What do you do when everything you believed is tested?

If you’ve struggled with this, you’re not alone! I’m right there with you. Honestly, I’m sure we’ve all been there. Especially this year! Everything seems to be rattling my faith and causing me to question everything I believe. BUT it has also strengthened my resolve to dig in deeper and seek truth. 

This year has brought up a lot of wounded feelings. Watching the Church become so divided has left my heart broken.  Like Alisa Childers described as a “spiritual blackout,” I felt lost and in a faith crisis, like I hadn’t experienced before. I’ve had times where my faith in God has faltered, when I’ve questioned His character and times when I’ve had to hold onto what I knew in my head rather than what I felt in my heart. This time was darker and deeper than I’d ever felt before. I started to wonder if God even existed, if He was who I thought Him to be. If the Bible was true and if Christianity had it all wrong. It was a real wrestling in my soul.

If you’re there right now I hope these four tips encourage you today.

4 Encouragements for When You Need to Believe:

Go To God With Your Questions And Your Pain

Y’all know I love the Psalms. I love them so much because the psalmists are so honest in their feelings, especially David. So often he asks the Lord, “Why?” Or “how long?” and I think those simple and honest questions are ones we too want to ask God. I know I’ve had several times in life where I’ve asked God why. Why me? Why this situation, this pain, this outcome? And there have been lots of times where I’ve wondered how long the situation or pain will last. I know some of us struggle with going to God with our raw frustrations and pain, but can I encourage you with the idea that God already knows how you feel. He knows and He is a safe place to go with your pain. He can handle whatever you want to say.

So, if you are grieving, hurting or feeling broken go to Him. Psalm 34:18 tells us that “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” I like what Sheila Walsh says, “God is closer to the floor than we think.” When we’re down, He’s right there with us. When I went through my second miscarriage a few years ago, I tried so hard not to be angry with God. But eventually my honest feelings poured out. All the hurt and anger I felt came forth and it was then that I honestly felt God in a way that I’ve never felt before. I think sometimes we must get to that honest point in order for God to meet us in the way that we need.  

Remember What God Has Done In The Past

Psalm 103 tells us not to forget not His benefits. I think so often we forget what God has already done and so forget that He can do it again. I would encourage you to find some way to continually remember what God has done for you in the past. Two ways that I do this (and totally need to do it more often!) is by scrapbooking and by journaling. There is just something about looking through the pages of my yearly scrapbooks and seeing all the smiling faces, just knowing that it’s by God’s grace that we made it through another year. I include little stories of how God was faithful, and it encourages me and renews my faith every time I read those stories. Journaling does the same for me, too. Just reading back through my entries, reminds me that God is the same yesterday today and forever and if He was there for me then, He’ll be there for me again. He doesn’t change.

This has been especially important this year. It’s not religion that saves us. It’s not religion, but a relationship with Jesus, that matters. I think about the Jesus that has comforted me in the past and how special that is. When the world is falling apart, He is still strong. He is still on the throne. All those moments that He has shown up for me, has found me, rescued me and loved me are part of the special and unique story that can be revisited again and again to find encouragement to continue moving forward. Is there a way that you can remember your story with God? Maybe writing it down in a journal, or drawing a picture, writing lyrics to a song that is special to you or taking a picture to remind you?

Move From Transparency to Transformation

This is something that has been a new idea for me, and I hope it is encouraging for you, too. A lot of times we get stuck in this idea of being transparent. We relate our struggles to others and identify with the issue. “The struggle is real” and then we fall into staying in the struggle. Perhaps it gives us an excuse to not change.

Personally, I’m realizing some behaviors and attitudes that are real and are common and are relatable, but I’ve gotten stuck in them. It makes me think it’s alright to not seek change. I think it’s great to name these issues, but we also need to grow. We need to transform. There comes a point where we surrender our issues and our questions. We surrender our pain and realize that this life is about Jesus. That’s another great thing about the Psalms. They can begin with questions and pain and end with a declaration of God’s love and mercy, of His kindness and faithfulness. That’s how our lives should go. That’s what we can strive towards. Always holding onto the truth of who He is.

Walk In Truth (Not Feelings)

This is actually so hard! I am such a feelings girl. And my feelings become reality for me. Do you know what I mean? I feel alone so I believe I’m alone. I feel unworthy so I believe I am unworthy. I feel like God has abandoned me so I believe He is not with me. But that’s not truth! Our feelings do not have to dictate our truth. God’s Word does that. And His Word tells me that he is always with me, that I am righteous because of what Jesus has done for me, and that nothing can separate me from the love of God. We can learn to boss our feelings around and walk in truth. I’ve been learning that I need to just let my feelings catch up with me, instead of waiting to feel the truth before I act on it. It’s hard and if you’re a feelings person, I see you!  You’re not alone and it’s super difficult to do. But keep going! Claim the truth about God and about yourself and walk in it.

If you are in this time of wrestling, I pray God uses it to deepen your faith in Him. You may not come out of this time the same, but I don’t think that you’d want to. My prayer is that you find Him to be sweeter than before and your foundation more solid and sure. We need to keep our eyes open to the truth so that we don’t become immune to the little shifts and half-truths that plague our world, and even the church, today. It’s God’s mercy that He stretches our faith and be assured He will send those lifeboats your way so that the storm doesn’t overtake you.

Praying for you all!