Faith in Real Life

Humans have a strong inclination to learn before we trust. We want proof that our faith is based on something real, something measurable, something explicable. We feel safe when we have proof. It enables us to have faith without feeling vulnerable. Without evidence, trust becomes less secure, riskier, and more difficult to defend—even to ourselves. Scripture never portrays trust as something that requires evidence. It portrays trust as something that can proceed without it. B

Faith is often tested by duration, but there are times in life when it seems like it is being tested by intensity. Not by what occurs all at once, but by what persists. Moments of decision-making alone do not create enduring faith. It develops over the years following the decision, when routine returns to life and beliefs must be maintained without fresh information or reinforcement. Scripture does not present faith as something that needs to be triggered by crises all the ti

Many people have a silent expectation that when obedience is needed, it will feel right. We believe that if God is genuinely guiding us, our feelings will either follow His path or swiftly do so. We start to wonder if obedience is really being asked of us at all when it feels heavy, unwelcome, or uncomfortable. This connection is not made in Scripture. It consistently places obedience firmly in the domain of choice and distinguishes it from feeling. Emotions shift rapidly. Th

It is possible to live as though your beliefs are theoretical while still holding the correct beliefs. Instead of seeing faith as a reality that influences their behavior in the world, many people view it as a collection of beliefs they share. Scripture constantly calls for belief that is embodied, practiced, and evident in everyday life patterns and pushes beyond belief as agreement. Living according to your beliefs is not about performance or perfection. It has to do with c

In matters of faith, endurance is rarely the attribute that people value most. Instead, we are drawn to confidence, passion, and clarity. When faith speaks boldly or acts decisively, we can see it. In contrast, endurance develops gradually and frequently without obvious indicators. Because it doesn't make an announcement, it is simple to ignore. Nevertheless, Scripture repeatedly identifies perseverance as one of the most obvious indicators of sincere faith. Long-lasting fait

The majority of people think of belief as something that is triggered during decision-making or emergency situations. It's what you reach for when things get unclear, when pain needs to be explained, or when change makes you reevaluate your beliefs. In this perspective, belief is reactive. It reacts to pressure. Scripture, however, portrays belief as being much more deeply ingrained than that. Long before anything extraordinary happens, it is intended to live inside the ordin

It's common to talk about trust as if it comes naturally, as if having faith in God makes you confident in Him. We discuss trust as something we either possess or lack, something that emerges after issues are resolved or situations get better. Scripture takes a different stance on trust. Trust is not an emotion that just happens. It is a decision that needs to be made repeatedly, frequently during ambiguous and indecisive moments. It is rarely dramatic to choose trust. Usuall

Most people don't notice steady belief. It doesn't collapse or surge. It doesn't make a firm announcement or back down when pressed. It just stays. This type of belief can appear unremarkable, even uninspired, in a society that prioritizes intensity, speed, and observable results. Despite this, Scripture consistently views stability as a sign of maturity rather than complacency. Many people believe that for a belief to be genuine, it must feel dynamic. They anticipate that it

When you do the right thing and nothing changes, a silent discouragement sets in. The deliberate decision is yours. You choose the more difficult route. When it would be easier not to, you exercise self-control. After that, you wait for something to happen. When it doesn't, the weight is the waiting itself. This type of faith does not sound hopeful, so we do not discuss it very often. It sounds incomplete. It does not allow for neat conclusions or testimony with definitive en

Sometimes faith seems to be working. It is involved with what is going on in front of you, responsive, and active. You read Scripture with anticipation, pray fervently, and sense that your beliefs are evolving with your life. The sense of aliveness makes those moments memorable. However, faith is not sustained by them over time. Faith that endures is not the same. Moments are not built into it. It is made to last. Scripture doesn't portray faith as something that should only

For a while, most people are willing to obey God. When the goal seems clear, the path seems clear, or the cost seems reasonable, they will comply. When obedience has a clear edge—when there is a beginning, middle, and end that can be predicted—it is easier to comply. But what Scripture demands of us far more frequently is long-term obedience, lived in silence over years that don't seem particularly noteworthy. Few people discuss the long obedience. There isn't a pivotal momen

It's common to discuss trust as though it's a single choice that we make all at once and carry with us forever. We talk about trusting God as if it were a moment of resolve, a prayer that is sincere enough to resolve the issue permanently. However, trust is never treated that way in Scripture. Trust is a practice, not a conclusion. It is something that needs to be repeatedly selected, frequently in seemingly inconsequential ways. Everyday trust is more subdued than we anticip

There is a type of faithfulness that keeps quiet. It doesn't attract notice or demand an explanation. It stealthily navigates routine days, influencing choices and reactions without ever seeking attention. People rarely tell stories about this kind of faithfulness because it lacks spectacle rather than meaning. Despite this, Scripture gives it a lot of weight. Silent loyalty is not a passive attitude. It is deliberate, steady, and frequently expensive. It manifests itself in

There are times in life when nothing seems to be happening. Not only is nothing coming together, but nothing is also falling apart. There is no breakthrough igniting excitement or crisis necessitating constant prayer. Life just goes on, day after day, with no sense of urgency or purpose. Although most of us spend the most time in these seasons, we hardly ever prepare for them. It can feel pointless to have faith when nothing is happening. Unused, not rejected, not abandoned.

There are times when prayer comes easily, when Scripture seems to meet you right where you are, and when faith feels alive and responsive. Belief is easy in those moments. You sense God's presence and don't need to be persuaded. Those seasons are a gift, and they are real. However, although many of us subtly treat them as such, they are not the yardstick by which faith is evaluated. The majority of life doesn't feel particularly spiritual. At best, most days are emotionally n

The majority of us would prefer to think that we don't care about recognition. We want to believe that our obedience is unadulterated by the need for approval or recognition. For the simple reason that it is right, we convince ourselves that we are acting morally. However, the reality is more subdued and uneasy than that. When obedience starts to feel expensive, the weight of the lack of recognition is frequently greater than we anticipate. Not the obvious kind of applause. N

Tuesdays have a certain unremarkable quality. It lacks the relief of an ending and the weight of a beginning. It asks you to keep going without providing much encouragement or reward, sitting quietly in the middle of the week. There is no guarantee of a finish line or a reset on Tuesday. In the middle, it merely requests faithfulness. You live most of your life there. Not during times of crisis or festivity, but during routine, everyday days. You're already thinking about yes

The majority of us expend a lot of energy waiting for life to seem meaningful. Moments that stand out, such as significant choices, heartbreaking losses, answered prayers, or unanticipated changes, are thought to bring meaning. We wait for faith to manifest in what we will come to understand as significant times. However, we silently question whether we are missing something when those times don't occur or are infrequent. In actuality, most of life is not spent in meaningful

When we realize we've drifted, a certain kind of fear sets in. Not necessarily into open rebellion, but into distance. Distance in prayer. Distance in faith. Distance in how much we pay attention to God. Sometimes the drift happens so slowly that we don't notice it until we realize that something feels off. At those times, it can be hard to know who you are. We start to think that it might cost us more to go back than to stay where we are. The Bible speaks directly to this fe