In These Troubling Times, Is It Easy to Believe in God?

Religion and faith have always been deeply personal yet universally complex topics. For many, faith is something they wrestle with, especially when life presents significant challenges. Given the state of the world today, it’s understandable why many people lose faith in God. With so much suffering and hardship, a natural question arises: Does God truly exist?

In this article, we’ll delve into the nature of faith, why it can be difficult to maintain during trying times, and explore ways to nurture belief despite the suffering and turmoil around us.

Who Is God?

For billions of people worldwide, God represents love, hope, guidance, and the ultimate source of creation. However, God is not a universally defined concept. Different cultures and religions interpret God in various ways. Simply put, God can be viewed as a spiritual being who governs the universe, a figure people look to for support and guidance.

When faced with challenges, this notion of God can become complicated. How can we reconcile an all-powerful, loving God with the existence of pain and suffering in the world? For many, this tension leads to doubt, pushing them to question their faith in moments of crisis.

What Is Happening in the World Right Now?

Before we explore the difficulty of believing in God, we must acknowledge the realities that cause many to struggle with their faith. The suffering and chaos we see around us contribute to this crisis of belief.

In today’s world, challenges like financial instability, rising inflation, poverty, crime, and lack of access to healthcare leave many feeling overwhelmed. Families are struggling to make ends meet, wages remain stagnant, and violence continues to plague many communities. When faced with these immense struggles, it’s natural to ask: Where is God in all of this?

Is It Easy to Believe in God?

The truth is, it’s not easy—especially when the image of God is one who should intervene in every hardship. In difficult times, faith can feel fragile or out of reach. However, the difficulty of believing doesn’t mean that faith is unimportant or impossible.

One of the reasons it’s hard to believe in God during trying times is that people often see God as a figure who should control outcomes—removing all suffering and hardship. But, in most religious teachings, God is not about control; God is about guidance.

God, as understood in many faiths, provides a moral compass—a guide for navigating life’s challenges. However, God also grants humans free will, allowing them to make their own choices. Sometimes, suffering is a direct consequence of poor or harmful decisions made by individuals or societies. Therefore, God’s role is not to eliminate suffering entirely but to guide us toward healing, compassion, and love.

How to Keep Faith in Difficult Times

Maintaining faith when faced with hardship is undeniably challenging. You may question your beliefs, feel distant from God, or even wonder if faith is worth holding on to. Yet, faith itself is a journey—one that often involves questioning, wrestling with doubts, and seeking personal understanding.

Here are some steps you can take to keep your faith alive:

• Redefine Your Relationship with God: Reflect on what God means to you. Is God a source of strength in tough times, or a guiding light through challenges? By focusing on how God influences your life personally, you may renew your connection to faith.
• Acknowledge Doubt as Part of Faith: Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it’s often a part of it. A healthy relationship with faith includes moments of questioning and seeking deeper understanding.
• Seek Community Support: Engaging with others who share similar beliefs can provide comfort and help you navigate moments of doubt. Faith communities often offer support through shared experiences and perspectives.
• Look for Meaning in Suffering: While suffering is painful, it can also be a time for growth. Faith can help provide meaning and purpose during hardship, encouraging resilience and compassion.

The Takeaway

Believing in God during troubling times is far from easy, especially when faced with overwhelming suffering and hardship. Yet, faith isn’t about having all the answers or living without struggle. It’s about holding onto hope, even when life feels uncertain or painful.

Faith offers a deeper sense of purpose, helping us navigate life’s challenges with compassion, strength, and meaning. So, ask yourself: Who is God to me? Defining this can be the key to holding on to your faith—even when the world tests it the most.