We all have Faith.
We exercise Faith every day whether we are at home, in the car, or on the job. Just think: you and countless strangers drive way too fast and pass within a handshake of each other without a second thought! You don’t know whether they’ll stay in their lane…you have Faith that they will.
Faith is believing despite having incomplete evidence.
Most of us have trouble with “incomplete evidence”. We try to control every part of our lives, and exercising our Faith means giving up some control. When we trust, we give a measure of control away. We do this every time we sit in a chair. If we demanded proof of the chair’s strength, we’d never sit! Instead, we place our Faith in it, not really knowing whether it will collapse.
Faith doesn’t eliminate the need for caution.
An Arab proverb says, “Trust in God, but tie up your camel”. Faith is trusting, but it is not blind trust. Blind trust is dangerous, like driving with your eyes closed. If you drove your car with blind trust, you’d be headed for trouble!
A place to start:
- I believe that the universe was created with purpose.
- I believe that its Creator is fully characterized in the Bible.
- I believe man to be the pinnacle of God’s creation, created for communion with Him.
Faith is not closed-minded.
While there is ample evidence for this Faith, there is also evidence that points elsewhere. I know that many do not believe in a Creator, while others believe in a god other than the one found in the Bible.
Faith is a choice.
Sound evidence and sound reasoning are an integral part of Faith…but Faith includes more than that. Remember, Faith is believing despite having incomplete evidence. No one has all of the answers, and so each of us (if we are to believe anything at all) must temporarily suspend final judgment and take a ‘leap of Faith’. I have chosen to take that leap, and so I temporarily suspend final judgment. It is important that we examine all of the evidence, but it is not necessary to make a final determination.
If we view each new piece of evidence as authoritative, we will bend with every wind, fad, and rumor. If we view each new piece of evidence as a threat to our Faith, we will close our eyes to every new truth.
Faith is not static.
Our Faith changes as we change. If we lack knowledge, our Faith is stunted. If we seek knowledge, our Faith can grow strong. Truth doesn’t stand alone…it is surrounded by more Truth. If we seek Truth, we will find it. If we don’t seek Truth, we become victims of our own ignorance. So, seek Truth. Look for it everywhere, because that’s where it is. Don’t be foolish and believe everything…and don’t be cynical and believe nothing. Go with what you know, and take the rest one step at a time. You might actually like it!
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I am a 40 year old female with years of heartache, loss and anger inside me. I am not sure what I believe. I am angry for the losses I have endured and I don’t want to feel this way anymore. I have recently made the choice to go through counseling. I feel not having any faith could keep me from healing but I am not sure how to go about this. Please don’t judge me. I simply found this on a google search and wanted some advice. I am not sure if I pick up a bible and start reading or what to do. I don’t feel I am ready yet to just go to a church on Sunday because I am so lost.
Amy:
I’m very sorry to hear about the struggles you’ve been through. I wouldn’t judge you, of course. We’ve all been there. You and I are no different, with the possible exception of our relationships with God. Were you here, I would offer you a friendly hug and a smile (and maybe some Dr Pepper). We could sit and talk, and you could tell me your story. I don’t have all of the answers, and I doubt I could ease your pain very much. Fortunately, Jesus can do this. He’s done it for me, and He’s done it for thousands of my friends. I believe you’re on the right track.
I would recommend that you pick up a Bible, or read one online. If you asked me, I would begin reading in the book of Mark. It also sounds like the Alpha Course would be a good fit for you. It’s designed for people in exactly your situation. Usually, they’re hosted at churches or colleges…but you can watch the Alpha videos online and see if it’s helpful. They’re free. They have a giant red question mark over the top of the videos, as they really want people to sign up and see them with others in a discussion format. Still, they’re very watchable, and very interesting.
After watching a few, you might feel like talking about these things with a small group of people in your area. There are Alpha courses held all over the world. Now, don’t freak out…but because of the way websites work, I have a general idea of where you live. I’m not a stalker. =) There’s an Alpha course within about a half hour, from my guess. It’s at a college (starts with the letter M), likely just to the west of you. If you want the details, just contact me through GodWords. I’d be happy to talk with you more, and to help you find the peace you’re looking for. In the meantime, my family will be praying for you.
