We’ve all struggled with our faith at times. It’s never a good state to be in. So, if you’re currently struggling with your faith, stick with us in this article while we explore six steps to overcome your struggles and solidify your spiritual walk with God.
Step One: Define the Problem Clearly
You will rarely solve a problem without acknowledging its existence or understanding its nature. Various issues can cause difficulty in your relationship with God; we shouldn’t lump every kind of problem into one category or solution. If you are struggling with your faith, first dig into why you’re struggling and understand what’s holding you back.
Many of these struggles are spiritual in nature. Maybe you are dealing with doubt. Is it hard to trust God when life doesn’t go the way you wanted? Are you questioning particular aspects of the Bible? Is your belief in the existence of God being challenged? By definition, doubt can hurt our faith.
Maybe you are grappling with fear. Are you afraid of losing something or someone for following Christ? Does your discipleship often involve conflict between God’s calling and your comfort zone? Does worry define your life and hinder your spiritual perspective? In Mark 4:40, Jesus implies that fear functions as a direct opposite of faith.
Maybe you are suffering from stagnation. Do you feel stuck in your walk with God, unsure how to become closer to Him? Are you aware of what improvements you should make, but constantly feel like you’re back at square one? Are you reaching a point where you don’t even care so much about the condition of your soul? Stagnation often leads to backsliding and eventual decay.
Maybe you are combatting sin. Temptation is a common experience for all humans (1 Corinthians 10:13); that even included Jesus, although He never fell into sin (Hebrews 4:15). Are you knowingly living in a way that displeases God? Is there a secret sin in your life which needs to be brought into the light? Have you considered all of God’s teachings in His word to be sure you are doing God’s will? Sin always places a barrier between a person and God.
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:7–8
Not all of our struggles are spiritual in nature. Sometimes, other difficulties in life can affect our faith. You might be facing emotional challenges—loneliness, guilt, or grief can all negatively impact our souls. Mental and psychological problems can pose obstacles to our faith, often requiring additional aid and resources. Even physical ailments can sometimes make us feel like we can’t serve God. As a human, you aren’t a collection of unrelated parts; your body, mind, heart, soul, and spirit are all involved in your relationship with God (Deuteronomy 6:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). When you struggle in your faith, make sure you accurately and clearly define the nature of the problem(s).
Step Two: Pursue God’s Answers
So, you’ve identified the problem. It’s time to deal with it. As Christians, we commit to seeking answers from God for these problems. Even if your faith in God Himself is challenged, you should consider the evidence to see whether God speaks for Himself. Having questions is okay, and searching for answers honestly is even better. Don’t shy away from the tough questions in your faith; but don’t shy away from the answers God gives either. Focus on finding the truth. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). God’s word is truth (John 17:17), and it is entirely true (Psalm 119:160). If you are a Christian, then you should look to Jesus and the inspired word for answers to your questions and solutions for your struggles. (If you aren’t a Christian, I hope you’ll investigate firsthand whether God’s word contains truth.)
Step Three: Appreciate Simple Faith
In Luke 17:5, the apostles say to Jesus, “Increase our faith.” In context, Jesus had just offered a difficult instruction regarding repeated forgiveness (Luke 17:3–4). His followers asking for more faith to obey Him makes sense; and when we struggle, we may want to just ask God for a bigger and greater faith. But Jesus’ response to the apostles rings differently. When they ask for an increased faith, Jesus replies, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:6). Mustard seeds are extremely small, but Jesus says that faith like a mustard seed can accomplish amazing things! Jesus then continues with this teaching:
And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, “Come at once and sit down to eat”? But will he not rather say to him, “Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink”? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.”
Luke 17:7–11
What’s the point of comparing faith to a small mustard seed and then teaching about dutiful obedience? The apostles asked for a bigger faith—but what they needed was a simpler faith. They needed a kind of faith which would obey Jesus’ word, simply trusting Him without overcomplicating it. If you are struggling with your faith, realize that faith doesn’t always need to be bigger and grander. Sometimes, you just need a little bit of simple trust in Jesus.
Step Four: Take a Spiritual Inventory
The Bible says, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Make a good practice of looking in the mirror regularly and taking a thorough inventory of your life, especially in regard to your faith. Faith struggles are usually caused by one of two things: either something is in your life which should not be present, or something is missing from your life which should be present. While you’re defining the problem, as we discussed in step one, investigate your life as a whole to see where and why the problem exists.
