These mistakes might destroy your faith!
The Christian journey is not easy, and one may describe it as a walk of faith. You have this path where grace, hope, and growth are some of the most important elements, but as with any journey, you will also encounter obstacles.
Generally, we’re saved by God’s unshakable love, but you are the one who makes the final choices. God is there for you, but sometimes even the most devoted believers can stumble into the sneaky traps life lays down for us, and this is when you should try to free yourself and follow God.
If we look at all of this through realistic lenses, we can notice that no one wants to make mistakes when it comes to their faith. We all struggle to be pure, but sometimes our human nature sabotages us. We might cling to comfort instead of courage, confuse tradition with truth, or simply ignore the small voice of the Holy Spirit.
But these moments of moral collapse affected even the best of us. For example, King David, a man after God’s own heart, is one of them, and there is no shame in it. “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid” (Proverbs 12:1, NIV).
This article is not trying to point fingers. Here you will find the mirror you can look into and see your reflection clearly. “The goal of our instruction is love” (1 Timothy 1:5), and we just want to help you be a better Christian. So read on and learn how to grow the way God wants you to!
Feelings over faith
Your emotions are for sure a rollercoaster from time to time. When things get stressful, your emotions get wild, and sometimes they even control your life.
For devoted Christians, the danger of this is that these highs and lows can steer them away from faith, and we know very well that God doesn’t want it. This is why we find this among the worst mistakes you can make. Scripture gently warns us, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV).
Feelings are a big part of our lives, but the problem with them is that feelings lie. They are controlled by hormones, circumstances, or even a sleepless night. This is why it is not a good idea to make choices based on your feelings alone.
When you are in pain or you are disappointed, you might be doubting God’s goodness, and this will make us drift away from Him. More often than not, our fears do not match the reality of God.
The world will always tell you to always follow your heart, but if you get closer to God, you will also hear Him whisper, “Trust My heart instead.” This means your faith is not dismissing your emotions and feelings but instructing you to filter everything based on the truth that God provides.
So, what can you do when you feel overwhelmed by your emotions? Make some space for yourself before you react in any way. Then, you should pray to clear your mind. For example, you can write your feelings down and then try to compare them with what you already know from the Scripture.
If you ever feel anger towards God you should tell Him because He can handle it. Then you can open the Psalms and memorize verses that speak to your struggles, like 2 Corinthians 5:7.
Not following biblical values
The best way to portray what we are trying to say by this is to give you an example. This is one of the most common mistakes that happen in the lives of Christians because it can be present in many scenarios.
Let’s say that you are at work during lunch break, and you are sitting there talking with your colleagues. At some point, someone says something that does not align with your beliefs. What do you do next? Everybody laughs, and they seem to not have a problem with it, or even more, some say that the biblical truth is outdated.
Sadly, this is a reality many Christians have to deal with, and since this can compromise their social status, they are confused and don’t know if they should react in any way or just stay silent. The struggle is real, but compromising and saying nothing during those moments slowly erodes your faith. You will never see this immediately but over time you will feel it.
Watering down the gospel to avoid conflict isn’t love, but cowardice. Our world tells us that compromising is a way of being open-minded and tolerant but when it comes to faith things are not like this. Remember when Peter denied Jesus three times? His dread of rejection not only harmed Christ but also hollowed out his soul until repentance restored him.
This is among the most common mistakes because it is not something dramatic. Maybe you laughed at gossip one time just because you wanted to seem more “relatable.” Each time you take these small steps that lead you further from God, you are making mistakes.
You should try to make the Scripture your second language, and next time you feel conflicted, ask yourself this: “Does this align with who God says I am?” If the answer is no, you don’t have to take part in it. Tell them that this is not aligning with your faith and then follow the way of God.
Works instead of grace
Spirituality might be complicated, and this is why people make mistakes. Imagine that you are trying so hard to achieve a prize, but in the end, the truth is that the said prize was already handed to you.
This is exactly what happens when you are relying on works instead of resting in grace. It is tempting to prove your devotion by doing works, but this can lead to a performance-based faith. If you are volunteering relentlessly, checking off prayer lists, or clinging to rituals, you need to know that this is not the only thing God wants to see you doing.
These things are not mistakes, but you need to be aware that faith is more than this. Grace isn’t a reward; it’s a rescue. Think about what drives you to do all of it. Is it the fear that you are not doing enough? Is it the pride you take in being such a spiritual person? Your spirituality is not a currency. You are not exchanging the works to get virtue. This is not how things work, and this leads to many mistakes in the Christian world.
Faith is not a vending machine where you can insert a number of prayers and then get blessings. This mindset is toxic and does not align with what God wants from us. God’s approval is not something you have to earn because you already have it. Good works matter, but you need to have the right reasons for doing them.
