The Problem With Believing God

Perhaps you – like countless others – have found that there were times when you thought your faith and your belief were where they should be, yet when tried by life’s storms, the results of your faith seemed empty and barren. And in desperation you may have asked yourself, “Why in the name of all that is holy, has God chosen not to respond to my prayers, my belief, or my acts of faith?” And though your lips would never utter the words, your heart, your mind, and – more significantly – your reality would suggest that there is a problem with believing God.

… perhaps you were raised in a family, culture, or environment that does not embrace the existence of the traditional Christian view of God. Or perhaps your experience with religion – or your experience with those who call themselves “believers” – has jaded your willingness or ability to believe in an omnipotent God who loves us, redeems us, and calls us to a disciplined life. And, finally, perhaps your quest for a well-balanced life leaves you desirous of something that fulfills your need for spiritual wholeness. Perhaps there is an emptiness, or a void, inside you that has yet to be filled by your life’s journey thus far. Perhaps you are still struggling with trying to define your purpose in life. All of these experiences would lead you to conclude that there is indeed a problem with believing God.

The problem with believing God could very well stem from the fact that we do not always know what to believe or how to believe; and sometimes “not knowing” causes us to wrestle with whether we should even bother to believe at all. But this guide is carefully and prayerfully written and designed to help jump-start your faith and cause you to obediently respond to the scripture that says: “Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:22)

As we openly address the problem with believing God, we must first come to a confession of who God is. Logic refutes Him. Math cannot calculate Him. History cannot adequately track Him. Language does not accurately define Him. Art does not completely depict Him. Science cannot explain Him. He just is! And the confession of our faith must begin with that very basic notion: God is. “For he that cometh to God must believe that he is…” (Hebrews 11:6)

… without clear and precise instructions about how to increase our faith, we are like a fish that dies on the shore when the ocean is just a few inches away. This has been much more of a reality than many Christians have been willing or able to admit. We flounder about on dry land – choking on our own disbelief, making excuses to pacify our doubt – when we could be swimming in an ocean that nurtures our beliefs, causes us to experience the wonders of God …

Without this kind of “belief-enriched” life, we never experience the healings, deliverances, and miracles of a God who declared that He “changes not” (Malachi 3:6). When we do not understand the importance of belief and faith – and then compound that with the lack of succinct instructions that teach us “HOW TO” to believe – we are ill-equipped for the spiritual warfare for which the armor of God is designed to prepare us …

… I under-went a personal epiphany that I had a problem with believing God.

My true confession: Guilt and defeat wounded my soul; and for many months, I silenced my wounds with tears and masked my pain with make-shift praise. And to complicate matters even more, I had acknowledged the call to ministry; but how would I ever preach with conviction about faith in an area where I was challenged …

… The truth of who God is will NEVER change. God’s power and sovereignty will never diminish or be curtailed because of anything or anybody. And if we consciously and consistently command ourselves to walk in the knowledge of that basic truth, then we implicitly activate the favor of God. You can speak to yourself and say: “I command myself to walk in the knowledge of who God is. God is my righteousness. God is on my side. And God has my best will at heart.”

… Since the days of Adam, God has delivered His people from bondage to freedom; from prisons to palaces; from death to life; from sin to redemption; and from problems to promise. The common elements for those deliverances were faith and obedience, and the same holds true today. “Belief” is still the prescriptive solution for receiving the blessings and the promises of God.