Ever seen a tree die? It takes some time. The outside may seem healthy, but the inside of the tree is losing its life.
We had a palm tree in our front yard. It’s exterior endured a major hurricane last year. But one year later, I finally hired someone to remove it.
Over the weekend, on Saturday afternoon, I met a couple with 4 grown kids. While trying to keep warm in the hot tub as I’m watching my children swim in the regular pool. The mom shared about her child.
Their daughter had recently moved to the East Coast. She wanted some excitement, something different from her hometown in Texas. Now she was living in New York City. With two jobs. One was her day job. Another as a bartender in a nightclub.
She dropped a bombshell on her family recently. That she didn’t believe in God. Her mother phrased it this way: a crisis of faith.
Me: “Did she stop going to church? When she was on her own in college?”
Mom: “Yes. How did you know?”
Because a tree doesn’t die in one day. Our faith is similar to the tree. We don’t just wake up one day and decide God’s not real. There was a genesis point that lead up to it.
Caveat: Going to church doesn’t make anyone a Christian. But good teaching and good hearing of God’s Word keeps us connected to the body, feeds our need for truth, and encourages us to grow in our relationship with God.
This daughter with the crisis of faith. At age 18, she stopped pursuing God.
Nine years later, she confesses she’s no longer a believer.
Nine years of doubts creeping in. With no truth to counter Satan’s lies. Slowly, life in Christ dies from spiritual starvation. Her crisis of faith started years ago. But like the dying tree, spiritual death and atrophy occurred on the inside and her mother couldn’t see it.
The tree dies and its death is permanent. Unlike the tree, our spiritual death is not final while we are alive on this earth.
Jesus’ death on the cross offers new life. No matter how far we walk away from God or how long, The thief on the cross next to Jesus’ cross can testify to this. Jesus gave him new life and He extends this offer to every human tree dying on the inside.
Jesus is greater than any crisis of faith.
Do you know someone experiencing a crisis of faith? Intercede for them. Petition for them.
And if you happen to pass by a nursery, buy them a small tree or plant. Tell them there’s hope.
Pray and share the Real Truth over them.
“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to You. I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against my foe.” —Psalm 61:1-3