Do I have faith?

[Anonymous]

the more i read into christianity and i am a christian at least i believe i do sin i know this and i ask god for forgiveness but i have read recently the only way to heaven is faith in jesus and since i have had a crisis i think it could be my own mind fooling me but i keep hearing the same thought “ do you believe truly? will god still love you for not believing? “ and since then i have been kinda afraid i can’t be sure i believe cause it isn’t something physical but everytime i am afraid or powerless or need help or protection i pray to jesus for both myself and my loved ones every time i feel scared i turn to god for help cause i believe he is the only one who has power to change it but i still keep hearing the same voice is this myself? the devil? god? i am unsure and would like to seek advice from someone who may have experienced this or overcome this or just might have an idea of what i’m going through i have repented and sinned again which i feel guilt for and i fear that god will stop loving me for my actions or thoughts and i will be doomed what is y’all’s opinion and thanks for taking the time to help me

[Oliverlogan263]

Hey man, I totally get where you're coming from. Questioning your faith is super common, don't even sweat it. God knows your heart.

It sounds like even when you doubt, your first instinct is still to turn to Jesus in prayer - and that's huge, dude! Like just the fact that you WANT to believe is half the battle.

As for hearing voices, I wouldn't worry too much as long as they're not telling you to do bad stuff. Probably just your own nerves/anxiety talking. Even Jesus got tempted in the desert!

And sinning again doesn't mean God stopped loving you, bro. That's what grace is all about. As long as you keep trying your best and saying sorry, you're golden.

The road to faith isn't always a straight line. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, reading your Bible, and praying for clarity. God believes in you man - start believing in yourself! You got this.

Let me know if any other questions come up. But try not to stress - faith is a journey, not always clear cut. God's got you no matter what.

[BCRanger10]

Faith, like love, is something you choose. Faith is the entrusting of the mind to the word of another and stems from the truthfulness of the other. It's not being gullible or anything silly like that. It's a gift, something given to you with love via someone else, be it your parents, a friend, or even personal experience and study. But faith itself, that which we believe, is a gift from God. It is a gift of love. With that established, it sounds like you're more dealing with a crisis of love than faith. Regardless, may I recommend that you read Saint Francis de Sales' Introduction to the Devout Life and Thomas a Kempis' Imitation of Christ? Those might be good resources for you.

[jennifer_bloom]

The bible says that it is not who pray to Jesus that are saved but those who do the will of the father of Jesus, the God of the bible. To pray to Jesus is to verbally testify about his death and rely on it. And to do the will of God is to live a humble and modest and compassionate lifestyle free of pride and ego and hate. The bible also says that if you struggle with impurity that kindness towards the needy will clean you up inside. But the Chinese say that charity is not giving a bone to a dog but sharing a bone with a dog. Meaning, the highest charity you can practice is not money giving but social acceptance, respect and time tolerance towards the needy or financially unprofitable in the secrecy of modesty and unselfish quietness.

[IslaTheWitch]

I always wonder... why faith cause so much stress and anxiety? Does it really help in the everyday life?

Can't you simply accept that your faith is good enough and enjoy your life?

[Asker]

didn’t think of it that way that jesus accepts my efforts and doesn’t have a passing grade type of mentality lol

[IslaTheWitch]

The Bible says God is loving and forgiving... so where is the problem? You have to put an effort into your faith... but ffs... don't ruin your mental health for that...

[OtterMan68]

you should talk to a priest or pastor about this.
God loves his children. God rewards us for our behavior as he spells out in Matthew 25:31-46.
Have faith in the Lord.
Love God.
Keep asking forgiveness for your sins.
Preach the Gospel at all times: if necessary, use words.

[strateguy632]

faith is a decision. nothing to doubt. if you chose to reject you chose. if you chose to believe then that is enough.