There are two words Jesus spoke that I keep coming back to:
Only believe.
They sound simple. Almost too simple.
But I am beginning to understand that believing may be one of the hardest things we are asked to do, especially when everything we can see seems to contradict what we are praying for.
We pray because we want God to move. We ask Him to provide. We ask Him to heal relationships, open doors, give us wisdom, help our families, guide our decisions, increase what He has placed in our hands, and show us what to do next.
But sometimes, even while we are praying, underneath the prayer is another conversation.
What if it doesn't happen?
What if God doesn't come through?
What if I can't do it?
What if there isn't enough?
What if this situation never changes?
We are asking God with our mouths while rehearsing impossibility in our minds.
And I have been asking myself a question:
Do I really believe God?
Not simply, do I believe in God?
Do I believe God?
Do I believe what He says about Himself? Do I believe what He says about me? Do I believe His Word when my circumstances are telling me something completely different?
Because there is a difference between knowing Scripture and building your life as though it is true.
DO I BELIEVE IN GOD?OR DO I BELIEVE GOD?
“Do Not Be Afraid. Only Believe.”
Those words come from a situation where believing did not make logical sense.
In Mark 5, a synagogue leader named Jairus came to Jesus because his daughter was gravely ill. He pleaded with Jesus to come and help her.
Jesus went with him.
But there was an interruption along the way.
Before they reached Jairus's home, people arrived with devastating news. His daughter had died. From their perspective, there was no longer any reason to bother Jesus.
The situation had changed.
Or at least, that is what everyone around Jairus believed.
Jesus heard the message and told Jairus:
“Do not be afraid. Only believe.”Mark 5:36
Think about the timing of those words.
Jesus didn't tell him to believe when everything looked promising.
He told him to believe when the news had just gotten worse.
That speaks to me.
Because it is easy to talk about faith when we can see how everything might work out. It is different when the numbers don't work. The opportunity disappears. The answer is delayed. The plan falls apart. The thing we were counting on doesn't happen.
That is where belief becomes more than a word.
Faith Does Not Mean Pretending
I want to be very clear about something.
Faith is not pretending.
Faith doesn't require you to look at a real problem and call it imaginary.
The widow in 2 Kings 4 really had debt. Her sons really were in danger of being taken because of it.
Hagar really ran out of water in the wilderness.
Jairus really received devastating news about his daughter.
The problems were real.
But the problems were not the whole story.
That distinction matters to me.
Faith isn't saying, “There is no problem.”
Faith is saying, “The problem is not the only thing I believe.”
I believe God is still God.
I believe He sees what I cannot see.
I believe He knows what I do not know.
I believe His wisdom exceeds mine.
I believe He can provide direction I haven't considered.
I believe He can open my eyes to something I have overlooked.
I believe He can give me strength for something I did not think I could handle.
And I believe that even when His answer doesn't look the way I expected, I can still trust Him.
That is very different from denial.
That is faith.
Faith Gives You Something to Hold On To
Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
I love the word substance.
Because sometimes what you can see gives you very little to hold on to.
There are seasons when the bank account doesn't give you something to hold on to. Your circumstances don't. Your feelings don't. The people around you may not. Your own understanding may not.
So what do you hold?
You hold onto what God said.
That doesn't mean we know exactly what God is going to do in every circumstance. Scripture is not permission for us to write our own outcome and demand that God perform it.
Faith is not confidence that my plan has to happen.
Faith is confidence in God.
There is a difference.
Sometimes I may be wrong about the way forward.
Sometimes the door I desperately want God to open needs to stay closed.
Sometimes His provision may look nothing like what I expected.
But I can still believe that God is faithful.
Believe That He Is
Hebrews 11:6 takes this even deeper:
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”Hebrews 11:6
Before the reward, before the answer, before the evidence, there is this:
Believe that He is.
I think sometimes we rush past that.
Who do you believe God is?
Is He faithful?
Is He trustworthy?
Is He wise?
Is He good?
Does He see you?
Does He care?
Can He guide you?
Can He provide?
Can He use you?
Can He teach you?
Can He do something with the little bit of oil you have?
Can He show you a well you cannot currently see?
Because our answers to those questions affect how we live.
Sometimes We Believe Our Fear More Than We Believe God
This is uncomfortable for me to admit, but I think it is important.
There have been times when I said I believed God, but my decisions showed how much I believed my fear.
Fear said, “Don't do that.”
And I obeyed fear.
Fear said, “You aren't good at that.”
And I believed it.
Fear said, “You're going to embarrass yourself.”
And I stayed where I was.
Fear said, “What if they say no?”
And sometimes I didn't ask.
Fear said, “What if this doesn't work?”
And sometimes that was enough to keep me from trying.
That's something I've had to confront in my own life.
Because whatever voice I continually obey begins having influence over the direction of my life.
That doesn't mean every uncomfortable thing is something God told me to do. We need wisdom and discernment.
But I have had to learn not to automatically interpret fear as instruction.
Sometimes fear is simply fear.
