Which came first, the chicken or the egg? That age-old question you probably first heard somewhere around the third grade. To everyone else, it was up for debate. To me it was simple:  God created the chicken. The chicken came first. It laid the egg.  No mystery. Problem solved. Easy. This is what I believed to be true.

Not so easy for the early followers of Jesus. He came to bring life and bring it more abundantly. But He spoke in a mystery and many times his teachings were difficult to understand and even harder to accept.

At one point He spoke of being the bread of life. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Many were turned off by this, and so they left. When the disciples were asked by Jesus if they would leave too, Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68, 69 (NIV)

Believe and know. Does one come before the other?

Consider this: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”  1 John 5:13 (NIV)

I believe, therefore I know.

^” But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”  John 1:12 (NKJV)

I believe, so I know I am a child of God. 

Not always an easy thing, I’ll admit. Dictionary.com defines ‘believe’ this way:                         To have confidence in the truth, the existence of, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.

 Believing in God is regarded as foolishness by many. If you can’t see God or prove that he exists, how can you believe in him?

Thomas had his doubts about Jesus. When told by the others Jesus had risen from the dead, what did he say? “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” John 20:25 (NIV)

Jesus allowed him the opportunity to do just that, and then said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”John 20:29 (NIV)

Are you a “doubting Thomas”? It’s so easy to have doubts. Especially if things are going wrong. When life doesn’t make sense it’s easy to turn away, to feel that God doesn’t exist or if He does, He just doesn’t care. I’ve been there. The roller coaster of life. The ups and downs. Feeling like the bottom has dropped out or, when the ride is smooth, waiting for the next problem hidden just around the corner.

I’ve been tempted to turn away, in fact did in my younger years. But not now. When I’m confused, skeptical, overcome by difficulty or overwhelmed,  I just go back to Peter’s words, and make it personal. Lord, to whom shall I go? You have the words of eternal life. I have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.

I choose belief. I hope you will too-

~Carolyn

“Life isn’t easy. Together we can make it better.”