Top Three Reasons I’m a Failure at Faith

This week’s discussion topic is faith and so if you don’t mind, I want to share with you the top three reasons I’m a failure at faith.

1. I think/feel the wrong things. I’ve known God and heard the Bible preached my entire life. I’m no theological genius, but I think I have a decent grip on the Truth. But as much as I know that God is in control, I still worry about the tiniest things. I’m aware that the Bible says that God cares about me even more than the sparrows of the field, yet most days, I feel inferior and insecure. I was created in God’s image and He sees me without spot or blemish, yet many days when I look in the mirror, I cringe at what I see. I know I’m supposed to forgive, but occasionally, I find myself holding grudges anyway. (Okay, I gotta quit now. I do have a word limit and space constraint here.)
2. I say the wrong things. Most of the time I mean well, but sometimes, the stupidest, shallowest, most thoughtless and uncompassionate words come flying out of my mouth before I can even stop them. And I say I’m bilingual (Spanish and English) but in reality, I speak sarcasm most fluent of all—especially when I’m offended, defensive, or heck, any other time it’s convenient. Sometimes, I talk like I know it all. I don’t. And sometimes, I just talk to fill the silence because I’m afraid if I don’t, people will realize that I don’t have all the answers. But I don’t have all the answers!
3. I do the wrong things. I get my priorities so screwed up. I go where I shouldn’t go. I don’t go where I should go. I step back when I should be stepping up. I step in when I should be getting out of the way. I hide when I should fight. I fight when I should love. I run when I should be still. I sit paralyzed when I should be up doing what needs to be done.

Have I convinced you yet that I’m a total failure at faith?

I am. We all are. I’m sorry if that offends you, but it’s true. In case you don’t believe me, let’s look at some others’ opinions.

“The main thing we learn from a serious attempt to practice the Christian virtues is that we fail.” (Lewis, 125)

“Sin renders us incapable of doing what God has ordained us to do. It’s not just that I don’t want to do God’s will, or that I think my way is better, it’s that even when I have the right intentions, I can’t pull it off. I always fall short of God’s standard.” (from Paul David Tripp’s Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, P&R Publishing, p. 15)

Apostle Paul agreed, too:

“For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” (from Romans 7)

So, if we’re all a bunch of faithless failures, what the heck are we going to do?

1. Fail.
2. Recognize our need for God.
3. Ask His forgiveness.
4. Receive His forgiveness.
5. Try again—this time, with a little more of Him in us, to help us.
6. Fail again—but this time, it will probably be a little less ugly.
7. Ask His forgiveness.
8. Receive His forgiveness.
9. Try again…

And remember—He doesn’t expect perfection, He just asks us to keep holding His hand and trying again. That’s faith in action.

This post is part of the regularly-scheduled book discussion my friend, Jason, and I co-facilitate each Wednesday. We are currently discussing CS Lewis’ classic book, Mere Christianity. We invite you to come along whether you’ve done the reading or not. All comments are welcome. And if you’ve written a response to this chapter on your own blog, please feel free to link your post via the link widget below. Thanks for coming by! You are always welcome!