Simple Faith

It’s easy to have faith when things are going your way. The good times don’t require much effort, but when life begins to fall apart, that’s when it gets tough. When prayers are left unanswered, when the pain doesn’t go away, when the future seems bleak and the world goes on without you, those are the times when the true test begins.

I like to think of myself as someone who can conquer any challenge as long as I put enough effort into it. That mindset has always served me well in life. It’s proven it to be true countless times, but over the years, I’ve also faced situations that no matter how hard I fought or how much effort I put into it, nothing changed. Tears, prayers, and pleas fell on deaf ears. Frustration ruled supreme.

I’ve sat through sermons where the preacher stirred the crowd into a frenzy by telling them all they needed was faith in God to make their dreams come true. Well, the truth is that it’s not true. God doesn’t promise everyone a rosy future. He doesn’t mislead us into thinking every problem will be solved by simple faith. In fact, Jesus stated that the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike.

At the same time, Jesus also told us that those with faith the grain of a mustard seed can move mountains. So, the problem comes when you garner that small seed of faith and still nothing happens. As the years go by and as more unmovable mountains appear, it’s hard to understand why they don’t move. It’s painful.

As I look to the Bible for guidance, I realize that sometimes people are left behind. It’s funny how preachers never seem to talk about those people. The ones who had to persevere and didn’t receive a happy, miraculous ending are forgotten. Those stories don’t seem to inspire the masses. Yet, they are the ones we should actually consider when going through a trial. For every person that Jesus healed, there were thousands who didn’t receive healing. For example, Jesus healed one man lying near the pools at Bethesda, but what about all of the others who were also lying nearby? Their situation remained the same. I don’t believe it meant they were unworthy, didn’t have faith, or their prayers were of less value. Even Paul suffered with an ailment that wouldn’t go away. It just goes to show that some situations must be endured whether you like it or not, whether you understand it or not, whether it’s fair or not.

I read once that “Faith is what happens when God does nothing.” It came to me at such a profound time in my life. I always felt that I had faith, but I never really had to prove it until God didn’t intervene. I’ll be honest, the first time it happened it threw me. It wouldn’t be the last time my foundation was shaken either. Since that time, I’ve had other situations that stunned me, that made me question. Sometimes God would intervene in my life, and other times, He wouldn’t. I’ll never understand why.

Maybe it’s the ultimate test of faith. I don’t know. What I do know is that, in those times, He walked with me every step of the way. Through every painful experience, every unchanged situation, He held me tight. He may not have sent the solution I wanted, but He was there. He listened to my cries. He came to me when I was lonely. He gave me comfort and strength to face another day. I wouldn’t have made it without Him.

Like those left behind at the pools of Bethesda when Jesus passed by, we may not get the answer for which we are praying, but it shouldn’t shake our faith or stop us from sending those prayers. The answer could come tomorrow, next year, or never. It’s not important. The most important thing is that He is here. He wants to help us through our difficult journeys. It doesn’t take much. Just utter a prayer, have simple faith, and He’ll show up.