This Week In Recovery Lesson
Do You Believe So You Can Receive?
“It is better that a person believe in Jesus and Santa Claus than the person believe in neither.” —Dee Wilson
That is the truth about child-like faith. Children are innocent in their life experience yet eager to experience life. A child believing in Santa Claus could argue that Santa is all knowing as to who has done good and right, and who has done wrong in the last year. A child could argue that Santa is in a bunch of places at one time, or else he at least is able to get around real quickly at lightening speeds to get all of the presents out on Christmas Eve. Santa must be omnipresent, otherwise how could he have children sitting on his lap in numerous shopping centers around the world at the same time? Listening to a child make a case for the real existence and presence of Santa Claus can be adorable as the child articulates quite well cogent thoughts. Adults might even find the child’s thought process to be on the level of amazing.
Then, some ten or twenty years down the road, as the child has grown into adulthood, the same cogent argument for the reality of the Savior, Jesus Christ, might very well be criticized, perhaps severely. By now, common sense should have to the point that this adult realizes that, just as Santa Claus is a fictional character, so is God and Jesus more a fantasy than reality.
You might be reading this and thinking, “I believe in God… I believe that Jesus is my Savior, even my Lord. But then, when you are in serious trouble (i.e., spouse left or is having an affair; a loved one is afflicted with cancer; you or your spouse has been let go by their employer; your child has a disability or a disorder of some kind), it becomes much more difficult to believe that “Santa Claus” is real, powerful, available, and willing to help you to overcome. You can have a tendency to dismiss the resurrection power of God in your life; perhaps similarly to how you dismissed Santa years ago.
One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. Mark 10:13-16 (NLT)
The faith of a little child who believes in Santa Claus just might sneak out of bed after mom and dad have gone to bed just to catch a glimpse of Santa leaving gifts to be opened in the morning. The anticipation of the child is palpable. Even though the child didn’t see Santa, he is joyful; he knows with all of the confidence in the world that Santa has been to his home.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. James 1:2-8 (NIV)
Even though the child’s joy regarding Santa Claus is rooted in fantasy, the joy is sure-minded and real nonetheless. How about you today? While Santa is a fantasy, Jesus is alive and well! Are you joyful about that? Can you go to him in the midst of difficulty with sure-minded confidence that He is “ever-present in times of trouble” as the Bible declares?
Let’s examine the James 1 passage as it gets into the issue of belief versus doubt. The double-minded person is not necessarily so because there is the presence of doubt in the face of what cannot be seen as tangible in the moment. We all wrestle with doubt and uncertainty as to what God will do in our circumstances. We are double-minded when we give in to our doubt and do not believe in the ability and willingness of loving God to get involved. We are double-minded when we give up hope in what God can do, and go our own way putting our hope and confidence in things and people that lack the ability and authority to help us. We are double-minded when we entrust our in-the-moment salvation to those me’dom idols in our life that God said, through the prophet Isaiah, will blow over when breathed on by the wind of adversity.
We doubt out of fear; either fear of the unknown, or fear of what we do know according to our personal history, or fear of what we imagine we know, or of any combination the unknown, the known, and/or the imagined known. What is so amazing about the faith of children is that children exercise faith in the midst of the most intense fear. Children tend not to live in fear until they have a reason to. Once reasonable fear is present it is fully realized in children. Jump suddenly in front of a little child from behind a door screaming, and the child will run crying into the arms of the one he has faith in. Is the fear then eliminated from the child? While the sense of imminent danger may have subsided, the child will likely cry for a bit. Then, the next time the child approaches that same doorway, he may refuse to enter through it unless clutching the hand of the one he has faith in. Even then, the child is frightened, perhaps very scared, but overcomes the obstacle of his fear, despite his fear, because of his faith in the one empowering him.
When Peter, the disciple of Jesus, while walking on water, took his eyes off the object of his faith and focused on the object of his fear, he was overcome by the intense wind and waves and dropped like a rock into the water. Jesus reached down as Peter reached up and saved the man. Then Jesus and Peter walked on water together back to the boat. Do you think Peter was without fear at that point walking with Jesus? Or might you say that Peter was scared to death while he clutched on to the arm of Jesus, overcoming the obstacle of his fear because he believed without doubt in the ability and willingness of Jesus to help him to overcome?
- Have you ever known children who believe in Santa Claus at an early age?
- What do you say about a child who has a sure-minded belief in Santa Claus?
- What would you say to a little child hoping to persuade you in the existence of Santa?
- Why would you say Jesus was particularly impressed by the faith of little children?
- What would you say Jesus meant when He said that the Kingdom of God is for those like the little children?
- Considering that children want what they want when they want it, why would Jesus—God—point to the little children as the model for the inhabitants of His Kingdom? What is it about little children that they best fit the profile of model citizens for heaven?
- What would say James meant by considering it an opportunity for pure joy when you’re going through a trial?
- What would you say James is hoping to communicate when he said the double-minded man should not expect to receive anything from God?
- What is it about child-like faith that can be empowering in the midst of difficulty?
- Children absorb knowledge like a sponge. How would you say child-like faith is beneficial in seeking wisdom from the One who loves to shower you with it?
- What would you say it means that perseverance, which comes by way of the challenges of faith, must be complete for you to mature in relationship with God?
Having responded to these questions, please click on this week’s TWRAC 012.
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