Just Believe
Some of the most inspiring words to me in the New Testament are found in Luke 8:50:
“Don’t be afraid; just believe…”
Here we see the story of Jairus wanting to see his daughter be made well. Jesus comforts him with profound words that I wish I could live out everyday: just believe. It is simple, yet so powerful. If you are like me, there are moments where you want to believe, yet things tend to get in the way. Circumstances, fears, anxiety, doubt, negative voices of others in our lives…if only we could simply “Believe”.
It is interesting that Jesus was selective on who He let come in the home with Him. It is important to surround yourself with people who will stand with you believing, and not work against it. The voice of negativity can be powerful-so be aware of who you allow to influence you.
I think there are some great insights for all of us in this passage about simply Believing:
When Jesus is close we can have confidence
My guess is that Jairus was able to experience a sense of confidence because of the proximity of Jesus. He didn’t just hear the words, he was standing right by Him. It is amazing how sometimes my confidence has increased if I am walking next to the right person. A few years back on a missions trip to LA, I noticed when we were out doing street ministry that there were a few students who walked “closer” to me than normal. Proximity can bring confidence if you are walking close to the right person.
When we hear His voice, it can bring faith in a moment where there seems to be no hope.
I wish I could have been there to see the reaction of Jairus when he heard the voice of The King comfort him and encourage him to not doubt, but to believe! There have been some seasons in my life where I desperately needed to hear that voice…and right in the moment where I felt like I was going to be overwhelmed by the current circumstance, that Awesome Voice reminded me, “Dint be afraid…Believe.”
When others try to end your hope, put your focus back on Him
We have all been around negative people. It isn’t fun. This is especially true when you are in the midst of a battle and trying your best to stand strong with faith. When the servant arrived with a report that should have ended all hope “Don’t bother the master anymore…” Jesus reaches out to Jairus with hope, where hope could have been easily lost. Don’t allow others to end your hope…put that focus back in the right place.
*I originally wrote this blog post on February 20th, 2009, but decided to simply save it in my drafts section. Little did I know over the next few weeks, that I would be forced to live out this simple truth that the Lord had challenged me about. Today is now March 11th. As I conclude this post I am sitting in my dad’s hospital room, next to his bed as he is taking a nap. We have been here for over 7 days. “Don’t be afraid, just believe”…what a powerful truth! Sometimes the things that God speaks to us about, we have no idea that they are preparation for us to walk through the coming seasons. My dad is doing better each day. There are points of victory and points of battle. Through it all I am challenged to remember: “don’t be afraid, just believe”