Faith or Denial
Insights From Vacation Bible School
When Pretending Isn’t Trusting
Cookies and Comfort Lies
“Don’t worry,” A.J. told Bubba, patting him on the shoulder. “There’s always enough cookies. There just seems to be less every day.”
Bubba frowned. “But how can you be sure?”
“Well,” A.J. said, shrugging, “my dad says everything always works out.”
Ryan overheard and smiled. “It’s not luck,” he said. “My mom brings the cookies. She always knows what we need.”
That simple statement carried more theology than any of us realized.
Faith wasn’t wishful thinking for Ryan — it was trust in the One who’d never let him down.
Denial Wears a Smile
As kids, denial is easy — close your eyes and hope for the best.
As adults, we just dress it up better.
We pretend not to see the cracks.
We say, “It’s fine,” when it isn’t.
We slap “faith” on top of fear and call it trust.
Denial often masquerades as faith.
It’s a fragile illusion — optimism without anchor, confidence without surrender.
I learned that the hard way.
As a child, I was hurt in ways no child should be. And to survive, I denied it. I put on the rose-colored glasses of positivity and told myself I was fine.
But wounds ignored don’t heal — they deepen.
Faith doesn’t deny the darkness; it declares light within it.
Calling It What It Is
Forgiveness doesn’t come from pretending pain isn’t real.
It comes from naming the wound, acknowledging the evil, and then releasing it into the hands of the Healer.
To forgive, you must first tell the truth.
To heal, you must stop pretending you’re whole.
When I faced the truth of what was taken from me — and the truth of what Jesus gave for me — denial finally broke, and faith was born.
Real faith doesn’t say, “Nothing bad ever happens.”
It says, “Even when it does, my God redeems.”
Faith That Faces Reality
Romans 8:28 doesn’t promise that everything is good — it promises that everything works together for good.
That’s not denial; that’s divine defiance.
It looks evil in the eye and says, “You won’t have the last word.”
Faith faces reality and then invites resurrection.
Because Jesus doesn’t just cover sin — He conquers it.
Reflection
Where might denial be masquerading as faith in your life?
What truth is God inviting you to face so He can redeem it?
How could honesty become the foundation for deeper trust?
Prayer