Faith in Difficult Times

Johanna Stamps ponders our need to do more than appreciate our faith: we must wear it, especially in the difficult times.

The other day, a friend of mine made a beautiful proclamation: “Johanna, I don’t want my faith to be like a beautiful flower on a dining room table—something you appreciate as you pass by. I want my faith to be like the clothes I wear.”

Sometimes, people say things, and I can’t help but to self-evaluate. How do I know if I’m wearing my faith or just appreciating it?

Once I have an idea that needs to be embraced, it’s like stepping stones begin to light up along the path. This happening was no different.

The morning after my friend shared her idea, this Scripture was in my daily readings:

For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  (Galatians 3:26-27)

I’m sure I’ve read this before, but the words just began to jump off the page. Paul was grappling with the same concept a millennia ago that I was debating today.

Then, in our weekly Grief Group that Wednesday, we got to a chapter that seemed fundamental to answering the question about displaying faith that swirled in my mind. The essence of the conversation was that the word faith is often synonymous with the word believe. We think that belief is enough. We pray for our friends walking through a difficult time: “Please, let them just believe in God.”

Believe—Acknowledge—Appreciate

But faith is so much more than believing. It’s practicing what you feel in your heart.

In the Grief Group, the conversation led to the realization that faith is more closely synonymous with trust. More than believing, faith is surrender. Faith is saying, “My life is complicated right now, and I can’t do this, but you can. I’m going to take my hands off.”

Faith feels like putting on a jacket that gives me protection and animates my direction. For me, it’s the tank top I wear under my sweater. It isn’t clothing for someone else to see but for me to put into action.

Click to tweet:
Faith is so much more than believing. It’s practicing what you feel in your heart. #catholicmom

What does your faith look like today? What would it look like to wear your faith? What would a faith jacket feel like when you’re going through a dark moment?

Copyright 2022 Johanna Stamps
Images: copyright 2022 Johanna Stamps, all rights reserved.