What Faith Looks Like…
I love the scene in the old Indiana Jones movie where he is required to step out in faith onto an invisible bridge over a deep chasm. He discovers rather quickly that a little dirt on the path will show the way and confirm his suspicions of an unseen bridge. It’s such a great illustration of walking by faith. We can’t see what’s ahead, but we have to believe that God has made a way and that He will show it to us.
When I think of walking by faith, I imagine great missionaries stepping out into difficult, life-changing experiences or the faith of Abraham, who left his home to go where God led. But, God wants us to live and walk by faith everyday, wherever we are, so it isn’t always about making drastic choices, but it is always about venturing into the unseen world.
We live day to day in a visual world, in a world of dirty dishes, cheerios on the floor, cars that need gas, unpaid bills, icy sidewalks and unfinished work. We live in a world of unkind people, busyness, bad news, repeated failures and discouragement. The good news is that this isn’t the deepest reality. Life goes more than skin deep.
Walking by faith means living like there’s more to life than the eye can see. A life of faith recognizes that what we can’t see is more real, more true and more powerful than what we can see with our own two eyes.
The problem is that we use our physical eyes to judge situations and to assess ourselves. We’re not used to opening our spiritual eyes and seeing with faith, so we need to focus to keep our eyes in the right place. Here’s what I’m talking about:
“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:16-17
God’s Word tells us that we are new creations and if you open your Bible up, you’ll find promise after promise about what God has given us right now (not just in eternity) and we need to learn to live like we really believe those promises. Do you believe you are a new creation? Do you live like God has changed your life?
God tells us that when we trust in Him, we don’t need to have fear, so why do we allow it to creep into our thoughts? His Word is clear that when we lean on Him, we don’t need to have burdens, so why are we feeling so burdened down? God tells us that this new life with Him is filled with peace, joy, and self-control because He has given us the Spirit, which transforms us from the inside out, so why is there a lack of peace or joy?
If we really have faith that what God says is true, then we need to start living like it. If I believe that God has made me a new person, then I will not just see that as words on a page, but as transforming truth. I will live today like a new person and when I feel less than joyful or a lack of peace starts to sneak in, I will remember not to see things from a worldly point of view. It may seem like I’m not a new person, but God’s Word says I am, so I will live by faith.
By His grace,
Heather Cox
Amen my friend, amen.
Why do we seem to lack in the area of faith when we know He is always with us and will never leave us? We trust Him for our salvation, but it is so difficult for some to trust Him in the dailies.
Thank you for this reminder.
Heather – great devotion this morning. I also like that part in the movie where he totally trusts his next step and the other part of the movie is when they are choosing the cups and the guy who chose the wrong cup and basically disentrigates , we hear the line “He chose poorly”. Isn’t that true of daily decisions we make … we either walk in faith, trusting God or we choose poorly and walk in our steps. God help us!
Heather, I always think of that scene from the Indiana Jones movie when I think of faith. I’m so glad that you wrote this post today because I needed to be reminded. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your words were just what I need to remember.
Faith is very hard sometimes, isn’t it ladies?
Heather…
if you open your Bible up, you’ll find promise after promise about what God has given us right now..
Oh Amen. Great devotion…
Heather, there are times when simply one word says it all…I will echo some of the girls above…AMEN!!
It’s a fight to the finish, isn’t it? But what an adventure!