Question: Our prayer group is discussing ways we can change and strengthen our faith. What one thing could we change that would have the greatest impact on our faith?
Answer: A famous coach once said that when the team is in trouble and things aren’t going well, go back to the basics; when the team is winning and things are going well, go back to the basics! Any renewal program, faith development, or spiritual growth effort has to start with the basic core of what it means to believe. If the foundation is not strong, the house will not stand.
So if you work on one thing, begin with the idea that God is love, who loves us and calls us to love one another. If we really take that belief to heart, it changes how we see God, ourselves, and one another. It would change how we pray, how we treat others, and how we understand and live our own life. Our sense of mission and purpose will be more focused on God’s plan and our role in it. Love is the core of faith, the goal of life, and the hope of heaven. Whatever we do to strengthen and deepen our faith will begin and end with love.