3 Faith Halters that Make Faith Falter
We want her to be alive and well. We want her to thrive so we see the miraculous, the amazing and God's handiwork all over our lives. We want relationships changed due to faith. Hardships pacified, due to faith. Loneliness gone, due to faith. A marriage healed, due to faith. A deep authentic closeness to God, due to faith.
In God's economy, faith finances the spiritual great. Yet, doubt robs our spiritual banks.
I should know; I just emerged out of a horrible season of doubt. While shame tells me to hide this fact and feign godliness to you, authenticity tells me, "Everyone has moments of doubt, fear and uncertainty. Freedom is fighting the urge to hide."
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So friends, today I tell you that as much as I wanted to believe God was near me, I kept on believing He was far and He didn't much care for me. Thank God, I've stepped up and out of that pit.
So today, from a place of retrospect, I look back to discover the faith-halters that make intimacy with God falter.
What are they? How can I avoid them in the future? What do we need to be aware of?
3 Faith Halters that Make Faith Falter
1. Demanding Understanding.
When we demand to figure out godliness completely, we can figure ourselves right out of it. I wanted to have every I dotted and every T crossed, so much so that I was cross-eyed with frustration because I couldn't figure God out. Guess what? God isn't meant to be figured out by human understanding.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways..." Is. 55:8-9
Beware of: Trying to understand what, by faith, God simply says – is.
2. Keeping track of the attack more than God's love.
I kept saying, "I am being attacked, I am being attacked..." When we count up attacks more than we count all the ways God loves us, we lose footing. It's the prodigal daddy running out to fetch us more than the snake ready to bite us that leads us back home.
"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." Ps. 63:6
Beware of: Giving the enemy more credence than God's saving power.
3. Constant Self-Critique
The more I counted my failings, the more I was sure I was failing. The more I was sure I was failing, the more I was sure I was still falling. The more I was sure I was falling, the more far away God felt.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God..." Eph. 2:8
Beware of: Counting up all you've done wrong rather than resting under the cross, signifying all Jesus did right.
Beyond these faith-halters, there is one sure-fire faith-exalter. Do you know it? God's Word. It is always steady, always working, always waiting, always truthful, always healing, always loving, and always our answer.
"Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Ro. 10:17
Prayer: God, pour out the grace I need to stay strong in you. I pray that I am so spiritually guarded, I remain earthly effective. I ask that you equip me with every good thing I need to stay close to you. Do not remove your hand of protection from me and keep me under the cover of your love. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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