Wanting Yet Unable to Believe
Perhaps you once had this dilemma: You feel that the Lord Jesus is indeed good; however, you do not know how to believe in Him. You think that Christians are indeed good; but you feel there is no way to live as they do. You say to yourself: “I cannot live this kind of life. Perhaps when I get old and have no desires, as they have no desires, I would consider this.”
I once saw a child who wanted one thing and asked his mom for it. She responded, “It’s upstairs, come and get it.” However, the child replied, “Mom, I cannot. Can you please bring it to me?” Since he was still young, his mother got it for him. This is the case with our salvation. God has already accomplished everything. He has only one requirement.
Do you know what it is? What the Lord requires first and foremost is not even to believe or repent, but to come to Him with a sincere heart.
The Bible tells us that we must believe, but we are unable to find any faith within us. A friend told me, “I really want to believe, but I am unable to! My parents keep telling me, ‘You must believe!’ but it is not very helpful. I just don’t have faith. I even have a desire, but I discover I am lacking in faith. It is so impossible for me to believe.” Friends, this is not a problem. You may find yourself being unable to believe, but you can ask the Lord to grant you faith. He is ready to help you; even in your unbelief, He can help you. You can pray: “Lord, I am unable to believe. Please help me!”
The Scripture says we need to repent. But what if we do not have the heart to do so? I once met a student who said it was too early to believe in God. He wanted to squander his youth and enjoy life, and then repent afterwards. So, I said, “Let’s pray. You can tell the Lord what you have just told me. Even if you do not have the heart to believe, He is still your friend.” But the student said, “I cannot tell Him that.” I asked, “Why not? Just tell Him whatever is in your heart. He will help you.” Finally, he prayed. He told the Lord that he did not want to repent and be saved, but he knew he needed a Savior. He just called to the Lord for help. The moment he got up, he was saved.
Friends, we do not have to wait; come to Him right now. Whatever our circumstances are, whatever our problems are, and whatever the condition of our faith is, let us just tell Him. Do not care about how you feel; just approach the Lord with a sincere heart. He will be your Faith. He will be your Answer. He will be your Strength. He will be your Everything.