How to protect your faith in troubled times
Faith is a Christian’s most important quality. It has warranted commendations from the Lord upon the believer. It has brought some out of treacherous situations while others simply enjoy the day-to-day mercies of the Lord. Whether conscious of this or not, Christians have defined faith in different ways depending on their individual experiences. It is important to understand how to protect your faith in troubled times. Faith is tested in unfamiliar situations. It is proven through uncommon and uncertain moments.
It is worth mentioning here, “And without faith it is not possible to be well-pleasing to him, for it is necessary for anyone who comes to God to have the belief that God is, and that he is a rewarder of all those who make a serious search for him.” (Hebrews 11:6, BBE).
With that in mind, our focus today is to establish how our faith is affected by the changes that the world has experienced in the recent past. The “New Normal”, as it has come to be known, has affected the individual, corporate, and THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST alike. We intend to show the extent of these changes and the effects on our faith. We are going to rivet on the reactions we need to be deliberate about to save our faith.
The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic has caused the world to alter the way we live. To some, it has brought opportunities for unchartered courses, for others the worst nightmares of their lives. Many have lost the only thing that had given them a purpose in life; others have found the opening to a whole array of possibilities.
The Church too is not exempt from the effects of the outbreak. Many have closed doors and for some, it is near impossible to reopen for fellowship. A quick Google search will show that several governments the world over had issued directives either to reduce the numbers of people in meetings or the total stoppage of such gatherings. Some called the church and other religious organizations “Non-Essential”.
Some have asked if this is the “End of the World”. Fear and anxiety have gripped the world. A fever is so unsettling nowadays. It is worrisome when one’s temperature is above 37° C. This is the New Normal–the new way of life.
With all that in mind, and more, what are we as the Church of Jesus Christ to do? With all the restrictions that have been put in place how are we to “Do Church”? How can one protect there faith in these troubled times? This post seeks to help us look at life with a positive attitude.
1). Little Faith-Matthew 16:8.
“And when the disciples came to the other side they had not taken thought to get bread. And Jesus said to them, Take care to have nothing to do with the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. And they were reasoning among themselves, saying, we took no bread. And Jesus, seeing it, said, O you of little faith, why are you reasoning among yourselves, because you have no bread? Do you still not see, or keep in mind the five cakes of bread of the five thousand, and the number of baskets you took up? Or the seven cakes of bread of the four thousand, and the number of baskets you took up? How is it that you do not see that I was not talking to you about bread, but about keeping away from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Then they saw that it was not the leaven of bread which he had in mind, but the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:5-12, BBE).
Little faith caused the disciples to reason among themselves. Why did Jesus say, Little Faith? What did He mean?
The word used in verse 8 for little faith is translated in the English Language to mean “not disposed or willing to believe, lacking confidence [in Christ]”. It comes from two words which mean: a). Puny – (in extent, degree, number, duration or value), and b). Persuasion – credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God).
According to Jesus, we must be disposed and willing to believe. Our faith must have longevity; it must abound in extent, degree, number, duration and value. He said, “Do you still not see, or keep in mind”. Our remembrance is vital for the strength and protection of our faith!
2). Weak Faith-Romans 4:19.
“And not being feeble in faith though his body seemed to him little better than dead he being about a hundred years old and Sarah was no longer able to have children:”
(Read the full story Romans 4:13-25).
Romans 4:19, NKJV
The word in the original for weak faith means “to be feeble (in any sense):- be diseased, impotent folk, be sick, be made weak”.
Despite physical limitations, Abraham’s faith was not feeble (or weak). This earned him the much-coveted “Righteous Man” reward from the Lord; see Romans 4:2-3. His faith grew stronger and so should our faith.
3). Strengthen what remains-Revelation 3:2.
“Be on the watch, and make strong the rest of the things which are near to death; because as judged by me your works have not come up to God’s measure.”
Strengthen in this portion means “to set fast, that is, (literally) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (figuratively) to confirm: fix, establish, steadfastly set, strengthen”.
The Lord’s instruction to the angle of the Church at Sardis was that they must take deliberate action to strengthen what was still alive regarding their faith. It is our responsibility as believers to ensure our faith is strong. Please read the whole portion in Revelation 3:1-6.
4). Work out-Philippians 2:12-13.
“So then, my loved ones, as you have at all times done what I say, not only when I am present, but now much more when I am not with you, give yourselves to working out your salvation with fear in your hearts; For it is God who is the cause of your desires and of your acts, for his good pleasure.”
Philippians 2:12-13
Here the Bible uses a word which means “to work fully, that is, accomplish; by implication to finish, fashion: – cause, do (deed), perform, work (out).
Every person must work out their faith. The job of working out faith is a task that each one must take on individually. Working out one’s faith is a task for both public and secluded places.
5). Mustard Seed Faith-Matthew 17:19-20 [NIV]
“Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
Matthew 17:19-20, NIV
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Here it is not the physical size of the Mustard Seed that Jesus was talking about. Rather, He was referring to its “potency” compared to other spices. The Mustard seed kind of faith is the kind of faith that remains in you. It is the most basic level of faith that every Christian has in them as a gift from the Father. This is the fire on the altar, and we must keep it burning. It is the truest and honest moment in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not about demonstrations but intimacy with Him.
6). Learn all that you can, fast.
We have heard this line before, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”. However, it is not all that simple. For most it is almost impossible to get up and get going. Stress has the ability to paralyze us. When we stress, we are not able to think clearly. Every person goes through some sense of difficulty in life. What is important is what we do when we are going through that tough moment.
A great tip is to first detach yourself from that stress. This does not mean we we deny or ignore what we are going through, but that have to clear our systems of its negative energy and thoughts. A clear mind and body can take in fresh information and is able to generate new energy necessary for finding a solution to the problem.
The difficult situations come to test our resolution. Our faith is tested with all kinds of situations and we are constantly forced to continue learning. When our system is purged of bad energy, and stress it is the right time to learn all that we can, fast. Time is of the essence when we are going through. We must do all we have to so we get out of the difficult situation. The longer we stay in the pit, the more we become tolerant of the negativity, and soon it will become a new normal.