Most people I know who are following after Jesus want to see amazing miracles and life-changing moments. We often dream about, pray about and talk about all the things we want God to do in and through us. These are great things to do, but at some point God provides the opportunities we have been praying for with a small twist. He wants us to take a step of faith and this lies the moment of decision.
Faith is the component that God is looking for in pretty much everything we do in our spiritual walk. Why do we pray if God knows what we are already thinking and knows what we need? Why do we share our faith with others when God could speak to them in a dream? Why does God want us to give our money when he already created everything and is supreme over everything? WHY?? The answer is simple: God wants to see if we have faith.
The definition of faith is found in Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is trust and belief in something hoped for but not seen. If you take a few moments to think about it, we have faith in so many things throughout the day! When you turn a light switch, you have faith that lights will turn on. When you get in your car, you have faith that it will start (if you don’t, maybe it’s time for a new car). You get my point, faith is not some far off concept that we need to think about too hard, it’s all around us.
The difficult part is not understanding faith, it’s the activation of our faith, especially in difficult times. It may be easy to believe that God would take care of us, it’s a lot different when your dad gets diagnosed with cancer. We trust God to provide for our needs when life is going well and our income is stable, it’s different when we get laid off and don’t know if we can still give to God and pay the bills.
All throughout the Bible, the stories of our favorite men and women of God can be boiled down to that one word: faith. Hebrews 11 is known as “The Hall of Faith”. You can read it on your own, but it describes in detail every hero of the Bible and how they had faith to take the step God was calling them to take. By faith, by faith, by faith… God gave them great opportunities but they all hinged on them stepping out in faith.
God can use anyone and often it’s not the most qualified person, just the one who is obedient. God is looking for someone to say yes to the call he is giving. A lot of the time, the steps God asks us to take aren’t going to make sense. We don’t get a full game plan of every step and where it will take us. Most of the time, we get a simple yet incomplete directive from God. He doesn’t require us to understand, just to say yes.
Faith can come naturally for some and may be more challenging for others. Perhaps you were lied to as a child, you had a parent walk out of your life or have been mistreated by people who you thought you could trust. The unfortunate part is that we carry the issues of trust with us into our relationship with God. Since people, who we can see and interact with, have hurt us so deeply then we will look at God through that same lens and think “God is just going to let me down like everyone else has.”
The most amazing thing is that God has never let anyone down. His promises are true, you can trust what he says and he’s never going to abandon you. It may be incredibly difficult, even counter to the way you have personally declared to live your life, but trusting God is the only way to live an abundant life in Christ.
So, what is God calling you to do that you have yet to say yes to? What is the step of faith God is asking that seems impossible or crazy? When you read the end of Hebrews 11 it says that none of those people got to see the fulfillment of their obedience. We don’t always get to see the whole picture at the start but God promises it will be used for his glory.
What if the obedience to God’s call on your life is fulfilled in the life of your kids? What if the steps you take in faith are to minister to a neighbor, coworker or someone that you will never get to see the end of the story? You will never know how God will use you unless you’re willing to take the first step.
