The Question of Faith

We all come to a point in our lives in which we question God and the condition of our lives. In other words we all experience intense hardships in life that cause us to either question or even lose our faith.

Faith is such a fragile spiritual belief for many of us. It is easy to believe in God and walk in faith when our lives are going well, but when we encounter the “Dark Night of the Soul” that is where our belief system is put to the test. The journey through the darkness seems hopeless and endless at times. Perhaps we just want to throw our hands in the air and give up on anything that has to do with this supposedly loving God we worship. After all, where is God in the darkness? If God is so benevolent then why in the world do we have to experience such difficulties and tragedies in life? As Christians we are called to live a sacrificial life. Why isn’t God returning the favor?

Life is full of ruts, twists and turns. We never know what the next moment is going to bring. Hardships seem to haunt us at every corner. So why does God allow this to happen? Why does God seem so fickle? There are times when we genuinely feel God’s presence, and then there are those times that God seems to ignore us despite our cries for help. It is difficult to be met by silence. We want answers. We need answers. We need direction. We need hope.

The fact is God is present in all of our sorrow, anger, disappointment and tragedies. Often our mental condition and emotions overwhelm our spirituality. Why? Because those things are real and tangible, and we feel the pain. When we are in turmoil and grief that is all we can think about and feel. Since we can’t touch God and see God it is easy to give in to the belief that God doesn’t care about us. The result of our agony distances us from God. The more pain we feel, the more distant we feel. We forget that faith takes ongoing and constant work. We often forget that faith comes from a consistent relationship with God. We forget that pain is the touchstone of all spirituality. As much as we hate to admit it, it is through the suffering that we have the opportunity to grow closer to God. It may not happen in the moment, but in the aftermath we come to a stronger relationship with God.

Christ hung on a cross and died for our sins. His suffering was intense and he experienced complete abandonment from the Father. This took place for our sake; so that even in our most grievous state, we are assured that Christ has been there too, as well as beyond. Jesus did this so that we would never experience abandonment by God. He died a hideous death so that our relationship with God would be ever constant.

In our worst state of mind the assurance of hope through Christ is extremely challenging to remember. But God is present in our suffering and misery. God is present in our pain and grief. God is present in our darkness and loss of hope. God has forged an eternal relationship with us that we may not feel in our suffering, but it is important to remember that Christ is the Alpha and the Omega. He is our beginning and our end. He walks ever constantly with us despite our doubt and despair. Christ is even present in our disbelief.

Faith is an important part of our lives. Hang on if we are in the midst of turmoil. Believe it or not God really is present and suffering with us.