Rachel Scott died on April 20, 1999, after admitting she believed in God.

While all scripture is viable and important, Romans 10:9 stands out as a key passage because it sheds light on how one receives salvation,  . . . if you confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

What does the word believe really mean in that context?  Are we to believe in Jesus the same way children believe in Santa or some people believe in aliens?  The following story not only brings wonderful clarification as to the implications of believing in Christ, but it is ideal for explaining faith and belief to children of all ages, including teenagers.

The Story

A crowd of curious onlookers gathered below high rise apartments amazed at what they saw.  A skinny rope stretched clear from one building to another 60 stories above the unforgiving pavement.   Looking down at the talkative crowd, Tim-the-Tightrope-Walker prepared to make his way across without the reassurance of a safety net.  In addition to getting himself across the chasm without loosing his balance, he had a heavy wheelbarrow to haul as well.

Just seconds before he took his first step, Tim shouted to the crowd, “How many of you believe I will make it across with this wheelbarrow?”  Hundreds of hands flew up in the air, along with supportive cheers, affirming their belief that he would successfully walk the tightrope.  The enthusiastic crowd came to a silent halt, however, when Tim posed one more question; “Who is willing to ride in the wheelbarrow while I walk across?”  The masses of once lifted hands now lay glued at people’s sides as they contemplated the horror of his request.

The Moral of the Story

It’s easy to say we believe in something until we are asked to put our lives on the line for that belief.  With this in mind, the kind of belief described in Romans 10:9  transcends merely believing that Christ existed.  According the Greek translation of that scripture, we are to put our confidence and trust in Christ.  We are to get into the wheelbarrow!

While our minds may be inclined to doubt at times, warranting that we dig into apologetics and prayer for answers, we are called to entrust our lives to Christ, even when our comfort zone is threatened.  Thank God for young people like Rachel Scott and the millions of others who have stared death squarely in the face and boldly said, I believe.