When faced with insurmountable difficulty, it’s easy to lose hope. It’s easy to lose trust. And when well-meaning people share encouragements, yet fail to walk alongside us, it can be isolating. But we’re not in it alone, no matter how overwhelming our work may be. Lean into the strong faith of others in your life. This might be a coworker of faith just down the hall or a family member who is a phone call away.
Mark 9:14–29 tells the story of a father whose son had been possessed by a spirit since childhood. The father had been witness to years of his son’s suffering. He watched him fall and convulse uncontrollably, pulled him out of the fire after he threw himself in, and learned to communicate with the love only a parent can give. After they were unable to do anything, the father started arguing with the disciples. He wasn’t satisfied. Refusing to be turned away, he turned to Jesus, who assured him that “everything is possible for the one who believes” (v. 23).
As disciples of Jesus, we sometimes find ourselves unable to overcome difficulties on our own. Jesus’ encouragement to us now would be the same as it was to his disciples 2,000 years ago. Prayer. Prayer is the difference between seeing things go our way and trusting that they will go God’s way. Leaning into Christ, and standing with other disciples along the way, changes everything.
