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For example, many people fail in the areas of speaking lashon hara, looking where one shouldn't, and the like, and they attempt to fix these problems in many ways. You should know that the root of all these problems is the lack of palpable emunah. Therefore, the primary way to start correcting all these issues is not only with practical resolutions as to how to act in various situations, but primarily, to perfect one's emunah, so that it becomes pure and clear. Then, the rest will be much easier, and he will be able to deal with the details of the various sins, which are only the product of a lack of clarity in emunah.

As one's emunah becomes more alive and clear, he will find the strength and courage to properly toil in Torah and keep all the details of the mitzvos correctly. The opposite is also true: the more the emunah is missing from one's soul, chas veshalom, the more difficult it will be to toil in the holy Torah and observe the details of the laws with a true sense of fear of Hashem. May Hashem enable every one of us to truly reach this level.
http://bilvavi.net/content/view/282/32


For someone who doesn't believe, practicing becomes an unbearable burden. On the flip side, if someone says that they don't believe, and yet they keep on practicing "out of habit" or from "social pressures", we can safely assume that they do indeed believe but don't understand what they believe, and don't want to accept something they don't understand. They are uncertain and confused about their belief- but it is their belief, faith is there.