The normal Christian life isn’t just a life where people respect you because you’re peaceable and a nice person. It’s good to be respected and have a good reputation in the community but that’s not truly living like Jesus. Not everyone liked Jesus. A lot of Christians seem to believe that the normal Christian life is about being liked by the world and so they become tolerant of everything and don’t stand for anything. If you’re going to live like Jesus it means that the world will often be in opposition to you; you’re not going to be liked by everyone!
The normal Christian life isn’t about being liked by everyone, it’s about loving everyone and operating in the supernatural power of God, and it takes faith to live like this. We cannot live like Jesus by our own efforts, it’s by faith. Faith causes us to love others selflessly and faith makes the supernatural power of God flow in our lives.
In Mark chapter 9 from verse 14, we see a father bringing his son to Jesus. The father is desperate for help.
Mark 9:17-18 English Standard Version (ESV)
“And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”
The disciples were unable to help the man by delivering and healing his son, and so the father brings his son to Jesus. Jesus then has a few hard things to say to them, but that’s not what I want to focus on, what I want to show you is that Jesus deals with the problem.
Mark 9:21 English Standard Version (ESV)
“And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.”
Jesus asks the man how long this has been happening – He didn’t ask this because it was important information, He was showing compassion towards the father who was in distress. I am sure you’ll agree that it really didn’t matter how long this had been happening. It doesn’t take more power, or a longer prayer to deal with something that’s been happening over a prolonged period. Jesus was expressing compassion to this man and was ministering to him before He ministered to the boy.
Mark 9:21-23 English Standard Version (ESV)
“…From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
The man answers Jesus’ question and talks about how destructive his condition is. The man finishes off by appealing to Jesus, that if He can do anything, to please have compassion and help! Jesus responds with hope! He doesn’t rebuke the man but gives him hope! “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” This is talking about faith. You may have a desperate situation right now. It doesn’t matter how difficult it may be or how bad it might be, if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes! If you believe, you can see your situation turn around! No matter how bleak the situation seems, there is hope – if you can believe, you can see the miracle-working power of God in operation!
Jesus gave this father hope and then dealt with the problem. He healed and completely delivered the boy of the demon. For us to experience the miraculous power of God no matter how bad the situation might be, we only need to look to God and have faith. If we can believe God, the situation can turn around. If we are more familiar with the problem than we are God’s ability and willingness to help us, our faith will be weak and we will most likely not see any change in our situation. Faith is more convinced of what God says than what the situation says! If you’re able to say every detail of your problem but you cannot tell me what the Word of God says, you will probably struggle to experience your miracle. Too many Christians say that they are believing for a miracle but aren’t basing their faith on what God says in His Word. Faith must be born from the Word of God. Faith can only accomplish anything if it’s founded on the Word of God.
You cannot trust God like you should if you don’t know what His Word says on a topic. If you don’t know what the Bible says about healing, you would be able to hope for healing but you couldn’t believe for healing and receive it because you’d be und=sure if it was God’s will, or not.
When we know what the Word of God says we will not be dominated by fear or by circumstances, but when negative circumstances come, we will rise, take our God-given authority and deal with the situation according to God’s Word. When negative circumstances come our way and we find ourselves confronted with a crisis, we don’t have to fall apart with the circumstances. If our faith and trust is in God who is always with us (Hebrews 13:5) and is our ever-present help in time of need then we have a deep-rooted peace which helps us to get through and overcome whatever is coming our way.
I encourage you to read and meditate on Psalm 46 and Isaiah 26:3-4.