When Unbelief Meets Belief
Romans 5:1-5
“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
“God used some very daring people to save me.” You might remember that I read this in one of Dad’s journals. This statement was never more true with what was about to occur in his life.
With his great grandmother aging, Dad would spend the next several years living in a difficult situation with his mom and stepfather in which their alcoholism was worsening. He rarely saw his own father who had now remarried for the third time. Because of the disease, his school attendance was, at best, infrequent. There were several more “near death” experiences, and Dad began to act out. Dad’s own words describe himself, “I used any method to get attention,” “I was completely self-oriented,” “I would fight anyone, old or young,” and “I would do anything to violate the rules.” As I read these words, I could sense how Dad’s life was spiraling out of control.
But God would intervene in a strange way. Dad began to visit with his father once each week. They had nothing in common, but it seemed to be the beginning of God working to draw Dad to Himself. In John 6:44, the Bible says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” My grandfather had a half sister who became someone who God would use to step into Dad’s life and do something daring. She had married a godly man in the military and together, they took an interest in my dad. With the situation worsening at his mother’s house where he was living, this aunt and uncle received permission to take Dad to Florida to live with them for a while. Dad would spend several years with this family.
And as a result of their daring influence, his life circumstances began to change. Physical changes began to take place. When he moved to Florida with them, his legs were in braces and he was unable to walk. They began to take him to the beach and bury his legs in the sand. The warmth of the sand and sun began to loosen his joints, and before long, he was able to remove the braces. The ocean water was an amazing strength building activity for him and although still limited by the impact of hemophilia, he began to get stronger. Incidentally, water exercise even followed Dad into his early adult years. I can remember as a child going to the local YMCA to swim with Dad. Strengthening his legs enabled him to learn to walk again. Daring and miraculous!
Not only did physical changes occur, but he also began to experience social and relational transformation. His aunt and uncle had two boys of their own which meant Dad now had others with which to play and explore life. Being a part of a loving family was new to Dad, and their love followed him the rest of his life. Dad wrote this in his journal about these new experiences, “hatred turned to love, people became valuable and friends became important.”
All this was life-changing for him, but the most significant change is what actually broke the cycle of generational unbelief: UNBELIEF met BELIEF! Dad was saved while living in Florida. Dad needed to be made right with God, and according to Romans 5: 1-5, salvation would come through faith in Christ. And that is exactly what happened.
Dad’s aunt and uncle took him to church, he heard the gospel preached and he trusted Jesus to save him by faith. Dad’s own account tells it this way from words found in Jeremiah 8:20, “Harvest is past, summer is over, and we are not saved.” This must have impacted him because he then wrote, “Have thine own way Lord, have thine own way.” He was saved from sin and unbelief in the Fall of 1950 at age 14. Not only did he physically learn to walk again, but now he was learning to walk with Jesus.
Soon, he was baptized and joined a church. Pictured is Pastor J. Titus Aldridge from First Baptist Church, of Crestview, Florida, as well as Dad’s letter of membership. Dad would later credit Pastor Aldridge with teaching and discipling him in this new life. It reminds me of II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
Sin, unbelief and rebellion had met Jesus. Faith and belief sprang up and Dad had a new life. Soon, this new belief in Christ would be challenged, and he would need his new faith for the journeys ahead. His new faith in Christ would be his foundation for enduring trials, problems, difficulties and would help him develop joy, character and a deeper faith. The cycle was broken, and the foundation of his faith created a new cycle: the cycle of generational belief!
If you have a cycle of generational unbelief in your family that needs breaking, today is the day you can experience freedom and a new life in Christ, and change your family tree for future generations. Turning from unbelief to belief, from rejecting Jesus to trusting Jesus won’t remove all your trials, problems and difficult journeys ahead, but only turning to Jesus will give you what you need to face the days ahead with victory and joy.
Think About It
Has your unbelief met belief? If not, would you consider sincerely turning right now to Jesus, from unbelief to belief? Today would you call on him by faith alone to save you? You can pray from your heart something like this:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I believe you died for my sin. Jesus, I believe you were buried and rose again. Jesus, in your mercy and grace, would you save me. I receive your gift of salvation by faith, I turn from my sin. Save me Jesus, and break this cycle of unbelief in me.
And, if you prayed that prayer with a sincere heart, may I encourage you to thank Him for saving you today and begin to walk everyday with Him by faith. And I’d love to rejoice with you. Reach out to me at david@davidsmithmiinistry.com.
Are you already a believer, but have other generational cycles that you desire to break? Maybe how your family handled conflict growing up isn’t working in your current family structure, and you would like to break the cycle of how you handle conflict. Other cycles that need breaking might include addiction, fear, worry, anger, relationship fractures, and more. Take some time to ask God to help you identify any cycles you need to break, empower you to begin to take steps toward that breaking, and wisdom to reach out for help if needed.
What victories have you seen in your life, family members or friends in breaking a cycle of generational unbelief? I’d love to hear YOUR STORY about how God has or is working either related to the saving belief in Jesus, or in building faith and growing in breaking unhealthy cycles of unbelief in relationships and practical living. Reach out to me at david@davidsmithministry.com with your testimony of breaking the cycle of unbelief!
Pray
Take a few moments to thank God for offering you the gift of moving from unbelief to belief. If you continue to struggle with believing that He can and will do what He did for my Dad, pray and ask God to help you believe. I promise, He will meet you right where you are and transform you into a life of freedom, joy and fulfillment.