Ways to Strengthen Your Faith

We all experience a down low on faith. These are those moment when doubts fill our hearts, causing us to loosen our grip on the Lord. These are episodes in our lives which we have control over. We can either fight the second thoughts about our faith or let it overpower us and jeopardize our relationship with God. On the other hand, we all know that the best way to go in the face of such situations is to hold on and never let go of our belief.

If you feel like losing the zeal for your spirituality lately, do not fret. To help you strengthen the shaky foundations of your faith, I have listed some tips that you can consider.

1. Pray.
Praying is the foremost form of communication with the Lord. It is constant communication that saves any relationship, and with God, the same rule applies. In your prayers, thank Him for all the blessings He has bestowed upon you. Do not forget to surrender to Him all your doubts and troubles. Let Him take the wheel of your life. Most importantly, ask Him for strength to go on living your faith.

2. Read the Bible for inspiration.
The Bible is a compilation of God’s works, words, and wonders. The only way you could strengthen your faith in something and someone is by knowing more of Him. By reading the Bible, you would know about God and His promises to those who believe in Him.

3. Be in the company of good people.
Being around good and positive people also helps in keeping your faith in tact. They could provide you with the moral boost you need to go on and live your faith. Have you ever noticed how being around negative people bring you down? Yes, it is sometimes that environment and the people around us that cause us to sin and doubt the power of the Lord. Being with good people fuels your drive to follow the path of Christ.

Faith requires work. May God give us strength to work on our faith.

Inspiration I get from Reading Christian Magazines

I have been an ardent reader since the 3rd grade and this I have to say, is one of the greatest habits I have ever tried in my life. Reading has helped me veer away from vices and other worldly activities that could potentially destroy my promise to fulfill my covenant with God. There was a time in my life when I could consume a box of cigarettes a day, which did not only endangered my health but also my chance to lead a more righteous path in life. To ward off the thought and finally quit smoking, I surrounded myself with inspirational materials to read like Christian magazines and of course the Bible. Reading these materials not only helped me get myself preoccupied but also thought me important lessons or two about life.

Here are some of the things I gained from reading Christian magazines.

1. Take good care of your health. – Christian magazine do not only focus on spirituality. More than citing inspirational Bible verses, these materials also emphasize the importance of health in fulfilling our covenant to Heavenly Father. By reading such magazines, I was reoriented on how relevant my overall well-being was to take on the role of a true Christian. My body is a temple, which God gave to me to care off, not to tarnish. This is one of the strongest motivations to quit smoking.
2. Accept yourself for who you are. – Our worldly society often dictates a twisted view of physical beauty. Because of the pressures of media and the people around us, we are forced to fit into a certain kind of mind frame that puts so much focus on appearances. This frame of mind forces a lot of people to alter their bodies that God has given them. They undergo cosmetic surgeries or worst, starve themselves to death just to look thin and fabulous. In the end, they still do not find peace and contentment. Why? Because no matter how many surgeries they go through, if they cannot find the heart to fully accept themselves for who they are, accept God as their creator and savior, and love God and themselves, they would never find the peace of mind they are looking for.
3. Strengthen your faith in God – A Christian magazine’s prime purpose is to inspire people to hold on to their faith in God. Through stories of real people and testimonies of other Christians, readers are more encouraged to remain strong in standing up for their belief.
   

If you ever feel like your faith is dwindling or when temptations get the best of you, do not resort to holing up in your room or giving in to the calls of temptations. Instead, surround yourself with positivism. Christian magazines, devotionals, and of course the Bible are a great sources of inspiration that could give you that needed spiritual boost you need to keep on walking the path of righteousness.

Ms. California’s Controversy

Hilton asked Miss California's Carrie Prejean her thoughts about legalizing gay marriage during the Miss USA 2009 pageant, Prejean answered:

“I think it's great Americans are able to choose one or the other," she said. "We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what in my country, in my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody there, but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be, between a man and a woman."

(Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Television/Story?id=7381893&page=1)

Miss California, Carrie Prejean is disappointed when she didn't win the Miss USA pageant after she answered the question about same sex marriage. Although, many were disappointed with her answer she still says that she's proud because “she stayed true to her beliefs and wouldn't change the response – even though she believes it cost her the crown” (Lauren Johnston of Daily News ).

With broad perspectives and liberated understanding of men today, some people of America are somehow disgusted with Ms. Prejean’s answer. Many were calling her as a “disappointing opportunistic” but I believe that Ms. Prejean is right about what she’s saying. The Bible said unto us that we should not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; for that is detestable (Leviticus 18:22)”. Ms. Prejean is just applying the teachings of the church with her perspectives in life. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) also defends Ms. Prejean’s innocence and statement, they said that she’s not an opportunistic woman with hidden agendas; it’s the pageant that made a disrespectful act with Ms. Prejean’s statement. Ms. Gallaher, the president of NOM, also added that “Carrie Prejean is a young woman of courage who chose truth over the Miss USA tiara.”

Now, Ms. Prejean is standing for an anti-gay marriage ad sponsored by National Organization for Marriage. She said that she was attacked for giving her own opinion on stage but she will still go for what she stands for, “to protect marriage whatever it takes”. Even though a lot of people brought her down, Prejean is still one of those brave hearts who still believe in the sanctity of marriage. She chose to outshine her glory for the sake of truth.