If you have ever felt a disconnect between what you believe in your head versus what you are living out in your day-to-day life, raise your hand.

If you know that God tells us not to be anxious and yet your body propels you into panic and anxiety, raise your hand.

If you believe down to your gut that God has a purpose and a call for each and every one of his children - and yet you somehow feel excluded from that, raise your hand.

For many of us (if we could only see all of the raised hands right now), our faith seems to be disconnected from everything except our minds. So, what do we do about it?

As a therapist, Christian coach, and fellow believer, I’ve spent hundreds of hours with people who have expressed these very struggles. But, there is hope for those who feel disconnected from their beliefs. Here are a few of the things I’ve seen make the biggest difference:

Know your story. Your life is so much more than what you’ve read; it’s what you’ve experienced. How have you seen God’s faithfulness? When did lies weave their way in, and how have those lies blocked you from living in faith, obedience and freedom?
Let yourself be known by God. Your relationship with God cannot consist of a one-sided conversation. And no, quick “Please fix this” -type prayers are not enough. Learn to pour out your heart to God; let Him sit with you in the hard and messy. Relationships take time and effort, so get cozy in that comfy chair or head out to nature. Talk. Listen.
Learn where you’ve come from to know where you’re going. This goes back to knowing your story, but it’s easy to feel like you’re floundering if you don’t know the trajectory of your life so far. Knowing your story (where you’ve come from) can give you direction for where God might be inviting you in the present and future.
Fight the lies. Once you’ve identified lies you believe (for me, a big one was “I am unprotected”), you can do battle with those lies. Write down several verses that combat the core message of that lie for you, and recite the truth every day. Keep this up for at least 40 days and watch how, toward the end of that journey, the truth sinks from your head down into your lived experience.

Believing that something is true takes work: you need to know yourself and the One you have faith in. If you can place your efforts there, the fruit will come on its own, in time.