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The Choice to Believe
Have you ever stopped to really think about what it means to believe in Jesus? I don’t mean believing that a man named Jesus lived in Nazareth, but truly believing that Jesus is who He said He is—the Son of God, the Savior of the world.
For many of us, like me, the gospel story is something we’ve heard since childhood. I grew up in church. I could tell you all the Bible stories and explain the gospel in neat little Sunday school answers. But there came a time when simply knowing about Jesus wasn’t enough. I had to choose to believe in Him for myself.
Believing in Jesus is always a choice. It’s the very center of the gospel and the heart of our walk with God.
Why Belief Matters to God
Faith is very important to God. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:29). Our faith matters deeply because it’s where trust begins.
We live in a world that often says, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” But faith in Christ works differently. In God’s kingdom, we believe—and then we see. After we choose to believe, we begin to see His hand at work more clearly in our lives. His faithfulness, His miracles, and His presence become become more real to us as our faith deepens.
God has given us the precious gift of free will. This means we can choose to trust Him—or not. But when we step into belief, even with trembling hands, God honors that faith and meets us right where we are.
Wrestling with Doubt
As a young believer, I wrestled with doubt. When I read the gospels, I sometimes wished Jesus had gone back and shown Himself to those who mocked Him, betrayed Him, and nailed Him to the cross. Wouldn’t it have been powerful if He had confronted them with His resurrected glory?
But Jesus didn’t do it that way. Instead, He revealed Himself to Believers. The more I studied, the more I realized faith opens our eyes to see Him.
Even now, I think back to times when I wanted proof before faith. I longed for big miracles to convince me that God was real. I craved undeniable proof. And while God has done miracles in my life—just the transformation of my heart is a miracle in itself—I’ve learned that He is most honored when we simply believe His Word and take Him at His promise.
Believing Without Seeing
Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, refused to believe until he saw the scars in Jesus’ hands. Jesus showed Thomas exactly what he asked for. But then He said something that reaches all the way to you and me today:
“You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
That’s us. We haven’t touched His hands or seen Him with our natural eyes, but we choose to believe anyway. That’s faith. And Jesus calls us blessed when we take that step.
My Turning Point
I wish I could say I always believed without struggle. But that wouldn’t be true.
When I left for college, I was running—from my family, from my past, even from God. I wanted a fresh start, far away from everything I knew. And during that season, I wasn’t sure what I believed anymore.
But God pursued me. In my last year of college, I heard the gospel presented in a way I had never heard it before. I felt Him calling me clearly—not just to know about Him, but to trust Him with my life.
I prayed something like this: “Jesus, I believe. I don’t have it all figured out. I still have questions. But today I choose You.” It was the turning point of my life.
Small Steps of Faith
After that choice, God began strengthening my faith in little ways. Sometimes I’d pray and see Him answer in ways so specific and surprising that I knew it had to be Him. Other times, He met needs I hadn’t even prayed about.
Each answered prayer was like a breadcrumb leading me closer to Him. My tiny seed of faith grew because He showed me that He was with me. He was teaching me that belief isn’t a one-time decision—it’s a daily choice to trust Him more and more.
Help My Unbelief
One of my favorite prayers in the Bible is from a desperate father who cried out to Jesus: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).
I love that God included this moment in His Word because it’s so honest. Haven’t we all been there? We believe, but we struggle. We trust, but doubts creep in.
And here’s the good news: Jesus answered his prayer. And He will answer our prayers, too.
Believing in a Doubting World
It’s not always easy to believe in Jesus in today’s world. We live surrounded by unbelief, skepticism, and even hostility toward the gospel. Jesus warned us this would happen: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Choosing to believe when others don’t—or when others mock your faith—takes courage. But God gives us grace to keep holding on. Even when it’s hard, even when doubts whisper in our ears, we can lean on Him.
Faith That Grows
Belief isn’t static. It grows as we walk with God.
When you choose to believe in Jesus—day after day, even when you don’t have all the answers—you’ll begin to see Him move in your life in ways you never expected. He will meet you in prayer, in Scripture, and in the quiet whispers of His Spirit.
And each time He shows Himself faithful, your faith roots grow a little deeper.
An Invitation to Believe
Maybe today you’re wrestling with unbelief. Maybe you know the gospel, but it’s never been personal. Or maybe you’ve believed in the past, but lately it feels hard to hold on.
Friend, Jesus is inviting you to believe—not because someone else told you to, not because you grew up in church, but because He is real and He loves you.
If you’ll take a step toward Him today, He has promised to take a step toward you.
Let’s Pray Together
Father, thank You for the gift of faith. Thank You for pursuing us, even when we doubt. Today we choose to believe in Jesus—not just with our minds, but with our hearts. Help us in the places where we struggle to trust. Strengthen our faith and remind us that You are faithful. We love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Final Encouragement
Believing in Jesus doesn’t mean having it all figured out. It doesn’t mean you’ll never doubt again. It means choosing Him—again and again, in every season.
As you do, He will show Himself to you in ways you could never imagine. And you’ll discover that faith, even the size of a mustard seed, can move mountains.
© Audrey McCracken Creatives LLC, 2025
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