Faith Stepping - Martin Wiles

So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Genesis 12:4 NLT

I saw the façade few others knew about.

For almost all my life, Dad was a full-time minister. He was a godly man who earnestly attempted to live out the principles and commands of God’s Word. Rarely, if ever, did I hear him mention any struggles he faced. He told of the struggles of others he encountered and of people in biblical times—but rarely his. But he had them.

Dad put up a good façade. He certainly wasn’t a hypocrite—just a man who struggled admitting to others that this faith-stepping thing wasn’t as easy as some made it sound.

When I first began pastoring and then writing, I put up the same façade. Rarely, did I share my struggles and failures. Then, a good writer and editor friend told me if my writing was going to touch others I had to take down the front and bare my soul. A frightening thing, but I discovered she was right. People wanted to read material by someone they could identify with—someone who didn’t mind admitting he didn’t have it all together.

God challenged Abraham to do a little faith stepping when He told him to leave his homeland and journey to a land he’d never seen before. Abraham followed. While the writer tells us some of the struggles Abraham faced after he got to this land, I’m sure some of his challenges have been omitted.

Faith stepping is tough. Don’t let anyone ever tell you differently. Doing so entails leaving some things behind. For Abraham, this was much of his family, along with his friends. What we’ll have to leave behind in our journey varies, depending on God’s call, but leave something we will. Friends, family, possessions, habits, attitudes, traditions.

Faith stepping entails making hard choices. Leaving the familiar for the unfamiliar—as Abraham did—taxes the soul, and our faith. Yet, we don’t have to make those choices alone, nor take the steps alone. God’s Spirit resides in us, and He is more than willing to guide us.

Faith stepping can’t be done without trust. Abraham’s wasn’t perfect, but he had it. Had he not, he never would have taken the first step. God wants our total trust—whether or not we can see what’s ahead, and we normally cannot. God will never lead us anywhere that is not for our benefit and the benefit of His Kingdom. And since He’s omnipresent, He’s already where He takes us.

So, go ahead. Take that faith step God wants you to make.

Prayer: Father, give us the courage to take the steps of faith we need to take to follow You.

Tweetable: Are you faith- or sight-stepping? 

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