Do you ever felt like giving up during tough times? Do you believe in the power of faith to overcome life’s challenges?
In her book Faith Still Moves Mountains, Harris Faulkner explores how God can help people through difficult situations. She shares inspiring stories of individuals who found comfort, peace, and solutions through their faith.
Keep reading to discover why Faulkner believes that God will see you through the darkest moments.
God Will See You Through
Faulkner suggests God can help people through the most challenging parts of their lives—chronic disease, poverty, the loss of loved ones, and so on. Faulkner’s stories describe God easing hardships in two main ways:
- God’s love is a source of comfort and peace during hard times.
- God can help people solve their problems or otherwise end their hardships.
Let’s look at the reasons why Faulkner believes that God will see you through life’s toughest times.
God Provides Peace
Faulkner suggests that during hard times, God provides a sense of comfort and certainty—the knowledge that even during our lowest points, he is still present and still loves everyone. This gives peace from the turmoil and the strength to keep fighting even when things look bleak. Some people also find peace in knowing that no matter what happens, it’s all according to God’s plan.
(Shortform note: God helping people through hard times is a foundational principle of faith-based rehabilitation programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA. AA’s 12-step recovery program involves putting one’s absolute faith in God and praying for him to help them become sober. The organization explains that faith in God is important for recovery in part because it encourages humility—if you can recognize your powerlessness before God and ask him for help, it makes it easier to acknowledge that you’ve made mistakes and might need the support of others to get better.)
Questioning Faith in Hard Times
In some instances, hardship can cause faith to be a source of uncertainty instead of peace—people may wonder why God is allowing their suffering to continue, feel anger toward him, or wonder if there is a God at all. Faulkner suggests that doubt isn’t uncommon or even wrong, noting that even Jesus struggled with the same questions during his darkest moments. What matters, she argues, is persevering despite your doubts, recognizing small victories and subtle signs of God’s grace.
(Shortform note: Pastor Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life offers more detail on how you can maintain your faith during hard times. According to Warren, you must keep your struggle in perspective. Your struggles are part of God’s plan—and by enduring them, you’ll come out the other side stronger and with a more developed character. Appreciating this larger perspective instead of focusing on your suffering makes it easier to reject the idea that God is silent or not present in your life.)
In one of Faulkner’s stories, pastor Andrew Brunson was accused of spying and became a political prisoner in Turkey for years following the country’s failed 2016 coup. During his imprisonment, he endured harsh conditions and struggled with what he believed was God’s silence while he suffered. Once he was released, however, Brunson realized that struggling with faith while in prison was common and that God hadn’t actually been silent. Instead, he’d offered Brunson the strength to get through his imprisonment without giving up on God entirely.
(Shortform note: Andrew Brunson’s crisis of faith occurred in part because he believed he was falsely accused. But what about those who did commit crimes and are experiencing guilt and a disconnection from their faith? For them, it can be difficult to confess and repent before God while still facing worldly punishment. They can feel as though their confession and repentance hasn’t been heard, since God is allowing them to be punished. In response to these feelings, some clergy suggest, the guilty should focus on how they can live a moral life moving forward rather than on the punishment itself. This approach is similar to Brunson’s focus on the little positives God provides.)
God Provides Solutions
God can also ease hardship by providing solutions to people’s problems, Faulkner explains. Several of her stories describe how answered prayers either ended hardships altogether or offered people a path to solve them.
(Shortform note: While Faulkner’s stories mainly describe people praying for God to resolve their personal troubles, minister Norman Vincent Peale (The Power of Positive Thinking) says that the most effective forms of prayer also focus on thanking God and praying on behalf of others. He explains that the more you reflect on your appreciation for God and recognize how he can help others, the more your faith will increase in strength. Thanking God and praying for others also allows you to spend time dwelling on positive emotions like gratitude and compassion, improving your mood and outlook on life.)
For example, Faulkner tells the story of the “prayer warriors” of the Bible College of Wales during World War II. This small group of students and clergymen dedicated themselves to praying hours every day for the downfall of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime throughout the war. Faulkner says the power of their faith and prayer influenced several of Hitler’s errors during the war, like his decision to abandon his offensive against a devastated Britain in 1940 to invade the Soviet Union.
(Shortform note: There’s a long history of soldiers and civilians experiencing miracles and divine interventions during wartime, from great battles of Ancient Greece to the two World Wars. However, some scholars suggest that faith in God can also help nations and peoples make peace. They argue that by invoking God and religion during peace negotiations, both sides of a conflict can start from a shared background and moral framework (if they both practice the same religion). Invoking God in a peace agreement also encourages both sides to comply with it so they don’t risk his wrath.)
Exercise: Reflect on the Role of Faith and God in Your Life
Consider how God and faith have impacted, or might impact, your life in a positive way.
- How have God and faith helped you through difficult times in your life?
- If God and faith are not part of your life, why have you chosen this path? What, if anything, might prompt you to change it?
