In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.
—Hebrews 1:1-2
What if you realize you no longer believe what you once believed?
A grown-up little girl wrote, “I used to think that the moon followed me. As I rode in the car, I looked behind me and I saw the moon. I did not talk to my parents, but I was scared. I spent the entire trip watching the moon and wondering if ‘she’ was really following me. I thought that for a long time, but I do not believe it anymore.”
It is good to think accurately about the world and one’s place in it; otherwise we can waste energy and make harmful choices.
Another former child wrote, “I read in a book about a cat that had to turn into a lion in order to leave. At the same time we got a cat, and I was worried it would turn into a lion.”
Imagine the unnecessary fear endured by this believer in transforming felines! It is a good thing that we can leave childish ways behind us (1 Corinthians 13:11).
Jesus’ first word to his generation was “Repent and believe the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). “Repent” does not mean feel sorry for sinning. It means to change one’s mind.
Before we can believe the Gospel, other beliefs must dissolve. In fact, the Gospel has a wonderful power to replace lesser and wrong notions. It is like the girl who had this experience:
“I had these pajamas that were too loose for me and my mother called them ‘loosies,’ but I thought she was saying ‘Lucy’s’ and the reason they were too big was because they were meant for someone named Lucy, not me.”
Jesus’ call to believe is like saying, “Stop wearing someone else’s pajamas. What I have for you is yours and fits just right.”
Sometimes we simply misunderstand.
A grown-up boy wrote: “I hated playing soccer as a child. I asked my mother why I had to play. She said, ‘It’s the law.’ Years later, one of my friends said that she had never played soccer as a kid. I asked her if her parents went to jail or just been given a fine. You can imagine her look of confusion.”
Simple encounters can change everything.
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would constantly stir up matters of belief and conviction (John 16:8-11). Back in spiritual grade school, God had to thunder to Israel from Sinai. But by the time Jesus arrived, children wanted to climb into His Son’s lap.
It was not because God had changed. It was because our ability to believe had matured.
God meets us where we are. When we get tired, bored, or angry with what we’ve assumed is true about God, maybe it’s time for a fresh look. A good place to start might be Jesus.
Russel Jarvis has lived in Hancock County since 1989 and has served as the lead chaplain at Hancock Regional Hospital since August 2003. This weekly column is written by local clergy members. Send comments to dr-editorial@greenfield reporter.com.
