Faltering Faith

After two hours of misery in the doctor’s office, the nurse came in to check on me.  Parched, from massive fluid loss caused by a nose acting like a running faucet, I asked for a cup of water.  I watched as she opened the cabinet, tore the plastic covering from an individually wrapped cup and filled it with water.  As she handed it to me, she must have noticed as my weary eyes were trying to focus on the words printed on the side of the cup: Urine Collection Cup.  “It’s clean, I promise,” she announced.  I had watched her open it, so I knew she was telling the truth, but somehow it was still difficult to drink from that cup.  I had doubts. 

Our faith is sometimes strained in a similar manner.  Things aren’t as clear as we’d like.  Or worse yet, life contradicts what we believe about God.  We see evidence of God in our lives, yet struggle to trust that He has our best interest in mind.

So, what can we do to increase our faith?

• Pray, pray, and pray some more.  Ask God to help strengthen your faith.
• Reflect on God’s faithfulness in the past.  This is where journaling is particularly helpful.  But, if you don’t have a journal to look through, think back over events of the past few months or even the past year.  Where did you see evidence of God and His promises? 
• Memorize Scripture.  His Word is truth.  Filling our mind with it daily (even hourly) is the best way to grow in our faith.  
• Make the choice to believe.  Easier said than done, I know.  But it’s well worth the exercise.  Rehearse in your mind what you truly believe until you’ve crowded out the doubting.

God is indeed trustworthy.  And, the more you know Him, the easier it is to believe.  Commit to spending more time with Him in the coming weeks and months.  You’ll be blessed beyond measure. 

“Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9: 23-24

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