Courage For Today

Mike Weaver

How to Believe in God When I Don’t Attend Church?

Encouragement, Grace, Strength

Let me be straight with you right off the bat, I do believe church is important and I do believe we should attend a good, strong bible-centered church when possible. Why? Because we all need the fellowship and strength of other Christians to help us navigate through on our Christian life.  Being a Christian in today’s world is tough enough without having the support of other fellow believers.

Having said that, there are situations when attending church is not always possible.  My wife was a nurse for years before retirement and her job often required weekend work.  I have known other first responders and other professions that sometimes require weekend work.  I have also known people who physically cannot leave their home and attend church due to illness or caring for loved ones.  My mom was one such example.  I have also know others who have been tremendously hurt by people in the church and just don’t feel comfortable attending.  I have been in that boat myself and it took me years to start attending again.

If you find yourself in one of the above situations and aren’t currently attending church, always remember that your relationship with God is not confined to the walls of a church building. The church is not the building.  The church is the people. There are numerous ways you can nurture your faith, outside the physical church, until such time as you might be able to physically attend again.

Vibrant Faith Outside the Pews

Nurturing a vibrant faith outside the pews begins with embracing the idea that God is present in every aspect of your life. Look for divine connections in nature, such as the beauty of a sunrise or the tranquility of a forest. Take a moment to appreciate the simple joys that surround you, like the laughter of loved ones or the warmth of a cup of tea. By being content and grateful, you can create a spiritual peace within yourselves,

Always make sure you are engaging in personal bible reading or bible studies as well as maintaining a strong prayer life.   Doing so will keep your relationship with God as close as is possible.  Perhaps a local church has an online community, podcast, or sermon streaming events where you can participate.  When attending a physical church just isn’t possible, it doesn’t mean your relationship with God can’t be strong.  Look for opportunities when God might be leading you to call someone or write a letter or card to someone to encourage them—or sometimes be encouraged yourself.  God can still use you to minister to others even when you can’t leave your home.

Remember, wherever you are, God is with you, guiding and supporting you every step of the way.

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Importance of Faith in Your life

Faith

Godly faith is a powerful force that has the ability to transform our lives in ways we cannot even imagine. It brings us hope, strength, and a sense of purpose. No matter what challenges we face, faith guides us towards a brighter future, filling our hearts with joy and contentment. The important thing is what or who your faith is based upon. Basing our faith in the “world,” is not going to create lasting happiness or even success.  Your faith should be based on a God who never changes and who never fails.  Your life may have its ups and downs; however, having faith in God and His promises will never let you down.

Embracing Faith: A Joyful Journey Towards Strength

Faith is like a beacon of light that guides us through the darkest times. It gives us the strength to face challenges and the courage to persevere. When we have faith, we believe in God watching over us, guiding us towards our true purpose. This belief fills our hearts with a sense of peace and contentment, knowing that we are never alone in our journey. Faith empowers us to embrace life with open arms, to cherish every moment, and to find joy even in the simplest of things.

Having faith in ourselves is equally important. God gives each of us certain talents and gifts and helps us to use those talents and gifts to further Christianity.  When we have faith in God and our God-given abilities, we tap into a wellspring of inner strength that propels us forward. It gives us the confidence to overcome obstacles and the determination to achieve our goals. Faith instills a positive mindset, enabling us to see opportunities where others see only roadblocks. It enables us to push beyond our limits and discover new horizons. With faith, we can conquer our fears and unlock our true potential.

The Power of Belief

Life is full of challenges, and it is during these times that faith becomes a guiding force, transforming the seemingly impossible into miraculous achievements. Faith in God gives us the courage to step outside our comfort zones and embrace uncertainty. Our first instinct may be to go down the path we think is best, and not the path God wants us to pursue.  But having God-given Faith allows us to face our fears head-on and find creative solutions to the obstacles that come our way, with God’s guidance.  With godly faith, we can turn setbacks into opportunities for growth, disappointment into determination, and pain into strength.

Faith also helps us to develop resilience. It teaches us to bounce back from failure and not to be discouraged by temporary setbacks. God often uses these “failures” and growth and learning opportunities for down the road.  In fact, a worldly “failure” may actually be a Godly success when viewed over the long haul.

Godly faith brings us joy, peace, and a deep sense of fulfillment. Embracing godly faith allows us to tap into His strength that empowers us to face challenges head-on and transform them into miracles, all for God’s glory.  So, I encourage you to embark on your godly journey, holding onto faith as your guiding light, and discover the endless possibilities that await you.

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The Necessity of Prayer

Faith

I often think about my Mom who passed away in 2006. I’ve shared this before to many, but my Mom was always a prayer warrior. She suffered from numerous health issues-too many to mention-yet always maintained a strong faith and positive outlook. We had many talks throughout my life about how much she relied on and leaned on prayer for strength. In her case, medically speaking, her faith was the only solid foundation on which she could stand. Everything else in life was like the waves in the ocean, but her faith on God never betrayed her and kept her strong.

What I always admired about her faith was that it was not “hip-pocket” faith. She didn’t pull out the Faith card when things were bad. She didn’t wait until the train rolled off the tracks to finally reach out to God. Her prayer life was every day, whether life was going good or life was going bad. She realized that her relationship with the God who controlled the universe gave her the strength for any situation.

Lately, I’ve been burdened by the significance of prayer in my own life. How I long for the faith of my mom. With life’s busyness and distractions, it is so easy to put God in second, third, or even fourth place. Matthew 22:37 says, in part, to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind.” My relationship with God is directly related to my obedience to His will and is a result of my relationship with God through prayer and reading His Word. I can’t expect to have a close relationship with any human, if I never speak to him/her. Likewise, I can’t expect to have a real and meaningful relationship with Christ, if I never commune with him through prayer.

My challenge to myself this year is to renew my heart through prayer. I want this year to be a fresh start in my prayer life resulting in a closeness that has drifted away. I pray that you’ll join me in improving your own prayer life and strengthening your relationship with God.

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Messy But Happy

Grace

It is no secret that I love working around my house. Whether it be a wood-working project or an outdoor gardening project, I just enjoy the satisfaction of working with my hands and seeing the fruit of my labor. Unfortunately, I tend to get rather dirty and messy when working on these projects. Usually, my clothes are tattered and my hands are filthy. But, I’m happy. Despite the dirtiness, I am in my happy zone and loving every moment of whatever project I am working on.

One of the awesome wonders of Christ is that each of us can have a relationship with Him just as we are. I know many friends personally who feel as if they are not good enough to be a Christian. Perhaps they’ve made bad decisions in their past. Or, maybe they’ve not led the best life to date. I have friends who admittedly avoid Christianity because they don’t think they can uphold or live up to Christian standards. We don’t have to clean-up to accept Christ; instead, we accept Christ and then become a “new person.” He helps us address what needs cleaning-up in our lives and gives us the tools and strengths to do that.

The Bible says, come as you are. Just think a moment about that powerful statement. It doesn’t matter what lifestyle you’ve lived or are living. It doesn’t matter what mistakes you’ve made. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t always done “good” things in your life. It doesn’t matter who your parents are or were. It doesn’t matter if you are ashamed of the career or job you have. The only thing that matters is that you accept Christ as your savior, and believe you are truly a child of God. There is nothing you can do that can truly separate you from God’s love.

People fail us. Institutions fail us. Government fails us. Even churches sometimes fail us. But, God never does. If you feel shame or guilt for the past, don’t led that be a roadblock to your future. Don’t worry about what others may think. I promise you that God is there with open arms ready to welcome you home!

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