@EveHarrington - My thoughts on your question (and it is a good question):
I have a friend who was very “whatever” about her health, ate whatever, did whatever, until she had cancer. Then she became obsessed with eating welll and getting healthy. I’ve known someone else who got a terminal diagnosis and went out and gave up a middle of the road lifestyle, and ate all the crap they wanted.
Faith can be like that. When things are ok, people tend to be lukewarm about it. But when the sh*t hits the fan, then people get really serious about it.
Crisis, trial, and difficulties are even pointed out in the Bible itself again and again as settings where faith is refined in the fire.
In the US, lukewarm Christianity is especially prevalent. I find it quite confusing. When I have been abroad in a number of nations where it is not as “easy” to be a Christian, or even living in a city on the US where it is harder, faith seems to become a lot more hot or cold.
It’s like how Jesus pointed out how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, and it being easier to get a camel through the eye of a needle. Why? Because the rich are comfy. When one is comfy and ok, thy are less motivate to pick up their cross and follow an interiant preacher who called people to come and die to themselves, an inherently painful process.
But when life hurts anyhow? Faith or running away from God, making deals with the devil, God’s enemy, is something people tend to do more.
Humans. We are tossed by the waves of life. Makes me glad for a God that is an anchor even when I’m off kilter.
