Crisis of Faith

Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?

Luke 7:20

John the Baptist showed up ready to do God’s will. He didn’t bow down to the religious leaders, nor did he make exceptions for King Herod’s sinfulness. In many ways he was different and an outcast among his own people. Yet many respected and followed him because he was true in his heart and passion for God. Even though John participated in Jesus’ baptism and witnessed God’s confirmation, he still had a crisis of faith in prison and sent a question to Jesus: “Are you the one, or shall we look for another?”

Many times in our Christian journey, we may experience this same crisis of faith. We want to believe God, yet our circumstances give us reason to shrink back in our trust. We know what the Bible teaches, yet our hearts are heavy with discouragement. We hear the preaching and teaching of the Word every week, yet we wonder if God really cares about us or not.

In the moment when our faith is being tested, we need to come back to our first love: Jesus Christ. In doing so we are fortified with the undeniable truths of His faithfulness, love, and provision for us. We need to ponder Jesus’ answer to John by looking at all the Lord has done for us.

Bringing us from darkness to light (Acts 26:19).

Giving us renewed hope and purpose (Romans 5:5).

Changing our hearts and minds so that we are new people (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Restoring joy in our depleted lives (Nehemiah 8:10).

Healing us of our spiritual, emotional, and physical wounds (Isaiah 53:5).

Forgiving us of all our sins (Romans 4:7).

Saving us from a sure future in a tormenting hell (Acts 4:12).

As we ponder the specifics of God’s hand over our lives, we will find peace and gratefulness flooding our hearts with renewed vigor. Our crisis of faith moments don’t have to dominate our thoughts when we fill our minds with the truths of God’s word and His faithfulness.