“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe;

help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

Faith may require training wheels for a short time

You don’t teach a young child to ride a bicycle be starting them on a unicycle. You start off with training wheels.

Those bolt-on ‘balance enhancers’ aren’t the end … just the means to an end. A unicycle may be in their future, but the present requires a bit of help to get there.

Now a believer for over six decades, I’d love to report that my faith is at the unicycle level. I would love to testify that I now regularly model the centurion of Matthew chapter eight fame. Jesus told him He would come to his home to pray for his sick servant and the soldier replied, “You don’t need to do that … just speak the word and it will happen!”

Pretty impressive faith.

But often I’m more like the father in Mark chapter nine. He had enough faith to bring his demonized son to Jesus, but not quite enough to believe Jesus actually could make a difference. So with training wheels firmly attached he says to Jesus, “If you can do anything, please help us!”

“If I can?” Jesus responds. “All things are possible to those who believe.” (Even to believers running on four wheels instead of two or even one – my addition).

The idea is for faith to continue to grow … to find it easier to trust God now than it was earlier … for your expectations of his intervention and his power to be greater as time goes by.

At some point it’s appropriate for the training wheels to get taken off. It’s normal for the bike to grow with the rider. And some do actually graduate to the unicycle. That’s what I’m aiming for … unicycle faith.

This week recount what you know about God’s ability, from Scripture and personal experience and the testimonies of those around you. You may occasionally lose your balance, feel the bike tip and think you’re going down. But then the Fathers’ hands reach out to steady you and you regain balance and momentum.

Your faith no longer requires training wheels!

May you experience joy (and balance) as you believe for joy of your journey,

Paul Walterman

Fresh Heart Ministries

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