Do you remember the strength tests they used to have at carnivals and county fairs, the ones that looked like a big thermometer with a bell at the top? The whole idea was to see how hard you could hit the thing with a sledgehammer. If you were really strong, you could hit it, make the bell ring, and claim your prize. And if you were not, well, better luck next time.

One of the most tragic mistakes that I think Christians sometimes make is to think of faith along the same lines. In other words, if you get sick, or are in trouble, or things just aren’t going smoothly for you, it must be because you lack faith. Therefore, you need to pray harder and believe more. Flex your spiritual muscles and ring the bell. Impress God with the strength of your faith and claim a miracle as your prize!

I’m not sure where people get this idea—but it’s not from the Bible. Take the story of Jairus (Mark 5:21-43), for example. Jairus was one of the leaders of the synagogue, and when his daughter became deathly ill, he fell at the feet of Jesus and begged him to come and heal her. Jesus agrees—only before they reach the house, they receive the news that it is too late. The little girl has already died. Jesus tells Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe.” And with that, Jesus enters the house and raises the little girl from the dead.

Now, I ask you, who in this story has faith. Is it the little girl? I don’t think so. She was on her way out of this world. Does Jairus have faith? If he did, Mark never says so. Jairus just follows Jesus to the house and watches him do his work.

Go back to what Jesus told Jairus: “Do not fear, only believe.” Believe what? Believe that a miracle will take place? Well, maybe, but I don’t think that’s really what Jesus was getting at. Believe in God … trust in God—and here’s the point, trust in God whether the desired miracle takes place or not.

In other words, if Jairus is able to trust in God, then he is going to be able to survive whatever happens next, even if Jesus walked into the little girl’s room, closed her eyes with his fingertips, and pulled the bed sheet over her face. If Jairus is willing to believe that God is in control, then he will know that his little girl is still in God’s hands even though she had slipped away from his.

Keep in mind that Jesus, too, prayed for a miracle on the night before he died. “For you all things are possible,” he prayed. “Remove this cup from me.” Only when he opened his eyes, the cup was still there. Did he lack faith? Hardly. But he was able to continue trusting and believing in God—even though the miracle that he had prayed for never materialized.

I do not expect any of us to stop praying for miracles. In fact, I hope we don’t, because the world needs all the miracles it can get. But maybe it’s time to stop thinking that the miracle is contingent on the strength of our faith. After all, it’s God that produces miracles, not us. Our job is to keep trusting and believing. The rest is up to God!