Authentic Faith

How many of us struggle with our faith? I mean really struggle.
How many of us have looked up and wondered… We ask, “why God?”  We ask, “where are you God?”  We ask, “do you care God?”  We ask, “do I believe anymore?” 

Do you?
Have you ever asked those questions, or wondered if you truly believe?

Maybe there has been a time when you were angry with God…
     about your life,
     about your situation,
     about your future?
I think sometimes we are afraid of our own feelings and emotions when it comes to our faith.

Do you think that we are not allowed to question or express anger with God? 

When we are not honest with ourselves about our relationship with God then we start to live a fake faith life. We become two people in one person… one part of us pretends we are strong in our faith and that everything is OK… another part of us deep inside, is frustrated, angry, or disappointed. We have had our dreams, our hopes crushed and we wonder where God’s promises are fulfilled. Wasn’t there a promise – “Ask and you shall receive, knock and the door will be opened”… yet we tried that and nothing---- silence from heaven.

So do we lie to ourselves and others, and cover for God’s silence OR can we face it honestly. If we can live in honest relationship with God, I believe there will be times when we are angry with Him, disappointed with Him, or frustrated with Him. I think we could call it living authentic faith. It is Biblical. If you read the Bible you will find people who openly struggled with God in faith and trust. The Psalms are full of such honest struggle. Yet God did not reject them, instead He used it as an opportunity to work in them and prove His promises are true. Jesus did this with his disciples all the time, through their struggles to believe he would love them and teach them. Sometimes there was a scolding remark, but always with an aim to change their hearts to faith.

I have come to believe that a major stumbling block of our faith truly growing is this disconnect between our true doubts and struggles we are having in our faith walk, and the expectations to be perfect Christians that we put upon ourselves.

If you are struggling with your faith then tell Jesus… followers told him – “I believe, help my unbelief.”  If you are angry with God over something… tell him. If you are discouraged and frustrated, tell God in prayer.  Do you honestly think that God does not know your heart? He knows it already, so really...  why not be honest with yourself and tell Him? It opens a door to your heart that God will begin to heal and work on.

Honest faith, honest struggle, honest cries to Jesus. This is what He seeks in us – truth. We are a broken people with broken hearts, and broken dreams… but we have a Lord who is ready to heal. Jesus once said that he came to heal those who knew that they were sick. Let us confess our weakness and be ready to be healed.

Rev. M. Paul Jensen