Lo anyone that calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. After you believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior continue and ask God for forgiveness. For it is the goodness of God that leads you to the Lord. He’s the only one that forgives he’s the only one that loves without failure God’s love cannot be equaled. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that I’m so ever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life. Do not accept what I’m saying is truth Look up the word in the Bible. You can look up one word and I’ll give you. Look up believe and it will give you the scriptures read it for yourself believe what the scriptures say it is important for you to be in love with God or God loves you you were born for such an hour as this so accept accept Jesus believe Jesus trust Jesus Jesus will never fail. I love you I don’t know who you are but I can tell you one thing God bless through his son Jesus Christ. My email is Denmark m a h l o n at gmail.com.
I read this article and I too don’t have any faith. I’m not sure what to do about it. I’ve attended church all my life and I’m now 52. I’ve attended church every Sunday for the past 8 years and read the Bible almost daily. I don’t understand any of the sermons and don’t understand what I read in the Bible. I meet one on one with my pastor and I still can’t understand any of it. My girlfriend who is a Christian and I have conversations for hours. I still don’t understand what Jesus did and what his purpose is. I can’t understand how the crucifixion forgives sin. I have no faith in it. Evolution is scientific fact and we weren’t created. God doesn’t communicate to us and gives us no sign of his existence.
Alan:
I may be able to help. You and I are about the same age, and I too have attended church for almost all my life. I’ve been around the block a time or two, and your situation isn’t new or unique. Now, I’m going to presume a few things. Don’t be offended…I’m just going on past experience.
You’re not a Christian.
That’s likely the problem. I’ve seen it before. People who go to church regularly but never understand the things of God are, unfortunately, a dime a dozen. They’re all over the place. One example: when I was a teen, a local Seventh-Day Adventist congregation split in half. One half came to my church and rented the building on Saturdays. Over time, they became curious about what happened on Sundays, so a number of them started attending both services. In spite of their commitment to church, and in spite of reading the Bible regularly, and in spite of their desire to understand how God works, do you know what they said?
Every single one of them said that they thought they were Christians, but it became clear to them that they weren’t. As far as I can remember, every one of them was born again within a year, and they stopped renting the building on Saturdays. I became friends with many of them, and they explained this to me personally. They believed that they already knew what Christianity was about, but later realized they had never actually heard and responded to the Gospel.
Weird.
I’ll bet that you’re in the same situation. Why do I say that? Simple: your explanation is a HUGE clue. You don’t understand the sermons or the Bible, in spite of going to church for approximately forever. There’s a Bible verse that directly explains this phenomenon…it’s in 1 Corinthians 2:
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
I’ll make it simple: the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. He makes it possible for us to understand spiritual things. Without Him providing this help, we cannot put it all together. If you really don’t understand, it’s almost certainly because the Holy Spirit doesn’t live in you.
I don’t say this to be insulting, of course. I hope that you’ll consider the possibility that you really haven’t been born again, as Jesus talked about in John 3.
Tell me: what kind of church(es) have you attended? I’ve heard from a bunch of people that they were wrong about being saved…Catholics, Seventh-Day Adventists, Church of Christ, and more. That’s not to say that none of those folks are Christians. I’m sure many are…but many, clearly, are not. I would be happy to spend some time emailing you, or even talking on the phone, to help you get this worked out. Christianity isn’t really that complicated. If you’ve spent 50 years in church and still don’t get it, it’s a safe bet that you need to actually become a Christian.
As for evolution and science, I’m one of those people who have had ZERO conflicts between what I believe about God and the Bible and what I believe about science. I’ve spent a lot of time examining both, and am confident that you too can find harmony between them. As for God communicating, well…a whole bunch of people – myself included – would say otherwise. I’m pretty sure that we can iron out a lot of stuff in a short time, if you’re willing. I certainly don’t think I can answer every question, but I’ve asked most of them myself. Get in touch with me and we’ll set aside some time to hammer it out.