And sometimes faith means moving while my feelings are still catching up.
ANGELA'S STORY
What If the Answer Is Standing in Front of You?
Years ago, early in our business, my husband and I were going from business to business introducing ourselves and letting owners know how we could help with websites and marketing. One of the businesses we visited was a daycare.
We stopped there several times, but the owner was never there. After a while, I probably would have moved on. But my husband kept wanting to go back. I remember him insisting that he wanted to try that particular daycare again.
Finally he said, “I want to go back one more time.”
So we did.
And this time, the owner was there.
We started talking with her about her website and marketing, and as the conversation continued, we learned there was much more happening than we realized.
Her daycare had been struggling. This was during the recession, and enrollment had fallen as families faced their own financial difficulties. She needed more children enrolled, and she was deeply concerned about what was happening to her business.
She was also a Christian, and she told us that she had been praying and asking God to help her.
But when we talked about creating a website and helping her market the daycare, she was resistant. She had hired someone before who had taken her money and failed to deliver what had been promised.
Now her hesitation made perfect sense.
She wasn't simply saying no to a website.
She had been hurt before.
And sometimes what happened yesterday can make it very difficult to trust what is standing in front of us today.
I stood there listening to her, and suddenly the whole situation struck me differently.
I said something like, “Do you realize what you just told us? You've been praying and asking God for help. We have come to this daycare several times trying to meet you, and every time you weren't here. My husband kept insisting that we come back. He finally said he wanted to try one more time, and today you happen to be here.”
I remember thinking, this cannot simply be coincidence.
She was praying for an answer.
We kept being drawn back to the same business.
And now we were standing in front of her offering the very kind of help that could allow more families to find her daycare.
So I challenged her.
Could it be possible that she had been asking God for help, but because somebody had hurt her before, fear was making it difficult for her to recognize the answer when it arrived?
I also told her that we were Christians and that we would do what we promised. If she trusted us to build the website, we were going to build her website.
And then she said something I still remember:
“I'VE GOT TO BELIEVE.”Sometimes the answer we have prayed for still requires us to take a step.
She took the step.
She wrote the check.
We built the website.
And all these years later, she is still our client.
Sometimes We Pray and Then Question the Answer
I have thought about that experience many times.
What if my husband had stopped going back?
What if she had allowed what happened with the previous company to make every future opportunity look dangerous?
What if she had prayed for help but decided beforehand what God's answer was allowed to look like?
Her previous experience was real. Someone really had taken advantage of her. Being cautious after something like that wasn't unreasonable.
But there is a difference between wisdom that helps us evaluate an opportunity and fear that automatically closes every door.
That's important.
Believing God doesn't mean handing money to everyone who tells you, “God sent me.” We should use wisdom. Ask questions. Check people's work. Understand what we're agreeing to. Pray for discernment.
But discernment and fear are not the same thing.
Discernment investigates.
Fear automatically retreats.
And sometimes we can pray:
“God, please send me help.”
“God, show me what to do.”
“God, open a door.”
“God, give me an answer.”
Then something appears that requires us to trust, act, learn, invest, ask, forgive, try again, or step outside what feels safe, and suddenly we say:
“Oh no, Lord. Not that.”
And I wonder sometimes if God is saying:
You asked Me to show you a way forward. Will you at least look at what I've put in front of you?
DISCERNMENT
Investigates.
Asks questions.
Seeks wisdom.
Examines what is true.
FEAR
Assumes the worst.
Closes the door.
Avoids the conversation.
Retreats before investigating.
Yesterday's Pain Doesn't Get to Decide Every Tomorrow
That daycare owner had a legitimate reason to be cautious.
But she also had to decide whether one person's dishonesty would determine how she approached every person who came after.
That's bigger than business.
Someone betrayed you, so now you struggle to trust.
Something failed, so now you're afraid to try again.
You lost money, so now every opportunity feels dangerous.
You were embarrassed, so now you stay quiet.
You made the wrong decision once, so now you're afraid to make another one.
You prayed before and didn't get the outcome you expected, so now part of you is afraid to hope again.
Pain can teach us valuable lessons.
But pain should not become our god.
We can learn from yesterday without allowing yesterday to dictate every tomorrow.
And sometimes believing means saying:
“God, I am afraid because of what happened before. Give me wisdom. Help me discern what is in front of me now. Don't let fear make this decision for me.”
That is a very different prayer.
“But I Don't Have Much Faith”
Maybe you're reading this thinking, “Angela, that's the problem. I don't have that kind of faith.”
Then I have good news.
Jesus talked about faith as small as a mustard seed.
A mustard seed is tiny.
That means we don't have to wait until we feel like spiritual giants before we begin trusting God.
There is also a father in Mark 9 whose words may be some of the most relatable in Scripture. He wanted Jesus to help his son, and when Jesus spoke to him about believing, the father responded:
“Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”Mark 9
I love the honesty of that.
He didn't pretend.
He essentially brought Jesus both things:
his belief and his struggle to believe.
