Christian Reflection and Prayer

"Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5).

A popular author and Pastor recalled the day when
a Church-member approached him after the Sunday
service. "I wish I had half as much faith as you," the
member admitted. The clergyman said he felt like
laughing and quickly explained that while he may
serve as Pastor, his faith is at times as rickety as
Doubting Thomas. "Like so many," he said,
"sometimes I find it challenging to maintain any
level of real trust in God, in the church, or in my
own decision to follow Christ." And then he added,
"sadly, living in this insane asylum we call planet
earth is enough to grind the truest believer into
the dust."

An honest yet jarring assessment to which many
of us can no doubt relate. So how do we do it?
How do we keep the faith when it is sometimes
so hard to believe? The pastor continued, "We
believe because we have chosen to believe. We
will never understand all there is about Christian
spirituality, about following Jesus, or how faith is
best expressed in the world. But we do not have
to understand it all. For in believing, we begin the
life-long, eternity-long journey toward understanding.
As we seize with faith the day that is before us,
God opens our eyes to His reality, to see what
actually is."