I am 71 and have prayed all my life, like to make my marriage work, to please save a certain child, cure my cancer, and a million other things, and I cant think of just one prayer that was ever answered. So how can one have faith in someone who only stands by and do nothing while people, even innocent children suffer. All that does is turn people against Him and hate
Danny:
First, thanks for writing. I hope you don’t mind if I respond… that does seem to be why you commented, after all.
I’m a web designer. I’ve run a small business for almost 20 years, and I’ve learned something very important during that time. It’s the same lesson I learned as a teenager, listening to a wise man on the radio: expectations matter. If I reply to client emails at 2am, clients come to expect that I will be available at 2am. If I reply only between 9am and 5pm on weekdays, they come to expect that that’s when they can get an answer. When false teachers on TBN said, over and over again, that all true Christians who have enough faith will be healed of all their diseases, their listeners came to expect that this was true. When the co-founder of TBN died of cancer, the faith of many were shaken… not because God had let them down, but because those false teachers gave them unreasonable expectations, and those expectations weren’t met.
I would suggest that you may be suffering from unmet, and unreasonable, expectations. Who said that God would make your marriage work? Certainly God never said that He would do that. I’m not yet 71, but I’m not a kid… I’ve been married for 31 years so far. My relationship with my wife isn’t entirely in God’s hands… it seems to mostly be between her and I. Is your relationship with me something God has to make work? I don’t think so. Instead, a good relationship between you and I must be the work of the two of us. It’s great – and highly advisable – for us to trust God as we do that work, but He never said He would make it work on our behalf. I’m very sorry to hear that your marriage hasn’t been all that you wanted it to be, but being disappointed in God for that doesn’t seem like a reasonable expectation.
I don’t say these things to be harsh, or uncaring. I’m truly very sorry for what you’ve been through. I’m married. I have a child. I’ve prayed for things that didn’t happen, too. Isn’t there a difference between asking God to give you what you want and expecting God to give you what you want? I have health issues. How long should I expect to live? I would, at this point in my life, be happy to live to be 71. At 70, I’m not sure I’d be excited to be near the end… but what should I reasonably expect? 80? 90? 100? 110? 120? If I believe that I should never die, you would say that my expectations aren’t reasonable. When is the right time for you, or me, to die? I can’t say. I doubt you can. I assume God knows, but it seems you’re not so sure. That’s understandable, but I’m not sure it’s reasonable.
It sounds like you believe in God, and are disappointed in Him… that you’re upset at how your life turned out. I can’t blame you. The question is what you’re going to do about it. Being mad at God won’t bring you the peace you long for. It certainly won’t make Him disappear. You’re judging God for what you think He has done, and has not done. Let me suggest that when someone thinks they know how to better run the universe than God does, it may be that God is not the one at fault. I wish I could give you hope, my friend. I wish I could inspire you with kind words, and reassurances that things will get better for you before you die. I can’t do that. I have no idea when you will die, or what will happen to you this afternoon. What I can say to you is what Jesus’ disciples said to Him in John 6
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
If there’s anything more I can do for you, you only have to ask. I truly wish you well. I know my response may not be what you wanted, or what you expected. I can only hope it is what you need, and what you can accept. God IS who He says He is… whether that makes us happy, or comfortable, isn’t really the question. The question is what we will do.
Hello,
I was raised in church and I know Jesus saved me when I was a child but as an adult I am really struggling. I have this fear that I thought the unpardonable sin, I had thoughts that were in that category, as soon as I realized it I immediately began asking forgiveness but I fear it is too late. I pray a lot asking forgiveness but I cannot feel it anymore like I used to. I have sought counseling for this from minister and religious mentors and they all say the same thing, but, I cannot seem to get past it. How can I be saved if I am saved by faith and I do not have the faith to believe that I am forgiven. I believe Jesus forgives everyone, except me. I feel because of those thoughts I cannot be forgiven. I do feel conviction though, if I do something I know God doesn’t like I feel convicted, I fear God and do not want to go to hell, but I feel so lost and weary, very, very, weary. Any ideas?
