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[nobleprolet]

What do you do when you feel a lack of faith? I'm always trying to seek faith inside, because I have trouble trusting myself unless my faith is accompanied by a strong feeling. When I have that trust in God, anything is beautiful, but when I don't have faith, I am soon confronted by icky fears

Comments

[underlankers]

A lack of "faith" by no means means that you aren't Christian enough. Read works by the Catholic and Orthodox saints, or by the Protestant religious leaders. Many of them experienced a crisis of faith. Looking at the words of Christ on the cross "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani" you see this trend in Christendom dates back to Christ Himself. It doesn't damage testimony

[nobleprolet]

So the faith that saves is more something like fidelity? And all the rest of faith is good, but not as essential as fidelity?

[underlankers]

No, the rest of faith is equally crucial, but without fidelity everything collapses.

[shmoopiness]

There have been some hard times in my life when I have felt that my faith has not so much wavered, but perhaps thinned a bit, and I found that when the full strength of His love came rushing back in I appreciated it even more than I had before. I believe that our love and faith can be greatly strengthened by the ebb and flow, and perhaps it can be considered a form of exercise, lol.

[aurethil]

Why don't you pray at night, then? if you start feeling weak, just call Him, say "come to me, I need you". Tell God about your lack of faith, ask Him to change your heart.

If God was a person, and you feel that person is far away from you... what would you do? I'd call him or her, write an e-mail or something like that. Well, this is just the same. Pray. ^_^

And, you're covered by Jesus' blood, there's enough to forgive and forget all your sins. God forgave you and forgives you everyday, and He loves you, with or without a strong faith.

[nobleprolet]

That was strengthening.

I've been thinking of it today, it's not I have too little faith, it's that I have a thought problem. I have difficulties with thinking straight. And I focus too much on thoughts, always pursuing thoughts in my head hoping that they would help me. I guess this is also a remnant of my atheist times when I would cling to seeking thoughts to inspire me.

I just need to find a way to think less and when I think, to think meekly and prudently.

[pastorlenny]

The funny thing is that there is faith -- and then there is one's perception about one's current mood or level of spiritual fortitude. I try not to confuse the two.

[catholic_heart]

Just remember that faith is not something we do, it's a gift we receive. The doubts you have are usually a lack of psychological awareness of the faith that is in you. Some of the greatest saints had some of the most epic struggles with faith. Mother Teresa recently had a book of letters published, and in the same letter she said these two statements (paraphrased from memory