Why Work on Your Faith, When You're Full of Stress?
Like you need one MORE thing to do! Right?
First, I want to stress that you don't create your own faith. The Holy Spirit gives it as a free gift. (Eph. 2:1-9; I Cor. 12:3)
Likewise, you can't strengthen your own faith. (Phil. 2:13; Titus3:5) It took me a long time to realize this, but the Holy Spirit grows your faith, not you. However, you do play a part! You can put yourself in situations where the Holy Spirit is abundant and more likely to reach you. But, again, the Holy Spirit is the one who actually cultivates and strengthens your faith.
This is why it is recommended that you study God's Word, attend Bible study, meet with other Christians, attend worship regularly, pray constantly, etc. This is how you connect to God and to others. God will strengthen and grow your faith through these experiences, while other Christians will support you.
If you don't notice your faith being strengthened or others supporting you, you may need to re-examine your faith-building activities. Maybe the Bible study group is not actually studying the Bible, but is more of a social time. While there's nothing wrong with being social, you may not be fed in your spirit. If it's a gossip session, you may think about how that can harm your relationships with others and decide it is not a good place to be. Maybe your Bible study is not led by someone who has studied scripture. If it is based on people's opinions rather than the true Word of God, you may feel pulled in all directions, and feel that Christianity is based on people rather than God. That can be harmful as well.
Perhaps you know you're going to spiritually healthy groups and events, but don't FEEL your faith grow. I've been there - for years at a time. You may be going through depression. Examine yourself and see if visiting a Christian counselor for a few sessions might help out. Or, it could just be that you can't feel it. Faith is not a feeling. It's not an emotion. It does help you experience positive emotions at times, but faith itself is not a feeling. So, just like you never felt your feet grow, and yet you progressed through several shoe sizes as a child, your faith also may be growing without your realization. Hang in there. Some day you will look back and see how it did grow, even when you couldn't feel it.
So, when you feel like you're just bursting with too much stress, how can you even think about your faith?
It's important that you do keep faith-building activities going during stressful times (even if they seem to add to the stress!) because your faith is what gives you the strength to make it through the stress. If you let your faith weaken and fade, you may find that one day it's gone. Then, what will help you weather those storms? Nothing is as solid as the Rock, Jesus Christ. Keep Him close. He will help you through the hardest, darkest days of this life.
First, I want to stress that you don't create your own faith. The Holy Spirit gives it as a free gift. (Eph. 2:1-9; I Cor. 12:3)
Likewise, you can't strengthen your own faith. (Phil. 2:13; Titus3:5) It took me a long time to realize this, but the Holy Spirit grows your faith, not you. However, you do play a part! You can put yourself in situations where the Holy Spirit is abundant and more likely to reach you. But, again, the Holy Spirit is the one who actually cultivates and strengthens your faith.
This is why it is recommended that you study God's Word, attend Bible study, meet with other Christians, attend worship regularly, pray constantly, etc. This is how you connect to God and to others. God will strengthen and grow your faith through these experiences, while other Christians will support you.
If you don't notice your faith being strengthened or others supporting you, you may need to re-examine your faith-building activities. Maybe the Bible study group is not actually studying the Bible, but is more of a social time. While there's nothing wrong with being social, you may not be fed in your spirit. If it's a gossip session, you may think about how that can harm your relationships with others and decide it is not a good place to be. Maybe your Bible study is not led by someone who has studied scripture. If it is based on people's opinions rather than the true Word of God, you may feel pulled in all directions, and feel that Christianity is based on people rather than God. That can be harmful as well.
Perhaps you know you're going to spiritually healthy groups and events, but don't FEEL your faith grow. I've been there - for years at a time. You may be going through depression. Examine yourself and see if visiting a Christian counselor for a few sessions might help out. Or, it could just be that you can't feel it. Faith is not a feeling. It's not an emotion. It does help you experience positive emotions at times, but faith itself is not a feeling. So, just like you never felt your feet grow, and yet you progressed through several shoe sizes as a child, your faith also may be growing without your realization. Hang in there. Some day you will look back and see how it did grow, even when you couldn't feel it.
So, when you feel like you're just bursting with too much stress, how can you even think about your faith?
It's important that you do keep faith-building activities going during stressful times (even if they seem to add to the stress!) because your faith is what gives you the strength to make it through the stress. If you let your faith weaken and fade, you may find that one day it's gone. Then, what will help you weather those storms? Nothing is as solid as the Rock, Jesus Christ. Keep Him close. He will help you through the hardest, darkest days of this life.
Comments