Heathly or Unhealthy faith?

The Religaholic

Running from life is the everyday reality of the religaholic. In our fear of living forever in our pain or being overwhelmed by it we often run into the nearest type of relief available - even unhealthy faith.

To some the religaholic will look good. They are at every church function, preaching to all they meet. They look like the perfect Christian in all their works. Inside they have a poor self-image and don't feel worthy of God's love. They experience the thrill of being valued by others but don't feel valued in themselves.

They may admonish those they don't feel are walking right with God (to their standards). They may berate their friends and relatives for rebelliousness against God. They will bash and shame people into doing things their way. They may constantly demean and condemn those who don't measure up. Just like a substance-abuse addict they will blame everyone and everything else for their problems and rather than face them. They may even decide to turn their back on those they don't feel measure up to their standards in an attempt to not face themselves.

The unhealthy faith becomes entrapped and enmeshed in an unhealthy involvement in church and church life. Convictions become addictions and the pains of life are eased with excess activity. Rather than becoming dependent on God the person is dependent upon work and the comfort they experience when they become too involved to have to cope with their problems. The peace they find is not the peace of God by the peace that comes from the numbness of avoidance.

Worship and praising God is a wonderful experience. However those who have an unhealthy faith will use this to achieve emotional highs and these highs become the focus of the experience rather than God being the focus. Rather than bringing them closer to God this type of experience only serves to further alienate them from God because they can only feel good when they are having the emotional high and there is nothing in between.

The Freedom Of Healthy Faith

A healthy faith leads to growth and maturity. We are able to stand firm knowing that God will see us through. We can face the storms and grow in the process. A healthy faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.

Healthy faith has a respect for others. It doesn't attack the faith of others out of insecurity. With security dependent upon God there is no need to feel threatened. Different viewpoints can be seen as the result of different people at different places in their faith walk. People of different denominations or even differing factions within a denomination will not be perceived as the enemy in a healthy faith system.

When faith reaches this level in frees us to serve God more fully.

This freedom moves us to serve others rather than working to serve ourselves and our own needs. Where healthy faith exists the needs of others are met. The widow and orphan is cared for; the hungry are fed; the disabled to helped; the sick are visited.

This healthy faith also gives us the freedom to be vulnerable. Being vulnerable means being real. Healthy faith frees us to come out of hiding and share ourselves with others. Healthy faith leads to trusting God, others and ourselves.