Falling Out Of Faith

I did not want to tell you this but I fell in my faith today – big time. Sure, moments of doubt and confusion have come in the past, but this little episode was by far the worst.

Why did I not want to tell you? Well, I want this blog to serve as an example of living boldly in faith, and surely such a life does not involve the experience I had today, right?

Wrong. In fact, I would speculate that nearly every single person who has ever decided to live in faith has fallen.

Even the great figures of the Bible fell in faith. Out of fear and doubt, Moses refused God when instructed to demand that Pharaoh set the Israelites free. But in the end, Moses put those feelings aside, regained his footing in faith, and accomplished great things.

David can be seen on many occasions in the Book of Psalms wondering why God is not listening to him. But it was David who said, “Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” Like Moses, David always regained his footing.

Peter was called by Jesus to walk on water. When he began doing so in faith, he was fine; however, when he took his eyes off Christ and began to fear his surroundings, he sank. But Peter called out to the Lord and asked for help, and Jesus lifted him from the waters. He fell, but called out to God and regained his footing.

Proverbs 24:16 says that “a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” It’s normal to fall, but the key is to get your footing back.

I like to think of faith as an amber, and there will be times when that amber begins to fade. During these times, it is critical to care for it and reignite the fire. But how do you do that?

I’ve found four steps work for me. First, like Peter, call out to God for help. He will hear you. Second, immerse yourself in the Word. I’ve found great comfort from the Book of Psalms. Third, find out what causes you to stumble in your faith and distance yourself from those things. Finally, think about what encourages your faith and draw nearer to those things.

All this can take a great deal of effort – faith is a fight. But you have to ask yourself, is your dream worth fighting for? If it is, you must get back up and keep moving forward.

In times of doubt, it is not uncommon to wonder if you’re even supposed to pursue your dream. Maybe this dream just isn’t for you. Maybe you were mistaken and are wasting your time.

I’ve found an exercise that will answer this concern.

Just for a second, hit the emotional reset button. Decide for one moment that God is in control, He is bringing your dream to pass, and that you will continue to pursue your goal with faith and expectancy.

Now, let that thought fade. Allow yourself to stumble. Allow yourself to give up. Be aware of how you feel.

How did the emotional experience of each compare to the other? Chances are, love and peace were associated with the first and far more negative emotions with the second. Which emotions do you think come from God?

James 3:17 answers this question. It says, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” If these are the emotions you feel while pursuing your goal in faith, you are in agreement with God.

Yes, I stumbled today, and that’s ok. My dream is worth fighting for. I’m regaining my footing and pressing forward.