Unbelief

Last week’s bible study talked about how unbelief is at the heart of a lot of problems that Christians face. The things we struggle with might be anger or fear or depression, but the core of those problems is that we don’t trust God the way we should. We don’t trust Him to take care of us, or to solve a problem or even to love us the way we want to be loved. It’s a hard truth to swallow, since it means that before we can think about dealing with the problems associated with our anger or fear (etc), we actually need to deal with our mistrust. We need to trust God with an unwavering trust, one that doesn’t falter or turn fickle at the first sign that things aren’t going our way.

The dictionary definition for belief talks about accepting something as truth, conviction, and faith. But I like where it says “placing trust or confidence in another” because that’s all about action. It’s about not just saying you think the Bible is true, but actually putting your trust in that truth; stepping forward and trusting that Who you believe in will be there to help. It stands to reason that if belief is about action, than unbelief is the opposite. It’s about staying where you are, stuck because you don’t believe anyone will be there for you. As a Christian, unbelief is an anchor that keeps you from growing in God, from being able to move in His will. Until you start trusting Him to be exactly who He says He is, you can’t move forward.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

This week I’m going to be looking at the problems that I have and tracing them back to see where my unbelief lies. I know in the past I’ve struggled with believing that God will take care of me and, and my almost constant struggle, believing that God truly loves me. The bible states pretty clearly that neither of those things are true about God and His character. I need to strengthen my faith and start working on trusting God, because I don’t intend to be stuck in this place of unbelief for long.