Steadfast faith
Why is it difficult for Christians to consistently maintain steadfast faith in their everyday walk with Christ?
Is it because it is so much easier to have ‘feel good’ faith when everything in our lives is running smoothly with no complications? Surely we are made more aware of our need for prayer and dependence on God when there is adversity in our lives.
Christ deserves our devoted trust and faithful pursuit of him in all situations. Exemplifying unwavering faith in Christ is not always easy, nor is it created overnight. ‘But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory’ (Hebrews 3:6).
Matthew 14:28-32 brings a wonderful example of how faith in Christ was pursued, questioned, and then proven. In these verses, Jesus asked Peter to get out of the boat and join him on top of the water.
Though Peter initially had the faith to step out of the boat and walk on the water towards Jesus, he began to doubt Christ when the wind blew. The strong wind caused Peter to doubt Jesus, which then caused him to sink in the water.
But, ‘immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. You of little faith, he said, Why did you doubt? And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down’ (Matthew 14:31-32).
These verses explicitly show the true power of faith in Christ and the importance of maintaining steadfast faith when circumstances around us make us question our beliefs.
Safety net
So many times Christ asks us to have faith in him and trust his leading in our lives. Why do some animals need a leash? Is it primarily to ensure direction and control? Basically, it is a ‘safety net’ to prevent a mishap.
In the same way, Christ is the only safety net we will ever need in our lives, because he saved us. Undoubtedly, there will be plenty of times when we as Christians will fail Christ and get off-track. Our sinful human nature allows us to deviate from the ‘right path’ and make unwise decisions in our lives, as well as cast doubt upon Christ.
Perhaps you have endured difficult exams in school, tedious projects at work, or personal relationships which caused an enormous amount of stress in your life. Stressors can make us feel uncomfortable and vulnerable, and affect our better sense of judgement. In addition, pride and feelings of self-sufficiency may cloud our trust in Christ.
Did you actively seek Christ through those adverse circumstances? Christ has incessantly proven to us that he will never fail us and will be there for us when we call his name.
He may not answer our prayers as we wish. However, there is no doubt that he has an underlying plan for each of our lives. Trusting him and actively seeking him in both good and troubling times will fortify our faith and create a dependence on him in our daily lives.
‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see’ (Hebrews 11:1).
Kasey M. Carter
Author of Forever Altered, Yet Unbroken, and Faithful Crushers series
