Growing Your Faith: Imperfect Faith Is STILL Faith

(Inside: Growing your faith is important. Do you ever wonder how to build your faith in God? Or how does faith grow stronger? This one realization helps, read on…)

I don’t like to have faith.

I mean, I do…

But, only in theory.

Because having faith means I’m okay with the unknown. And that conflicts with my desire to be “in the know” at all times.

So to calmly say to God, “You got this. I KNOW you got this,” in the middle of uncertainty, can be so very hard, because I just want answers, or comprehension, or a “to-do” list would work fine, as well.

I don’t want to have to look for the good, discern direction, be patient, or cling to faith. Let’s all just go back to normal and happy and carry on, thank you very much.

Then I have this idea of what perfect faith should look like.

It’s not something anyone told me, but it’s something my brain cooked up in all its helpfulness. And it looks like this: No tears, no anxiety – we are smack in the middle of thorny, but we are immovable. After all, scripture says,

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phillipians 4:6)

So I can think people of faith don’t worry because God tells us not to. So if we worry, then we don’t have the good stuff. We must not have REAL FAITH.

But a sweet friend recently pointed out to me something about this.

God tells us to cast all our anxieties upon Him, not because He’s demanding we not worry, but because He knows we will and He is comforting us.

Like a father who strokes his beloved daughter’s hair and repeats, “Don’t fear dear one. I got this.”

Oh. Yes, that seems to better fit the character of God.

Faith doesn’t have to be polished.

Or perfect.

Faith can look untidy.

Faith can be a pause in the tears. Faith can be still walking through your day despite the thick fog of depression. Faith can be reaching out for a friend, even though you don’t think it will help. Faith can be a broken prayer. Faith can be a moment’s notice of the beauty in the ugly. Faith can be a terrified, shaky step forward. Faith can be searching for answers amidst overwhelming doubt.

Faith can happen right in the middle of giant, untamed emotions.

I don’t know what journey you are on right now.

Maybe you are asking questions, repairing a relationship, letting go, starting a new chapter, burnt out, seeking direction, making a big decision, or just wanting to… Get. Through. This. Season. And maybe you – like me – can sometimes feel like you don’t have enough faith or the right kind of faith. But the truth is…

Imperfect faith is still faith.

And very often, that is all we need.

Imperfect faith is still faith. And very often, that is all we need. Read on… #faith #momlife #raisingteens #raisingtweens Click To Tweet

Read the Full Growing Your Faith Through Everyday Momlife Series

Elijah’s my favorite. Elijah’s the Old Testament Prophet who went head-to-head with the Baal prophets to show who the One True God was. (Read more about that here.)

This man who experience God’s supernatural power, later found himself in complete despair, with shaken faith, depressed and anxious, trying to hear God’s voice. (Have you been there too?) 1 Kings 19:11-13 says:

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

When Elijah looked for God, he found Him. And God’s voice wasn’t in the wind, earthquake, or fire – it was in a gentle whisper.

Momma’s, God still speaks to us today. It’s deep inside of you, an inner knowing. I’d love for you to join me as I learn to discern that voice smack in the middle of my ordinary days.

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Cheryl Donely

Cheryl is a mom of 3 boys, wife, speaker, high school teacher, and author of Empowered Moms & Kids. She has a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and is passionate about learning and teaching. On www.empoweredmomsandkids.com you’ll find inspiration and encouragement for moms raising tweens and/or teens. Read more in the “about” section of this page.