I recently watched the movie Ordinary Angels and it struck me so deeply. It’s perfect when you’re in a crisis of faith asking “Does God Exist?”.
The movie is based on a true story about how ordinary people came together to save the life of a little girl needing a liver transplant. But what hits home is the father’s dedication, resilience and desire to do everything in his power to save his daughter. And despite doing everything he can, everything just seemed to go downhill.
Is God Real?
There comes a time in our lives when we feel as though God is absent and has not been listening to our prayers. Oftentimes, His silence happens when we are at our lowest and most difficult times. This leads us to question His purpose and why He allows such terrible things to happen. Worse, we may even turn our backs and lose our faith in God’s existence.
I believe we each go through a crisis of faith on a daily basis and how we deal with it depends on how deep our faith is. Our loss of faith can be triggered by something as simple as an unanswered prayer or things not going the way we wanted or planned. Or it could be a terrible tragedy that takes away some very important people or aspects of our lives.
But what exactly is the crisis of faith and how do we deal with it?
A crisis of faith happens when our belief in God is challenged and can leave us feeling disheartened, lost, alone, confused and isolated. We are filled with doubts and questions why horrible things are happening to us.
This is what happened to the main character in the movie I mentioned above. Ed Schmitt lost his wife and acquired huge medical bills for her hospitalisation. On top of that, his 5-year old daughter was diagnosed with a disease that requires a liver transplant. Bills have piled up, mortgage is overdue and even if he takes several jobs, it’s still not enough. They used to attend the local church but stopped praying and going to church when problems kept piling up. If I may ask, would you also be asking, “Does God exist?” when you’re in a similar situation?
How do I know God is Real?
Doubting and questioning our faith is a normal part of spiritual growth and understanding what it is can help us overcome this dark night of our souls.
First, Understand the Common Triggers
Here are some common triggers that make us doubt our faith in God.
- Personal struggles. A lingering illness, loss of a loved one (especially if due to violence), and financial struggles can lead someone to doubt why God allowed such things to happen.
- Intellectual doubts. Unanswered questions, cognitive dissonance, and lack of sufficient evidence to support religious beliefs can erode confidence in faith.
- Moral dilemma. Seeing hypocrisy in church leaders e.g. going to church or declaring being a devout follower of Christ but doing the opposite of Christ’s teachings, is often a big factor among believers to get discouraged into going to church. Another is experiencing injustices especially from respected and well-known leaders or followers of the church.
- Spiritual dryness or apathy. This usually happens when we go through the same problem over and over and see no way out even if we tried different ways to get over it and prayed and prayed for intercession. We simply become numb, tired or give up hope that seeing it happening to others makes us care less or not at all.
Then Notice the Signs and Symptoms of a Crisis in Faith
It’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms of being in a crisis of faith to be able to understand and seek early intervention. Yeah, aside from asking if God really exists, there are some unnoticed signs and symptoms.
- Emotional turmoil. Feelings of abandonment, anger, depression, disenchantment and confusion are just some of the emotional turmoil one may experience during a crisis of faith. We get angry with God for being silent or allowing our loved ones to die in such a tragic way. We get frustrated and ask why the people with a good heart experience more sufferings than those who are obviously ill-spirited. If we think our faith is a little deeper than others, we are also hurt deeper when all our pleas and prayers seem to fall on deaf ears.
- Questioning beliefs and values. We start questioning our beliefs when we see the wicked hearts seem to be rewarded more richly than us. We see or hear of people with questionable values being promoted or praised at work. We witness businesses such as those involved in drugs earn more than those local farmers who literally work all day to grow food for the community.
- Withdrawal from religious practices. Because we see no reason to believe that our prayers are being heard, we start to veer away from anything that concerns our faith like going to church or even praying.
- Sense of isolation and loneliness. Undergoing disillusionment from our faith will make us feel that nobody will understand so we retreat to a space where we don’t have to deal with other people’s disbelief and misunderstanding, thus, the feeling of isolation and loneliness.
Finally, Learn how to Navigate the Dark Night of the Soul
Experiencing darkness can be a good thing because it allows us to seek the light. Journeying through the darkness also enables us to discover parts of ourselves that we’ve never known before, giving us a deeper understanding of ourselves and bringing to light our connection with a higher power.
As you ask if God is real..
Here are some steps to navigate the dark night of the soul and recover from all the doubts, pains, regrets, and guilt.
Be Honest and Vulnerable
Like any first steps to healing and recovery, we must first acknowledge that there is a problem.
In the Ordinary Angels movie, Ed couldn’t admit that he needed help. Though his mom was helping him by babysitting the girls while he worked, they still couldn’t make ends meet. Meanwhile, his daughter is getting sicker and had to be moved higher in the list looking for a donor. Ed was so down but he kept pushing and trying to do things on his own, not wanting to ask for help.
I share Ed’s sentiment on this part, growing up trying to solve everything on my own without asking for help. But I realized that’s exactly why everything goes downhill, when we refuse to admit that we needed help.
That’s why it’s important to be completely honest with ourselves and to accept our vulnerability.
This crisis of faith is part of our spiritual growth, one that we cannot surpass on our own no matter how strong we may think we are.
- Seeking support and community. There are many organisations that can help you navigate this crisis and you’ll be surprised, you’re not alone asking, “Does God exist?”. If you’re Catholic, there’s the Catholic Relief Services. Different churches also have spiritual counselling programs for their congregants.
