Walk By Faith?

We hear this statement a lot about walking by faith and not by sight.  It is a statement that is easy to say but the actual living it out is not so easy.  What does it really look like to walk by faith?  Is it looking like everything is okay?  Having a positive attitude about life?  Do others think that you have it all together?  The last few months have definitely been a walk in faith but it didn't look so pretty.  Several things happened so unexpectedly and were very hard to go through.  I spent  a lot of time questioning God as to why they happened, what were we supposed to do now, how was this all going to work now,  and so forth.  

I think we have a tendency to think that if we are walking by faith and unexpected things happen, that we are to be calm and have a positive outlook.  We are supposed to have the attitude that everything is still okay.  If we are to admit that we are unsure and hurting, we lack faith. 

We feel we  have to react in a "Christian" way and to answer anyone that asks with the clichés that God has it, It's okay, etc.  All though these statements are true, are we actually feeling these things or are we saying them because that is what is expected.   Is being outwardly calm actually true peace?  What if what is really expected is to be open, to be truthful, and to show that even though it is very, very hard, our love and faith in God is still there. 

The reality is that we are hurt, angry, upset, fearful  or any number of emotions.  Having emotions is not wrong.  It doesn't mean that we don't trust God.  It doesn't mean we don't have faith.  It is what we do with these emotions and feelings that reveal our faith walk.  Just because we question God, does not mean that we reject God.  What we can and should do is bring our questions to God because we know He has the answers. 

If we are not real with ourselves, with others and with God, people notice.  There can be the perception that we are just living in a lala land and out of touch with reality when we pretend that everything is okay.   And if we say we believe God, but are constantly worrying about the situation, are we really trusting God?

We need to be real with ourselves and with other Christians when things happen.  Telling them that you are struggling and hurting does not mean you don't have faith.  You are exercising your faith by continuing to believe that God is who He says He is.  Whether we see the situation completely or have all the answers or have no answers, the fact is that God is still God.  All of His promises are still true. 

I believe when we are truly honest with God and take all our questions to Him, that is when we can lay it all at His feet.  I think this is when we are truly walking in faith.  We take all our cares, problems, hurts and fears to God because we have faith that He is who He says He is.  We have faith that He is in control and can do anything.  When we recognize that He alone is sovereign and all powerful, that He loves us and that He cares, we can be at peace even in the midst of the most trying and hurtful times.  We may not get all or any of the answers, but we know that we are not alone.  Believing, even though everything in the natural says it doesn't make since, is walking by faith and not by sight.   

The most important thing once we lay things at Jesus' feet  is to not pick them back up.  We do this so often and so easily.  We say we have given it to God but then we think about it, try to figure it all out, worry about it, or  try to do it on our own.  This defeats the whole purpose of taking it to God in the first place.  I need to leave it in His hands.  He is the one that knows the future and has all the power.   I don't have to have all the answers.   When I follow Him, He will direct me and lead me in the way I should go.  I can then be at peace and know that the only thing I have to do is trust and obey God.

For me, one of the most striking examples of walking by faith is the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  These men were threatened with being thrown into the fire if they did not worship the golden image.   We could learn a lot from their response.  They stated that whether God delivered them or not, they would not deny their God.  They knew God was able to protect them, but they were prepared that,  IF God did not deliver them, their answer would remain the same.  They knew that it meant their death, but it did not change their decision to follow their God.  Their faith was not based on their circumstances but on who God is.  When they were thrown into the fire, they did not know that the outcome would be that they would not be harmed and would come out of the fire not even smelling like smoke.  They just had faith and trusted God to take care of it however He saw fit. 

We like to think that God will deliver us from our troubles.  But what if He doesn't.  Is He still God?  Is He who He says He is?  Does that change my decision to believe and follow God?  To walk by faith is to believe who God is.  No matter what my experiences are, I can believe Him and trust Him.  I may get burned or I may not even smell like smoke.  Still, I choose God.  To have a perfect life with no troubles is nothing if I do not have God.  I would rather have God in my life and have troubles than to not have God in my life.  He is my friend, my father, my strength, my shield, my deliverer.  My faith is not in the outcome of my circumstances.  My faith is in the One who holds everything in His loving hands.  

Fear may come but perfect love drives out fear.  The only place to find perfect love is in God's love.  When I recognize my fear, I can take it to God.  I know that He will not reject me, he will not dismiss my fears and my feelings, He will not let me go.  He loves me.  He knows me.  He alone knows the future and when I look back on these things, I will see how they were turned to good even when I could not even imagine how that could ever be.

I still don't understand why God allowed these things to happen.  But it doesn't mean He was surprised by them.  He can take my questions and He can take my hurt and pain.  He knows how I feel.   To pretend otherwise is to lie and not treat my relationship with God as deserving of my complete candor and truth.   One important thing I have learned is that the good that God promises may not be in the circumstance but the good that He works in me.