In Mark 6:53–56 Jesus healed everyone who reached out in faith to touch him. As seen with the feeding of the five thousand and the calming of the storm, Jesus was the great “I Am” of the Old Testament who supplied manna to the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years and controlled the elements he had created. The people recognized Jesus as more than a common rabbi in contrast to the disciples who appeared to struggle with their faith. Perhaps familiarity bred contempt, or maybe they had become too accustomed to the miraculous to see the One behind it. Whatever the case, the faith of the believing crowds empowered Jesus to heal them. Similarly, it’s often not the tangible things a leader does for a person, rather, it’s the faith he inspires in one to hope and trust again. Serving leaders ignite faith in others, helping them believe in possibilities they had never considered. Inspire and nurture faith in others.

KEY QUESTIONS: Am I ruled by “stinking thinking” or “possibility thinking?” If the former, how can I expect to ignite faith in others? What in me breeds contempt for the miraculous? How might I restore my faith and the faith of others in the Great I Am?