- Mentorship. If you are not comfortable joining a support community, you may opt to seek guidance and support from a trusted mentor. It can be a religious leader, a fellow believer or someone with a personal experience similar to what you are going through and is capable of offering wisdom, empathy and encouragement.
- Counselling. Having a counsellor or undergoing counselling can also help you navigate the crisis. A counsellor may be able to give you valuable insights and a different perspective to your situation and may help you see things in a new light. Having someone to listen to, give you encouragement and accountability can help during difficult times.
Know that Doubting if God is Real is NOT a Bad Thing
Doubting our faith is not necessarily a bad thing. It can be a catalyst for a deeper reflection, personal growth and strengthened relationship with our faith.
Doubt can challenge our spiritual beliefs and assumptions, forcing us to examine them more closely and seek deeper understanding.
Doubt also gives us the opportunity to explore different perspectives and beliefs and help broaden our understanding of our faith and its role in our lives.
Having doubts is a normal human experience and embracing our doubts is a sign of honesty and authenticity. It does not necessarily mean loss of faith but a sign that we are actively engaging in our spiritual journey and continuously seeking a deeper understanding of our faith.
Cultivate Patience and Perseverance
Change doesn’t happen overnight and at one flick of a finger. We need to be patient and continue to persevere in looking for answers. We cannot find the answer the question, “Does God Exist?” if we stop actively pursuing it. We may encounter roadblocks and we may choose to face it headstrong or veer away from it but it must not stop us from losing our faith altogether. We must accept our frailty and be more forgiving of ourselves if we stumble and fall.
Rediscover Faith and Hope
Overcoming our crisis of faith can be a challenging journey but here are some steps that can help us renew our faith and hope.
- Regularly Connect with God
- Prayer. It is our direct channel of communication with God and doesn’t require special rituals or actions. It doesn’t even have to be in religious places. You can commune with God anywhere, anytime and you don’t need structured prayers to do it. Any kind of activity that you do as long as you offer it to God is a form of prayer.
- Meditation. Quiet reflections can help you connect with a higher power. You can do yoga, walking meditation, mantras or reflections even when you’re doing something else. Conversing with God while I go about with my chores is my way of meditating.
- Bible or Scripture Study. Reading the Bible can help give you clarity, guidance and comfort. You can do it alone or with a mentor or fellow believer to help you gain new insights and perspectives.
- Ask for Support.
Connecting with others who share your beliefs can provide a sense of belonging and support. There are many faith-based communities out there and different churches have their own support groups. You can also choose a mentor or find a counsellor to help you navigate and overcome this crisis of faith. They can offer tools and techniques and new POVs to shed light on your doubts and answer your questions such as “Is God Real?”.
- Serve Others.
Participating in community activities and doing volunteer work will do wonders for your soul and help you reconnect with your faith. It can give a sense of fulfilment, strengthen your connection with others and give you a new purpose.
- Practice Gratitude.
Being grateful can help you focus on the positive things and being mindful allows you to enjoy the blessings of the moment.
- Seek Professional Help.
Talking with a religious leader can help you find guidance and comfort if you are struggling with your faith. A therapist or counsellor can help you explore your doubts and offer strategies to help you cope.
Embrace the Power of Forgiveness.
It’s been said often enough that forgiveness is not solely for the offender but more for the person who does the forgiving. Forgiveness sets you free from the heavy burdens of hatred, anger and resentment and opens up space for more blessings.
If you find yourself astray from the right path time and time again, don’t be too hard on yourself. Even the strongest people fall but their true strength comes from getting back up again.
Forgive yourself for your frailty, vulnerability and weakness and don’t stop there. Love every process of your journey to rediscovering your relationship with God.
So, Does God Truly Exist?
Our spiritual journey will always be filled with challenges, some more than others. It is important to acknowledge our vulnerability and be honest with ourselves when we come face to face with doubts about God’s purpose in our lives.
In the same movie, Ordinary Angels, help for Ed’s family came from an alcoholic woman who happened to read about the little girl’s need for a liver transplant. Having a troubled relationship with her own son, she thought she found a way of redeeming herself by doing everything she can to help Ed’s family even when they don’t know each other. But like Ed, she was also reluctant to ask help about her addiction. In a way, brokenness has brought them together but the desire to help is stronger. She was able to move not just her community but a whole nation to help.
So, ask me again, “Does God truly exist?”. It may not be obvious but if you open your eyes, you’ll be surprised how He is working for you.
Challenges can be tests of how deeply we trust God and some may be circumstances brought about by choices we made.
But remember, if you believe and trust in Him, He will find ways to turn your misfortunes into blessings. Ed’s family’s misfortunes had been the saving grace for the woman who moved mountains to help them and inspired a whole community to take action. When his oldest daughter asked him if he is mad at God for everything that’s happening in their family, his daughter somehow showed him that she understands. Her innocent conversations with God at the cemetery moved his father to go to church with his family again.
God uses people and circumstances to bring us back to Him. But sometimes, we are too stubborn and focused on our pain that we totally ignore what He’s doing. Our pride keeps us from seeking Him because we think that He’s not listening. But He is there and will never abandon us. We just need to believe, trust and surrender to Him and in the chaos, learn to be still and know that He is God.
