It may be hard to believe, but I actually started a recent speaking engagement in my hot pink, fuzzy robe! The ladies looked at me as if I were half crazy, which once they heard me speak, was confirmed. The truth is, I love my robe... and I love my jammies too. I've been known to go for a jog, run errands, and spend an entire day buzzing around in my favorite nightie T-shirt. Even though I love wearing this shirt, I'm always hoping I don't run into someone I know. I may be comfortable, but I'm not really functioning my best in it.
When it comes to belief in God,we need to get out of our bathrobes. Comfort isn't the essential factor in faith, having some guts is.
In the Gospel of Mark a man brings his son to Jesus. The boy had severe convulsions, so bad that the father was is beside himself with despair. When Jesus asked him how long this had been happening, the jolted dad responded with a litany of pain, and topped his response off with "If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us!"
Jesus responded "If You can! All things are possible to him who believes."
With a sigh in his voice and heart the man shouted back "I do believe; help my unbelief."
This man's cry is the cry of humanity--we do believe, but in the same breath, we don't. Believing that God can actually change the things that hurt us the most may be one of the hardest things about faith. We can't live in our bathrobes and expect to go deeper in our belief.
This desperate father was authentic about his struggle to believe, and still had the guts to present his son to Jesus for a miracle. Faith is messy, and anyone who has ever needed God to transform a life, a habit, a marriage, a disease, a job, a dream--utters the same gutsy plea that this father did.
"I do believe, help my unbelief" is authentic and fresh. It pushes us out of our bathrobes into a gutsy stanz for faith to flourish.
Blessings!
Gari
