We all have that one thing we desperately want God to fix. Maybe it's a relationship, an addiction, a painful memory, or a fear that keeps us awake at night. We bring these struggles to God, hoping for relief, but sometimes He seems to work differently than we expect. Instead of immediately addressing what we think is the problem, God often goes deeper to heal what's really broken underneath.
What Happens When We Bring Our Problems to the Wrong Place?
In Mark chapter 9, we encounter a desperate father whose son was tormented by an evil spirit. When Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, He found chaos in the valley below - disciples arguing with religious leaders, crowds gathering, and tension everywhere.
The father approached Jesus saying, "I brought you my son," but there was a problem with his statement. He hadn't actually brought his son to Jesus at all. He had brought his son to the disciples, and when they couldn't help, he started stirring up trouble and arguments.
How Often Do We Make the Same Mistake?
How many times do we bring our problems to church, to a small group, or to other people, hoping they'll fix what's broken? When the church can't solve our issues, we sometimes blame God or become bitter toward the faith community. We say we "brought it to God," but we never actually took it directly to Jesus.
The solution is simple but profound: "Bring him to me," Jesus said. Stop taking your struggles to everyone else and bring them directly to Him.
Why Do Things Sometimes Get Worse Before They Get Better?
Here's something that might surprise you: when the father finally brought his son directly to Jesus, the boy's condition got worse. The evil spirit threw the child into violent convulsions right in front of Jesus.
This often happens when we genuinely surrender our problems to God. Things may seem to deteriorate before they improve. Why? Because the enemy fights hardest when he knows he's about to lose his grip on your life. Also, sometimes God needs to show us how bad our situation really is because we've been controlling and managing it for so long that we don't see the full extent of the damage.
The Difference Between "Anything" Faith and "All Things" Faith
The desperate father pleaded with Jesus: "If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Notice his words - "if you can do anything." This was survival faith, begging-for-scraps faith. He wasn't asking for complete healing anymore; he just wanted any relief at all.
When We Settle for "Anything"
When we're desperate, we often develop an "anything" mindset:
- Anything to numb the pain
- Anything to get a little relief
- Anything to make it bearable
We come to church hoping for just a good feeling that will get us through another week. We settle for temporary emotional highs instead of lasting transformation.
God's Response: "All Things Are Possible"
Jesus corrected the father's limited faith: "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." God doesn't want to do just "anything" in your life - He wants to do "all things." He's not interested in merely numbing your pain; He wants to heal every broken part of you.
As Paul wrote, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
What Is the "Real Thing" God Wants to Heal?
The father immediately responded, "Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!" In that moment of honesty, he revealed the real issue. The father's problem wasn't just his son's condition - it was his own unbelief, his own faith struggles.
God Heals Hearts Before He Heals Circumstances
Notice this crucial detail: the boy wasn't healed when the father brought him to Jesus. The boy was healed when the father brought his unbelief to Jesus. God wanted to heal the father's heart before He healed the son's body.
This is how God works. Before He gives us what we want, He gives us what we really need. He deals with the thing beneath the thing - our pride, our unbelief, our need for control, our fear.
The Story of Naaman: Healing Pride Before Healing Skin
The Old Testament story of Naaman illustrates this principle perfectly. Naaman, a powerful military commander, had leprosy and sought healing from the prophet Elisha. Instead of performing an elaborate ceremony as Naaman expected, Elisha simply told him to wash in the Jordan River seven times.
Naaman was furious. He wanted a dramatic healing that would stroke his ego and maintain his dignity. But God had a different plan.
"'My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, "Wash, and be clean"?'" - 2 Kings 5:13
When Naaman humbled himself and obeyed, he was completely healed. God could have healed Naaman's leprosy instantly, but He needed to heal Naaman's pride first. Before healing the outside, God had to heal the inside.
The Real Jesus: A God Who Heals, Not Punishes
When Jesus came down from the mountaintop and saw the chaos in the valley, His first instinct wasn't to punish - it was to heal. This contrasts with Moses, who came down from Mount Sinai and, in his anger at the people's sin, ordered the death of 3,000 people.
Jesus shows us a different picture of God - one who comes down from on high not to condemn us for our mess, but to deliver us from it. No matter what mess you're in right now, you have a God who is above it and wants to heal rather than harm.
Life Application
This week, stop bringing your struggles to everyone except Jesus. Instead of seeking temporary relief or "anything" to numb your pain, ask God to reveal and heal the real issue beneath your surface problems.
Are you willing to let God deal with your pride, unbelief, need for control, or fear? Are you ready to move from "anything" faith to "all things" faith?
Ask yourself these questions:
- What "thing" have I been bringing to everyone except Jesus?
- Am I settling for temporary relief instead of lasting transformation?
- What might be the real issue beneath my surface problem that God wants to heal?
- Am I willing to let God work on my heart before He changes my circumstances?
Remember, God doesn't just want to do anything in your life - He wants to do all things. But first, He needs access to the real thing that's broken underneath.
