A crisis of belief. Have you ever faced one? A crisis of belief happens when we face a challenge bigger than ourselves. It’s a God-sized challenge that only God can resolve. In those moments, what we do next reveals what we really believe about God.
In his book “Experiencing God” Henry Blackaby outlined five specific questions to ask ourselves when we are facing a God-sized challenge.
1. The first question centres around clarity. “What specifically am I asking God to do?” What specifically am I hoping for? Hebrews 11:1 says faith is the substance of things hoped for. What exactly are you hoping for?
2. The next ask is – “How much will it cost?” Cost comes in many forms. In time, effort, patience, money, etc. Every challenge bears some personal cost that cannot be escaped.
3. The third question is “How much do I have?” What can I do? What can I bring to the table? God expects us to be a partial answer to our own prayer and do what we can.
4. The next question is “How much can others contribute?” Every one of us has a support network we need to tap. God has placed us within families, communities, churches, business circles and groups of people to support one another.
YOU ARE NOW AT A CRISIS OF BELIEF because after you have completely answered the four questions above there will likely still be a gap between your ask and your answer. It’s a gap that requires something beyond what you or others can provide. What you do next will reveal two things. Who you really are. And what you really think about God.
5. The fifth and now critical question we must ask is this: “What must I depend on God to do?” What must now be the focus of my faith that I am trusting God to fulfill? And unless God intervenes – things will remain the same. Then additionally – do I trust God’s goodness so implicitly I’m okay with that?
In Mark 6 we see a vivid example of “A Crisis of Belief” where all five questions were asked. It is the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. A large crowd had followed Jesus to a remote place, and it was now getting late in the day. The people were getting hungry. They needed food! “But we don’t have any and we don’t have enough money to buy food for everyone here,” the disciples objected. “What do you have?” Jesus asked. All they could round up were “five loaves of bread and two fish.” Clearly not enough! And nobody else could contribute! They were now at A CRISIS OF BELIEF and needed a miracle. Unless Jesus could do something, they would all go home hungry.
“Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand (plus women and children).” (Mark 6:39-44)
Are you facing a God-sized challenge or a need of some kind that is bigger than you and beyond what you can resolve? Jesus invites you to “bring it to Him.”
Be blessed my friend.
Glen (Pitts)
The Barnabas Group / Loads of Love
Daniel 3:16-18; Romans 8:28-39; Psalm 57
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