Have you ever believed something but didn’t think it would happen to you? The Scriptures say, “All things are possible to him who believes.” To believe is to have faith. Therefore, the way to receive from God is to have faith in Him. But first, you must overcome doubt and unbelief. So, what do you do when you’re tossed between doubt and unbelief?
One day Jesus came upon His disciples as they argued with the scribes. He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” A man in the crowd spoke up, saying, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I asked Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not!”
Jesus answered him, saying, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought the boy to Jesus. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he replied, “From childhood. And often, he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
All Things are Possible to Him Who Believes
The boy’s father had been desperate to find help for his son. But he had to overcome unbelief. He is caught between doubt and belief. But Jesus calmly looked at the father and said, “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 9:14-24).
All things are possible if you believe. On January 15, 2009, Captain Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III (Captain Sully) was the captain of US Airways Flight 1549. The plane was traveling from New York City’s LaGuardia Airport to North Carolina’s Teterboro Airport. Shortly after takeoff, the plane struck a flock of geese and lost power in both engines.
Captain Sully quickly determined that he would be unable to reach either LaGuardia or Teterboro Airport, and piloted the plane to a crash landing on the Hudson River. Everyone survived the landing. Nearby boats rescued all 155 people on board. Captain Sully acted on impulse, making the split-second decision to land his plane in the river. Some people call it a miracle; some call it luck. But Captain Sully had to overcome unbelief. He believed he could do the seemingly impossible, and he did it.
That’s the kind of faith you must have when trusting God. All things are possible if you believe. You might have an incredible need right now that requires a miracle. But our God is a God of miracles. All we have to do to receive a miracle from God is believe.
Lord, I Believe, Help My Unbelief
What do you do when you come face-to-face with something you have wanted all your life? Why did Jesus respond to the boy’s father by saying, “If you can believe?” Jesus wanted him to know that nothing is impossible. If you believe you can receive from God. He wanted the boy’s father to know that If he cast aside his doubts, subdue his fears, and trust Him, his son would be made well.
Jesus tells us that when we pray, we are to believe that we receive the things we ask of God.
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Mark 11:23-24
Sometimes we allow the circumstances of life to restrict the level of blessing we receive from God. The Scriptures say, if you are a person driven by your appetite, you put a knife to your throat (Proverbs 23:2). The Scriptures also tell us that we are what we believe (Proverbs 23:7). Taste and see that God is good. Allow God to change your appetite for Him by trusting Him for your needs, and God will help you in your unbelief.
One of the ingredients in the recipe for faith is obedience. Faith is perfected through obedience. The scriptures say that Jesus, having been perfected by His obedience to the Father, became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9). No matter what you are going through, keep believing God will turn your life around. Trust God that all things will work together for your good because you love and trust Him (Romans 8:28).
Is it Possible to Possess Faith and Unbelief at the Same Time?
We are living in the age of unbelief, and people are skeptical of everything. Almost everyone has a conspiracy theory; the truth is distorted, and deep darkness covers the earth. People don’t know what to believe anymore. So, is it possible to occupy faith and unbelief at the same time?
Faith believes whereas, doubt does not believe. First, understand that there is a difference between doubt and unbelief. Everyone struggles with doubt. Doubt comes when you question your faith. That is why it is important to know what you believe. Unbelief is a determined refusal to believe something. When you know what you believe, your faith closes the door to unbelief.
How to Overcome Unbelief
God has provided health and healing through the death and resurrection of His Son. All the promises of God are yea and amen (2 Corinthians 1:20). This means that God answers our prayers provided we agree with Him.
Whatever God has promised, He will do. It is not uncommon to wonder if God’s promises will come to pass. If you are experiencing trials, continue to trust God for deliverance. Here are some steps you can take to overcome unbelief.
Do not harden your heart against God
The Scripture issues a warning to believers that we do not harden our hearts. “Do not harden your heart as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me and saw My works for forty years.” (Hebrews 3:8-9).
Acts chapter 28, verse 27, explains what it means to have a hardened heart. “For the hearts of these people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them” (Acts 28:27). Blindness, deafness, and dumbness are the results of a hardened heart.
Know your position in Christ
“…The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 8:8-10).
This is the summation of how one obtains salvation. Christ paid an excruciatingly painful price that you might become a part of the family of God and “receive” salvation. The good thing is it does not cost you anything to believe. It’s FREE!
To most people, salvation means, “I will get it in the hereafter.” My friend, salvation means God forgave you of the sinful debt that you owed. That means: you will not die, you can receive healing, you can overcome addiction, you can have a good life, and more. When you receive salvation, you become a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
From this point forward, God will give you the grace to overcome anything, including overcoming unbelief. Start by determining to trust God. Then, choose to believe God over your circumstances. Finally, when doubt comes, close the door with your faith.