Frustrated by Faith?

Frustrated by Faith??
James 4:1-10

Recently I have had a couple of conversations with people who have told me that they are giving up on Christianity because “it just doesn’t work for them.” These conversations have left me thinking about their plight and I have wondered what advice I could give them.

I have to be honest and tell you that there are times when I feel like it is not working for me either. Times when I feel like my prayers aren’t heard, and even times when I feel like my life is void of God’s power. It certainly can be frustrating and perhaps all of us who are believers can identify with someone who feels like things are not working in their Christian walk.

What I have discovered is that most of the time when I feel this it is not God’s fault. The times when I have felt this way the most have been because of something in me. I have realized that it has not been God’s fault but rather it has been my fault. The main reason for my frustration has been that I have approached Christianity from the wrong direction. Here is what I mean. Too many times I think people are trying to use Christianity. They profess faith because they are looking for something. Perhaps they are looking for a better job, a healthier marriage, perhaps just simple happiness. These are good things and I believe that God does desires that we be happy. But we have to remember that following Christ is not simply about us. So therefore if our motives are wrong then how can we expect to live a fulfilling Christian life? How can we expect to have a vibrant prayer life and feel God’s power in our lives, especially if are professed commitment to God is motivated by self interest?

Here is a checklist that we can use to evaluate our commitment to Christ. And I believe this checklist can be a healthy tool for helping us to keep ourselves in check, so that we can feel the blessings of a close and intimate walk with Christ.

1.Acknowledge God’s proper place. James says, "Humble yourselves before God." This is saying, "I'm not the center of the universe, God. You are. It's not about me, it's about you."

2. Acknowledge Satan’s proper place. James says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." If you resist the devil — the Greek word means literally oppose or stand up to — he will eventually give up and go away. The devil comes at you in the form of temptation, telling you that you deserve better than this, that you deserve to have nice things, that people don't appreciate you, that you should get more recognition, and on and on. When those ideas find their way into your consciousness, make sure you oppose them. Stand against them. Resist them.

3. Take a step toward God.. "Draw close to God and he will draw close to you."

4. Do some house cleaning. "Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites." James is speaking bluntly here, using words like "sinners" and "hypocrites" because he intends to be taken seriously. In drawing close to God, you will have to eliminate some things from your life.

5. Don’t Just Go Through the Motions. "Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy." James isn't saying that this should be our emotional state permanently, but he is saying that we should approach repentance with deep sincerity.
We need to recognize how our sinful, self-serving, self-seeking attitudes have wreaked havoc in our lives and how they have separated us from the presence of God.

I hope this checklist might be a blessing to some. And perhaps if you have been frustrated lately these suggestions might help you to get back on track.

Blessings!

Will