“I Believe; Help My Unbelief!”
By Tom Stolle
Have you ever had doubts?
That’s a silly question. We all have them.
We doubt all kinds of things. We could be in the gym, doubting whether we can lift a certain amount of weight. We could be facing a project, doubting our ability to complete it successfully. We could be facing circumstances in our families, doubting the struggle will get better. We could go on and on, listing thousands of scenarios in which we would doubt.
Doubt — it’s part of the human condition.
Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV): “The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
This account in Scripture is interesting to me. Even being with Jesus after He was raised from the dead, even seeing Him, some disciples doubted. These were His closest friends and companions. Men who knew His voice. Men who knew His love for them. Men who were literally seeing Him standing before them.
Yet some of these men doubted.
They observed the reality of a Roman crucifixion. They knew Jesus died.
But no one beats death! No one!
But they saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. Now Jesus was standing before them. Jesus was raised from the dead. Jesus beat death!
Yet Scripture records that some of His disciples doubted.
We might say, “How could they doubt? Jesus was right in front of them. I can’t imagine why they would doubt.”
But as I reflect, I ask myself, “Am I so different?”
How many times have I doubted? Plenty.
I identify closely with the dad in Mark 9:14–29. He had a son. A son he desperately loved. A son who was in real trouble. A demon occupied his son, preventing him from speaking and slamming him to the ground.
This wasn’t the life he imagined for his son, and he sought help. He even went to Jesus’ disciples to help, but they couldn’t.
But now he was in the presence of the Son of God, the One who could not just help, but heal.
Yet Scripture says he confesses his doubt. When told by Jesus, “All things are possible for one who believes,” the dad immediately cries out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Within the dad, faith and doubt are colliding. The dad has seen so much. No one has been able to heal the one thing he loves more than anything else in the world — his boy.
The dad places his trust in Jesus, and despite his acknowledgment of doubt, Jesus heals the boy. The dad’s son is now well.
I’ve had my times of doubt. Raising a son with significant disabilities causes me to identify with this dad. I’ve experienced seasons of intense doubt and pain.
Despite seeing God do incredible things in my son, Jimmy, in my marriage, and in many other areas of my life, I still fight doubt.
Will Jimmy be okay when Shelley and I pass away? Will anyone love him like we do?
I can’t see it with my human eyes. I have trouble. I still have doubt. Yet I’ve lived a lifetime of experiencing God provide over and over and over and over again.
I shouldn’t doubt, but I do.
I doubt, but I know to my core God is able. It’s weird.
What are the situations, circumstances, or challenges you face that create doubt within you? Know that God is way bigger than our doubt.
I pray that in our own moments of doubt, in our times when we wonder if God will really provide what is needed, that we have the faith and trust in Jesus to move forward powerfully, knowing that the God of the universe not only hasn’t forgotten us, but desires that all come to know Him.
A step at a time in faith! In the name of Jesus!
Tom Stolle serves as BCM/D Executive Director/CFO