After Thomas Edison died a friend found a piece of paper on his desk. What was written on that paper should be emblazoned on the minds of every one of us. It read, "If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."
One day Jesus went to join his disciples. He found them surrounded by a large group of people. He discovered a man had brought his young son to the disciples hoping to get him healed. The disciples tried but the healing was not taking place. This must have been an especially difficult case.
When Jesus approached his disciples the boy's father came up to speak to him. "Master," he said, "I have brought my son who has a spirit that makes him unable to speak."
He continued that when the evil spirit attacked the boy it would tear him apart on the inside so he could hardly stand it. He continued that several times the boy threw himself in a fire and was seriously burned. At other times he had fallen into water and nearly drowned. He was a tortured, afflicted person. "At times," the father continued, "the boy would wallow on the ground and foam at the mouth." The boy was beyond any medical aid available at the time. He was considered hopeless and helpless.
Imagine how tortured the boy's father must have felt. He had brought the boy to the disciples hoping they could help. But they could not help the boy. Jesus asked, "How long has the boy been this way?" "From childhood," the father answered. Then Jesus, without minimizing the difficulties and complexity of the boy's situation, said to the boy's father, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
The father was a devout man. He cried out, "Lord, I believe" Then he paused and added, "Help thou my unbelief." There is much in this statement of Jesus. He is saying if we come to the Lord and really believe what we are praying for it will happen. How many times do we pray and then say, "I sure hope God answers my prayer."
We hope he will answer our prayers instead of believing he will answer them. The father was seeking for mercy for the doubt that was in him. It was at war with the belief that was in him. This is usually the case with us.
I wish there was a course we could take or a book available that dealt honestly and forcefully about this matter of belief. It is so vitally important. It would deal not only with belief in God but belief in a goal we have or belief in a cause we endorse.
Belief in the answer to a question we have, belief in a reason for us living, belief in one's self is an admirable thing. We don't realize it but this complete belief is power. It is tremendous power just waiting to be put to use by anyone who grasps it.
Men and women, who believed, really believed, have written history. All we have to do is turn to the history books to see this for ourselves. People who have accomplished great things in this world have been the ones who believed in their mission. They believed it was possible. They believed it was going to happen. The person who doesn't believe it is possible accomplishes nothing great.
Remember what Edison had written at his desk. "If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." How long has it been since we astounded ourselves?