Help my unbelief

Monday, February 20, 2017

Jesus said to him: ”Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:23-24)

I remember one instance in my life where I was very anxious about something and I prayed with great fervor for the situation to be resolved in a particular way that very day. Let me add to this that the outcome I had prayed for was highly unlikely, considering the circumstances.

I reproached myself for being so very explicit about how God was to work things out, but then this beautiful line from the Gospel came to mind: Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief and it gave me the courage to pray as I was praying.

Within the next hour, the situation was resolved exactly the way I had asked for. Thanks be to God.

I love these few words from the Gospel and the translation that makes it so clean and almost symmetrical: I believe, help my unbelief. I’ve encountered other translations that attempt to paraphrase the man’s words such as, I do believe, help my lack of trust, but the paraphrase is weak. In attempting to describe “unbelief” (which is an exact translation of the Greek word used here), the paraphrase actually limits it to one particular state of mind. “Unbelief” can mean so many other things besides.

Examples:

                I believe but I think I might be asking for too much.

                I believe but I hesitate in my prayer.

                I believe but I have some doubts about the matter.

                I believe but “would you really do this for me?”

                I believe but I feel guilty about what I am asking.

                I believe but when I pray for world peace it just looks so impossible to happen in my lifetime.

                I believe but I don’t really deserve to have my prayer answered.

                I believe but . . . . .  (Perhaps you can add your own examples to the list.)

The truth of the matter, however, is that the Lord has told us to “ask, seek, knock.” He has also told us that if we had the faith the size of a mustard seed, we could “say to this sycamore, ‘Be uprooted and transplanted into the sea, and it would obey you.” (Luke 17:6)

How small our faith must be. “Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.”

Above all, however, believe that God loves us unconditionally and wants you to make it to heaven, and He continually wishes to pour graces upon us, graces that we ask for and graces that our feeble minds can scarcely comprehend. So pray boldly. Pray constantly. And above all, pray for an increase of faith.

God bless you!