Losing Faith!–Part II

March 4, 2021

Losing Faith—Part II!

“I am losing faith” is how they began the conversation.  They were engaged in a season of spiritual striving and struggling.  As with many seasons of spiritual discernment, there is often a process of letting go of non-essentials.

It was becoming more difficult to act like their spiritual life was fine the way it was right now.  For a long time, they were willing to go along with all the assumptions and expectations and projections that are tagged onto a life of holiness with Jesus. 

But not so long ago, there was something that began to change.  All the unnecessary things became more obvious and a bit more obnoxious.  No longer could they go along with so much of what others found important and necessary.  It was beginning to feel more and more like a charade at the least and at the most an intentional distraction.  They were afraid they were losing their faith.

Impatience quickly creeps into a season of spiritual striving and struggling.  Our soul develops a hyper sensitivity to the inauthentic and unnecessary; we want to scream or at least run the other way.  More than ever before, our heart desires a pure, unadulterated relationship with Jesus.  We want to strip away all the other things. 

There is more that makes this season of spiritual striving and struggling difficult.  There are more and more days when we can allow ourselves to get exhausted with the pursuit of a healthy and holy relationship with Jesus.  In our weariness, our prayer focus begins to shift.  We desire something new.  We are looking for the moment when our energy will explode, our passion will burn hot, and our heart will beat fast again. 

And then, the Spirit gives you clarity like never before.  You begin to understand that there is only one thing necessary; to love Jesus with all your heart and to love other people with all your strength. 

Two sisters each take a different approach to loving and serving Jesus.  The one becomes impatient because she believes her sister’s way is not good.  She even makes her case to Jesus.  In Luke 10:41-42 Jesus responds; “The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha!  You are worried and upset about so many things, but only one thing is necessary.   Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.”

When Martha lets other things begin to orbit around her relationship with and her faith in Jesus, a moment of clarity is provided by Jesus.  Jesus says, “…one thing is necessary.”  For many of us, our season of spiritual striving and struggling occurs because we are no longer as clear what that one necessary thing is.  It is easy to conclude that we are losing faith. 

You may know someone who is in the midst of a season of spiritual striving and struggling.  They may have even told you that they are losing their faith.  First, pray for your friend every day during Lent.  Second, remind your friend that they are likely being led by the Holy Spirit to set aside some unnecessary things so they can hold on to the one thing that is necessary; Jesus our Savior!

Your prayers and your encouraging word can be used by the Spirit to lead them down a path of discerning what is essential in growing our relationship with Jesus and what is not.  This clarity and the letting go of the non-essentials will release a new joy in their relationship with Jesus and a deeper faith in Jesus.  They will take delight in the Lord.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug