Recently, I feel like there has been a pervasive message in my life that God has been trying to make very clear to me. Not necessarily because I’m being stubborn or resistant about receiving the message of this particular issue, but maybe because I have needed the gentle reminder that my God is near to me. I feel like God pushes things up in my face sometimes to make sure I don’t miss certain “ah ha” moments that are important. I was driving down the road a couple of months ago, and I saw this church marquee that had the small, poignant phrase, “Don’t Dig Up Doubt Where You’ve Planted Faith.” “Duh!” I thought as I continued driving away. “That would be a tragic thing to do,” I thought. But something about that phrase stuck with me as the day passed on. Easy to say, but actually, difficult to do.
Shortly after I saw that sign, my pastor at church began preaching a sermon series entitled, “Unbelievable.” This series touched on different topics which all related to how to live an unbelievable life. One of these topics was about how to develop and have unbelievable faith in your life. I heard the all familiar story of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego preached that Sunday (refer to the book of Daniel if you are unfamiliar with this story) and their unbelievable faith in God that saved them when they were thrown into a fire. Not only did they survive, but God stood with them IN the fire so that they could walk out, untouched and unscathed to show that their faith was real and their God delivered his promises of protection. Talk about some crazy faith! If someone threatened to throw me in the fire to test my faith, I can tell you right now I’d start running. After that sermon, my wheels began turning. Do I honestly and truly believe that my God will stand in the fire with me in the trials of life? I mean, I think I do. And I claim that I do. But when the rubber meets the road, is that true? He did it for Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego so surely he would for me too, right?
Since the time that I saw that church sign and heard the Unbelievable Faith sermon, I’ve seen and heard many things that have tested, stretched, and strengthened my faith. I witnessed a dear friend of mine from high school blog about her experience of bearing a child with a neural tube defect who was born to die. She was very transparent throughout her whole pregnancy about knowing her son would only live for a brief time, and the entire time she praised God through the joy and the sorrow. She got 7 precious hours with her son post birth before he went to be with Jesus. The whole time I grieved with her and her family, but asked, “God, why?” Another friend of mine is also pregnant and so far everything is great. My response, “God you are faithful.” I have heard of doctors reports of friends and family members that are great and not so great. I just recently got my licensure certification in counseling that I’ve worked so hard for and praised God for his faithfulness in getting me through to this milestone. So many praises throughout these last few months, but sometimes there were so many questions, too.
Blake and I recently started watching The Bible on Netflix and with each passing episode, I’m more in awe of these stories I’ve heard of a thousand times, but get to watch in succession and actually SEE what these people went through. The very first episode depicts Abraham about to sacrifice (kill) his son, Issac, to prove his faith in God. This story has been told to me more times than I can count, but the visual I SAW brought me to tears. Who could have such faith in God to be willing to sacrifice their own child? Could I have had that faith during that time in history? I’m not sure that I could. In fact, I’m pretty sure I couldn’t based on the smallest things I freak out over now. Just a couple of weeks ago, Blake was supposed to be minutes behind me in getting home, and when he didn’t show up right away, I immediately started playing the panic game. I thought, “He must have been in a car accident and now he’s obviously dead!!” After a quick text, I found out he stopped at the gas station. I’m such a wimp.
Everyone has big faith at times when life is going great, little faith when things aren’t working out, and sometimes no faith when things seem hopeless. Our faith can ebb and flow based on circumstances in our lives, but how do we get long lasting faith that isn’t shaken when our circumstances change? I know based on my personal circumstances and watching the circumstances of those around me that our faith can change in an instant like the changing of the wind. Especially when big things happen like a loved one dying, loss of a job, financial hardship, relationships ending, seemingly unending addictions, mental health issues, or maybe just a constant closing door on a dream you’re are trying to chase. Whatever makes your faith shaky at times, I would encourage you to ask yourself these questions if you want your faith to grow stronger.
1. What are you putting your faith in?
It’s so easy for us to put our faith in temporarily satisfying things. I do it all the time. My job. My marriage. My family. My friends. My possessions. All of these things will let me down eventually if I hang my hat solely on them. My job isn’t always a smooth ride. My husband isn’t perfect (sorry honey)! My family and friends can’t always fulfill my needs. And my possessions are objects that may give me security for the moment, but they are fleeting with little value. Most times when our faith becomes rocky, we need to re-evaluate what we are building it on. Isaiah 40: 29-31 says, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. The will walk and not grow faint.” Our God is full of promises that he will sustain us even when everything else falls apart or gets stripped away. If you are putting your faith in something that gives temporary security, you’ll find yourself continuing to struggle with grasping for control. Why not put your faith in an everlasting God who will walk through fire with you just like he did with Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego? And not only will he walk with you through the fire, he’ll deliver you from it unharmed. Often times we lose site of the end result when we get caught in the fire. We focus too much on the flame, the burn, the hurt, and the mess we don’t think we can get out of. If we continue to see God’s truth, our faith will become unshakable.
