I’ve been thinking on faith and our journey on its road. Faith is defined in Hebrews 11 as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Of course, it’s not always that simple for us. We are both saint and sinner, believer and skeptic.

We sometimes stumble while walking along the path. The many pebbles of our world throw off our balance – losses of loved ones that feel too soon, tragedies that happen throughout the world, people using the Bible as a weapon for hate. 

There are also the potholes that we can see coming – persistent questions and doubts concerning our faith. We can help smooth our journey by finding ways to fill these potholes. If there is a passage in the Bible that you’re having difficulty rectifying with your faith, ask your pastor for help parsing it and adding context to it. Make sure the answer resonates with you; the point is to quell those doubts, not make them worse. 

When we stumble, we may even lose our footing so badly that we fall, and we might have to lie there a bit, to process the pain, to rest, to regain our bearings. Whether we fall or stumble, don’t be ashamed. The Lord is abundant in forgiveness, patience, and love. Jesus will wait for us, no matter how long we may need, to continue our walk beside him.