Trusting Jesus to Help You Trust

Suggested Reading: Mark 9:14-29

Before I met my wife, I had very few good, romantic relationships. I'm not just talking about relationships that don't work out because no relationship really works until the one that lasts. I'm talking about hurtful relationships, relationships where I was lied to, taken for granted, cheated on, used. I got so used to being mistreated in relationships that, even after I was engaged, I still expected it to happen. So I looked for it to happen, and when I thought I had found evidence of it, I confronted my fiancé on it. I was very fortunate that she remained my fiancé. After having my paranoid accusation blown out of the water, I remember sitting with her on the tailgate of a truck as she twirled that engagement ring round and round on her finger and I prayed that she wouldn't take it off. Fortunately she kept the ring and I learned a thing or two about trust.

As hard as it is at times to trust people, I think it is infinitely harder to trust God simply because God is so far beyond us that we can't comprehend God's thoughts or plans. A loved one endures a long and painful illness. We lose a job and aren't certain how we are going to provide for our family. A friend betrays us and hangs us out to dry. Or we follow God's leading and watch as our finances slowly deteriorate. Whatever the circumstance, there are times when things simply don't seem to add up. We say we trust God. We hope we trust God. But in the middle of the circumstances, deep down, we know that we don't. We just can't see our way out, even with a miracle.

A man in Mark 9 faced a time of doubt just like that. His son had been possessed by an evil spirit for years. The spirit tortured his son, throwing him into seizures, causing the boy to fall in fires to be burned or into water so that he nearly drowned.  This man had sought out help for his son, even asking Jesus' disciples to help when they came into the region. Finally, in desperation the man came to Jesus himself and asked, "If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us" (Mark 9:22, NIV). Jesus' response in the next verse was to call attention to the man's doubt. "If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes."

Upon hearing Jesus' rebuke, the man's answer is at once remarkable and honest. He answers, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

Sometimes, I think God wants us to answer that same way. "Lord, I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief!" Rather than insincerely spouting our trust in God or deciding to try harder to believe, take your lack of faith to God and ask for help to believe.  God doesn't want lip service to our trust. God wants real, honest trust, which is often hard earned. Sometimes our trust in God can't grow until we own up to our own lack of faith, while expressing our sincere desire to believe. 

In the middle of tough circumstances, when your faith in God is shaken, admit it and give God your doubt. Sometimes, that is the only way to overcome unbelief.

From John the Baptizer to John the Doubter

Suggested Reading: Matthew 11:1-15

When Jesus began his ministry, he appeared at the river where John was preaching and baptizing people as they repented of their sins. When Jesus showed up to be baptized, John immediately recognized him and argued with Jesus about who should baptize whom, followed by Jesus' baptism and the opening of the Heavens as a voice proclaimed Jesus to be God's son (Matthew 3:14-17). But shortly afterwards, John was arrested and began to rot in prison while Jesus' ministry began to flourish. John had believed that Jesus was the messiah, but as he sat in prison things began to change. Perhaps John, like everyone else, had a mistaken idea of what the Messiah was supposed to be. Perhaps he expected that the Messiah would free him from prison and was trying to understand why that hadn't happened. Whatever the case, this man who had proclaimed Jesus as the coming Messiah sent a message by his disciples and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:2-3, HCSB).

Sometimes, when life gets hard and doesn't go the way we expect it to, we can begin to doubt ourselves and the truths we have learned along the way. Just like John, a man whose birth had been proclaimed by angels, who had recognized the voice of the Messiah's mother from inside the womb, and who began to doubt what he knew to be true, we can begin to doubt ourselves and the things we've learned as well. When our marriage hits a rough patch, we begin to question whether this was really the person God had for us and whether we can really handle it anymore. When tragedy strikes or that new job doesn't last like it was supposed to, we begin to question God's control, or his existence, or both. When people walk out on us and we're left picking up the pieces of a broken life, we can begin to question whether we are really who we thought we were or if we've just been fooling ourselves all along.

When John got discouraged and began to doubt both Jesus and himself, Jesus told John's messengers, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news. And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed” (Matthew 11:4-6, HCSB). Because pain and suffering tend to shrink our field of vision Jesus told John to look beyond the circumstances of his prison, beyond the hardships he was currently facing and see the way God was moving around him, to remember that the movement of God was bigger than his own circumstances. Jesus reminded John to, once again, look at the bigger picture and to remember that, even if God is not doing what we expect, God is still active. Jesus reminded John that God blesses those who refuse to give up the faith when God allows them to experience difficulty.

