FAITH
Faith is life.
Life is faith.
Faith fights Fear
Fear fears Faith.
Faith, whether religious or spiritual or in any higher power larger than us, helps in shaping our reality, our existence, our values, our hopes and our dreams. Faith helps us navigate life in a way that makes life less frightening.
Have you ever questioned before sitting on a chair whether it will hold you? Have you ever thought before sleeping at night whether you are going to wake up the next day? Have you ever questioned while crossing the road if you will be hit by a car? We don’t question so many things and incidents in our daily life simply because we already move with faith. It’s a given and comes to us very naturally!
According to a recent report from the analytics and advisory company called Gallup called ‘Faith and Wellness: The Worldwide Connection between Spirituality and Wellbeing’, it found that people with a spiritual connection had better levels of mental health and wellbeing.
The Gallup study found that spiritual and religious people tended to score higher in various wellbeing indexes measuring five factors: positive coping and sense of purpose in life, faith-based social connections, community and civic engagement, structural stability and workplace support of holistic wellbeing.
Faith is like an anchor in a storm. It gives us a sound and solid belief in a higher purpose while also strengthening our character and enhancing our wellness.
Faith is an inner resolve of this unshakeable belief that no matter what the outcome of any situation in life, one is always in safe hands of the Divine/God/higher energy/universe.
Faith revolves around our life experiences, the good and the bad, and gives us the courage to face challenges while staying calm and peaceful.
According to a quote by Ellen G. White, she says, “The great moral powers of the soul are faith, hope and love.” This means that faith acts as a barometer to navigate the life’s unknown.
Looking at faith from an emotional, psychological and mental perspective, according to Psychology Today, “Faith is an expression of hope for something better. More than a wish, it is closer to a person’s belief, but not quite. A belief is rooted in the mind. Faith is based in the heart. . . . . Without faith in ourselves, we would hold ourselves cheap, and without faith in others, we could never live as free people. This is the water that quenches parched souls.”
Being spiritual or religious is an extension of our faith. Spirituality has been linked not only to lower the levels of anxiety and depression, but also a reduction is other concerns like addition etc.
There is an unprecedented and voluminous increase in mental health issues and diseases due to rising negative emotions (a direct result of our unhealthy and unnatural lifestyle) around the world now, despite astounding advances in medical science to address such issues, and more and more people are turning towards spirituality and spiritual healers to gain back their lost faith, and to heal themselves from this toxic environment.
This actually is the collective faith of humanity in the universe and its endless powers which is making people gravitate towards various spiritual practices to heal themselves.
Meanwhile, it doesn’t really matter if one believes in a single God or a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, or if you believe in just the universe, or mother nature or any higher energy, having faith in something larger than yourself is always good and gives you strength.
On the other hand, an atheist does not believe in any higher power and holds faith in oneself and that is also beautiful. Atheism or Nastik too holds a respectful space in Hindu philosophy.
So, faith in the self or in a higher power than us, both these notions culminate at a point where holding trust in the ‘Existence’ and the truth of ‘Being’ becomes absolutely vital for our overall wellbeing and the wellbeing of our inner self.
Author: Aumtara
