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Do you sometimes find it difficult to trust God? Does your faith sometimes fail you? If you're looking for ways to build your faith, here are some tips to help you.
The book of Hebrews says that "without faith it is impossible to please [God], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV). Knowing that God calls people to faith, how then do you build up our faith in the face of doubt? Here are some ways you can build your faith right now. 1. What Is Faith?The first step is understanding the nature of faith. Faith is not certainty. It is not knowledge. Faith is a decision to trust. What's more, it is a decision to rely on something or someone, in spite of not having all the information. For example, do you like to skydive? If so, you understand faith. You put on the parachute and jump out of the airplane. Even though you probably packed that parachute and even though it was likely double- and triple-checked, you still have no guarantee that the parachute will open. You are making a decision to TRUST that the chute will open - a decision backed up by your jumping out of the airplane! The real question, when it comes to faith in God, is this...Do you TRUST that God is real and to then commit yourself to a relationship with God? 2. Not Blind FaithDon't commit yourself to blind faith. Faith need not be blind faith. In other words, you may not have all the information, but you should strive to grasp the information that is available to you. It is not necessary to take a leap into total darkness, when you have at least some light available. Accordingly, you may never have seen God or heard God's voice. Thus, you may not have any tangible, first-hand, verifiable knowledge of God. This, however, does not mean that to believe in God requires blind faith. On the contrary, there is substantial evidence for the existence of God. 3. Study the Evidence for GodThere are plenty of books, articles, websites, and other resources available for those interested in learning about the evidence for God and the evidence for Jesus. Take advantage of them. Fuel your faith by learning more about your faith. For instance, the overwhelming view of modern science is that the universe began to exist (most scientists estimating that origin to be roughly 14-15 billion years ago). Given the fact that the universe began to exist, it must have had a “cause” that originated it. Picture a freight train. If you come to a railroad crossing and you see a long train passing in front of you - but didn't see the locomotive pulling the train, you nevertheless can know with certainty that there is a locomotive pulling the train - or at least something tangible pulling the train. Saying that there is no locomotive, but rather there are a billion train cars doesn't solve your dilemma. Something still has to be pulling the train, no matter how big you speculate the train to be! What's more, you can theorize all you want about multiverses and other dimensions, saying something to the effect of "Maybe there's a parallel universe that started this train in motion." But....it's FAR MORE LOGICAL to simply accept that there is a locomotive pulling the train you're watching. The cause of the universe would be its ultimate cause. Only an independent, infinite, uncaused, eternal, and omnipresent cause is sufficient to account for the universe. Therefore, such a being must exist. If it does not, then the universe doesn't exist. Since the universe does exist, it can therefore be safely concluded that an independent, infinite, uncaused, eternal, and omnipresent cause also exists. There are other reasons to believe in God, but the First Cause argument is the best. It simply makes more sense to believe in God than to reject God. Your faith need not be blind. Believing that God is (as the Bible says) the "Alpha and the Omega" is not a leap in the dark, but a logical conclusion based on the evidence we have. 4. Pray RegularlyOne of the best ways to build your faith is to exercise it. And that means to pray regularly. Take the advice of the Apostle Paul and "pray without ceasing." 5. Go to ChurchGet around people of faith. Hang out with them. Encourage them, and let them encourage you. Find a good church - and make a commitment to be a part of it. **** Sources for this article include: No Doubt About it: The Case for Christianity by Winfried Corduan Who Made God? And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith by Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler (editors) The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
The copyright of the article Ways to Build Your Faith in Protestantism is owned by Brian Tubbs. Permission to republish Ways to Build Your Faith in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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