When life is hard and God isn't doing what you think he should, when you feel trapped in difficult circumstances and wonder how you will ever escape, don't give in to the doubts that naturally attack you. Make a point of looking around you and seeing how God is moving beyond your own circumstances. Remember the examples of John, and Job, and all the heroes of the faith who experienced difficulty and hardship but refused to give up the faith.

Difficult times will inevitably bring discouragement and doubt. Don't give in. Keep your head up, watching for the movement of God around you. Don't let go of the truths you've learned because things get hard.

Permission Slips, Trust, and Racist Comments

Suggested Reading: Matthew 15:21-28

Once, when she was in grade school my daughter wanted me to sign a permission slip for something at school. The way she went about it just about drove me crazy. She asked if I would, and I told her that I would have it for her before we left for school. Three minutes later she was back in front of me, asking if I had signed it yet. I assured her I would have it for her before we left for school. Three minutes later she was back again. In spite of the fact that I had assured her several times it would happen, and in spite of the fact that my wife and I have a pretty good track record at following through on things like that, my daughter was so focused on it, and so insecure about it, that she just kept coming back.

Matthew 15 shares the story of a woman at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to trust. A Canaanite woman had come to Jesus asking that he cast a demon out of her daughter. Jesus ignored her. He ignored her to the point that the disciples finally came to Jesus and begged that he, at least, send her away because she was driving them crazy, too. Jesus announced that he couldn't help her because she wasn't a Jew. The woman barged her way in, falling before Jesus, and begging him again. Jesus again told her he couldn't help her because she wasn't a Jew, this time basically calling her a dog. When she responded that even dogs got scraps, Jesus finally relented and told her that she would get what she asked for. Mark's version of the story adds one more detail. When she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone (Mark 7:30, NLT).

Why is that detail important? Well, if I was that woman, desperate to help my little girl, and this man had ignored me, put me off, made what I might consider racist comments, called me a dog, and then finally agreed, but wasn't going to go with me, I don't know that I would have left without him. I probably would have been convinced that he was only agreeing so I would leave him alone. But this woman left. She believed in him enough to take him at his word and go home in faith.

Sometimes, we are persistent in prayer simply out of devotion and discipline. But sometimes we are persistent in prayer because, deep down, we don't really believe that God will do what is best for us. We keep praying, not because we trust God, but because we don't. Like my daughter, who had every reason to believe I would keep my word, we sometimes pester God because we are nervous and insecure, because we don't really believe God will provide for us like God promised.

Persistence in prayer is a wonderful thing when we pray out of our faith. But sometimes we must intentionally put our insecurities aside and demonstrate our faith by letting go, moving on, and allowing God to follow through without pestering him in our insecurity. James tells us that we should pray, asking God in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-7, HCSB).

What have you been pestering God about? Have you been persistent in prayer because you trust God or because you don't? Maybe it's time to let some things go. Ask God, one last time, and then trust God to do what is best, both, for you and for God's glory. Don't allow your prayers to demonstrate your lack of belief.

Superman, Lazarus, and Skepticism

Suggested Reading: John 11:30-48

I remember an old episode of Lois and Clark: the New Adventures of Superman where Lois dragged Clark to see a new magician perform. The entire way there Clark was trying to convince Lois that magic wasn't real, that it was all illusion and slight of hand. He wasn't really interested in going. But once he was there watching the show, and he couldn't figure out the magician's secret, even using his x-ray vision and super speedy eyes, suddenly Clark wanted to know what was going on. When he didn't understand it, Clark was driven to figure out how it worked.

In what must have seemed an act of magic, Jesus had raised Mary's brother, Lazarus, from the dead. One minute Lazarus had been wrapped in grave clothes, laying inside a tomb. The next minute he was stumbling out of the mouth of the grave as people began unwrapping him. When all of the people who had come to mourn with Mary saw this miracle take place, they had a variety of reactions. John 11:45-46 tells us, "Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done" (NLT). Why did some go to the Pharisees?  Because the Pharisees were supposed to be the religious authorities of the day. If anyone could make sense of Jesus' actions, if anyone could explain to them how Jesus had done the impossible, the Pharisee should be able to. Some of these people who watched Lazarus's resurrection weren't sure what to make of it. So they put their healthy dose of skepticism to work for them and they went looking for answers.

