And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
-Mark 9:24, KJV
Like this father, sometimes we need help with our unbelief.
I believe anxiety (non-medical kind) and fear are rooted in unbelief in God’s goodness towards us. More specifically, we struggle to believe God is the Good Father.
Like this father, we see circumstances with our natural eyes, and this can lead to unbelief. The backstory is the disciples had failed to deal with the demon(s) plaguing this father’s son earlier–see Mark 9:18.
Our negative experiences like here sometimes make it a struggle to believe in God as our Good Father. It is a struggle to walk in faith.
Yet when we truly believe God is our Good Father, we are able to rest in peace knowing God has “it” handled. A good father protects and cares for his child.
Our part is simply to trust and listen to His gentle, loving guidance.
One more thing is important to note from this story:
This response from the father of a demonized son in Mark is spoken to Jesus. Jesus does not berate the father. Instead, he delivers the son from the demon(s).
God is kind, loving, and gentle. He understands our weaknesses and does not shame us for them.
That is one thing I take from this story.
Focus on the way God is good and faithful. Allow the truth of God’s goodness seep into your soul. Use past victories to propel you past current difficulties of unbelief.
God is a good bet!
*A version of this post ran previously.
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