A crisis is defined as “a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger.” Whether the crisis is a global one or a personal one, these moments can shake our faith and make us question our beliefs.
“Why did this happen?”
“What do I do now?”
“When is this going to end?”
During a crisis, you may be asking yourself these and similar questions. While you know life is full of ups and downs; sometimes an event occurs that may feel like it’s more than you can handle. We encourage you to strengthen your faith in those moments, not lose it.
At Pathfinders Pastoral Care Ministries, we work to help individuals get through the storm with their faith intact. Below, we are sharing ways to strengthen your faith in times of crisis.
Accept Your Feelings
People respond to a crisis with many feelings - anger, anxiety, self-doubt, or grief. The first step to accepting feelings is to identify and understand your feelings. Unfortunately, we often bury unpleasant feelings – out of sight, out of mind. But, the truth is, burying and ignoring feelings doesn’t address the issue causing them.
It’s important to recognize these feelings and deal with them in positive ways. However, refusing to accept your feelings can cause physical and emotional damage. For example, unaddressed feelings of anxiety can cause trouble sleeping, impact a person’s ability to focus or concentrate, or lead to unhealthy coping habits like excessive drinking.
Turn to Prayer
“One of the hardest things about being human in this broken world is experiencing pain without quick-fix answers and consistent happy endings… No matter how much we want things to be perfect, we live in an imperfect world full of imperfect, even harmful, people (crosswalk.com).”
As Christians, our faith doesn’t rely on the people and circumstances around us but God above us. But God does not manage the world like a puppeteer. Instead, a path to prayer opens up when we let God be the tender, compassionate God of the scriptures.
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." - Psalm 73:26
Even when you don't know how to pray, just pray what is on your heart and know that He is listening. As Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Talk to Someone
Times of crisis can be extremely taxing on us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Sometimes, talking to someone else can help us prioritize our lives. We may not be able to accept our feelings because we don’t truly understand what we are feeling or experiencing. Talking to someone – whether personally or professionally - can help you determine what's important to your faith and what is not.
Creating a lifelong relationship with God takes patience and faith – even in times of crisis. Pathfinders Pastoral Care Ministries is here to help you work through these moments. We encourage you to contact us to learn more.
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