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Why does it seem easier to come to God, making a confession of faith – accepting Jesus as our LORD and Savior, than it does to maintain and even have our faith strengthened?

I believe the book of Acts gives us a bit of insight into why that may be. “But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the LORD. And the LORD proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders.” (Acts 14:3)

The grace of God is like a magnet to those of us who are able to recognize ourselves as sinners. Grace like this is found nowhere else. No other religion has it. No other person offers it so easily or freely. We simply ask, and we receive. As if God’s grace wasn’t enough, God’s power to do the miraculous is like the icing on the cake. His existence, His word, and His power have been demonstrated throughout history – even within our lives. God, still demonstrating His love, His presence, His commitment to His people continues to move the impossible mountains. He continues to do what is beyond the capacity of mankind to think – let alone, implement. People are healed. Families are saved. Relationships are restored. Needs are met. Provision is made. Bondage is broken. Disaster is averted. The past forgiven. The future secured.

And then we forget. We lose sight. We become so familiar with God’s grace that we begin to strip it of its value – it’s cost.

Something happens, God doesn’t act in the way we hoped or believed that He should – and we begin to doubt His existence. His goodness. His nearness. His mercy. His love. Why would He allow this to happen to me? As a follower, as one who professes to belong to Him, why didn’t He prevent this?

Maybe it’s not one thing that happens. Life’s crisis’ are not to blame. Perhaps it is a slow fade out of spending time nurturing and investing in your relationship with Him. Nothing more. The day’s busy schedule moves from one day into the next, and eventually the habits or desire to spend time in relationship with God gets shifted to the back burner. It’s not that we don’t see it as important – at least initially… we simply find that we have stepped away and now feel as if God is a million miles away from us. Unreachable. We are convinced that we don’t have time for Him, He doesn’t really have time for us, or we can navigate through this life with a head-knowledge of Him – but without the heart relationship.

Following God, truly following Him, is not easy. Just like any other healthy relationship – following Him requires investing time. It requires intimacy. Sacrifice.  It requires effort to deepen our relationships.

The very act of following and investing is in itself somewhat misinterpreted. We believe that when we invest, life will smooth out. Things will improve. Our lives will be more blessed. Make no mistake, in some ways they will be… but perhaps not in ways we were expecting. “They (Paul and Barnabas) strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22) Following God does not mean the absence of hardships in our lives. Following God means that in the midst of lives hardships we see, feel, and know in more intimate ways the presence of God. It means a guarantee to never have to walk through any of life’s challenges, hurts, and disappointments alone again. Ever.  

How do I maintain or strengthen my faith?

Time. Carve out space within your day – create this time to be part of your daily routine. Read His word. Think about His goodness. Remind yourself of His hand upon your life.

Transparency. Be real before God. He already see’s the real you, so stop trying to hide it. Talk to Him. (We call that prayer.) Share with Him: your dreams and hopes, your hurts and failures. Invite Him to be at work within you and your situation.

Our relationships grow as we become more intentional about them. May we never settle for a head-knowledge of God, and leave out the relationship.

Blessings!