Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord I believe! Help my unbelief!”

This is a verse I used to minister to a close friend of mine who was struggling with doubt, unbelief and depression at the time. While reading him the verse I was quietly thinking in my head: “Thank God that this isn’t something I struggle with!’ Oh how wrong I was. It was easy for me to believe in God before IGNITE. I was comfortable, never really challenged in my faith in many ways. Even in trial it wasn’t too bad because I was in my comfort zone. In coming to Guatemala, I soon discovered that I had a massive problem with faith and trust, namely, I had none. I freaked out about people at home and I doubted whether or not I was even supposed to be here.

I thought I had made a big mistake in coming to IGNITE. I didn’t feel as though I belonged or that I could be myself. I doubted in his sovereignty in having me here. I knew in my heart that I was definitely supposed to be here. I feel much like the father in this passage, crying out to God “I believe! Help my unbelief!” in the verses previous the father is begging Jesus for his son, who’s been possessed by a spirit his whole life. The father knows Jesus is Lord and that he can heal his son. Jesus says to him earlier on “if you can believe all things are possible to those who believe” All things are possible. I think I often forget that the same god who parted the red sea and gave life to a dead man and freed a boy from demon possession is my God. The answer to my problems is always the same. Jesus. I must surrender my disbelief and doubt to him in prayer. I can’t do this in my own strength, only through his.