Jean’s Gospel: Durable Faith

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8 Responses

  1. Michael says:

    I’m not sure what to do with this.
    Suffering can produce endurance.
    I’m not at all sure it strengthens faith.
    It also produces exhaustion and and makes hope seem futile outside of bare salvation.

  2. Michael says:

    After years of constant affliction I have faith that God is and He has brought salvation.
    Other than that, I have nothing more than a weary resignation to providence and a glimmer of hope that things may get better…but no real faith that they will.

  3. Jean says:

    Michael,

    I think “strength” can be defined in many different ways. And you may only become aware of your strength looking back on the fact that you persevered in faith through a trial that someone with a weaker faith may have walked away from.

    I don’t have a faith meter, but we’re still here, “limping but blessed,” to borrow a quote from Jurgen Moltmann (alluding to Jacob at the Jabbok River).

  4. Michael says:

    “And you may only become aware of your strength looking back on the fact that you persevered in faith through a trial that someone with a weaker faith may have walked away from.”

    People don’t have the option of walking away from most trials.
    They simply have to suffer under them, and there is no escape.

    I don’t quantify my faith or anyone else’s…there is too much mystery here for me to do so.

  5. Jean says:

    Maybe you misunderstood me. Some afflictions you can walk away from, but others you can’t. However, afflictions can cause a crisis of faith, for Christians with weak faith, sometimes caused by poor catechesis and/or defective doctrine.

  6. Michael says:

    I must be of weak faith…but it’s better than no faith. 🙂

  7. John 20:29 says:

    I have always had a problem with faith… Not belief, as the more I learned of God the more logical He seemed. But the Creator and controller of the Universe (& beyond) could be involved in my day to day comings and goings? A lion noticing an ant…
    BUT ? God is faithful and the fact that I can’t get out of the boat and walk on the water doesn’t change that fact… I kind of fall back on the words of the Apostle and mutter, “tho He slay me, yet will I serve Him..”. Trouble is, I think I hear Him mutter, ” oh, brother! ” … then I confess that He has the Words of life and life has shown me that whatever my circumstances I am totally dependent on Him…

  8. Owen says:

    Michael,

    “After years of constant affliction I have faith that God is and He has brought salvation”.

    I think sometimes that’s the point. You’ve not given up believing in God because of your long-suffered afflictions. You’ve not given up believing that He is still God.

    That sounds like strong faith to me. It just doesn’t feel good at the time. Believe me, my friend, I can relate.
    And I agree with you – I’m not convinced that it strengthens faith, either, at least not mine. I’m more likely to have mine strengthened when I see the results I want…..(not proud of that…)

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