2. Who are you accountable to?
Accountability. What a loved and hated word. The only time people love this word is when they’re seeking accountability from someone else. For example, people making New Year’s Resolutions are all about accountability at the beginning of the year. Whether it be a gym routine, diet plan, or development of other healthy habits, we all look for help when WE are seeking change. What really sucks is when someone else attempts to hold us accountable when we don’t want it. It hurts when we get called out for behaviors that aren’t healthy, or when we get questioned about what we are doing. So the question I would encourage you to ask yourself when things seem in disarray would be, “Who are you seeking answers from when your faith is on rocky ground?” It’s easy to panic first and then ask for help later. In addition to seeking answers from God, who are you seeking answers from in your circle of people? Ephesians 4:25 says, ” Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each other of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of the other.” If you’re seeking answers about decisions in your life or where your next step should be, the people you run to for answers is so critical. It’s easy for us to run to the people who will give us the easy answers that we want to hear…(“Just think about yourself!” “Do what you’ve got to do.”) When our faith is shaky and all we want to do is run, the easy way out seems very appealing. But the real challenge comes in when we seek answers from those who will tell us like it is and push us past our comfort zones to help us make the RIGHT decisions (not just the easy ones.) Hebrews 10:25 says, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encouraged one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” If you don’t have a group of people that you run to when your world is falling apart that will help get you back on track, find them. Do whatever it takes to get connected to people who will point you on the right path, even if it is uncomfortable. If you don’t have those people, and you aren’t willing to be transparent in times where it’s good to be held accountable, you’ll spend a life time of spinning your wheels because you’ll miss God’s biggest blessings for your life. Get out of your comfort zone and get held accountable.
3. Have you prayed about it?
Mark 11:24 says, ” Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Simple enough, right? Wrong. If I asked for everything I wanted and believed I would receive it, I would have a mansion at the beach, a Range Rover, a closet full of endless clothes, new shoes every day, a maid to clean my house and cook my dinner, a private jet, etc. (can you tell I dream big??). What God is saying here is that He isn’t going to give us whatever we want whenever we want it. He’s not a genie in a bottle that grants our wishes. Instead, He wants us to communicate with Him and seek His guidance that will ultimately reveal the desires in our hearts which will align with His plans for our lives. If our faith is weak, and we confess to God that we are struggling and ask for His guidance, eventually He will reveal what it is we are supposed to do and where it is we are supposed to go. God knows our steps along the way even when we can’t see ahead. Trusting in God and believing Him for his blessings only strengthens our faith and leads us to the answers we were seeking all along.
4. Do you need to readjust your sails?
One of my favorite verses that I quote all of the time is Jeremiah 29:11 which says, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” I have always loved this verse because it takes the pressure off of me to “have it all figured out.” I’m the queen worrier when the life plan gets shaky. Ask anyone and I have my life plan etched in stone at least 10 years out. Every now and then I even let God in on that plan (LOL). But in actuality, I never have control, I’m never in charge, and I sure as heck don’t ever have it all figured out (even when I think I do). God states in his word that His plans for me are GOOD and they are never for DISASTER! How awesome is that?! The only time disaster happens and the train goes off the tracks is when I attempt to take control, I don’t pray about my circumstances, and I reject the accountability of those around me who are trying to say, “Maggie? Pump the breaks, sister. Quit living up in your head!” Even with all the faith in God, the prayer, and the accountability, sometimes God will ask us to adjust the plan. I feel like for me, I go to God a lot asking for something rather than being thankful for what I have. And most times when I fight hard for something that I feel like HAS to be the plan, God softly whispers, “Be still and know that I am God.” When we are open to receiving, we sometimes learn that God’s gentle resistance of our plans is a way for Him to get us to readjust our course. It may not mean “no” forever, but it might mean He’s pointing us to something even better. A shaky faith doesn’t mean it’s a formula for a disaster coming our way. It might just mean it allows us to pursue other options that open us up to greater blessings.
I started writing this particular blog over a month ago, and had it on my mind for at least a month or two before even starting it. I kept leaving it in draft mode and finding excuses not to finish it. I am just now finishing it a month later, and it couldn’t have come at a greater time. My faith has been tested so much this past week, and I don’t think it’s coincidence that I felt led to finish writing this during a time of personal shaky faith. What I continue to learn daily is that my God is good. He is near, and He wants only the best for my life. Even in times where I put my faith in other things that give temporary satisfaction, I am always pointed back to the One who reminds me that His ways are always higher and greater than mine. Whatever it is you are struggling with today (because we’ve all got struggles), know that you don’t have to have it all figured out. Don’t dig up doubt where you’ve planted faith. And if you feel like you’ve hit a wall and don’t know where to turn, re-evaluate what you place your faith in, pray about it, ask guidance from others (who are objective and real with you even when it’s hard), and be willing to adjust your sails if you keep coming up to a closed door. God won’t leave you out to dry. He only requires the faith of a mustard seed (which is incredibly tiny) to trust Him. Are you willing to give Him that faith today?
MaggieRigdon 