“So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”
This is so plain to see because Jesus says it, we can believe something but deep in our minds have doubt. The disciples said they believed, and they did, but they still struggled with grasping the power at times. We can easily get caught doing the same thing, when life gets tough and we don't feel the hope. That is why our actions are so important, because that is what moves our plain believe to faith. And it is by faith that we move in His will and shine a light for the world to see.
Look at what Paul shares in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 24, “But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.” We can't hope someone else's faith will be good enough for us, we must develop and seek His wisdom on our own. Now the faith of others can help inspire us to change. That is why we live out our faith so others see our belief and want to have the same.
We can't just say we believe and be done, we need to work on understanding what is being taught and keep moving and growing. Jesus is with His disciples for 3 years and they only really got it after Jesus accented to heaven. They had doubts, argued, denied, ran and more, until Jesus rose from the dead and met with them.
We need to remember Jesus is alive and we have the Holy Spirit in us guiding us to what is right, so as Jesus said to His disciples, "...now you will really believe..." I love the story in Mark chapter 9 when the father comes and ask Jesus to heal his son who is having seizures. The father says if you can, and Jesus responds in verses 23-24 like this, “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” We must keep praying and keep growing so that our belief is not just a word that we say but the life that we live. Amen