. If you are dealing with the death of a loved one, believe that Jesus can soothe your heavy heart.
If you can believe, there is nothing that will be impossible to you. Make the choice to believe in spite of the circumstances.
Ashley Morris is pastor of St. James A.M.E.C. and a member of the United Ministerial Alliance.