Why So Many Christians Struggle with a Lack of Faith (and How to Strengthen Yours)

The Apostle Paul gives us this powerful reminder in 2 Corinthians 5:7:

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

It sounds simple enough—but if we’re honest, living it out is another story. Many of us believe the Gospel, we know Jesus is Lord, but when life gets hard, doubts creep in. Why? Because we often follow what we see and feel rather than what we know by faith.

What Faith Really Is

Let’s clear up a common misunderstanding: Faith is not “believing without proof.” That’s the definition skeptics like to throw around, but it’s not biblical.

True faith is complete trust or confidence in someone because they have proven themselves trustworthy. We trust God not because we close our eyes to reality, but because again and again He has shown Himself faithful in Scripture and in our lives.

Christianity rests on this trust—trust in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a perfect life, died for our sins, and rose again so that we could be made right with God. That’s the foundation. Our calling as Christians is to believe this and live in light of it.

Why We Still Struggle

If we know all this, why do doubts still pop up?

• We don’t know God well enough. We don’t trust strangers, and if God is “a stranger” to us because we rarely read His Word or pray, our faith will be shaky.
• We’re distracted. The world, our own sinful desires (“the flesh”), and the devil constantly pull our attention away from God’s promises.
• We can’t see it. We don’t literally see Jesus taking away our sins or preparing a place for us in heaven, so our senses often overpower our beliefs.

Even the Israelites—who saw God part the Red Sea—quickly turned to worship a golden calf (Exodus 32). It’s human nature to forget what God has done unless we actively remind ourselves.

How to Strengthen Your Faith

God knows our weakness, so He gives us practical ways to keep our faith alive:

1. Stay in the Word. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” The more we read and hear God’s truth, the stronger our faith becomes.
2. Remember God’s faithfulness. Just as God told Israel to rehearse His works daily (Deuteronomy 6:6–7), we should recount answered prayers, blessings, and His past provision.
3. Stay plugged into a Bible-preaching church. Programs and activities are fine, but nothing replaces the steady diet of God’s Word and worship with other believers.
4. Pray honestly. Tell God when you’re struggling. Even Thomas had doubts, but Jesus met him where he was (John 20:27–29).

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

At the end of the day, faith is choosing to believe God’s Word over our own perceptions. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

Life will always give us reasons to doubt, but we are “blessed” when we believe without seeing (John 20:29). So today, let’s take Paul’s advice to heart—step forward not because we see every answer ahead, but because we know the One who holds the future is faithful.