Faith is an awesome and powerful force. When we have it, faith can sustain and empower us in countless ways. But despite being such and incredible power, faith can sometimes be elusive.
One of the dictionary definitions of faith is “belief and trust in and loyalty to God”– and for Christians, having faith means much more than that. Christians know that there is only one God, so for us, our faith should be steadfast. We know that God is real and we know that He is all-powerful, so our faith should always hold true.
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” — Hebrews 11:6
“And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” — Mark 11:22-24
I saw a meme of social media recently and for me it really touched upon what Christian faith is and should be:
This is faith: “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1:8-9
We have not seen God, but we know He is there and we love Him. We believe in Him and we trust in Him — for Christians, faith is meant to not only be a belief, but also to be a passionate, joyful and complete trust.
Sometimes the pressures and distractions of this world can dampen our faith. Life has become hectic and manic in many ways and its not uncommon for even the most faithful to feel disenfranchised. I think its important that when this happens, we make the time and space to reconnect with God — to remind ourselves that He matters most and that no matter what, he loves us and He cares for us and we have every reason in the universe to have faith in Him.
Some ways that may help strengthen our faith when it feels weaker include:
Pray: pray like a little child and tell God everything that is worrying or bothering you. Be open to hearing His words and be humble, seeking the help of our Heavenly Father. Try picturing yourself sitting next to God like a child would with a parent and pour your heart out to Him.
Inspirational: Find inspirational books or Bible passages to read. Avoid any negative media and focus solely on the good and positive.
Kindness: Radiate kindness — give it and be open to receiving it from others.
Time: Give yourself time and space to unwind and decompress. This world can be challenging, so give yourself a chance to clear your thoughts and get back on track.
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17
