Have A Lil' Faith.
On weathering the storms.
ONE of the antagonists of faith is the element of doubt.
If I am honest, I was nervous to start writing this post.
In some instances, speaking about faith, especially from a Christian perspective, is tricky.
Let’s get this out of the way: I am no theologian. At least, at this point, I am a pure seeker of the Word.
I am, however, interested in the intersections of mental health, masculinity, and Christianity. Things that seem to have a difficult reputation among observers and believers alike.
As the world continues to rotate in the fashion we are accustomed to, we have to reckon with ourselves that when it comes to faith, we can’t be scared. People will always have their views, of course.
I am not an ignorant person. In the literal sense of the word, lacking knowledge or awareness in general, uneducated or unsophisticated.
No, I am curious. I spent a lot of time in various worldviews before landing here. Now, as I begin my exploration of mental health through the lens of Christ, the Bible, and the subcategory of masculinity, I would love you to join me.
Take it or leave it - this is where we are.
Storms.
From talking to friends while writing my book, I explored a conversation around doubt, worry, and anxiety. This manifestation of self-doubt was prevalent in my life before I came to Christ, and is evident thereafter, but with a new perspective, because I ultimately had no confidence in myself, nor my abilities.
That wasn’t what was expected of men, was it? To be low in confidence? These were questions I asked myself daily. If you look closely at the patterns of the world, it seems as if self-doubt is à la mode.
Because who among us hasn’t experienced feelings of worry and self-doubt? This isn’t a question about whether it’s right or wrong to feel these things, but I’m asking you, and myself, whether it’s conducive that we stay there.
At the time of writing the book, I came across a woman who was a world-class rower.
During the talk, the woman told us about her experiences rowing across the Atlantic Ocean with her team. She painted a vivid picture of the trials they had faced, including how the boat had overturned among the violent waves and unforgiving winds, and how they had to salvage the situation.
To be honest, I was in awe at the mere idea of having to face such a life-threatening situation. She explained, however, that the trick to overcoming the obstacles, achieving the goal at hand, was to embrace the storms rather than in any way resist or shy away from them.
Self-Doubt
In the Bible, the disciples found themselves in an unfamiliar storm. Jesus was not exempt from this storm, though He slept very calmly. But this storm rattled the disciples. They were seasoned fishermen who were accustomed to the ways of the water, yet they became fearful for their lives.
The evening had turned into night, and now it was dark around them. Jesus is still resting. The anxiety that takes hold of the disciples is not welcome where the Saviour dwells - He is at peace.
They woke him and said, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ (Mark 4:38, NKJV). A valid question. Storms are pushing the boat from side to side, and the fear and dread, and they ask Jesus this. They question His care in the matter, not his capacity to rescue them.
Why doesn’t He just step in and stop the storm? I mean, He can, so why doesn’t He?
Have you ever thought like this, though? You sit back in your boat as you watch the storms around you happen.
This might look like…
You see the debt bills rising.
You are worrying about how you’re going to eat next week.
That job you hate, you don’t know how long you can cope.
The relationship you thought was going somewhere is not going anywhere.
Your family members are struggling with their health.
The list could go on, but where your storm is, Jesus is the calm. You wake Him up and pray, Do you not feel this boat rocking? Why are you watching me struggle?
While you know that God can do anything, you believe that He is all-powerful and all-knowing, but He hasn’t acted immediately. Why doesn’t he bring the storm to an end?
Your evening has turned into night, and this darkness of anxiety and fear has taken up camp in your heart. You sit back and ask: ‘Does He even care?’
The reprieve? He got up.
Have you ever appealed to your parent when you were scared, and then when they made a move to end the terror, you knew something was going to change, because we have faith in our parents.
Jesus got up. Something significant was going to happen. He looks at the wind and the waves that are designed to destroy His friends, and uses three words that make all the difference.
“Peace, be still.”
The peace that in the heart of Christ was transferred to the circumstances that surrounded Him and the storm was stilled. The sea became smooth. The journey became doable.
He then said:
Why are you so fearful?
How is it that you have no faith?
Mark 4:40
Back to the boat story.
Was she tired or frightened at times? Did she have moments of worry and doubt?
Of course, she did. But she knew that she was going to be okay.
Whether she was a Christian or not, I can’t remember. However, the conversation remains the same. She explained that she believed that she could do this and was going to get this boat back on track and complete the task at hand.
By neither frantically resisting nor dwelling on the doubts, worries, and fears, and instead just letting them pass by and focusing on the positive, she could find the much-needed calm among the chaos.
The more I thought about this, the more I realised how important it is to seek Jesus in these times.
While it’s healthy to acknowledge the storm, can we name it? As believers, we can pray through the storm, we can journal, but can we name what’s going on in the storm?
Have a lil’ faith.
It will turn around in the end.
If you are a man who is looking for a community to work through the Bible, discuss faith and mental health - get in touch.
I have a community that meets each Monday at 8.30 pm (BST) on Zoom.
It would be good to have you.
Alex