subject: Finding Your Faith [print this page] Finding Your Faith Finding Your Faith
I know many people suffer from a crisis of faith. They become discouraged when a prayer is not answered to their liking, or when they see good people suffer, or when they observe the world rotating under the weight of so much human misery. How could a just and loving God allow all these terrible things to occur?
First off, we make a lot of misguided assumptions while asking such a question. We assume we are speaking to or about a God "out there," somewhere in the great beyond as we gaze skyward, as if God and we are separate. Supposedly, this God is observing us objectively, and rewarding us according to whether we're good or bad.
The truth is that God is everywhere present, right here and right now. God does not hide in some "great beyond." God's love is always present and available right where you are. Also, God does not reward us according to our deeds like some sort of benevolent, autocratic father. Another misconception.
We are beings with total freedom of choice, and whether we choose to put all our faith in the physical world and what it has to offer, or put our faith in Spirit, is totally up to us.
Think about this: What would be the point of creating a being like man who is completely programmed to behave according to a preordained script? Animals mostly do that, those creatures of natural instinct; but what separates humans from animals is not only intelligence, imagination, and creativity, but the power to make choices.
Consequently, you always have the choice of whether to turn to God or to rely solely on the laws of nature. And by the way, I am not advocating here the obliteration of common sense. Until you can walk on water, I think it wise to pay attention to nature's laws. If you step off the side of a mountain, you are certainly going to fall and do yourself serious harm.
Choice is a crucial hallmark of what separates us from the lower forms of creation. We always are at choice as to whether we choose to turn to Spirit, or turn away.
The world may seem to be a cruel, heartless place at times, but that is mostly because we practice cruelty and heartlessness out of our ignorance. It does not have to be so. It could be a world of love and support if we wanted to make it such. The choice is always ours.
Developing faith is a process, with which we take one-baby step at a time. It does not happen overnight. Not usually. The more often one prays and/or communicates with Spirit, the faster faith grows.
I know there are countless people who have experienced some kind of mystical occurrence, or some kind of so-called `miracle' in a time of crisis. People have seen angels or Jesus or have witnessed something we generally call the supernatural. Such people are fortunate in having had a taste of the Higher Dimensions, because they now know there is much more to life than just this plane of existence.
When faith grows, no matter how tiny that may be, our lives prosper. And by the way, remember Jesus's statement, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could move mountains"? We see the results in our lives over and over, which, in turn, grows our faith further. We see more fortuitous things happening, more abundance, more happiness and contentment. The rewards are well worth the effort.
So, the question is: How to initiate a relationship with Spirit. What should you do? What should you say?
I would suggest starting off with meditating on some of those old Zen koans. You likely have heard these before even if you are not familiar with Zen Buddhism. For example, think about where you came from before you were born. Where was that and what were you like then? And what will happen to you after you die? Your soul lives on, you know. So, where will that be? Will all your cares be gone?
The truth is there are no simple answers to those questions. You could spend a lifetime trying to figure out the answers. What those questions do, though, is help you expand your thinking beyond its normal limitations and begin to see that there is something much greater than just this physical plane of existence.
By the way, I am not advocating taking up the practice of Zen or any other religious philosophy. But cogitating on such questions will start a process for you that opens the doors to faith.
