Sunday 30 August 2026
Kia ora koutou, and warm greetings and Talofa lava!
When Faith Is Shaken
There are moments in life when our faith is shaken.
An accident happens. Bad news arrives. Something unexpected comes into our lives. Someone hurts us. A relationship breaks down. We face circumstances we never planned for, and sometimes there is simply nothing we can do to change what has happened.
In those moments, we can feel helpless, anxious and even hopeless. We may ask, “God, why did this happen? What am I going to do now?”
Jesus understands those moments.
In John 14, Jesus is having His final conversation with His disciples before He goes to the cross. The disciples are about to experience something they never expected. Their world is about to be shaken. And Jesus does not promise them that everything will be easy.
Instead, He gives them this assurance in John 14:1:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”
Jesus is saying, “When you cannot understand what is happening, hold on to Me.”
That is faith.
Faith does not mean we will never be shaken.
Faith means that when we are shaken, we do not let go of Jesus.
Jesus also reminds us in Matthew 6:34 that we can become overwhelmed by worrying about tomorrow:
“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”
Tomorrow is important but today is where God has placed us.
We cannot live tomorrow today. We cannot solve every problem before it arrives. Sometimes all we can do is take the next step.
Life is a journey. It is like running a race. Along the way, the conditions change. There are unexpected turns and obstacles—moments when we have to slow down, adjust our direction and keep going.
The answer is not to stop running.
The answer is to adjust our steps and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1–2 says:
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.”
Because our faith is not based on our ability to control life.
Our faith is based on who Jesus is.
We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds us today.
So don’t carry tomorrow’s burdens today.
Take today’s step.
And perhaps, when you don’t know what else to pray, simply pray, “Lord, help me.”
Just as the Canaanite woman cried out to Jesus, “Lord, help me!”
Sometimes that is enough.
Hold fast to Jesus.
Take the next step.
And keep your eyes fixed on Him.
Because even when life shakes us, Jesus remains faithful—and He will never let go of us
Blessings
Enosa
about author
Ordained in 2022 after 20+ years in the education sector as a Teacher, Principal and Education consultant. Reverend Enosa heard God’s call to enter the ministry. Now Senior Minister of St Peter’s Church in Tauranga, he leads a vibrant Church in the heart of the City reaching out to the local community.