You can start to avoid these mistakes by listening to your heart. Ask yourself, “What can I offer Him out of love?” “Shoulds” and “musts” need to go, and you are the only one able to let them go.
Preach the gospel to yourself daily, and if you feel the fear creeping in, keep in mind that grace is always there. You were forgiven long ago, and you are here to spread the gospel. Let your works flow from gratitude, not obligation. Right now, “We are more sinful than we ever dared admit, but more loved than we ever dared hope.”
Neglecting Bible reading and praying
Among the most common mistakes Christians make, we can find neglecting daily prayer and Bible reading. Most of the time people don’t want to do that, and they are aware that they are doing these things, but the pressures of modern life are hard to deal with and take up a lot of precious time.
Family, work, and various social commitments—all of them make us stray away from our faith, but you need to remember that spending intentional time with God is one of the most important things you can do. You and He have a relationship and a deep bond to maintain, and prayer and Bible reading are the ones that are there for you and your spiritual well-being.
Make sure that you have time every day for God. A moment of quiet reflection is all that you need to communicate with Him. Maybe you feel like you don’t always have time for this, but you should try to make some space in your schedule. You’ll see that these moments are essential and also bring you clarity and ease your pain when stress is taking over.
Falling into the trap of assuming that yesterday’s faith or Sunday’s sermons are all that you need to stay connected to God is among the most common mistakes, but the reality is that you need to be consistent. Your conversation with God needs daily attention, and taking care of this is one of the biggest gifts you can give God.
The truth is that when we stop praying, we isolate ourselves. We choose to rely only on our flawed strength instead of His boundless grace. Skipping Scripture is also just like wandering in the desert without water. Not a good idea in a world that is by nature sinful.
But please don’t rush. These mistakes need time, and you need to take it slow. Grand gestures are not helping, but small steps do. The next morning, make sure you give God five minutes to show Him how grateful you are before looking at your phone.
Let’s say that you need to commute daily. Instead of scrolling aimlessly on your phone, you can read the scripture or listen to the audio version. Tiby’s gestures like these add up and help you be closer to God. Your soul needs this!
Not forgiving
Forgetting to forgive is among the mistakes that many Christians make, but this can have profound effects on your spiritual life. Forgiveness is one of the basic principles of this faith, and failing to deliver it is harmful on a spiritual level.
Holding grudges and refusing to forgive those who need it because of their past mistakes only creates bitterness, and this creates distance between us and others and even more between us and God. Also, this makes you not be in touch with yourself. You get lost in this hate and forget who you truly are.
What is interesting is that forgiveness is not just a suggestion; this is a command that calls you to release all the anger you have and start the healing process by accepting the help of God. You are the one who has the option to choose to release yourself from these chains, and after that, the divine will take care of you. But it’s important to take action. Nothing will happen if you don’t want it to happen.
We know that letting go is not the easiest thing to do, but once you do it, you are ready to become a better person. This will bring peace into your heart and help you learn a few important lessons about life, God, and humanity.
If you don’t know how to start the letting go process, we are here to guide you. Forgiving past mistakes should not be a sudden change. You can start it slow with everyday prayers. Create God the space He needs, and He’ll be there for you.
You will see that the more you communicate with God, your heart will soften, and you will start to see why forgiveness is so important. Emotional liberation equals spiritual growth, and you should always remember that.
Judging other people
Love and acceptance are the core values of the Christian faith, but many people struggle with it. There are many mistakes you can make, but judging others is among the most common ones.
We tend to be more judgmental of those who don’t have the same values as us, but in the end, this is not helping anyone, and even more, it raises a barrier between you and other people and also between you and God.
Take a step back and try to think: how can judging someone make things better? There is no way this can help, and this is the sole reason you should consider when deciding what to do next. After all, anybody is free to believe in whatever they want, but if you approach anyone with an open heart, you are doing God’s work.
By being judgmental, you not only harm relationships but also undermine the capacity to serve as an effective witness to non-believers who may be driven off by criticism and intolerance.
This habit of judging others usually stems from our own limitations. We tend to believe that we are right and have all the answers for other people’s lives, but this is not even close to being the truth.
You need to recognize the fact that everyone has a unique history, and the only thing you should do with this information is learn from it. You are here to learn, and God is more than happy when this happens. Why? Because this is how you get wiser and are more able to deal with the struggles this world has prepared for you.
One practical strategy to avoid the mistake of judgment is to focus on providing support, understanding, and love in our relationships. Instead of severely judging people, we might consider how we can aid or inspire them during tough times.
What do you think? Do you feel guilty for any of these mistakes? You don’t have to! God is here with you, and if you are willing to change, He will help you with that! Put your trust in Him and you will feel His grace all around you.
Tell us your story in the comments section!
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You should also read: 7 Excuses Christians Use for Not Reading the Bible
