do you have to work at your belief?

Question

Some people I've read of, appear to really have to work to maintain their belief.

I don't understand this. for me, my beliefs come very naturally, they make sense, in large they fit together rather readily, I don't have to think about maintaining it... the course of events I experience, reafffirms it quite naturally.

I read of people having their faith challenged daily. ... I just can't see it. I *try* to find things to challenge my beliefs and my faith and confidence in God, ... even when I try I can't seem to find daily... oh heck weekly, things that I'd call "challenges to my faith" I imagine either the bar is set really low, or that faith isn't very stable to begin with.

so how about you. how much effort do you spend to maintain your beliefs/views. how hard is it for you to keep beliving as you do?

does it not appear to be the obviously, self-evident-ly true way to see the world, considering your experiences?

Pestie, but why would I need to work at it?

I find truth to be self evident, correct separates from incorrect like oil from water.

I seek, and have been doing so, for a long time, to find the truth to sort it out and figure everything out, I have rarely found it to be an actual "test of faith" but rather something that was simply figuring out a detail.

all religions, just about, haev some truth and some fiction. sorting out the truth from the crap, and fitting them all together, is the tricky part.

Answer 1

Yes of cause you should
To fully understand your faith you should ask and answer lots of questions
There are many religions out there
If you believe there is one god then you must believe there is one truth
So without questioning and study you could easy get involved with the wrong religion and end up in a cult
Remember Wacol or Jones-town if those people had Questioned or studied the bible maybe they would be alive today
What about all those suckers that get ripped off by those TV Evangelist
Do you think god wants people who believe anything ?
It's OK to have faith but you should have faith in something that makes sense fully to you

Answer 2

I don't have a religion, but I do believe in God. I don't have any problems believing in God, no matter what I'm going through, I don't feel it difficult to know that there is a greater being out there. As far as you question, I wonder that too. I wonder is it because some people take their religion to a point where they are not sure if its something they can believe or not and that is why they find it difficult to to believe in God. Also I think a lot of people don't want to take responsibility, I hear a lot of people putting it in God's hands.I think if they stopped putting all their responsibility onto God and thought for themselves they may not find their faith tested because they would actually be thinking for themselves.

Answer 3

Faith has been twisted into something very ugly in the America we live in today. We are witnessing a religious takeover by certain groups that want to use religion as a political club to beat others over the head with, label anyone disagreeing with them as a person who doesn't support a bloody unnecessary war, and use any methods possible, no matter how nasty, to foster their beliefs.

The music that used to be comforting is now militant. There is an angry, violent tone to it, and to the words now used to convert believers. Struggle is what is fostered, self-examination is encouraged. You are expected to question your actions to a point where you become what I call a religious radical, a robot, repeating phrases to a drumbeat of feverish aggression.

A man can be a liar today, a cheat and a thief, and he is admired because he preaches war and is willing to lead that oil-rich Crusade through the Holy Land. The old virtues, preached by Jesus, of giving your riches to help the poor, remaining honest, honoring elders, etc., are no longer important. What is important is the religious version of "supporting troops" by sending highschoolers off to war.

It takes little effort to love God. It takes a lot of effort to figure out how to become a wealthy person loving money more than life itself and still call oneself a Believer. It takes the sweat of the brow to correlate religion with violence and convince oneself that God approves war. That takes work and a lot of rationalization.

True faith is a relaxed and beautiful thing, an enrichment, enhancing every moment of one's life. When it is used to justify cruelty, ridicule and stupidity, it becomes a battleground.

Answer 4

I would be afraid to let it go. I do though feel tested when I read of something having occurred on Earth over a billion (yes, billion) years ago. It is staggering to me to imagine how many people's souls have come before me and where they all are. I know I am being tested and for the sake of what religion has done for providing peace and stability in my life and will hopefully provide in the lives of my daughters I would never let go. I do just shake my head in wonder though. I guess all will be made clear one day, but I'm in no hurry to get my explanation if you know what I mean.

Answer 5

Work out your Salvation with trembling and fear the Word of God says.
The evils of this world surrounds everyone of us and if we're not rooted and grounded in His Word, we can fall back from where we came out from and do all the things we use to do before.One can get easily distracted today with the happenings in the world, home life, work, etc so it takes great effort to maintain the challenges.What we choose to do with our faith makes the difference if it is going to be stable or not. I have no regrets in maintainng an everyday life of my Christian beliefs in my Heavenly Father. Every thing I do to maintain my walk in my belief in God is so worth it. I wouldn't want it any other way. Thank you for questions.

Answer 6

I thought this was great until the crap at the end. My faith is renewed everyday by the Holy Spirit. Every challenge is exciting as it is a way God will manifest himself in my life. Bring em on.
God Bless!

Answer 7

i dont have to maintain my belief as far as believing in God.. but i do have to fight some kind of fleshly living daily. and i am one that my faith has been challenged. matter of fact my faith has been challenged this whole week. i lost my job cause of daycare, i have bills that have to be payed and i have to feed my children. now i have to keep my faith up knowing that God knows that i need a job to pay my bills and feed my children. i have to keep the faith knowing i will get a job and in time so that i dont lose my home or get any utilities cut off and we wont starve. now if you never have any fall backs, just how do you know how strong your faith is? it is during our trials and storms when we realize how much we actually trust the Lord. when we realize how much we need him.

Answer 8

No. I have had so much hands on physical proof in my own life and in my own body, I would have to work very hard to not believe. In fact, I would need my head examined if I denied everything that has happened to me as being imagined.

Answer 9

I used to have to work at my faith at one point then when i started going back to church it wasn't hard and i didn't have to work at my faith. But a little studying never hurts anyone. You never know you may find out something about your belief you never knew before.

Answer 10

A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes. He stays up for days on end. You take a warm shower to help you wake up. He goes days or weeks without running water.

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick. He gets shot at, as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends. He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You make sure your cell phone is in your pocket. He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

You talk trash on your "buddies" that aren't with you. He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls. He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is. He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong. He does not get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes. He wears the same things for months, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone. He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

You are angry because your class ran 5 minutes over. He is told he will be held an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for that night. He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday. He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries. He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything. He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own government and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of the men like him. He hears the gunfire and bombs.

You see only what the media wants you to see. He sees the bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't. He does what he is told.

You stay at home and watch TV. He takes whatever time he is given to call and write home, sleep, and eat.

You crawl into your bed, with down pillows, and try to get comfortable. He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gun fire.

You sit there and judge him, saying the world is a worse place because of men like him. If only there were more men like him.

On this day please pray for the safety of the men and women in the military who are preserving these freedoms.