“I do believe, but help my unbelief.”
These words came from a desperate father in Mark 9, whose son had suffered for years under an evil spirit. The disciples had already tried and failed to cast out the spirit, so when he approached Jesus, hope was running low. You can almost hear the weariness in his voice when he says, “If you are able to do anything…”
Isn’t that what disappointment does to us, too? It slowly moves our faith from “God, I know you can do anything!” to “If you are able to do anything…”
But Jesus stops him right there. “What do you mean, ‘if’? If you are able to believe, all things are possible to the believer.” And the father replied honestly, “I do believe, but help my unbelief.”
So many of us know that tension. We want to believe, but our minds are filled with headlines, heartbreak, and unanswered prayers. The problem feels closer than the promise. The storm feels louder than His voice.
Faith is a lot like looking through a lens: whatever we focus on becomes sharper and more vivid, while everything else fades into the background. There are two kingdoms—the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world—and one will always be in sharper focus than the other. When our eyes are fixed on the world, its shadows seem to grow darker. But when our eyes are fixed on Jesus, His light brings everything else into perspective. That’s why Scripture tells us over and over, “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2) What we think about most becomes what we focus on and what we become convinced of.
Unbelief isn’t fixed overnight; it’s overcome as we shift our focus. The more we fill our minds with the Word of God, the nearer His presence feels. His truth becomes louder than the lies of this world, until His reality comes into sharper focus and becomes the one we live by.
Scripture reminds us that Satan is called the ruler of this world (John 12). That’s why we can’t measure God by what we see around us or let disappointment shape our faith. Instead, we look to His Word—to story after story of imperfect people who believed and watched God do the impossible. His truth will overcome the truth of this world every time they collide.
Jesus said, “If you are able to believe, all things are possible to the believer.” So, let’s shift our focus. Let’s lift our eyes. Even the smallest flicker of faith is enough when it’s turned toward Jesus.
𝑇𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑠,
𝐿𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒,
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑚,
𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒.
Grace Waves 