Faith Does Not Negate Reality

You can trust God and still admit that you're tired.

You can have faith and still acknowledge that something hurts.

You can believe God is able and still recognize that what you are dealing with right now is difficult.

Somewhere along the way, many of us learned to treat faith like denial. We thought being spiritual meant never admitting that we were discouraged, overwhelmed, disappointed, sick, afraid, or simply having a difficult day.

But I have had to learn something:

Faith does not negate reality.

We don't practice denial over here.

Faith is not pretending something isn't happening. Faith is what helps me deal with what is happening.

Faith Gives You a Way to Approach Reality

There is a difference between acknowledging reality and surrendering to it.

If I am tired, I can admit I'm tired.

If I'm hurting, I can acknowledge that I'm hurting.

If I need help, I can say I need help.

None of that means I stopped trusting God.

In fact, sometimes honesty is the beginning of real faith.

Faith says, This is where I am, God. Now help me know how to walk through it.

That is different from looking at something painful and acting like it does not exist because we are afraid that admitting the truth will somehow make us less spiritual.

It won't.

The goal of faith is not to make you disconnected from reality.

The goal is to help you face reality differently.

Spirituality Is About Staying Connected

Here's another thing I had to learn.

Spirituality is not about always staying on top.

Spirituality is about staying connected.

I stay connected to God when things are going well.

I stay connected when I am in a valley.

I stay connected when I don't understand what is happening.

I stay connected when I am strong, and I stay connected when I have to admit, Today, I'm not doing as well as I normally do.

That connection is what helps me navigate the humanity of my life.

You don't stop being human because you love God.

You still have emotions.

You still get tired.

You still experience disappointment.

You still have moments when life does not make sense.

Faith helps us bring those moments into our relationship with God instead of pretending they do not exist.

Jesus Didn't Pretend the Moment Was Easy

Look at Jesus in the garden before the crucifixion.

He knew His purpose.

He knew what He came to do.

But when the reality of what was ahead became present, He expressed what He was feeling.

He essentially prayed, If there is another way, let this cup pass from Me.

And then came the surrender:

Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done.

There is something powerful in that.

Jesus did not deny the reality of the moment in order to prove His faith.

He acknowledged the weight of it and remained surrendered to God through it.

Sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to do the same.

Faith Is Not Escapism

Faith was never designed to help us avoid life.

Prayer is not escapism.

Worship is not escapism.

Going to church is not escapism.

Reading Scripture is not supposed to become a way of hiding from the things we actually need to confront.

Our relationship with God should give us direction, wisdom, strength, and courage to deal with life head-on.

That is why Scripture tells us to put on the whole armor of God.

You don't put armor on because there will never be a battle.

You put armor on because challenges will come, and you want to be able to stand when they do.

You Can Have Faith and Still Be Honest

So maybe today you need to stop pretending.

Maybe you're tired.

Maybe you're disappointed.

Maybe something hurts.

Maybe you're believing God while also wondering how everything is going to work out.

Own the reality.

Then bring your faith into it.

Because faith does not require you to lie about where you are.

Faith gives you the strength to face where you are while trusting that where you are is not necessarily where you will remain.

Stay connected. Stay honest. And keep moving forward.

We are doing life together.