It can be difficult to see a friend or a loved one struggle with their faith; however, a lapse in faith is normal for many people. Instead of chastising someone going through a difficult time, it is vital to provide support through the confusion. These are some tips to help someone struggling with their faith renew their sense of closeness with their beliefs and come out stronger.
How to Help Them Dig Deeper
Anyone struggling with their faith can use this time to ask questions. Many people mistakenly try to ignore or quietly contemplate their struggle in their faith out of shame. Instead, people can help those struggling by getting them to ask questions and seek answers. They can do this through independent study, group study, and seeking counsel from church leaders. Encouraging a loved one to engage in this can help them come out of their struggle stronger in their faith.
How to Help Them Accept the Unknown
Just like philosophy and science, religion cannot tell people all of the answers. God has not divulged all for humans to understand. Some questions do not have answers, and many answers that people espouse are open to interpretation. This time is when faith comes in handy. Accepting that people cannot prove that there is a God or that their beliefs are necessarily true is a part of the faith journey. When people do not have cold, hard facts, they realize the importance of their faith when they choose to believe anyway. Reminding people of this is key.
How to Help Them through Prayer
Research shows that prayer facilitates deep contemplation and releases the hormone oxytocin that increases people's attachment. This makes prayer an excellent way to help someone through a struggle with their faith, as it adds the connection to their community with their independent search for their truth. Instead of a short prayer asking for guidance, people can set aside larger amounts of time to pray about their doubts and why. Doing this with others can then strengthen community bonds.
Going through a crisis in faith is normal. Moreover, questioning one’s faith is an effective way of making it stronger. Anyone can help their loved one come out of a faith crisis stronger by following these simple tips.
