My Choice to Believe

John 20:25

The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

The Christian life is about making the right choices. Nobody lives the Christian life by accident, but we live the Christian life by choice. For instance, I choose to accept Christ as my Saviour. Nobody makes me accept Christ, but I personally chose to accept Him.

Likewise, I choose to love. Nobody falls in love, but they choose to love. God did not fall in love with us, but He chose to love us. To say you fell in love with someone is to say that you love them because of how they make you feel. Love is not a feeling; it is a choice. The Christian who loves is the Christian who chooses to love.

We could go on with illustrations of what we choose to do in the Christian life. However, just as we choose to accept Christ and choose to love, we also choose to believe. Thomas said that he would only believe that Christ rose from the dead when he saw the prints of the nails in Christ’s hands, and put his finger into those prints and his hand into the side of Christ. Thomas boldly proclaimed, I will not believe. What a sad statement from someone who had followed Christ for three years and seen the miracles that He had performed. To see these miracles and still choose not to believe that Christ had the power to rise from the dead was a bad choice. Thomas could have chosen to believe just as much as he chose not to believe.

Believing is a choice. For someone to say they don't believe is saying they choose not to believe. You can choose to believe as easily as you choose not to believe. It is not that believing is harder than not believing. Your believing or not believing in something shows your true Christian character. Thomas will forever be known as doubting Thomas because he said, I will not believe.

Your choice to believe or not to believe shows what you are focused on. If you are focused on God’s Word, you will find that believing in what God says to do will not be hard. However, if you are focused on your abilities and wants, you will choose not to believe because believing in what God wants means you must die to self to believe in God’s promise.

One of the hardest things a pastor must get his people to do is to believe. Many churches struggle because the people choose not to believe. The vision your pastor has for your church is a vision that must have the following of the church if it will become a reality. However, if the church does not believe in the vision, that vision will never happen.

Moreover, the life of faith will only be lived if you choose to believe. Here is what is interesting: it takes faith not to believe something will happen just as much as it takes faith to believe God can do something. I would rather put my faith in God’s ability to do something than to put my faith in unbelief’s negativity that says it can't happen. It is those who choose to believe and put their faith in God’s power that see God do the miraculous through their lives and ministry. You would be wise to choose to believe; it is your choice. God has never failed you once when you chose to believe in what He wants you to do, and He won't fail you now if you choose to believe.