Are there benefits to faith?

Some would say that faith is only for those who are simple or weak and need a crutch to get through life. Some would seem to say that in this world we live in today, atheism is a form of higher thinking that will lead to better things. One would think that this higher thinking would lead to more satisfaction with life, but in a study of thousands of tweets, Christians appeared to have a more positive approach to life than atheists. (Daily Mail Online, September 22, 2013, Study finds Christians tweet more happily, less analytically than atheists)

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal  “religious identification and church attendance are associated with less social isolation, a lower risk of substance abuse, lower rates of suicide, and greater happiness and life satisfaction.” (Wall Street Journal, August 8, 2013, Does Faith Make You Healthier, Ari N. Schulman).

Here are a few of the possible benefits of faith in your life:

1. Belonging to a faith-based community provides a sense of family and can provide a source of support and an opportunity to be a support to others.

2. Faith provides a moral compass with rules to live by and characteristics to strive for. Even many atheists admit that the moral law Jesus provides is a good one that makes sense and is good for everyone.

3. We seem to have been born yearning for a purpose and meaning for our lives and the Bible provides answers to many of these big questions.

4. Faith can provide a “crutch” certainly if we are in need of one: hope, comfort and help through tough times.

5. Faith can help to free us from anxiety and make us more content.

6. Regular church attendance even seems to help people live longer.

Perhaps it is time to give faith a chance.

Article by Julie.