We received this question via text message, and I firmly believe this is one of the most important questions for us to answer. In fact, I'll likely preach a sermon (or series) answering this question next Spring.

The reality is that virtually all of us will have times where we feel like we're losing faith or we have serious doubts. There's no simple solution to doubt, and there's no single reason people lose faith. Therefore, this list isn't meant to give you THE ANSWER to lose of faith. Instead the point is to help you process and work through your doubts and struggles.

Find a Mentor

Find someone you trust who is older than you in the faith who can help you work through your struggles. They need to be someone who you can trust, and who has pure motives in trying to help you.

This person will help you work through the questions below (not that the questions are a set formula).

WORK THROUGH THESE QUESTIONS

1) What is causing me to lose faith? What is causing me to doubt?

Often times there is a specific issue which is causing you to lose faith. They come in many different forms.

• Apparent contradiction in scripture
• Contradiction between science and scripture
• Philosophical issue
• Feeling that God isn't there
• A passage in scripture is unsettling to you
• You can't reconcile certain events with God's character
• Compelling scientific arguments
• Hypocritical behavior in Christians
• Difference between what you see in scripture and what you see in churches today
• Etc.

Being able to pin point the cause of your struggle, makes it much easier to work through. If it's a purely intellectual struggle, it's likely that someone has written book answering your question. The reality is that there's a lot of bad science and poor arguments being put out by both Christians and non-Christians.

A lot of times the stuff that causes people to doubt isn't even real. After The Da Vinci Code came out, supposedly a great many people started to doubt their faith due to the content of the books. Those doubts could have been easily answered simply by doing a little research and realizing that The Da Vinci Code is filled with bad history.

Some issues are easier to answer than others, but it's very difficult to address a concern if you don't even know what it is.

2) What sin in my life am I not fighting? What sins do I need to confess?

Romans 6:23a
23For the wages of sin is death,

Sin by definition is rebellion against God. It is choosing to find satisfaction in something besides God. If you have unconfessed sin in your life, that is like a wedge between you and God.

Think about it this way. Imagine you're facing a mountain range. You can actually see exactly how beautiful it is. Then imagine you turn around and face the opposite direction (sin). The mountain range is still there, but you can't see it. It hasn't change, but you have. As soon as you turn around (repent) the mountains will reappear. Of course, this is just an illustration, but it seems to reflect my experience.

When I'm surrounded by sin and distractions, God can seem very far away. I think this is one of the reasons that people feel closer to God at youth retreats and during events like the Great Adventure and mission trips. You're pulled away from the sin and distractions of everyday life and you're put in a place where you can pursue God. In that environment, suddenly you're seeing God in ways you've never seen Him before. God hasn't changed, but your perspective of him has changed.

3) What spiritual disciplines and normal Christian activities are you ignoring?

Joshua 1:8
8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

There are certain behaviors and activities which are central to the Christian life.

• Spend time in the Bible (Joshua 1:8)
• Prayer (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
• Gathering with other believers
• Giving & Serving
• Communion
• Baptism

If these are God's prescription for what Christians need to do to remain spiritually healthy, it shouldn't surprise us that the abscence of these behaviors and activities leads to doubt