But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” John 7:41-42
You probably know someone who has found a reason not to believe. Perhaps that’s where you are today. You have a reason for not believing. You read a book that seemed to offer a conclusive argument against faith, and you said to yourself, “I can no longer believe.” Or you saw a Christian behave in a way that was utterly selfish, and you said, “I cannot believe.” Or you saw some suffering, or some evil in the world, and you said, “I cannot believe.”
That was the position of these people. They had an objection to faith, a reason for not believing. So if that’s your position today, you need to know that nothing is more important than for you to confront your own objections.
Confront the problem, rather than hide behind it. You are not the first person in the world to face this question and you will certainly not be the last. Do a little digging. How have others who have faced this problem resolved it? Instead of resisting God, throw your energy into resisting your objections.
These people had the perfect opportunity to confront their reason for not believing. Jesus was standing right next to them. They could easily have asked Him, “Where were you born?” And He would have told them, “I was raised in Galilee, but I was born in Bethlehem.”
Even though Jesus promised them something amazing, hearts flowing with living water, they could not see further than an argument about Bethlehem. This demonstrates that unbelief is a power that grips the soul. Unbelief goes much deeper than reason.
If you have a reason for not believing, is it possible that you are holding onto it so you can hide behind it? Could it be the real problem is your heart is resistant to God? Whom might you ask to help you with your particular objection or struggle?
