Overcoming Unbelief

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 9:23-25

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. – James 1:5

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God… For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. – Hebrews 3:12,14

What is God softly nudging you to believe Him for today? Do you truly believe that He is for you, that He is on your side, and that He longs to use you in the lives of the people around you, sharing His love?

Last week, we explored the Great Commission, unpacking what Jesus said to His disciples when He first commissioned them to go into the world and preach the gospel. The disciples were slow to believe that Jesus had really come back from being dead, and Jesus confronted them about their spirit of unbelief.

In order to be equipped with everything we need to minister to the lost through business, we must first deal with the unbelief in our lives. When we make room for unbelief and doubt in our lives, we fail to receive everything that God has to offer, and reject the power that we can access through faith. We choose to believe our perception of situations and circumstances and turn away from experiencing the truth and freedom that the Holy Spirit offers.

As believers in Jesus, we all struggle with doubt and unbelief. Many of us, like the father in Mark chapter 9, have cried out, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief.” As we grow in knowledge and understanding of Jesus, we also grow in faith, learning how to look at our lives from God’s point of view and not ours. “Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him” (Proverbs 3:5b-6a).

In order to overcome unbelief and doubt, remember the following:

1. Facts are not truth. It may be a fact that you are struggling financially. It may be a fact that your spouse has cancer. It may be a fact that you just made a huge mistake in your business. But truth sees things differently. The truth is, your God already has provided for your daily needs today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life. The truth is, your God deeply loves you. He captures and holds all of your tears, and any pain and suffering you experience here is nothing to be compared to the eternal joy that awaits you, no matter what. The truth is, your God is the one who prospers business owners, He is more concerned with your heart than the details of where things went wrong. He wants you to trust him with both your success and your mistakes.
2. Unbelief is a systemic problem with a root. Doubt can come and go. Waves of doubt toss us around and often lead to confusion and chaos. One day we think God can use us to change the hearts of the people we work with. The next day, we aren’t so sure. Doubt is a common struggle and over time, God sanctifies us and leads us to a place of greater faith. However – if doubt stops becoming a struggle and instead, takes root in our hearts, it can turn to unbelief. Unbelief is far more dangerous and has the ability to make us completely powerless. When we allow unbelief to control our lives, we are easily swayed and influenced by the enemy.
3. Unbelief is ultimately a rejection of who God says He is — His character. When we choose not to believe what God says in His Word, it is no casual decision. In fact, James calls it “evil.” Why? Because ultimately, we are, in our hearts, standing before God and telling Hireceivingm that He isn’t who He says He is, and that His Word doesn’t really mean anything. It is a dangerous place to be.
4. We can ask the Holy Spirit to increase our faith and help our struggle with doubt, keeping us from unbelief. When I pray, I often hold my hands out, palms facing upward, and ask to receive everything that the Holy Spirit has for me that day. It is a physical act of coming like a small child to our Father, asking for grace and gifts to continue in His will. When I do this, I can feel God’s pleasure! He loves to answer prayers for a stronger faith and more of His Spirit!

My prayer for you today is that you would embrace who God is, choosing to walk in belief, starting the adventure of living out the great commission in your workplace.