This past Sunday, I was filling in for our children’s church
director while she was out of town. I had planned earlier in the week that we
would talk about friendships and how to be a good friend. Since school is about
to start back, I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about being
nice and dependable to our friends. I shared a story from Mark chapter two with
the kids. This story is about a man who has been paralyzed his entire life. He
had four really great friends, that when they heard about Jesus healing people
in their town, they hurried to get their friend to Jesus. When they arrived at
the house, it was so crowed they had to lower their paralyzed friend through
the ceiling, in order for Jesus to see him. The kids at church were like, “Wow,
he had some really great friends!” So, of course, we talked about how they were
such good friends and how we could be like the four men in the story to our own
friends.
However, as I continued with the story, it came to the part
where Jesus healed the paralyzed man. I asked the students, “How do you think
other people felt when they saw this man get healed?” I had the normal answers
of amazed, excited, etc. but one little boy said,” Maci, I bet some people did not
believe that really happened, even though they saw it.” I said, “Well, what do
you mean?” And he said, “You know many people did not think Jesus could perform
miracles. I bet they thought that paralyzed man was faking everything.” I said,
“You know, you are right.” He said, “But I believe Jesus did that.” I said, “I
believe Jesus healed that man too. And that’s called having faith.”
After the morning service, I came home and started thinking
about the conversation the kids had that morning about believing that Jesus did
perform those miracles and it reminded me how often I lack faith in my own
life. The kids in children’s’ church that morning had no doubt in their minds
that Jesus performed those miracles. They would have argued with a wall to
prove it was true. I thought to myself, “How can I make my faith like theirs?
Now, I believe whole-heartedly everything that happened in the Bible. I know
that Jesus performed many miracles and healed so many people. It is in 2018,
that my faith is lacking. Do I not believe that the same Jesus, who performed
all those miracles so many years ago, is the same Jesus performing miracles
today? Then, why does my faith lack?
I see so many people needing miracles and help in their
lives. There are many days that I need a touch from Jesus, just to know that
everything is going to be okay. I
realized this morning that it is not Jesus who has changed; it’s me. I do not
have faith like I used to believe that He can still do all those miracles. The
Bible evens warn us about this. Matthew 18: 13 says, “And He said, “Truly I
tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven.”
I experienced this firsthand that morning. My faith has been
lacking lately. In just everyday situations. I need to get back to my
“child-like faith” and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is there for
me.
Maybe you are struggling with your faith. Maybe you are
reading this thinking, “Yes, that is me!” My encouragement to you this week is
to go back to the moment where you accepted Jesus into your heart and think
about the amazing faith you had in that moment, then channel that into your
life today. Faith is believing without seeing. I believe in Jesus and I believe
that He is still molding me and making into the person I am meant to me.
P.S. I have always said that you learn the most from kids. They are the best teachers! This picture is from our VBS two years ago, but the a few of these kiddos were in class this past Sunday! :)
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