It’s About Becoming Perfect

In the Gospel of Mark we hear of a father who brought his son to Jesus for healing because the Apostles were unable to heal him. He called to Jesus, “’If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’” (Mark 9.22-24) 

Do you see how simple the Lord is? He doesn’t expect long theological explanations about death and faith and the resurrection. He doesn’t even expect the man to be perfect in his belief. The father’s doubt was obvious since I’m sure he had visited many doctors and nobody, not even the Apostles, could help his son. Although he had lost just about all hope, he held on long enough and had just enough faith to come to Jesus and confess his weakness, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And then his son was healed.

The Lord does not expect us to have perfect faith, since we are not perfect. What He wants from us is enough faith to know our weakness and to confess to Him that we are dependent upon Him for help. There will be times when the struggles of life will seem to be beyond our abilities. It is just then that we must run to Christ, confess our faith in Him, and believe just enough that He can help us, and He will.

Sometimes the help comes in ways we cannot understand while other times the help is bold and obvious to all. Someday we will all be with the Lord in heaven and then our faith will be perfect. Until then, we continue to struggle and hope in the Lord’s wisdom and power.