Last week while in the temple, I read Mark chapter 5. In it, Jesus completes three miracles. in each of these miracles, the people Christ helped were in dire circumstances. First, a man was essentially insane because he was possessed by a legion of devils. Then on the way to heal a man's daughter, another woman was healed of a life-long disease. He then continued on to raise the man's daughter from the dead. While Christ obviously had the power to do these things no matter what, He could not have done so if the people he healed did not believe in Him. Even the devils knew and recognized His power. The woman knew that if she merely touched His clothes and believed it would would work, she could be healed. And the parents of the daughter had to have faith, even when at the depths of despair after losing a cherished daughter, that Christ could in fact bring her back to them. For me this would be so hard. To have so much faith and hope that my sorrow was overcome? It's amazing that these two individuals had that strength. But I think something Christ said to them helped them. In verse 36 He says, " Be not afraid, only believe." How often do we allow our fears to get in the way of our faith? I know I struggle with that. But the solution is so simple. Only believe. Have faith and trust that Heavenly Father knows so much more than we do. He has so much power to bless and will do so if we do what He asks, even when to us it seems like we aren't receiving any blessings at all. He can do all things and we should not question it, only believe.
Life Lesson #1: Believe in God and believe in Christ.
Now as I have been thinking about this and entering finals week, I have realized that there is another part to these scriptures. This semester has been a hard one for me. I have often doubted my abilities at work, in school, and in other situations. For a while I thought I was going to fail a class, have to retake it, be here another few semesters because of it, and essentially never graduate. (catastrophizing, I know.) But some things I have read and heard from some friends has helped me to realize that I can't simply believe in God, but I must believe in myself. I can't hold back the gifts my Heavenly Father has given me. I can't let the fear of failing prevent me from becoming who I was meant to be. Because Heavenly Father won't just magically do things for me, but rather will grant me the knowledge, strength, and comfort I need to accomplish the tasks ahead of me. Heavenly Father has trusted me with so much, so why shouldn't I trust myself? Obviously, He knew I could do it. I have the ability to do all things through Him, through Christ and His Atonement. But I can't do it unless I believe I can. Each of us can accomplish great things if we know we can do it.
Life Lesson #2: Believe in and trust yourself.
Pretty sure this is one of the keys to being happy in life. Believe in God. Believe in yourself. Do your best, and if you fail, believe that you can learn from it and succeed next time. Believe in the Atonement, for it can truly heal us of all sins, heartaches, and failures. Believe in your strengths and in the Spiritual Gifts God has given you. Most importantly, believe that God loves you and wants you to succeed.
Only Believe.
