As human beings, we all have a deep-seated need to believe in something. For some of us, it may be our favorite sports team, while for others, it may be random acts of kindness or the founding principles of our country. Having our belief system shaken can cause us great mental and emotional anguish, which may explain why we cling so tightly to it. God knows how important it is for us to believe, and He mentions it repeatedly in the Bible.

If you’ve ever felt the frustration of trying to tell something that you know is true to a group of skeptics who don’t accept anything you say, you can imagine how frustrating it is to God when people don’t believe His Word. The world operates in the physical realm, and most people only believe what they can physically see, hear, or touch. During His earthly ministry, Jesus constantly fought against this type of thinking. “Jesus told them, ‘A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.’ Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that’s all. He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching” (Mark 6:4-6, MSG).

He knew how powerful a set of beliefs was to the people, and He presented them with a new concept that was foreign to many—letting the spirit of love, truth, and forgiveness rule their thoughts and deeds, instead of the letter of the Law. Many were unwilling to let go of the ingrained set of beliefs they had grown up with. Ironically, those closest to Him rejected His message. “Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God” (2 Kings 17:14).

When Jesus was teaching the people, He let them choose whether or not they would believe in His authenticity. “When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’  And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith let it be to you.’  And their eyes were opened” (Matthew 9:27-30, NKJV). Others had less faith and trust in Him, and closed themselves off to His power. When the rich young ruler confronted Jesus, he chose to believe in his own wealth instead of God’s Own Son (Mark 10:17-22).

One word of caution: don’t believe everything you see or hear. There are plenty of misguided ideas, mistaken beliefs, and cults in the world. The way to decipher the truth is to compare it against the Scriptures to see if it lines up with what is written. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:1, 2). When we don’t seek His wisdom to make the right choices in life, we can be fooled “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11).