When Your Faith Waivers!

I don't worry a lot, and I have had folks say this about me, and even ask how I never seem to worry. This is not because I don't have problems, I have had my fair share. This was something I had to learn, because at one time I worried a lot.

I try to remember what the scriptures say.

Mat 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: ) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Phil 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Philipians 4:6 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. When I get worried, I remember that the scriptures say be careful for nothing. That means to be full of care. And what does it say we should be full of care about? Nothing.

It is nice to have folks pray for us at times, but I rarely ask anyone to do so. I simply pray to God and ask for his help, but also that I might not worry and trust him. Things have always worked out.

I used to go on Saturday visitations with my pastor. We would visit all sorts of folks and it seems everybody had problems. Somebody's mother was sick with cancer, or someone else's husband was drinking again, or somebody lost their job and was about to lose their house... It was one problem after another. I used to get so depressed going on these visitations. One day after we got back in the car I asked my pastor how he handled it. He said, "I don't. If I tried to handle everyone's problems I would lose my mind. I simply hand it all over to the Lord and let him worry about it."

I learned from that, now I try to do the same thing. It is not always easy, I don't want to give that impression, but we need to trust the word of God and give our problems to him, he can handle them.

 

This is why we are told [James 5:16, Zachariah 8:21, Romans 12:15, Acts 12:5], in His Word, to take our needs to our brothers and sisters.

RD2, sometimes taking our needs to our brothers and sisters is a bad thing. It wasn't a bad thing back in the day but now-a-days..., I would not feel comfortable doing such.

A little church right up the road from us has a Hen House and not long ago they discovered a tidbit of information on another member seeking help and support and the rumors spread like wildfire. It all ended up like a side show. A couple Roosters got involved and went to crowing which ultimately fed the Hens and the person needing the help left the Church.

Their tongues were hinged in the middle and flapped on both ends. An amazing situation and was so destructive all the result of one seeking prayer. I've decided that when my family deals with a personal situation the best thing we can do is keep it all to our self.

 

As Hamel aptly points out, gossip can kill not only our fellowship, but also the real help we can receive from other Christians.
But back to your point RD2, you said:

Well, let me share a different secret, sometimes they may appear calm and collected, but inside is an entire world of turmoil and conflict. There have been times when I was serving as a pastor but my faith was still tried and shattered, times when I doubted the advice I was giving.

But here is the real secret, in those times; those requests helped me as much or more than I ever helped anyone else. When your faith seems gone and you’re not even sure if God is still listening, and then someone brings you a problem, and you have to pray anyway. When you have to set all your personal fears aside and ask God something like:

You guys get the idea. The thing is, even when I am in doubt and turmoil, God is! He is always God, always faithful and will deliver even when we fail.