| Unbelief - article by Joel Hempel
Jesus said to [the father who asked Jesus to heal his son] . . . All things are possible for one who believes. Immediately, the father of the child cried out and said, I believe, help my unbelief. Mark 9:23-24 Who among us has not identified with this man’s honesty? Yes, Jesus, I believe! Yes, I believe you can grant healing, that you can save my beloved, that you can remove this thorn, that you can stop the pain, that you will restore faith in my wandering child. I believe. I know you can, but will you? Many years ago, when Marcia’s stepfather was battling ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), two friends from a faith healing church came over to his house to pray for him. He was pleased to receive them until the following unfolded: They told him God would heal him if he had enough faith. As they prayed, they reiterated the necessity of faith. Dad Laesch: I believe God can heal me! Friends: You have to have unwavering faith. You must be certain you will be healed! Dad: I do have faith. The friends prayed; a year later, Dad died from ALS. Dad wouldn’t say what the friends said as they were leaving, but it left him feeling sad and guilty he did not have enough faith. If you can [heal my son]? The father in the Gospel story asked Jesus (Mark 9:14-29). But that’s the wrong question. There is no doubt Jesus can! The question to be answered by every follower of Jesus is: Do I have enough faith in Jesus to trust his will? Most of us believe God can grant our request. Where we too often get hung up is trusting and accepting that God’s love for us and his plan for our lives may not include what we are asking. I believe. Help my unbelief! Nearly all of us have work to do when it comes to growing our faith in the All-Knowing God. Will we submit our desires to his will? In my eyes and the eyes of many, my father-in-law was a giant of a Christian and a man of enduring faith. He trusted in God’s will, told others about Jesus, was generous with his employees, and cared about each of his customers who bought his dairy products. I believe his lived faith is an example for all of us. It took a while for Dad to work through his sadness and guilt. But in time, he returned to his confidence in the love of Jesus. He died secure in his God-graced faith. We can, by the mercy of God, trust him. Ask God to help you with your unbelief. He will. He helped me! | 