Kittie:
Thanks for writing. To answer your question directly: the Holy Spirit has not left you. You know this because He is still convicting you.
You’re talking about a very important subject, and you’re going through something significant. I know how you feel… I felt the same way. Let me tell you what I’ve found.
Things change.
When I was younger, I used to pray, somewhat desperately, that God would help me be ‘more sincere.’ I realized later that I actually WAS sincere, but didn’t have the right words to express what I needed.
When I was younger, I used to pray that God would help my friends and family live the victorious, successful Christian life that I knew I could never live. I realized later that the abundant life was available to all, and that my failures and disobedience did not disqualify me from becoming the man that God intended me to be.
When I was younger, I felt like God and I were ‘on the same team.’ I felt led by Him directly, ‘felt His presence’ regularly, and was very confident that I was doing exactly what He wanted. I realized later, after 5 years of silence from Him, that I no longer needed those feelings. Those years were very, very hard. Like you, I felt lost, weary, and kind of abandoned. Maybe younger me needed to feel Him near… and, maybe, older me didn’t need Him to hold my hand as much. I was maturing.
I felt pretty lost. Looking back, I realized that God was changing ME. I always assumed that things would stay pretty much the same: I was saved, I was confident that God and I were all right, I felt like I had a handle on things. Over the years, I’ve talked with a LOT of mature followers of Jesus… and their experiences are similar to yours and mine. God brought them through periods of joy and peace, then life got more challenging and they wondered what had gone wrong, then they realized they needed to trust God more, then they realized that their struggles may have been less about feeling right or having a good life and more about becoming more like Jesus, then they realized they had changed… on the inside. It sounds to me like God is growing you.
That’s awesome!
Yes, it kinda sucks when you’re going through it. It’s good, though! God is working in you. The Holy Spirit – God Himself – who dwells in every believer, is changing you. You will be far, far better when this temporary season is over. Don’t assume that your feelings are accurate. Instead, focus on what you know to be true:
You are not alone. You may FEEL alone, but you are not. God is with you, even when He’s silent. He is good, even when things are hard. I am with you. No, I don’t live close to you… but I’m here. You are my little sister… part of God’s family. If you belong to Him, you belong to me. You and I are in this together! I will do whatever I can do to help you through the hard times, and celebrate with you in the good times. All you have to do is reach out, like you did here, and let people know about your struggle. One of the most reassuring things during my 5 years of silence was that my friends, to whom I turned for answers, were able to reassure me that I hadn’t completely blown it. My struggle was NOT the result of hidden sin, or willful disobedience. I wondered why God was “letting” me go through it, but they helped me see that God was actually PUTTING me through it for my good… and for the good of the Kingdom. Millions of people have read what I write on GodWords, and they wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t grown the way I did. I’ve taught in churches for many years, and people say I’ve helped them. I wouldn’t have been so helpful had God not grown me into the next phase of my life. I still have a big gap between me and being like Jesus, but I’ve come a long, long way.
What you’re going through hurts. It’s confusing. It’s frustrating, maddening, and annoying. Smile anyway. Be joyful anyway. Why? Because God is changing you. You can’t grow into the woman He created you to be unless you keep changing… and that means letting go of what holds you back, even if that’s the thing you think you need. Just think: you’re actually in the process of becoming the person you never really thought you’d ever be. Wow!
My old pastor once said, “I don’t trust any Christian who doesn’t walk with a limp.” At first, I didn’t get it. As I grew, I watched and learned. Jacob wrestled with God. God touched the socket of Jacob’s hip, causing him to limp. That’s when God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Seems like a pretty big deal. I too was wrestling with God. I didn’t WANT to limp, but I wanted His blessing. I wanted to belong to Him COMPLETELY… so now I walk with a limp. I get it now. The limp is a sign of the struggle. If you haven’t been through the fight, you won’t limp… and you won’t be ready for the amazing things God has planned for you to do.
Get ready, little sister. You’re in a fight… and you’ll be a different kind of woman when God finishes blessing you. That’s exciting!
Like I said: I’m here for you. Really. I love you. Keep in touch.