[Lenay Nichols]

You know, I have experienced some things in my life that could have easily turned my heart in the opposite direction of Christ. Choosing to believe when things are going the way we want is not always the hardest decision. However, when life is not doing the dance we would like it to, believing can become much more difficult. After job layoffs, economic hardships, and personal trauma, the question naturally becomes: how do we continue to believe? How does anyone honestly expect humanity to believe one hundred percent of the time? What I have come to understand is, belief is ultimately a choice of the heart. The people in this passage witnessed Jesus wisdom and miracles, yet many still chose unbelief. In the same way, I can say, life can present circumstances that challenge our faith. But for me, the truth of God’s word is why I simply will not believing.
The same God who has carried me through difficult seasons before is the same God who will do it again, regardless of what my circumstances look like. Because I choose to believe this, I am able to trust that things will work out the way they are meant to. That belief allows me to live with/in peace. There was a time when I felt like I needed evidence in order to believe. Now I understand even when evidence is present, belief still requires a decision. Faith is a matter of the heart, and I choose to believe. Unlike those who saw Jesus and still turned away, I want my response to Christ to always be belief rather than unbelief.