My Answer

Q: Sometimes I feel like God is very close to me, but then something happens and I begin wondering if He's even there. I wish my faith wasn't so up and down, but it is. Am I always going to be this way?

A: No, you don’t always need to be this way—because God doesn’t want you to be this way! In fact, He has given you everything you need to strengthen your faith and help you know He is with you every moment of the day.

Let me explain it this way. I note from your email that you are married—but how do you know? You know you are married because at one point in your life you and your husband said “I do”—in other words, you made a firm commitment to accept each other and be united to each other. From that point on you were linked together in marriage.

And the same is true with God. You may believe in Him … you may even feel His presence from time to time … but have you ever decisively committed your life to Jesus Christ and welcomed Him into your life? By a simple prayer of faith you can commit your life to Him today—and I pray you will. Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).

Then take steps to strengthen your relationship with Christ. Just as your relationship with your husband has grown over the years, so too should your relationship with God. And it will, as you get involved in a church where Christ is preached and lived, and as you pray and learn from the Bible every day. The Bible says, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17).

Q: Do you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist? I admit I’m a pessimist, because I don’t see much hope of the world ever getting any better. Do you?

A: If I only looked at what is happening in the world today (or for that matter, what’s happened throughout history) then I too would be a pessimist. The writer of Ecclesiastes in the Bible put it this way: “What has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

But I am not a pessimist—and the reason is because I’ve read the last chapters of the Bible! The future is in God’s hands, and some day He will intervene and all the evil and heartache we presently experience will come to an end. Jesus Christ will return to establish His kingdom, and He will rule the world in perfect justice and peace. We can hardly imagine this—but it’s true! The Bible says, “Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).

Why does the world never seem to get any better? Why do wars and conflicts still threaten us? I’m thankful for every effort that’s made to bring about peace, and sometimes they are successful—at least for a time. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

But why don’t our efforts at peace last? Why can’t we seem to get along with each other—even in our own families? The problem is within us—within our own hearts and minds. And this why we need Jesus Christ, for only He can transform our hearts and replace our selfishness and hate with His love and compassion. Is this happening with you? Submit your life to Him today.