Maybe that is your prayer today.
Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.
I trust You, but I'm scared.
I believe Your Word, but these circumstances are overwhelming me.
I know You are faithful, but I cannot see how this is going to work.
I have a little faith. Please help me with the rest.
Bring Him the mustard seed.
What Are You Feeding Your Faith?
Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
That makes me think about what we repeatedly allow into our minds.
If I spend all day rehearsing the problem, researching the problem, talking about the problem, imagining everything that could go wrong, and then spend five minutes asking God to help me believe, what have I been feeding?
Fear has had breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Faith got a crumb.
Maybe some of us don't need another motivational speech.
Maybe we need more Word.
Maybe we need to read what God actually says until His voice becomes louder in our thinking than all the other voices competing for our attention.
That doesn't mean ignoring facts.
It means deciding that facts do not get to define God.
God Is Not a Man That He Should Lie
Numbers 23:19 tells us that God is not a man that He should lie.
Isaiah 55:11 gives us another extraordinary picture. God says His Word will not return to Him empty. It will accomplish what He purposes and prosper in what He sends it to do.
Those Scriptures challenge me because they turn the question around.
Instead of continually asking:
“Can I make this happen?”
sometimes the better question is:
“What has God actually said?”
Because if God did not promise something, I should be careful about putting words in His mouth.
But when God has spoken, I can trust His character.
His Word is not dependent upon my mood.
His character doesn't change because I'm having a bad day.
God doesn't become less faithful because I am afraid.
Believing Changes What You Do
This is where belief becomes practical.
If I believe a seed can grow, I plant it.
If I believe there might be something valuable in my hand, I examine what I have.
If I believe God can teach me, I become willing to learn.
If I believe failure isn't the end of my story, I can try again.
If I believe someone's “no” doesn't determine my value, I can ask the next person.
If I believe God can provide wisdom, I seek Him for it.
If I believe He can open my eyes, I start looking again.
Belief doesn't always change the circumstances immediately.
But belief changes how I show up inside the circumstances.
That's enormous.
The Widow Believed Enough to Pour
Think again about the widow in 2 Kings 4.
She had a little oil.
Elisha told her to gather empty vessels.
She could have argued that it made no sense.
Why gather containers when you don't have enough oil to fill the container you already have?
But she gathered them.
Then she poured.
Her belief had movement attached to it.
If you haven't read the full story and the lesson I've learned from it, continue with What’s In Your Hand? There is something powerful about discovering that the thing we dismiss as insignificant may be the very place God tells us to begin.
What Do You Actually Believe?
This is the question I want to leave with you.
Not:
What do you say you believe?
What do you actually believe?
When you pray, do you believe God hears you?
When you read His Word, do you believe it is trustworthy?
When God reveals something you need to change, do you believe His way is better?
When you cannot see provision, do you believe He can still guide you?
When you feel unqualified, do you believe you can learn?
When fear tells you to retreat, do you automatically obey it?
When you have only a mustard seed of faith, will you plant it?
You don't need to manufacture certainty about everything that is going to happen.
You don't need to know the ending before you take the next step.
You don't need to pretend you never struggle with doubt.
You need somewhere to place your trust.
FAITH FOR THE NEXT STEP
Only Believe
Maybe today you have been praying about something for a long time.
Maybe you're tired.
Maybe circumstances have gotten worse instead of better.
Maybe you received news you didn't expect.
Maybe you're staring at something that looks impossible.
I won't tell you that believing means God must give you the exact outcome you want.
But I will tell you where I am learning to put my confidence.
In Him.
Believe that He is.
Believe that He sees you.
Believe that He hears you.
Believe that He is trustworthy.
Believe that His wisdom is greater than yours.
Believe that He can show you what you cannot currently see.
Believe enough to keep seeking Him.
Believe enough to obey when He shows you the next step.
And if all you have today is a mustard seed, bring Him the mustard seed.
If your prayer is:
“Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”
Pray it.
And then keep walking with Him.
You may not know what happens next.
But you know who you are walking with.
ONLY BELIEVE.A PRAYER
A Prayer
Lord, I believe You, but I also know there are places where fear, circumstances and my own understanding compete with what You have said. Help my unbelief. Teach me to know Your Word so I do not confuse my wishes with Your promises. Help me trust Your character when I cannot see the outcome. When fear is speaking loudly, help me recognize Your voice. When I cannot see the provision, open my eyes. When You show me the next step, give me courage to take it. And even if the faith I bring You feels as small as a mustard seed, help me plant it and keep walking with You. Amen.
Take This Deeper
Belief grows when we make room to spend time with God, examine what we are believing, and allow His Word to reshape our thinking.
Continue with Open Your Eyes, a 7-day journey to recognize what God has already placed in your hands and around you, move through fear, and take the next faithful step.
Start Open Your EyesYOUR NEXT STEP
Where Is Your House Today?
Faith does not mean ignoring where you are. Sometimes the first step forward is becoming honest about where your household stands and identifying what may need attention next.