Learning to Walk by Faith (2)

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”                          Mk 9:24 NIV

Here is another question to consider: What is “walking by sight”? (See 2Co 5:7). It’s living your life based on how things look to the natural eye. It’s deciding and acting in accord with your perceptions and circumstances, rather than God’s Word. It’s being dictated to by your feelings and thoughts. Your thoughts and feelings are—yours! Examine them. Don’t let them hijack you. Use your spirit-controlled temperament to bring them under control. Too often we are sandwiched between faith and doubt, in a “catch-22” between what our transformed spirit says and what our carnal mind says. One day a distraught father brought his son to Jesus for healing. Jesus told him, “Everything is possible for one who believes” (Mk 9:23 NIV). At that point the boy’s father said, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” At times we experience both faith and doubt. This man was honest about his doubts, yet Jesus still worked a miracle for him. If he had needed correction, Jesus would have corrected him. If his faith was not genuine, the Lord would have known it. But Jesus accepted his declaration of faith, despite his doubts. There are three lessons here for us: (1) Don’t be afraid to acknowledge your doubts. (2) Don’t let your doubts overrule your faith. God’s Word in the matter is God’s will for you; stand on it. (3) Hand your doubts over to the Lord and say, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” How long does it take to learn to walk by faith? A lifetime!

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