ELECTRIC BLANKET

Mark 9:17-26
17 "Teacher, I brought You my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. . . . I asked Your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." 19 "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me." . . . 21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" 22 "From childhood," he answered. ". . . But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us." 23 " 'If You can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." 24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," He said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out.

Some followers of Jesus expect the Christian life to go as smoothly and easily as sliding into a warm, comfortable bed--no discomfort, no complaints, no stress.

Trouble is, it doesn't usually work that way--as you've probably already discovered. Sometimes we begin to suspect that God is picking on us. We may even begin to struggle with our faith.

Flannery O'Connor, a brilliant American writer and a believer in Jesus Christ, had some thoughts about that. She once observed, "I think there is no suffering greater than what is caused by the doubts of those who want to believe. I know what torment this is. But I can only see it, in myself anyway, as the process by which faith is deepened. What people don't realize is how much religion costs. They think it is a big electric blanket, when of course it is the cross."

More than one Christian has gone through periods of doubt, perhaps even bordering on despair. They often don't realize that the act of crying out for help is a demonstration that faith is very much present and alive in them.

In a letter to a college student who expressed doubts about the Christian faith, O'Connor wrote, "Even in the life of a Christian, faith rises and falls like the tides of an invisible sea. It's there even when he can't see it or feel it."

Our misery is the evidence of our faith. When we cry out with the distraught father in today's text, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24), we are expressing our faith. In His way and in His time, God will give us the assurance we need. --Dave Egner

DESTINATION POINTS

* Do I experience occasional bouts of spiritual doubt? Depression? What do I do about them?
* Why do some believers expect the Christian life to be as comfortable as a big electric blanket?
* What Scripture has helped me when I've doubted?

LINKS:
Why Christians Doubt http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0717

bottom line: The Way does not ensure the easiest way.

soul journey