The Struggle of Faith

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7)

Disbelief and unbelief.  Exactly what is the difference? I think perhaps many of us beat ourselves up when struggling with doubts.  The prefix “dis” means “rejection”, as in forsaking any faith in something or someone.  Mark 3 gives us the account of Jesus healing the withered hand of a man in the synagogue on the sabbath.  That act sent the Pharisees into a tailspin.  We are told at that point “they began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.”  They witnessed a miracle with their own eyes, and yet they were filled with hatred toward the miracle worker himself.  That my friends, is disbelief.  It is the deliberate choice to see or hear something spiritual, and yet refuse with a callous heart to believe it.

Then, there is the account in Mark chapter 9 of a man who brought his demon possessed son to Christ.  The boy was mute.  The demon tormented the child by throwing him to the ground and causing him to gnash his teeth as he foamed at the mouth.  But the father had his own struggle.  As his son struggled with demonic possession, the father struggled with his faith.  So, with sincerity he approached Jesus and asked the Lord to help him with his doubting heart.  His unbelief was different from the disbelief of the religious leaders.  Unbelief means a faith that is incomplete or weak.  It is short of a full conviction.  This man wanted to believe at a higher level, but at that moment he stood before the Messiah struggling.   So, he gave Jesus the faith he had, even though it was as “small as a mustard seed.”  He may not have thought it was much faith, but Jesus did.  As a result, Jesus rebuked the demon, and the boy was free of torment.  I can only imagine what that did for the father’s faith!

Doubts about Christ should draw us to him because we want help to believe.  But disbelief will push a person away from experiencing any amount of faith.  Many in our society today are wallowing in disbelief because they, like the Pharisees of Christ’s day, find God’s existence and power more of a threat than a blessing.  They won’t believe because they don’t want to believe.  They don’t want to believe because faith in Christ strips them of their power. 

Whether someone has disbelief or unbelief, God has a response for both.  Someone struggling with unbelief should desire a deeper walk with Christ that will banish their doubts and fears.  But for those whose stubborn hearts harden because of disbelief, their future is a future of judgment. 

So don’t beat yourself up over the struggles you have with faith.  Don’t worry about how small your faith is.  At least you have some and you have placed it in Christ.  Simply take your tattered shreds of faith to Jesus and ask him to help you turn your unbelief into a genuine solid confidence and conviction.  Mustard seeds can grow into a shrub that is 20 feet tall and produce a crown nearly as wide.  Think of what a little faith can do?

                                                          Darlene