TAKE THE TEST – 7 Signs of a Sick Faith
Be careful. Faith can poison. Not all faith is healthy. If your faith is sick, it will poison your relationships, kill your joy, and destroy your peace. If it is healthy, it will enrich your relationship with God and others, enhance your inner joy, and provide an abiding peace no matter what. Faith can nurture or poison our lives.
Be careful about the kind of faith you follow. I agree with Dr. Melanie Greenberg, Clinical Psychologist, “Take time to define what health means to you and what you are willing to do or willing to give up to bring better health into your life.” The same is true for spiritual health. Have you taken a good look at your faith’s health lately?
Test your faith. The seven signs of a sick faith:
- A sick faith is NAIVE. Your faith is sick if it is unable to handle challenges, not well-equipped, not secure, closed-minded, stagnant and disrespectful of different views.
- A sick faith is DISHONEST. Your faith is unhealthy if it is secretive, two-faced, boastful, or privately harbors guilt and anger. A sick faith is unkind, bitter, resentful and revengeful.
- A sick faith is UNPRODUCTIVE. Your faith is unhealthy if it is passive, self-indulgent can’t overcome life’s problems but lets them keep you from accomplishing your responsibilities.
- A sick faith is FEARFUL. Your faith is unhealthy if you are full of worry, fear, embarrassment and anxiety about invisible things. It is sick if it is narcissistic, self-serving and self-protective.
- A sick faith is INSECURE. Your faith is not healthy if you are not willing to take personal risks and have close personal relationships with others and God.
- A sick faith is IRRESPONSIBLE. Your faith is unhealthy if you cannot take full responsibility for your behavior, emotions and attitude. It is sick if you are a blamer or whiner.
- A sick faith is HOT-HEADED. Your faith is unhealthy if it is not composed and level-headed under pressure, if you are unable to calmly handle threats, hatred, and unanswered questions.
Is your faith sick? Stay in touch. We’ll talk about the Seven Characteristics of a Healthy Faith and how to develop yours.
Bill