Tips For Keeping and Rebuilding Faith During Painful Struggles

Faith consists of more than our church attendance, or the name of the congregation we were raised in. Our faith is our belief system, and our level of trust in the truth of those beliefs. It informs our actions – what we stand for, what we stand against, and how we treat people, including ourselves.

Faith is a powerful thing. It affects how we see the world, how we relate to others, and how we deal with what happens in our lives, our relationships, and our communities. It’s truly inspiring when people are able to nurture and live their faith, but painful struggles can damage or distort our trust, and may put us in danger of losing faith altogether.

Grow Faith by Starting Small

One of the most reassuring things about faith is knowing that you can start small, from right where you are. If you’ve been through pain or trauma – whether it’s because of physical, emotional, sexual, or spiritual abuse; toxic relationships; addiction; or grief and loss – the idea of remaining faithful or growing your faith in the face of trials is overwhelming. It may even seem impossible. You’re not alone in this feeling. There is hope for when you feel trapped by your struggles:

“I say to you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”  —Matthew 17:20, New International Version

While persistence in the face of challenges is certainly crucial to your faith, you don’t have to be a spiritual leader to see its power in your life. When you are willing to take even the tiniest steps toward God in faith, He will be there to help you, heal you, and strengthen you along the way.

Restore Faith by Reaching Out

If your life and relationships have been especially difficult or painful, it may feel like your faith is damaged beyond repair. The journey back to wholeness and renewal may seem too long. Or maybe you’ve been immobilized by guilt or shame and are unsure if you’re worthy of grace or mercy.

There’s good news: you are worthy and God is within your reach, no matter how far off He seems on your hardest days. This is beautifully illustrated for us in the Parable of the Lost Son:

“And [the son] arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. . . for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” —Luke 15:20-22,24

Being surrounded in love, joy, and forgiveness is truly empowering, especially when you know that rebuilding faith begins by admitting your need for help and by reaching out for it.

We are here to pray for you on your faith journey. While we offer help and support to anyone in need, regardless of background or beliefs, TheHopeLine was founded on principles and truths central to Christian faith. We trust that the power of that faith (and its emphasis on grace, mercy, forgiveness, and transformation) is the key to true freedom and growth.

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