When Friends Leave God: How to Strengthen Shaken Faith

Are your friends now leaving God one by one? Whether because of problems or unanswered prayers, they eventually let go of their faith.

No one is free from problems. Yet sometimes, because we are overwhelmed by so many troubles, we tend to focus on the problems themselves rather than on God's wonderful promises. That is what causes someone to lose vision and decide to leave God.

When this happens to your friend, of course you want to help, you want to strengthen their faith. The question is, where should you begin?

To strengthen someone else's faith, first you must be:

1. Filled with God

To help a friend whose faith is wavering, you yourself must be full in God.

I once asked God, “Why am I tired? Why does everything I do feel like mere routine?” When other people were stirred by an inspiring sermon, I felt nothing. When they cried and were moved, I wondered why they could cry.

The answer came through a quote from a sermon I heard: “You want to make an impact in other people's lives, busy doing this and that, but why does none of your actions affect them? That is because you yourself have not been impact ed by God's word. You are empty. You are like a car running without fuel, and if this continues, you will become burnt out—exhausted!”

Those words struck my heart deeply. It turned out that all this time I wanted to love others, but my tank of love was empty. I wanted to inspire others, but my own soul was dry. If that is the case, how could I possibly help others?

Then, who can fill the emptiness of our soul and fill our tank of love? None other than God.

Then, what are the marks of being full in God?

Is an unbroken schedule of quiet time and prayer a sign that you are full of God? Not necessarily! It may only be a to-do-list alone. That does not mean quiet time and prayer are unimportant, but you need something more than that. Full of God = Experiencing God’s Love Being full of God means that you are truly full in His love. You see God at work in your life and personally experience the fruit of His work (experiencing God). You feel that God loves you so deeply, and you also love Him deeply. You could say that you are lovestruck with God. You are deeply in love with Him.

You can only have that if you have a close relationship with God. It’s not about the quantity, but the quality. 

I pray that you, together with all the saints, may comprehend, how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and may know this love, though it surpasses knowledge. I pray, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:18-19

How is your relationship with God today? What is your prayer life like? Do you take time to speak with God heart to heart, like someone who is in love?

If you are empty, you cannot help others. But if you are full in God, you become a spring that keeps giving inspiration to the people around you.

Jesus answered him, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst forever. Instead, the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water, continually welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:13-14

2. Become a Good Friend

After finishing with the first point, only then should you begin thinking about strategies to help your friend find their faith again.

A friend loves at all times, and becomes a brother in adversity. – Proverbs 17:17

Usually people are more likely to listen to a friend's guidance from someone close to them, someone they trust. In other words, it is harder to help someone remain faithful to God if we are not very close to them.

To become a good friend, there are several things you must do, such as: Be Open If you hope others will be open with you, you yourself must be willing to open up. By being open, we give them room and opportunity to share with us. By being open, we make others feel comfortable, and we build their trust in us. Do Not Judge To help others in faith, we need to become friends to them, not teachers, mentors, much less judges for them. Too often we act as if we are the strong party helping the weak. We forget that a friend is not someone who walks ahead of us or behind us, but together with us.

How can a friend feel comfortable with us if every so often we come only to judge their mistakes? What happens instead is that they grow even farther from us. Remember, judgment is God's right. Our task is to keep doing good. Listen and Ask the Right Questions Sometimes, we tend to rush to give solutions rather than listen to our friends. In fact, they may not have come to us looking for a solution. It may be that they already know what to do and only need a place to talk.

Examples of the right questions include:

“Why did that happen?”

“What do you think is the root of the problem?”

“What do you think the solution is?”

“If you do this, will it be effective?”

“So, what is your plan to solve this problem?”

“How can I help?”

Why do we need to ask the right questions? Because, people will remember their own words more than your advice. You are only helping them uncover the solution hidden within. Appreciate Progress In this fast-paced age, we can be influenced to look only for instant results and forget the process. This makes us less appreciative of the progress our friends have fought hard for.

Maybe your friend managed to change a little, then fell again, and they say how disappointed they are in themselves. What you need to do is appreciate everything they have done. Praise the progress they have made. When your friend is down because they made the same mistake again, teach them to forgive themselves. Give them confidence and encouragement to keep fighting. Share Your Faith After we are full of God (point 1), it will be easier for us to share our faith with others. Perhaps what your friend is going through now is something you once went through yourself. Give them tips based on your experience in those difficult times.

If you have never experienced that problem, you can introduce your friend to another friend who has had a similar experience. In that way, your friend will be helped, and you can become friends who strengthen one another.

It is our duty as children of God to watch over one another so that we remain faithful in the faith. For that, you yourself must be full in God and be a good friend. Be open, do not judge, listen and ask the right questions, and appreciate every bit of your friend's progress. Do not forget to share your faith so that they may be encouraged again and love God. Amen.

Carry one another's burdens! In this way you fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2  - Church GKDI is currently present in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every area, if you need information or would like to get involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official

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