Avoiding A Faith Crisis

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17 

  

  All those with disabilities and chronic afflictions face times when stressful events, a new diagnosis, setbacks, and other added burdens take a bad situation and make it worse. In such times we may face a faith crisis. 

  I don’t like surprises, and I’m not a fan of change. I like things to be dependable and reliable. Yet too often, just as I’m getting my feet under me, when I’m beginning to enjoy my life, then I get slammed with a new crisis. It either sets me back, or makes the way forward much more difficult. 

  Change is part of life. We cannot avoid it. Change can keep us fresh, reignite our energies, and bring new opportunities. But not all change is good. Why does God allow new problems into our lives? How can we keep the faith when our faith seems too small for the tasks ahead? 

  One thing that helps me is to look back at past accomplishments and victories. It is encouraging to recall dark times when everything seemed against me, when there was no light at the end of the tunnel, and yet God miraculously brought me through.  

  Remind yourself of the successes in your life, the many times things could have gone badly, and instead God gave you the victory. Add up your accomplishments and consider whether the current challenges and hardships can compare to what you have already survived and overcome. 

  Since you belong to Jesus He will enable you to overcome the added challenges and difficulties in your life. Remind yourself of that truth often, especially if you find yourself in a faith crisis. And if Jesus is not your Lord, what are you waiting for? I guarantee you He will give you strength in your affliction, peace in your times of fear, and faith to enable you to overcome the challenges in your life. 

  We cannot avoid changes and challenges in life, but obstacles need not cause us to have a faith crisis. Strengthen your faith by reading the Bible, by praying, by sharing your concerns with God. Remind yourself of the many difficulties Jesus has already brought you through. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, be the Lord of our life, and enable us to keep faith through all of the challenges we face. Amen. 

Those Who Mourn

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15 

  

  When children die, or young people’s lives are cut short by some tragic accident, it is hard to understand what God is doing. When healthy active young people are taken from us, and old decrepit people like myself are left behind, life seems to stop making sense. 

  Throughout my life I have seen young people in the prime of their lives cut short and removed from this earth. What are we to make of this? Yet others with ill health or aging bodies struggle from day to day just to survive with one affliction piled upon another. What is God thinking? Why not leave young and healthy people to fully live their lives, and take the suffering and afflicted home to the joys of heaven? 

  In situations that are far beyond our understanding we must trust to the sovereignty of God. Through faith we must accept that God is not only in control, He knows His business and is setting events in motion according to His purposes. 

   

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. Matthew 10:29 

  

  We may not always understand what God is doing or why He did it, but we must accept that God is God are we are not. When circumstances make no sense to us we must have faith that God knows what He is doing in tragic events far beyond our comprehension. Such situations require great faith on our part, and those trying times are the perfect opportunity for our faith to express itself in a God whose motives and actions are beyond our understanding. 

  Perhaps you are mourning a loss of some type, something beyond your understanding. I encourage you to trust the God who can comfort you through and beyond circumstances you may never understand in this life. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, we do not know why events unfold as they do, but we know that You hold all events in Your hand and they unfold as You will. Amen. 

  

Be A Fighter

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4 

  

  When I was a boy I was often bullied. It finally got the to the point I refused to be bullied any longer, and I was prepared to fight any bully who tormented me. I remember one occasion when I was being bullied and I knew I could not beat the bully in a fight, he was much larger than I. My words to him went something like this: “I know you can beat me up, but it is going to cost you a fight. Let’s step outside.” Like most bullies he did not want to fight, but to push around someone smaller and weaker than himself. He lost interest in me once he realized I was willing to fight him. 

  There are many bullies in our life. Circumstances can bully us, illnesses and diseases, and yes, people can bully us. While it is not a good idea to go around getting into fights, it is certainly a good idea to face down the bullies in our lives. 

  In 2010 I was dying. My disease had beaten me up pretty badly. I did not know how much longer I could hold out. But I refused to give up, to lay down and let my disease finish me off without a fight. With God’s help, and my own willingness to fight, I survived and have outlived that particular bully. 

  God is looking for people who are willing to fight. God generally does the actual fighting, but He wants us to show up, and to have a fighting attitude. He provides the power and might, we just need the faith and willingness when called upon to stand up. 

  It is difficult to stand up to the things that threaten us, strike us, and leave us bleeding and in pain. Whether it is disease, a person, or circumstances, we need a fighting attitude. Our weapons are not hands and fists, but hope, faith, and prayer. We need to be willing to stand fast, and not cave under the pressure of whatever form our bully may take. 

  As a Christian you never stand alone in any fight. The Lord stands with you and will fight for you, but you need to show up with a fighting spirit. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, life beats us up in many ways, leaving us hurting and feeling weak and helpless. Give us courage and faith to show up for the fight, even as we rely upon You to defeat our enemies. Amen. 

  

Alone But Not Lonely

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Psalm 25:16 

  

  My maternal grandmother was an introverted personality type like myself. Introverted people essentially draw strength and energy from being alone, while extroverted personality types draw their strength and energy from being around other people. 

  Despite my grandmother’s personality type, she really liked being around people and enjoyed talking with them. Looking back, I know my grandmother must have dealt with loneliness at times. Yet she had strategies, though I doubt she consciously thought of them as such, to deal with loneliness as she lived alone nearly her entire adult life.  

  Each day my grandmother had a task or plan, something she wanted to accomplish. One day of the week she would go to town shopping for groceries. On another day she would do her laundry. She stayed busy. My grandma also kept in touch with her friends and family by phone. No one was a stranger around my grandmother. She talked to everyone like an old friend at any time and every place. And then there were the neighborhood cats that she would feed and look after. My grandmother was a great example of how to live alone and at the same time avoid loneliness.  

  Illness, disease, and disability can leave us feeling very much alone and isolated. I think that, like with my grandmother, we need to develop strategies to cope with being alone and set apart by our afflictions. We need to stay in contact with loved ones. Whenever possible we need to get outside of our isolation and be around other people. Pets are also a great blessing to those living alone. 

  Ultimately, we know the Christian is never alone. Christ is not only with us, His Spirit lives inside of us. We have a constant Comforter and Teacher who goes with us everywhere. Then there are God’s angels who not only protect us, but stand with us to strengthen and guide believers.  

  Loneliness can be crippling, and we must find ways to lessen its effect upon us. Knowing that God is always with us, and that no Christian is ever completely alone, can comfort us and aid us along with other strategies for avoiding Loneliness.  

  If you are blessed to be surrounded by friends and family, reach out to someone who may be suffering loneliness. A phone call, a visit, a bit of conversation can go far in helping the lonely. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, we know that because of You, we are never truly alone. Comfort us, give us wisdom, and help us to help others who are feeling lonely. Amen.