Have you ever realized why some people who used to be Christians eventually lose their faith in God? Some even studied in Catholic schools when they were young yet ended up not practicing their faith when they grew up.
There could be various reasons as there are individuals involved. After all, we don’t live similar lives. Still, we can try to find out the most common reasons why people lose their faith in God.
Here are some of the most common reasons I have heard so far:
1. Discrimination when it comes to gender
2. Issues related to the sanctity of life such as abortion
3. A tragedy that changed a person’s perspective
4. The lure of money and other worldly amusements
As can be seen from the above, the various reasons that can make people turn away from God seem to be divided into two: a negative experience that makes one question the faith or a temptation of a seemingly good thing that replaces God from one’s heart.
It seems that the good times and bad times we experience are at fault. We either denounce God because of too much grief or forget Him because of too much amusement in other things.
These are all very true. And we should take care not to lose our faith due to the good times and bad times we’d experience in life.
But while such things do contribute to one’s loss of faith, I realized that there could also be one very simple way for us to lose our faith in God altogether. And this doesn’t take a great tragedy or a sudden life-changing fortune such as winning the lottery. The most dangerous way is through the gradual descent into unbelief!
The easiest way to forget God is in the daily routine of ordinary life if lived without prayer.
Long before tragedy or other temptations strike, the heart has been prepared to either overcome the challenge or to abandon the faith.
It is very easy to forget God when one doesn’t nourish one’s relationship with Him. It is very similar to our human connections.
It is not new to hear about couples who have grown apart because they have been so busy with other things and failed to find time for each other.
That is why prayer is very important. Prayer is the key that unites our hearts with God, especially in the ordinary course of daily life.
Many people despise religion because of its rituals. But the truth is that these rituals help us to form a life centered on God. It is the spiritual routine that keeps us from straying very away from our beliefs.
Praying the rosary, saying grace before meals, going to Church weekly and reading the Bible daily all help us remember our faith. They are channels that continue to keep our hearts and minds fixed on God. Otherwise, we’d forget all about the things we cannot see with our naked eyes and think that this material world is all there is to life.
Let us make it a habit to pray. Pray in good times and in bad times. Pray in sweetness and in dryness. Pray in the ordinary course of daily life. Pray even when you feel it’s boring. Pray even when you don’t want to pray!
Don’t lose your contact with Him who is the very source of True Life. Make it a habit to commune with the One who loves you and will never let you down.
“Prayer is as necessary as the air, as the blood in our bodies, as anything to keep us alive – to keep us alive to the grace of God.” – Mother Teresa
“Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (NABRE)
Jocelyn Soriano is the author of To Love an Invisible God. Is it really possible to love a God we cannot even see? Can we really love Him as we love another Person? A Person who can listen to us and respond to us? A Person who can know us far more intimately than any human being ever can?
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