Luke 12:57 English Standard Version (ESV) “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?”

It would take months to cover all the issues of accusations of faith. We must judge for ourselves those things that cause us to doubt our faith. Getting down to the root of the problem can be difficult. It could be buried in our past so deep that it would take a therapist to discover.

Mark 9:24 English Standard Version (ESV) Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

The sequence here is important. The father of a mute boy brought the boy to the disciples of Jesus and they could not heal the boy. Then Jesus comes and declares to the father that all things are possible for those who believe. The father confesses his belief but then asks for Jesus to help his unbelief. Then Jesus casted out the demon and the boy is healed.

Whose unbelief kept the boy from being healed by the disciples? The father’s or the disciples?

The answer is neither. We believe and therefore we expect results and when the results are negative, we accuse someone of unbelief. If all things are possible for one who believes, then failure must be someone’s fault. This is the accusation of faith, that someone has to be blamed.

What is missing in the telling is the most obvious issue of faith. Was God’s will at work in that moment? God does all things with purpose. Faith here has more to do with seeing and believing in God’s purpose than it does in simple belief.

When we pray over two people with the same exact disorder and one is healed and the other is not, how does the results affect the faith of everyone present? Each of us will have our own belief about the success for one and the failure for another. It is hard to see that faith did not fail either patient. What faith does in others is not always obvious.

What does faith do in us?

Galatians 2:20 English Standard Version (ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

John 14:26 English Standard Version (ESV) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

The tenuous connection made yesterday was acquired over decades of bible study and living this life of faith. None of us make these connections by ourselves and we acquire the ability to listen to the Holy Spirit at different paces. If we do not make these tenuous connects and see that others have it raises doubt in our minds as to the effectiveness of our faith.

Galatians 5:17 English Standard Version (ESV) For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Self-doubt is not faithlessness. It is part of the human condition and we all suffer some of it, some more than others. All of it is expressed in one way or another in the bible. Which passages we discover that will help us is no accident. We are led there by the Holy Spirit, who is our Helper. The flesh for some of us will refuse help. “I can do this myself.” Maybe, but then we would not be walking by faith nor walking in the Spirit.

James 4:6 English Standard Version (ESV) But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

God is here to help us all, from the youngest to the oldest. Maturity has nothing to do with age.