Building Up Your Faith “Muscle”
by Mark Anthony Lord on September 20, 2015 inRecovery Expert Blogs
Recently, someone posed to me this question: “How do I have perfect faith?” Translation: How do I trust when the going gets rough? How do I believe when I can’t seem to pay my bills, find my soul mate, overcome cravings, or I just feel miserable?
What is Faith?
Faith indeed moves mountains. Faith is real – it is of God/higher power, therefore it is inherent within every single human being. There is perfect faith in the spirit of every one of us. The problem is that most of us have not used our faith “muscle” in a way that causes it to grow, become strong and able. Quite the opposite; many have allowed their faith muscle to atrophy and weaken to the point where it cannot be depended upon to do simple acts like bring an easy solution to an immediate need.
The opposite of faith is fear. Most people, instead of saying, “I have faith that this will work out for my good,” immediately use their precious life force energy to worry and doubt. Instead of relaxing and meditating on thoughts such as, Every problem has an immediate solution and I am in that solution right now, struggle, thinking that’s the right thing to do. They have activated the law of hard work, unnecessary worry and control.
Faith, on the other hand, activates the law of least effort, which activates the law of cause-and-effect in your favor. Faith is knowing your life is ultimately good, trusting this Universe is for you and allowing it to reveal the plethora of options that are here right now – you just can’t see them with your human eyes…yet!
How to Strengthen Your Faith Muscle
Want to increase your faith and experience the serenity that living in more trust brings? You can, but it does take practice. Consciously changing the focus of your mind — especially when you feel uncertain and afraid — is hard, but the effort is worth it and you most certainly are!
Here’s the great news: It’s said you only need to have faith the size of a mustard seed (which if you’ve seen one, is really, really small!). I translate that to mean that all you have to do is have an ounce of willingness to ask faith to be ignited within you. Being willing to ask for greater faith is the mustard seed that will allow you to begin to change.
That’s just the first step. After that, you’ve got to become present to the fact that right here, right now, there is a solution to your problem — and don’t give up until it’s revealed to you. Refuse to waiver. Say, “Higher power! Seriously. I need help right now. Tell me where to go, what to do, what to say and make it clear.” Then listen, really hard, for any and every sign.
A few nights ago, I had a really intense experience, an inner message that felt so not of me and yet it was within me. It was super-clear guidance but in a direction I wasn’t sure of. So I woke up the next morning and in my prayers I said, “God, I need a clear sign – a really, really clear sign today that tells me if that guidance was real. I’m not messing around, so don’t you, either.”
That very night, I was at a gathering talking to someone and he said the exact words I needed to hear. It stopped me cold. He was just talking, but I knew — I knew in that very moment that he said what he said for me. You can do the same thing. You can ask for the right sign and it will come.
Remember: Faith is within you and it is already perfect! Affirm this over and over and allow yourself to rest in its perfect truth. You deserve to have a huge faith muscle – but like all muscles, you have to work them so they can grow bigger and stronger.
Keep the faith!
Mark Anthony Lord
Mark Anthony Lord, M.Div, is an expert in the area of spirituality and recovery. He assists people of all paths in awakening to the Spirit within that is deeply personal and greater than any addiction, trauma or fear. He founded the Bodhi Spiritual Center in Chicago and is the author of two books, The Seven Living Words and Thou Shall Not Suffer: 7 Steps to a Life of Joy.His most recent book, Bound by Religion – Freed by Love, will be released in 2016.
Read more from this expert's blog: Spirituality in Recovery