Only Believe

“Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.”

—ST. AUGUSTINE

Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?

—John 11:40

Believing is the quickest way to simplify your life. Fear, doubt, unbelief, and over-reasoning complicate life, but the ability to believe removes them all. Little children simply believe what you tell them. If a child is told by his parents they will buy him a new pair of shoes on Saturday, the child does not worry all week about whether or not it will happen. They just look forward to Saturday. We should be the same way in our relationship with the Lord. We should simply believe or as the King James translation of Mark 5:36 states, “only believe.”

Having faith and confidence that God will provide isn’t always easy. Unfortunately, there isn’t always a “belief button” to push to insure you will never experience doubt again. It is a growing process, and the attitude you need to have while you’re waiting is just like that little child—“Saturday is coming!” Instead of giving up and getting frustrated, realize we receive the promises of God by faith and patience. Keep talking about the promise, not the problem. All the negative emotions we experience are just some of the things that complicate our lives. We don’t have to get upset while we are waiting; we can choose to remain expectant and joyful. We can take the simple approach and simply believe!

The next time you feel life is so complicated you want to jump off a bridge, start saying out loud, “I believe, God!” You only have to turn to His Word to find His promises—promises assuring He will never leave you or forsake you (see Deuteronomy 31:6); promises that He is the source of every comfort and encouragement (see 2 Corinthians 1:3–4). So hold to those promises and say with conviction, “I believe, God!” You will calm down and feel ready to do whatever you need to do. You might need to say it several times, but I know from experience, believing has an amazing effect on the soul. The Bible says joy and peace are found in believing (see Romans 15:13). Any time I feel upset or sad, if I check where my belief levels are, I immediately find the source of my negative emotion. If I am willing to adjust my attitude, things get noticeably better. God keeps telling me to simplify, simplify, and then simplify some more. I am on a journey, and I hope by this point you have decided to join me. Believe and be ready to receive.