Why is my faith so unstable?
“Why is my faith so unstable? Sometimes it’s very strong, but sometimes it’s so weak I’m not even sure it’s still there. Is this common?”
Answers
Lasting happiness only comes from living according to God's will
“I know you say we’re all sinners and we all fail to live up to God’s moral standards, but maybe He doesn’t even care what we do. Maybe God just wants us to be happy and have a good time. Could I be right? I hope so.”
You've probably been asked this many times, but who is responsible for all the bad things that happen in the world? Are we responsible for them, or is it the devil?
“You’ve probably been asked this many times, but who is responsible for all the bad things that happen in the world? Are we responsible for them, or is it the devil?”
You can put your faith in Christ's hands now – and forever.
“I don’t fear death because I believe that after I die I’ll come back to earth again and be born as another person. Why are Christians so opposed to this idea? Other religions don’t have a problem with it.”
Finally taking God seriously would transform your life.
“I just turned 80, and I’ve gotten along just fine all these years without God. You’ll probably tell me I ought to be worrying about death and hell and all of that, but I don’t believe in life after death. Why should I? People who try to convert me make me tired.”
With God's help, you can forgive those who've hurt you.
“I know Jesus said we’re supposed to forgive people who’ve hurt us, but why bother? As far as I can tell, it doesn’t really change them, nor does it make the hurts go away.”
Let Thanksgiving remind you of your blessings, not your burdens
“I’m dreading Thanksgiving this year. It’s been a hard year for me, and when all our family gets together I’ll just feel like a hypocrite pretending I’m thankful for anything. I’m even wondering if I ought to go. What would you say to someone like me?”
Seek God's guidance as you strive for greater independence.
“On the outside, everyone thinks I’m good — I’m active in our church’s youth group, have no bad habits, etc. But sometimes I can’t wait to get away from home and leave all this behind. I know it’s probably wrong, but can you understand how I feel?”
Pray for and encourage pastor struggling with burn-out.
“The other day, a pastor friend told us he’s thinking of quitting the ministry because he’s discouraged and doesn’t feel like he’s doing a good job. We tried to encourage him, but what can we do?”
Pray for Christians who face persecution.
“I was startled to read the other day about Christians who are being persecuted in some countries. Why is this? Christians want to make the world a better place, don’t they? So why would anyone want to kill them?”
Seek God's guidance to straighten out your finances.
“I thought our money problems would go away as time passed, but they haven’t. Thankfully we both have jobs, but we still can’t seem to get out of debt. I know this isn’t a spiritual question, but would you have any advice?”
It's not too late to re-kindle your faded faith.
“I supposedly gave my life to Jesus at a church camp when I was a teenager, but it didn’t last. I guess it was just an emotional experience that faded away. My life since then hasn’t been all that happy, and now that I’m older I wonder, have I missed something?”