Something out of something.

One night, soon after my wife and I had changed our bedroom around a bit, the air grew cold. I twisted the dial on my electric blanket control and soon felt wonderful warmth carrying me off to sleep. Hours later I awoke feeling hot and turned the dial in the opposite direction. Within minutes, my side of the bed cooled off nicely and I spent the remainder of the night deep in sleep.

The next morning we discovered something interesting. When we changed the room around, neither one of us had remembered to plug the electric blanket back in.

A recent study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE)--a nonprofit fitness advocate--tested thirty-two healthy and experienced runners. Participants were told that they were involved in research to measure the effects of a new "super-oxygenated" water and were shown a videotape detailing its many performance-enhancing benefits. Half were then given regular bottled water, and the other half were told they were drinking the supercharged water. Then each subject ran three separate, non-paced, 5-kilometer time trials.

On average, the runners who'd consumed the "special" water ran 83 seconds faster than those who drank the "regular" water. Finally it was revealed that all of the water had been exactly the same--taken from a local tap.

Cedric Bryant, ACE chief exercise physiologist, explained that "Over the years, placebo studies have shown that subjects who believe they are receiving beneficial treatment often experience a variety of positive outcomes."

All this got me to thinking. If belief can make something out of nothing (my electric blanket experience and the faster running times), can disbelief make nothing out of something?

The disciple Thomas refused to acknowledge that Jesus had risen from the dead even though, 1.) He'd promised He would; 2.) all of the other disciples had seen Him; and, 3.) He was standing right before him. Christ's sacrifice meant nothing to him because he didn't believe. Only after Jesus instructed Thomas to touch His wounds did the man change his mind (John 20:24-28).

As the holiday season approaches, God is inviting us to believe in the Baby of Bethlehem even though we can't see Him. He's also asking us to believe in what His Son did years later even though we can't touch the cross or hear His final breath. God invites us to experience the transforming power that comes when, through believing, we make something out of something.

Jesus told Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).

All of us at Vibrant Life hope that, this year, you'll give God your most precious gift: belief.

Charles Mills

EDITOR