Two Systems to Strengthen Your Belief
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus warned his future church leaders about something micro that causes macro damage…yeast. According to Wikipedia, yeast is a growth form of eukaryotic microorganisms and while it may cause bread to rise, it causes faith to plummet.
“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”
Here in Mark 8, Jesus pairs something together that doesn’t seem to have anything in common; the Pharisees and Herod. However, through careful study we recognize how they both share the same fatal flaw; unbelief.
Beth Moore writes: “For the most part we’ve dumbed-down New Testament Christianity and accepted our reality as theology rather than biblical theology as our reality. We’ve reversed the standard, walking by sight and not by faith―Nothing on earth compares to the strength God is willing to interject into lives caught in the act of believing.” –Beth Moore, Believing God
When unbelief is setting in, the truth is I’m looking… but just looking in the wrong direction. When I am trapped by tomorrow, the only direction I’m looking is forward. Of course we need to be futuristic and clear on where God is calling us. We should pray and plan for tomorrow but if we’re not careful, tomorrow becomes the only direction we’re looking. When this becomes true of us and true of me, “spiritual amnesia” sets in. I like to define this term my friend Jeanne Stevens made up as follows: the condition of forgetting the greatness and goodness of God.
We need a belief strengthening system. One of the books I take those in my leadership cohort through is the book Atomic Habits.
In Atomic Habits, James Clear writes: “you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to the level of your systems.”
Read that again. ☝️
This is true in your diet, training, marriage, leadership and belief. As it pertains to this blog post on belief, let’s explore two belief strengthening systems.
1. Write Something
Years ago I began using the Day One Journal App. Using this app created a system that has led to greater belief in God. When I am in a season of doubting or struggling to believe God for great things, I scroll back through the entries of my past. I read of the goodness of God that I wrote. Other people’s writings are helpful but there’s nothing like my words about my God who has carried me through the wilderness.
I’m currently on a sermon writing break which is something I do every summer. During this break I write every day in my journal but also read back through all that has been chronicled over the past year. This system strengthens my belief.
2. Make Something
In addition to writing, I make Ebenezer’s. When unbelief is setting in, the mountain in front of me gets my attention instead of the monument behind me. Making Ebenezer’s is an ancient practice from a legendary leader by the name of Samuel.
On the battlefield, where years ago they had suffered defeat, God showed up big and granted Israel a miraculous victory. In that moment, Samuel had the foresight to know a day would come when they would need their belief boosted. In his wisdom, he instructed them to make a visible monument to remind them of God’s capacity and kindness and named the pillar “Ebenezer”, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us” (1 Sam. 7:12).
This belief strengthening system stayed with the people of God for generations. Sometimes we need to hear something or read something, and there are other times we need to SEE something.
What is your belief strengthening strategy and is it working? It’s time to write something, and it’s time to make something.
Love to you all.
-Jon