Take an inventory of your time. How are you spending your time?
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15–16 NASB
Many struggles develop by misusing or wasting time. Stop procrastinating the solutions to your struggles! Demonstrate wisdom in how you spend your time; use your days and weeks to honor God, grow spiritually, and do good works. What are your habits and routines—are they hurting and hindering you, or are they helping you?
Take an inventory of your thoughts. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Your thoughts matter. They impact your feelings and behavior. If we lack caution with what we pour into our minds and allow the sludge of the world to influence us, we open ourselves to all sorts of spiritual dangers. Pattern your thoughts after things which are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, reputable, virtuous, and praiseworthy, as Paul instructs in Philippians 4:8. Cultivate good, spiritual thinking in your life.
Take an inventory of your relationships. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’” The people around us influence us. Do you have relationships in your life which are causing you to struggle spiritually? Hard as it may be, sometimes we must cut off human relationships for the sake of our relationship with God (see Matthew 19:29). Are the people in your life helping your faith or pulling you in the wrong direction? Take a spiritual inventory of the relationships in your life.
Step Five: Build Spiritual Habits
After you take personal inventory, consider what positive additions would help you grow spiritually and handle faith struggles. Here are ten biblical habits to develop in your life:
- Read Scripture (1 Timothy 4:13; Psalm 1:1–2)
- Pray personally (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Colossians 4:2)
- Gather with Christians (Acts 2:46; Hebrews 10:24–25)
- Meditate on God (Psalm 63:6)
- Fast (Matthew 6:16–18)
- Rest (Psalm 23:2; Mark 6:30–32)
- Worship personally (Acts 16:25; James 5:13)
- Seek accountability (Hebrews 13:17; James 5:16)
- Serve others (Mark 10:45; Galatians 6:9–10)
- Reflect on the gospel (1 Timothy 1:12–15)
Ten habits may seem like a lot! You don’t need to begin them all at once. Some of these habits, like meditating and fasting, are not even explicitly commanded to all Christians, though each one provides benefits when done well. Start with the first three: reading Scripture, praying, and assembling with the church whenever possible. These habits are nonnegotiable for faithful followers of Jesus; they are the fundamental building blocks of discipleship and a relationship with God. Then, develop more and more Christian habits as you learn and grow. Filling your life with spiritual habits will prevent countless spiritual struggles—and what they don’t prevent, they will help you overcome.
Step Six: Embrace Difficulties Which Help You Grow
We tend to shy away from hard things, enjoying our comfort zones. Some misconceptions of Christianity even suggest that God always promises good times and an easy, convenient life! That notion is entirely unbiblical. The Bible explains that God allows us to suffer, uses our suffering to test and teach us, and even encourages us to see difficulty in a positive light.
For You, O God, have tested us;
Psalm 66:10–12
You have refined us as silver is refined.
You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
God’s ultimate purpose involves blessing us richly, but here on earth, He tests our faith through hard trials.
The book of James teaches us how to embrace difficulties in life. Three passages stand out to me. First:
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
James 1:2–4
Look at the spiritual blessings which come from hardship. Silver and gold are refined in fire, where impurities are burned away. How many heroes of faith in the Bible became who they were because of hardship? Allow trials to help you grow in patience and character.
Second:
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
James 1:12
We tend to think the ones who escape trials and difficulties are blessed, but God’s word says those who endure trials are truly blessed. Christ promises a great reward to those who prove themselves in the testing of their faith.
Third:
Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
James 5:11
Again, God’s word affirms that those who endure suffering and persevere are blessed. Spiritually, we can see a better end in the future, which the Lord has in mind for us. And He is very compassionate. The Lord has many feelings for you when you suffer, and His mercy will reach you.
As a Christian, you’ll encounter many struggles in your faith. The devil wants to challenge your faithfulness to God in every way he can. Understand those challenges, and pursue God’s answers. Appreciate simple faith, take spiritual inventory, build spiritual habits, and embrace difficulties in order to grow. Getting past the struggle is possible; growing closer to God through it is better.
Here’s where to take it from here: If you’re still new to this faith thing, check out this lesson that will guide you through studying your Bible on a beginner level. Ready for the next step? This lesson will guide you into studying deeper.