"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief." Those words ring so true. They come straight from the heart and express the struggle within each of us. Oh, it is easy to believe when there is no cost or risk. When following Jesus is merely a check-mark on a census form, a means of social identity or a mental orientation, then believing is not so difficult. "Yes, I believe in Jesus" we proclaim when there is nothing to lose. But what about when all my hopes and expectations are on the line? When this man was confronted by Jesus about his belief, it was not about his mental assent but rather about his hope for his son's future. Do I believe in Jesus when the health of my child is on the line? When my baby may not survive without a miracle from God, can I say "I believe" with as much confidence as I did when I checked the blank on the census form? When I face the problem of pain and death, do I believe? When my answer to an interview question will determine my future and that of my family, do I believe? When I have committed the same mistake and hurt the same people for the thousandth time, do I believe? Do I believe that he can change me? Change others? Change anything?
Perhaps the greater question is do I want to take the risk of letting go of my unbelief? Unbelief, after all, is a security blanket into which one can wrap oneself for protection. By not counting totally on Jesus a backdoor is left open, a place where one can be less vulnerable and say "well, I knew he wouldn't respond." Belief when taken seriously leaves one vulnerable. The real question, therefore, is am I willing to utter the second half of the father's statement, i.e., "help me overcome my unbelief?"
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