Have you ever heard the saying “when faith walks in fear walks out”? I’m not sure it’s even a real saying or just one in our neck of the woods.

Let’s be honest though, I’m pretty sure fear is just hiding around the corner most of the time even if it did walk out of the room!

I love the story in Mark 9 where the father brings his son who can’t speak and is tormented by an evil spirit to the disciples. They tried to cast it out but couldn’t. That’s a whole different lesson I’m not planning on going into here.

What keeps drawing me back to this lesson repeatedly lately is how the father responds to Jesus.

He tells Jesus all about how this evil spirit tried to kill his son repeatedly through the years. He sees what is happening daily. Can you even imagine how hard that was as a parent? How helpless you’d feel? It breaks my heart for him.

But then his comment to Jesus had me scratching my head many times. “Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9: 22-24 (NLT))

Does that last statement from the father hit anyone else upside the head?

It’s way too easy to believe once we believe in Jesus we’ll never have any fears, doubts or unbelief. Now I’m not saying we just simply accept unbelief as part of our everyday lives. But I think it’s important to recognize it can happen.

Way to often in Christian circles it’s treated as shameful to feel any doubts or show any worry. Now hear me on this, I don’t want us to camp out in fear, worry and unbelief. Not at all!

But when we recognize they will come knocking at our door and remove the shame for feeling them it also makes it much easier to run to Jesus. We aren’t hiding out in shame hoping he doesn’t catch us in our unbelief. You know He knows already anyway, right?

Recently my hubby and I received word of some very unsettling news. The kind that causes you to scramble and try to figure out what to do next in a very short amount of time.

To be perfectly honest I was feeling pretty angry with God. Then pretty upset with myself for feeling this way with God. That quickly turned into guilt for feeling so upset over a situation when I know so many others are dealing with things FAR worse than this could ever be.

I honestly didn’t have a clue of how to fight back at the moment. I was having serious doubts on if I was even hearing God correctly anymore. I’d prayed and trusted God to resolve this issue and at the time of this writing it’s a LONG ways from resolved.

But God in all His goodness gave me these scriptures at just the right moment.

I didn’t have to try and hide my unbelief, fears, doubts and worry. I just needed to take them to Him.

So I wrote these words on my heart and every scrap of paper I could find around my house for the next week. Lord, I believe, help me with my unbelief!

[Tweet “It’s funny when you keep shoving fear a little farther out the door how much less scary it is.”]

We need truth spoken over us friend. The truth is life can be tough! The even bigger truth is that God is still in control!

Let’s choose to keep grabbing faith’s hand and reminding ourselves anything is possible if a person believes.

Lord I need You so desperately! I do believe, please help me with my unbelief. Thank you that I can trust with the good, the bad and the ugly. I’m so grateful You love me right where I am and meet me there. Help me to continue to speak life over this situation. I bring what faith I have to You and ask that You will fill in the gaps for me. I love you more than anything Father and surrender all of this to You. In Jesus name, amen.