One of the things I enjoy doing each week is attending my local Leisure Centre “Body Balance” fitness class. I go with a friend, and we call it “Body Wobble” class, as there is often more wobbling than balancing!
In our faith, do we wobble or are we evenly balanced?
Throughout the Bible, there are stories of people who were wobbling. It wasn’t just poor Thomas who had doubts. Adam and Eve questioned whether to take up the challenge of the serpent, rather than obey God. Sarah laughed hysterically when she heard the visitor say that she, an old woman would have a son. Moses felt he was not good enough, he was not an eloquent speaker. Even Jesus’ family thought he was crazy.
John the Baptist, sitting in a dark damp dungeon questioned whether Jesus really was the Messiah. He thought he had come to lead the way for the Messiah, the one who would rule over the Jewish nation and set the people free once and all from their oppressors. But it appears to have gone wrong. Here he is sitting in a prison cell fearing the worst. Was it all a big mistake?
I’m sure there are times when you question God. Why does he not answer your prayers? Why is there so much suffering?
Since I’ve been going to my fitness class, my balance has improved, my joints are more supple, my body strength has increased. When I first attended, I couldn’t do half the moves we were instructed to do, and when we change the routine, we are all wobbling all over the place again, but with time and regular practice it all improves.
Let us all accept that there will be times when we wobble, there will be times when we doubt. However, with regular “practice” of study, prayer, worship and fellowship we can increase our spiritual strength and our faith balance will be steady.