By Alana Gregg, MS
Our faith and what we believe about God can be a touchy subject. People come into my office from all different places regarding their faith. Some people have had bad experiences with church that have turned them off completely. Some people have experienced tragedies that make having a relationship with God very difficult. Others are just coming into their own faith instead of the faith of their parents and struggling with what that looks like. If you are wrestling with your faith, you are not alone.
Here are 7 benefits to wrestling with your faith in counseling:
1. Find a safe place to express how you feel
Because the topic of faith can be such a hot button issue for many people, talking openly about your faith can feel too risky at times. Talking with your counselor can be a safe place to talk about how you are feeling without fear of being judged or criticized for what you believe. A good counselor will also never force their faith on you but will leave room for you to decide what you choose to believe.
2. Identify obstacles to your faith
There can be many obstacles to believing in God. When we experience painful things, it is hard to understand why God would allow those things to happen. Our pain blocks us from the ability to see God clearly. It feels like He is not there or doesn’t care about what we are going through. Having difficult relationships with our parents can also trigger doubts in our faith. We associate God with the “authority” figures we have in our lives. If they have treated us badly, it is hard to imagine that God would be any different.
3. Process pain related to faith
There are many times when the people who have hurt us are people that claim to believe in God. Seeing hypocrisy in the church is a big reason why people struggle with the idea of God. Why would we want to align ourselves with people who say one thing and do the complete opposite? There are also so many horrible things done in the name of God. If that is who God is then it makes sense that we would question whether he deserves to be trusted with our hearts.
4. Discuss what God says about who He is
There are a lot of ideas about who God is. But what does the Bible actually say? Is He loving? Is He just? Is He good and can He be trusted with our lives? These are all questions that we have to wrestle with in order for our faith to be real. We can’t just blindly trust someone we don’t know. Just like a marriage relationship, our relationship with God takes work. It means seeking Him and desiring to understand who He is on a daily basis.
5. Discuss what God says about who you are
Not only is it important to understand who God is but we need a solid understanding of who He says we are. I don’t know anyone that hasn’t struggled with their identity at some point in their life. Who am I? What is my purpose? What gives me value? Is it what I do or who I am that gives me worth? If it’s what I do, then I will spend my whole life trying to be good enough. If it’s who I am because God made me and He says I’m worthy, then that changes everything.
6. Identify the benefits of faith
Believing in God is a solid foundation on which to build your life on. The reality of this life is that it’s really hard. Sometimes it feels like we are being violently tossed around by waves and we don’t know which end is up. God is our anchor in the midst of the storm. We can hold onto Him and experience His peace even when our world is falling apart. I believe we cannot get through this life without Him.
7. Normalize the struggle
This struggle is something that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. We have seasons where life just feels harder and we can’t see a way forward. We don’t understand what God is doing because we are finite humans that can’t see the whole picture so of course we are prone to doubt. Understanding that you are not a bad person or a bad Christian for wrestling with your faith is an important part in lowering the anxiety and guilt that surrounds this struggle.
Where to start
If you can relate to this season of uncertainty, contact us today to schedule a session or a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if counseling would be a good fit for you. We offer Christian counseling in Ambler, PA as well as online counseling sessions. Let us support you in this process so you do not have to walk this journey alone.