Practical Lessons for Understanding the Word of God

In the School of Faith

Part 4: Wavering Faith
KEY PASSAGE: James 1:1-8 | SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE: Malachi 3:10 | Matthew 6:25 | Mark 11:22-26 Philippians 4:7, 19 | 1 John 1:9

SUMMARY:
Faith is key to everything in the life of a believer.
Whatever we become and achieve in life is determined by our ability to trust God. Although every personeven a non-believer demonstrates a degree of faith, it is only when we believe in Jesus Christ and are confident that God will do as He promised that our lives can be transformed. This wholehearted reliance upon the Lord becomes especially important as we walk through difficulties and trials. When we are certain of the Fathers presence, power, and provision, we can face any situation with hope and assurance. As Paul wrote in Philippians 4:7, The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES:
Why Our Faith Wavers
Sadly, there are many people who struggle with faith throughout their lives. They wonder why God doesnt do more in and through them. Yet when we examine what governs them and how they relate to the Lord, we see they are unstable. They do not fully trust God in some area and are sometimes inconsistent in pursuing a relationship with Him. For us to avoid exhibiting a similar wavering faith, we must consider the factors that can make us stumble.

When trusting God is in conflict with human reason, we will be tempted to doubt. At times, the Father may instruct us to do something that seems illogical. However, we must always remember that our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God is not limited by the natural laws that guide our reason. I We will waiver in our faith when we allow our feelings to rule us. We may think ourselves unworthy of Gods favor and blessings. We may also fear the consequences of doing as He says. However, the Father expects us to obey Him and trust His love regardless of our emotions. I When we fail to see God at work in our circumstances, we may stagger in our faith. The Lord does not always demonstrate how He is working in our situations, but we must trust Him even when we dont see His activity. I Negative counsel from others can often cause us to doubt. No one knows what is best for you as the Father does, and no one knows Gods will for your life better than you do. So be careful when listening to others advice. I When we focus on the circumstances rather than God, our faith may waver. Concentrating on our difficulties is a sure way to make them more daunting than they actually are. Instead, we must place our attention on the One who is always infinitely bigger and more powerful than our problems. I As long as we are ignorant of Gods ways, our faith will continue to stagger. The Lord always operates on the basis of principles. Therefore, the more we understand how He works, the better we will relate to Him.
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LIFE PRINCIPLES NOTES | LP110904

Our feelings of guilt about past sins may also impede us from fully trusting the Lord. Sin short-circuits our faithdestroying our relationship with the Father. We must accept His promise to forgive us completely and realize our pardon is not based on our worthiness, but Christs sacrifice on the cross. I Our faith will waver when we listen to the enemys lies. The devil will try to separate us from God, steal our peace, and trap us in sin. Dont listen to himhe only leads people to destruction.
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The Consequences of Wavering Faith

Unfortunately, when we nurse our unbelief, we leave ourselves open to terrible consequences. We are in danger of:
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Being double-minded. Becoming unstable in our ways. Missing the blessings of God. Having our faith destroyed. Misleading others about Gods character. Losing our influence. Weakening our testimonies. Making wrong decisions. Forfeiting our peace. Committing costly mistakes. Being discouraged in prayer.

Second, we must meditate upon the Word of God. The Lord speaks to us in many ways, but one of the primary avenues is through His Word. Therefore, we should study Scripture each day, deliberately considering how He may be instructing us through each passage and applying His principles to our lives. The Father knows you are seeking His direction and assurance, so trust Him to speak to your heart, answer your questions, clarify your path, and comfort your soul. I Third, we must recall times when God faithfully answered our prayers. This is one of the reasons it is always a good idea to write what the Father is showing you in the margin of your Bibleit becomes a biography of how He has worked in your life. Then you can recall His absolute faithfulness and trust Him to lead you when troubles arise. I Fourth, courageously choose to obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. There will certainly be times when it takes a great deal of faith to obey God. But when you are walking in an intimate relationship with Him, He will give you the confidence to take the leap. You will never regret stepping out in faith with Him.
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CONCLUSION:
When you live without faith in God, you are limited by your own strength and must endure difficulties without His awesome power and provision to help you. It is a terrible way to live and is certainly not what the Father wants for you. The Lord desires to show you His grace, love, and generosity, but your unbelief is hindering you from experiencing it. Dont continue in your wavering faith. Trust God with every detail of your life and make your relationship with Him your first priority. Be confident in His presence, power, and provision, and His peace will fill your heart.

Overcoming Wavering Faith

So how do we overcome our unbelief and steady our faith? How do we conquer our doubts when they arise? I First, we must stop and ask ourselves the following questions: 1. Where are these doubts coming from? 2. Has God ever failed me in the past? 3. Didnt the Lord promise to meet my needs? 4. Dont I have the help of the Holy Spirit? 5. Isnt the Father with me at all times? 6. Is anything too hard for God? 7. Is my focus on the Lord as it should be? 8. Could my unbelief in this situation cost me a lifetime of regret?

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