Are You Reaching the Stature That Belongs to Christ? - LOSS OF FOCUS CAN LEAD TO LOSS OF FAITH

The wind and waves surrounding Peter as he walked on the water might be compared to the trials and temptations we face in our life of dedication to God.  Even when these are severe, we can stand firm with Jehovah's support.  Recall that Peter  did not sink because of a gust of wind or a big wave.  Think back on the sequence of events:  "Looking at the windstorm, he became afraid."  (Matthew 14:30)  Peter lost his focus on Jesus, and then his faith wavered.  We could begin to sink if we were to begin "looking at the windstorm," focusing on its power and doubting that Jehovah will support us. 

We should take seriously the possibility that our faith could diminish, for the Bible refers to  a weakening of faith or loss of faith as "the sin that easily entangles us."  (Hebrews 12:1)  As Peter's experience shows, our faith can quickly weaken if we focus on the wrong things. How can we tell whether we are in danger of that happening?  Consider some questions that we can use to examine ourselves. 

Do God's promises seem less real to me now that they once did?  For instance, God has promised to destroy the present system of things.  Yet, are we distracted by the world's array of entertainment options, thus weakening our faith in God's promise?  We might start to doubt that the end is really near.  (Habakkuk 2:3) Here is another example.  God promises to forgive us on the basis of the ransom.  If, though, we became obsessed with guilt over our past mistakes, we could begin to doubt whether Jehovah has really  "blotted out" all our sins. (Acts 3:19)  Consequently, we could lose our joy in God's service and become inactive.  

Next time: Are  You Reaching the Stature That Belongs to Christ? - Conclusion of LOSS OF FOCUS CAN LEAD TO LOSS OF FAITH

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