Recently I heard Connor Grim, a pastor I got to intern under last year, on a podcast talking about the ebbs and flows of faith.
He said something that really encouraged me that I thought I would share:
He said, ”The fact that your faith ebbs and flows is not a problem to be solved. Elijah saw fire fall from heaven and it didn’t heal his human-ness, it didn’t make him never waver again.”
I’ve been reading through the Old Testament recently. And I think when I read the stories of the seemingly strong & very courageous men and women in the Bible, I have an unconscious thought that goes something like this,
“Look at how Elijah experienced God. Imagine how strong his faith must have been. Now look at you. You haven’t quite made it to a good-enough place in your relationship with Jesus until you experience God like that and therefore have a faith that never wavers.”
Connor reminded me that the goal isn’t to have a faith that never wavers. The Bible says in Hebrews 12 that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Following that metaphor, that means my faith is a story. There was a beginning. My physical life on earth is the middle. Jesus didn’t start my story of faith and cross his fingers and hope I would finish it, and finish it perfectly. We’re doing this thing together. But he’s the only one that can hold it all together – it was his idea in the first place. Anchor your faith in the person of Jesus.
The goal isn’t to have a faith that never wavers. The ‘goal’ (for lack of a better word) is to walk with Jesus. What he really really wants is just to be with you. To commune with you.
So the questions I asked myself, and, if you struggle with ebbs and flows, maybe you should too: Is my faith a goal to be achieved or a relationship to be deepened?