Skepticism is not a bad thing. Skepticism can keep us from getting duped by con artists. As long as our skepticism drives us deeper in our search for the truth, it can be a healthy tool in our belt to help us navigate the waters of life. We get into trouble when we use our skepticism as an excuse to just not believe.

What have you been skeptical about lately? Did you try to discover the truth or did you use your skepticism as an excuse to just dismiss it? If you dismissed it, let's hope it wasn't important.

Dealing with Worry like Little John

Suggested Reading: Luke 21:29-36

There is a great scene in the Kevin Costner movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves where Robin and Azeem are trying to cross a river. They and are challenged by a gang of outlaws led by John Little and required to pay "taxes." Robin agrees to fight John on the condition that, if he wins, he doesn't have to pay. After taking an initial walloping, Robin finally manages to win the fight by taking John's legs out from under him. John, who doesn't know how to swim, is deathly afraid of drowning in the water. He panics and finally yields the fight to Robin who tells him, "Good. Now put your feet down." John does and discovers that in all of his panic and thrashing about, he failed to realize that the water was barely waist deep. John was so scared of the water that he simply couldn't think straight.

I was reminded of that scene when reading the words of Luke 21:34-35, where Jesus warned his listeners about the end times, "Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life or that day will come on you unexpectedly like a trap" (HCSB). Though some translations say "so that your hearts are not weighed down" instead of mind being dulled, they all pair up the equivalents of drunkenness, carousing, and the worries of life. Most of us completely understand the effects of drunkenness and carousing on the mind, but how often do we think about the fact that worry, the little sister of fear, has a similar effect?

When we worry, neither our brains nor our hearts can function at full capacity. We are just like John Little, thrashing, and yelling, and desperate to escape, and unable to realize that if we just put our feet down we would be fine. Worry prevents us from being able to see the world as it truly is. And though worry may not have quite the same debilitating effect as abject panic, both are on the same spectrum of fear and both distort the way we think and the way we see the world.

What have you been worried about?  How has your view of reality been affected by your own sense of worry and doubt? What have you failed to realize because you were so focused on the object of your worry? Stop. Take a deep breath. Put your feet down and stand up.  You might just be able to see reality a little clearer.

Turning the World Upside Down with Doubters

Suggested Reading: Matthew 28:1-20

Sometimes, looking at what the apostles accomplished in the years after Jesus rose back into heaven, it is easy to compare ourselves to them and wish we had as much faith as they did. I mean, these were the people who, according to Acts 17:6, were accused of turning "the whole world upside down" (HCSB). These were men who performed miracles and cast out demons. These people preached great sermons that led thousands upon thousands of people to faith in Jesus. It's easy to look at the apostles and decide that we simply don't have the kind of faith to do things like that.

But then we read a passage like Matthew 28. Jesus has not only risen, but he has appeared to the disciples. Jesus has shown himself to the women who came to the tomb to treat his body. The disciples have gone to Galilee like Jesus instructed them and they have met on a mountain where Jesus has promised to meet them. Matthew 28:17 tells us, "When they saw him, they worshipped him--but some of them still doubted!" (NLT).

Hold on, that can't be right. They are standing in front of Jesus, speaking with him and interacting with him after he died and came back to life and some of them still doubted? But these were the men who taught thousands of people. These were the men who healed the sick and cast out demons and raised the dead. These were the giants of the faith. And they doubted? Where does that leave us?

With an awful lot of hope.

If these men, the men who had walked with Jesus on a daily basis for three years, who had seen the miracles he performed, who had heard him predict his own death and resurrection, who were now standing in front of Jesus, looking at him and hearing his voice, if these men still doubted, then there is definitely hope for us. These men show us that we don't have to have everything perfect. We don't have to have everything together and be paragons of faith and virtue before God can do anything with us. If God can use these men who had been witness to so many of Jesus' miracles, who had heard Jesus' own predictions about his death and resurrection, who were now standing in front of the risen Christ and yet were still doubting, if God can use these men, then God can certainly do something with us.

In John 20:29, Jesus told his disciples, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (NIV). If the disciples had trouble believing even in the midst of all they had seen, Jesus reminds us that the more blessed  faith is the kind that all of us have today, who have believed but have never seen with our physical eyes. If God could work miracles through these men who doubted even as they stood before the risen Christ, God can use us.