Growing in Faith by Kinya

All our journeys with God are unique.

  • How do you keep from losing sight of who you are during hard seasons?

    If I am to be honest, I do not handle challenges well. And I thank God for opening my eyes to this truth about myself, because I know that going forward, I can handle them better.

    I say this because hard times really make me lose sight. I lose sight of who I am. I lose sight of the blessings that God has blessed me with.

    I completely forget myself and begin to label myself — or rather, I start to identify with the problem. And because I take on the identity of the challenge, I often find myself drowning in hopelessness.

    The effects are visible. I start to withdraw from people. I start to lose my spark and my confidence. I begin to doubt my abilities, and it even affects my performance at work.

    My blog suffered too. When I started it, I was so excited — so fired up. I felt like I had so much to share, and not just anything, but things that would encourage people. But when I entered a difficult season and allowed it to define me, I felt like an empty cup. Like I had nothing good to offer that could uplift someone or even change their perspective.

    That season made me believe that I had nothing of value to offer — and I believed it.

    But I truly thank God for His goodness and mercy, because just when I started expressing to Him how I felt — how empty I felt — He opened my eyes to so many things I could talk about: personal growth, lessons learned, new doors, the gift of friends and family… so many things.

    And suddenly, I realized how much I had allowed the hard, unpleasant and painful parts of life to define me — and even define my value.

    Going forward, my prayer is that God keeps me aware of my identity, my value and the blessings I have, even in difficult moments.

    And this is also my prayer for anyone reading this: that God may help you not to identify with the tough situations you encounter, but instead remind you of the value you have in Him.

    And to those who have learned how to overcome this — please 🙏🏾 share in the comments: How do you keep from losing sight of who you are during hard seasons?

  • Finding a Church

    “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer“.

    Hebrews 10:25

    Understanding what Church is

    Before being part of a church, I think it’s important to have a healthy view of what church is. It’s me and you – two imperfect human beings who are trying, learning, failing, and yet being shown grace. It is us coming together to worship as one body, as God asks. Holding this view may help not to expect perfection from church. In my case, it gives me the courage to be part of one, despite my failings as a human being.

    Growing up without a Church

    I was born into Christianity, but not into a church. Growing up, I never identified with a specific church because my family moved so often. I went to more churches than I can count, but I never formed roots.

    I eventually got saved through an online service that I used to love listening to. At the end of one sermon, the preacher said, “Find a good Bible-based church and make it your home.” Those words stayed with me. I prayed and told God that I wanted a church where I could learn – because I felt like there was so much I didn’t know about Him. I asked for a teacher. This was my true, deep desire.

    The Human side of my search

    But there was a second layer to my search – the human part of me. I wanted a church with young people so I could make friends. I also wanted a church where people looked successful, hoping I could build connections, especially because I was jobless at that time.

    Interestingly, I found all of those things – in three different churches. One had an active youth group. Another had people who seemed to be doing well. Yet, my core need still felt unmet.

    Finding Home

    The church I finally found was just a stone’s throw away from my house. The first day I went there, I just knew. Even though it was only day one, my heart felt settled. It did not have all the secondary things I wanted – or at least, that’s what I thought at first, but it had what my spirit needed. And there was nothing wrong with the other churches; I just didn’t want my outward desires to overshadow my spiritual need.

    When Seasons Change

    But even when you find a church that feels like home, change can still come. God may lead you into a new season. For me, that meant moving to a different country. Leaving felt like being uprooted. It felt like betrayal. It hurt in ways I didn’t expect.

    When I finally joined a new church, I carried this pain with me. At first, I did not allow myself to become part of the community or form relationships. I would go, worship, listen and leave. I told myself ” I don’t know how long I’ll be here.” I did not not want to risk being uprooted again.

    …

    So if you are seeking a church, remember that churches are made up of people, and people are not perfect. Trust God to guide you to where you will grow. The rest will come.

     “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you “

    Matthew 6:33

    And when seasons change, trust that God is leading you still – even if it feels like starting over.

    All our journeys with God are unique.

  • Growing in Faith

    The name Growing in Faith is deeply personal to me. It’s not just a name – it’s where I am at with my relationship with God. I am not just saying “I’m growing in faith”, I am currently living it, wrestling with it and learning to fully trust in God.

    For the longest time, over self reliance disguised itself as strength in my life – a trait I was proud of and thought should be admired. Being a Christian, it was hard for me to notice it as a problem because morally it didn’t seem wrong.

    The realization came when someone close to me received something they had been trusting God for. If I’m honest, they were trusting God in a way I did not quite understand. I believe God used that moment to show me where my faith in Him stopped. I realized that I had been equating my faith in God with my own effort – and because my own strength is limited, frustration naturally followed.

    In my experience self reliance feels like tunnel vision. Because I became so fixed in my own way, forgetting God can move beyond my plans. I limited Him without realizing. Leaving little room to experience His might, His miracles and even his love through other people. It offered a false sense of security too, one that came from feeling like I was in control. And a fragile peace that depended on how much I could do or fix.

    When my efforts seemed fruitless, instead of turning to God I turned inward, blaming myself for not doing more so I pushed myself harder, and in those moments resting felt wrong. Yet when my efforts seemed to succeed, pride crept in making me trust even more in my own way.

    But I thank God because indeed “all things work together for good to those who love Him...” (Romans 8:28). Someone else’s answered prayer became an invitation from God to learn surrender, a humbling yet freeing lesson.

    Now when I start to feel like I’m not doing enough, I remind myself that “it is God who brings the increase and I am secure in Him.” And when guilt whispers that I shouldn’t rest without “fixing things” first, I pray and surrender those thoughts to God – because nothing is truly under my control and this Word solidifies that:

    The angel told me to give Zerubbabel this message from the LORD: “You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by my spirit.”

    Zechariah 4:6

    Beyond the name, Growing in Faith as a blog is also an act of dependance on God. I am learning to rely on Him for the words to write and for the courage to share because it is all for His glory.

    All our journeys with God are unique.