On Finding Your Own Faith

Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” . . . Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

—Genesis 32:26, 29–30

Most people need a season of space, a time to take a step back and evaluate the spiritual context of their youth. I didn’t go to church for a long season in college, and that space and freedom gave me the perspective I needed to find my own faith. But it’s easy for a season of space to turn into several years without any kind of spiritual groundedness. And then you find yourself unable to locate that precious, faith-filled part of your heart and history, because it slowly disintegrated over months and years. Do whatever you have to do to connect with God in a way that feels authentic and truthful to you.

Stop every once in a while, sit down with your journal, and ask yourself some good questions like, Am I proud of the life I’m living? What have I learned about God this year? What parts of my childhood faith am I leaving behind, and what parts am I choosing to keep with me for this leg of the journey? Do the people I’m spending time with give me life, or make me feel small? Is there any brokenness in my life that’s keeping me from moving forward?