The Strain of Faith?

KATHY GABLER—Many times through the years I remember straining to have faith.  I do believe that started when I was about eight years old.  I was watching Peter Pan and was straining “to believe” so that the fairy Tinker Bell’s light would not go out.  (I don’t think it’s happenstance when Disney distorts your theology, it’s a goal.)  That childhood experience put a subtle twist in my understanding of faith that became a misbelief for years.  Then when I heard the Scripture that “without faith it is impossible to please God”, that intensified my struggle to get to faith because it was coupled with the drive to please God!  These were unseen battles going on in my soul but they created tangible stress in my life.  And that stress continued for years until I stopped to consider this question:  Is there such a thing as the STRESS of FAITH?  The short answer is “NO.”   Since stress indicates we have not come to the rest of faith, stress is actually a sign of not-yet faith.   The rest of faith comes with alignment with God’s will and word, not our straining efforts.