Yesterday I stumbled into a discouraging conversation.
It was with with several people I used to know well.
One person was questioning his faith.
That wasn’t the discouraging part. We all come to that crossroads where we have to sort through what we believe versus what we’ve always been told. It’s not a bad place to be, though it may feel like the wilderness. God is big enough for our questions and we if ask God to answer them, he’ll do that.
The discouragement came as many responded tongue in cheek. Or not tongue in cheek, but pointing out all the bad things about Christianity. I’m a “glass half-full” kind of girl, so I tend to see the positive. However, I tried hard to listen. People were jaded. I have to admit that during the last few months, I have struggled with some of the words and comments and actions from my fellow believers. I’ve unfollowed people I love in person, but struggle with their words on social media.
I’ve grieved over those who threw down statements like, “If you were a Christian, you’d . . . {fill in the blank}.
But our faith isn’t about people.
Our faith is about a Savior who came to rescue us.
God has always invited messy people to follow him, and I’m one of those. So if I try to make my faith experience about anything but Jesus, it’s going to get complicated. If we make it about people, then we’re in for a wild ride.
Can I share with you what I believe about this beautiful thing called faith?
I’ve never been more excited about faith than I am right now. Sure, I see that people are messy and wrong-headed. I’ve been one of those people (I am one of those people). Yet I also believe that encountering Jesus changes us. Not too long ago I was in India and sat with persecuted believers who prayed all night long for revival for their cities. They have discovered what it means to have a faith is personal and life transforming. They aren’t afraid of persecution. Their greatest fear is that others might not hear the message.
Just yesterday a friend dropped by with homemade banana bread and prayer. She’s the purest believer I know, though she has flaws just like me. I’ve met people who are investing their time, resources, and all of their being into helping others sacrificially.
Faith is beautiful.
Faith is hard.
Faith is comprised of all kinds of people.
Maybe your faith experience has been rocky. Maybe, like my friend, you are questioning everything you’ve ever been taught.
What do we do with that?
We can tangle it with a Savior who rescued, redeemed, and restores us, and turn away from that gift . . . or we can move closer to him. Ask those questions. Don’t hold back. Show him your doubts. If there are wounds, ask him to heal them. If your eyes are on people, take them off. Even the good ones. They are your fellow followers, but they’ll never be Jesus.
If you want change, become the change. If there’s something that you feel is lacking, is it possible that you are the one in which that miracle begins? The thing is, we aren’t going to be perfect either. We might mess up and not even know it. We might think we are doing a good thing, and somewhere someone on a blog is telling the world we’re bad and have bad motives, when it’s far from true. So we keep our eyes on Christ every step of the way. We listen daily for his voice. We say yes over and over again as he leads. And when we hit that crises of faith (we all do at some point), we ask the hard questions knowing God is big enough to answer them.
Maybe someone you know is questioning their faith today.
If it were me, I’d ask you this favor:
- Don’t use my crisis to point out all the things that are bad about the Church.
- Point me in the direction of Jesus.
- Pray for me.
- Let me ask my questions.
Believe with me that as I seek God, he’ll answer them and everything that isn’t faith will fall away so that I can rediscover him all over again. That’s the miracle of this new-born babe we’re talking about this Christmas. If we seek him, we’ll find him. And that’s the best gift of all.
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Thanks so much for sharing your heart, Suzanne.
Just when i thought i am growing in faith, after many years of stagnancy, I heard some negative comments and made me wonder why such comments passed about me when I sincerely seek Him. Thanks for reminding us to focus on Jesus, not on people, even believers.
What do you mean be the change?
If there is something you don’t love about the church, be different. Live what you hope to see. Ask God to show you his heart, and then do that.
For example, during the past few months there were endless debates about the election. Some of the conversations made my heart hurt. I was tempted to join in or ask people to love each other instead of debate, but it wouldn’t have helped. So each time I was tempted to debate or advise, I prayed instead. I prayed for our nation. I prayed for current leadership. I prayed that God would help us to love people in tangible ways, and to show me one way to do it that day. I found such peace in the power of prayer.
Thank you so very much for your godly wisdom.
Yes, many times, we can only pray and keep silent. I encounter this recently with my pre-believing brother who expect only good things to happen to Christians.
Have been reading your posts. I really appreciate your authenticity and acceptance of people. We really need to give people space to grow.
The Lord bless you, Suzie.
Thanks, Laura! I’m so glad you stopped by today. Praying that God captures your brother’s heart in a big way.
So much wisdom here! It’s easy to get discouraged if our eyes are on people but with our eyes on Jesus we have all we need. And it’s so important to make space for people to ask questions.
So wonderful to be reminded that the body of Christ should be a safe place for people to bring their doubts, to talk them over, to have Jesus held up before them as strong and capable and the only Truth that is able to carry us through this world.
I have been a Christian as long as I can remember. I am 64 now and in this past year I have finally understood what it is to have faith. I’ve always asked God to help me grow in my faith but I now give everything (and I mean everything) to God! He carries everything for me and what a wonderful relief that is. That has given me trust and peace beyond words to know that he’s got it. This is what I tell people faith is. So when comments are made by people that don’t sit well with us I remind myself and others that those words are not God breathed. Those are words spoken by people. Pray and move on.
I love this, Jody!
Your advice to stop looking at people and start looking at Jesus is so wise. People are human, they will fail and they will fail us. It’s in our nature. We get it from our father Adam. Thanks for reminding me of that truth. Happy New Year to you and yours.
I saw this post last week but didn’t get to respond. I love it. I have been on both ends here. I think a lot of people mean well, even want to point folks in the wrong direction but clam up and just blurt what sounds right. But perspectives and hearts are off…
I have been the one questioning my faith too before and also of the thinking my “right” way was the only way. Not in regards to Jesus but in other areas. Being raised in the conservative family I was, I grew up around opinions, criticism and the like being a frequent happening. And since we went to church most our lives it seemed like if one didn’t speak their voice something was wrong. (Because if we were Christian than we knew the “right” way correct?)
It took me many years to realize our opinions don’t count for much compared to the Truth of what God says, and the love we can share just by living our faith out! This last election taught me that as I deleted things I wrote and God stirred new life within me. It is freeing to let go of man’s stuff and grab hold of God’s. Thanks for writing this. I don’t know that I have ever read a piece that brought this up so directly.