If you’ve ever had the chance to visit Huntington Beach, California (also known as Surf City U.S.A.), you know that it is one happening place, especially if you appreciate surfing, beach volleyball, and good waves.  I had the pleasure of spending a few days there this past week and I was amazed by how many people actually surf during the day. I kept wondering, do these people ever work? Being there also reminded me of how wonderful God’s creation really is and how Spring, in particular, magnifies this beauty.

Though while enjoying this beauty, I get a phone call out of the blue from a friend letting me know his wife has left him and they are now seperated—this came as a big surprise to me. So at that moment, I was reminded once again that many of us may be going through a hard time right now. There may be a struggle at work, in your marriage, or with a family member. You may be facing a health crisis or a heartbreak. Maybe it’s a relatively calm and peaceful time for you right now. But even when things seem to be going well, things can change quickly, and then the question we have to ask ourselves is, what next? I can say from recent experience, it’s during these hard times that “faith” can help sustain us.

It is important to remember that if we will continually find ways to strengthen or add to our faith, both in good and bad times, we will feel more confident when the “storms of life” hit us.  Let me share two good ways that will help strengthen your faith.

Sprinkle Prayer Through Your Day – Prayer is a way of communicating with God. It helps refocus and recenter our thoughts on good things through the day. I find the more I focus my mind on what is true and right (from God’s perspective if you will), the smaller my problems become:  

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. – Jeremiah 33:3

Dig into the Word – In addition to prayer, I find there is great strength to be gained by reading and understanding the Bible. For me, the more I interact with it, the more I learn from it and the more I can apply it to my own life. And the good news is that I didn’t need a degree to understand it. We were all created by God to learn and express in different ways, so what you do to “dig into the word” may look completely different than what someone else does—there is no ‘one right way’ to connect with God through scripture. Here is a short list of ideas to help you find new ways to connect with God’s word through the day.

• • Download a bible app and start a devotion plan that works with your schedule.
  • Listen to an audio version of your preferred translation of scripture for a few minutes a day.
  • Read one scripture at a time and spend some quiet time meditating on it.
  • Start a journal and work through a book of the Bible, writing down what inspires you.
  • Draw, paint, or sketch scripture in a visually inspiring way.

There are many ways to nourish and strengthen your faith. The important point here is that if you want to have victory in your life, it is important that your faith is strong.

I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below. Did you know that you can get the latest blogs sent right to your inbox? Be encouraged and connect with others in our community through sharing this post and signing up for the latest updates.

Your Virtual Life Mentor,

Doug