Have you ever walked through something that has rocked your faith?
Wait. Stop. I’m sorry. Let me rephrase that, “When is the last time you walked through something that rocked your faith?” 😉
Has there been a situation you faced that left you questioning what you believe?
In the past 7 years in America, the amount of people who call themselves Christians has dropped by almost 8%. And the movement that is slowly inching its way upward is Agnosticism.
Agnosticism can be misunderstood. It isn’t atheism or theism.
The Definition is this: radical skepticism, doubt in the possibility of certainty, opposition to the unwarranted certainties that atheism and theism offer.
Ron Rosenbaum puts it this way…”If Agnostics had a t-shirt it would read, ‘I just don’t know.’”
“I. just. don’t. know.” And I have to be honest, I have seen this trend both inside and outside of the church. There’s a lot of people saying, “I just don’t know what I believe anymore. I just don’t know.”
You might be reading this and thinking to yourself… “I get it. I just don’t know. I just don’t know if or what I believe anymore.”
Many of us are struggling with doubt, unbelief and a lack of faith. With everything going on in our world today, there appears to be more questions than answers.
But we believe that even in the midst of great uncertainty, we can have an unshakable assurance. In fact, Jesus gives us a simple 2-step solution to discovering this kind of assurance in Matt 7:24.
Matthew chapters 5-7 are referred to as, “The sermon on the mount.”
Jesus unpacks an incredible amount of spiritual truths within these 3 chapters. He gives us wisdom and kingdom principle after kingdom principle. Then, at the end of the sermon, He says this:
Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the stream rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mind and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell with a great crash.
In this passage Jesus flat out tells us: the storm is coming. The rain is coming, the waters are going to rise, wind is going to beat against your house.
And the older I get, the more I’ve seen that to be true. Life can get hard and painful. Loss is very real, pain is very real, and at times it can feel as if wave after wave is beating down your door. And it’s in those times that Jesus gives us the two things we need to do to survive and to ensure our foundation never waivers despite the amount of storms that may come. And they’re this:
1. Hear the words of Jesus
2. Put them into practice
Hear His words and put them into practice. Now, since we were not there when he originally gave this sermon,(although how cool would that have been!) I translate this to mean: Read His words and put them into practice.
It seems simple doesn’t it? But really stop and think about if and how you’re putting the word of God into practice in your life and in your current situation. I have to be honest, I’ve been a Christian for most of my life and in ministry for years and a few weeks ago this question was really sobering to me.
Do you ever envy another person’s faith? I have. You look at a person who is just full of faith and you wish yours was as strong or bold.
But, you know how they got that faith? by putting the words written in the Bible into their brains. They’ve meditated on it, prayed through it and consciously thought about it, and discussed it with others. Then applied it to their lives.
That kind of faith isn’t reserved for other people. Your No Small Life has full access to it too, IF you’ll trust and apply these truths.
See, the quality of your faith, the quality of your relationship with God is determined by what kind of foundation you have built.
So, based on Jesus’ teaching, here’s how to build that foundation of faith:
1. Read God’s word
If you’re a Christian, it has to be your standard of truth.
*We can’t build our foundation purely on pop culture and expect your faith to withstand the storms.
*We can’t build our foundation purely on reason because that’s subjective.
*We can’t build our foundation on our feelings because our feelings are fickle.
We find true purpose and fulfillment when we build our foundation on the words of the Bible. And just like anything else, the more you pursue the word of God, the more you will crave it. You would never even know how to develop a taste for something until you have tried it. Keep pursuing it and your desire for it will increase.
2. Put it into practice
In Matt 4 when the enemy came to tempt Jesus in the desert, he kept tempting Him with the same things he tempts us all with. Fame, power, self-sufficiency etc. What did Jesus do? He silenced the voice of the enemy with scripture. After each temptation He said, “it is written…” He used scripture to resist the temptation of the enemy. He put into practice what he had studied in the word.
That’s why we’ve got to get the word in our heads and heart. Because when temptation comes we can take our stand. When doubt comes, we can speak life and truth.
When the storms come, we can stand firm.
When someone is in need, we can meet that practical need. The word of God is life-changing but it does us no good if we don’t put it into practice.
So what are some of the promises your No Small Life can cling to?
When I am facing storms in my own life, here are some verses that get me through.
When finances get tight:
I quote Phil 4:19
“My God will supply all of my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
When I feel like a failure and start to forget who I am:
I remember 2 Cor 5:20, 2 Cor 6:18 and Romans 8:17 to remember
I am a son of the living God, a co-heir of Christ. I am/we are ambassadors of the Most High God.
When I am feeling down or depressed:
I remember Psalm 30:5
“Sorrow may last for a night but Joy comes in the morning!”
When I need direction:
I remind myself that Proverbs 3:5-6 says,
I can fully trust the Lord and as I seek after Him, He’ll make the way plain and remove any obstacles (AMP)
If you are struggling with the, “I just don’t know,” mentality let me ask you this:
Are you reading and applying God’s word to your life?
I know it seems simple, but from personal experience, sometimes the simple things can make the greatest impact.
Do me a favor and try it for one month.
And because it’s March and because we’re fun people, let’s start a little challenge shall we?
Introducing:
Take the March Madness Challenge. We KNOW your faith will grow because of it.
Until next time,
Chris & Megan Rea
*Want more Spiritual Growth Posts? Here’s 4 Keys to Growing Spiritually & Feeling Connected to God.
Great post! Thanks for the encouragement. Love you guys!
Thanks so much Sandy! We love you! xo
Love this post! I make it a priority to read my Bible every morning and spend time talking to Jesus before starting my day. I know no matter what challenge I may face, God will always be with me to see me through it and that’s the best feeling!
Brooke
Pumps and Push-Ups
Thank you so much Brooke! I love that, it’s the anchor that just changes everything isn’t it?! 🙂 Such a fan of what you do over at pumpsandpushups, so glad you stopped by! 🙂
I agree that even in the midst of uncertainty, we can still have unshakable assurance. Sometimes it’s good to question our old beliefs so we can believe more accurate truths instead.
That is so well said Lisa!