I have trouble at times believing God is real
Question:
Hi,
I'm quite young (13) and I have been struggling with my faith a lot. It's kind of hard to explain so I'll try to put it simply. I want to believe in God but I am having trouble at the moment believing God is real. Just a few days ago, I was strongly praying, singing hymns, and going to church, but a few days later, I started doubting if God and the Bible are real. Now I'm afraid I'll go to hell, but then my mind shifts, and I think it's not real and neither is God. So I pray, but I'm afraid He won't answer because I'm so skeptical. I don't want to tell my parents because they are dealing with my brother, thinking he's an atheist, so I don't want to cause trouble, but I'm afraid God won't help me. Please pray for me.
Answer:
You are confusing your feelings, which change constantly, for faith. Faith isn't a feeling. It is the conclusion you draw from the evidence that you've examined. You and I weren't there when Jesus walked the earth, but we can read the accounts of people who were there. From those records, we can draw conclusions about the accuracy of their testimonies and whether what they had seen is true or not. This is what the writer of Hebrews meant when he said, "Now faith is ... the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). But to have faith, we have to know what we believe in. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). Thus, because you have examined what the Bible says ("hearing"), you become convinced about the things that you have not personally witnessed.
This isn't unusual or mystical. I've never met George Washington, even though I'm old. Yet, I have read enough about the man that I'm convinced that he lived and did various things.
The same thing is true regarding the Bible. I've read the accounts. I've checked historical facts and find that they match the records of the Bible. While I know the Bible was written over a 1,500 year period, I find the message of the various authors extremely consistent -- more consistent than any other book I've read that is written by multiple independent authors. I added up the information and conclude that the Bible is accurate.
Despite your doubts, you are saying you still believe the Bible is true. If you didn't, you would have no fear of hell. You wouldn't be bothering to pray to God. You would not be concerned about whether God heard your prayers. Thus, while your feelings are off at times, your reasoning has remained consistent.
