On this week’s pod, when Brandon and I were talking about Andrew Tate’s public conversion from Christianity to Islam, there were a lot of things that came up, but there is one thing we talked about that won’t leave me alone. What is our faith for? What is its purpose? Looking at the reasons people convert, it’s pretty clear that we don’t have a whole lot of agreement about what the answer to that question is.
Now, I’m not here pass judgment on anybody’s journey. I realize that saying that makes it sound like I’m about to, but I promise, I’m really not. God uses all kinds of motivations to bring us to Him. What I will say, though, is that the path isn’t the purpose. The purpose is Truth. Not a truth, mind you, but the Truth. The point is God. He is the fixed point we are journeying toward.
As someone who spends his days teaching teenagers about the faith, this is a hill I am prepared to die on. There are millions of different motivations that draw us to things or push us away from them, but when it comes to our beliefs, there is one question that matters more than any other. Is it true? That’s it.
Again, I’m not denying or ignoring all of the incredible blessings that have come my way when I’ve drawn closer to God. I am just emphasizing that those are not why I believe. The purpose of faith is to move closer to the Truth. However, when we move closer to the Truth, there are natural consequences of that. Yes, I am blessed in a million different ways through my faith, but that isn’t why I believe. I have had difficulties and sufferings in my journey, but those weren’t reasons to leave the faith.
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