Stepping Out In Faith

I was listening to this story on K-Love about one of the D-Jay’s son and his experience at school. He had brought his Bible to school for a few days to see what kind of reaction he would get from the students there. The D-Jay (her name was Amy) stated that he was amazed because the students only asked him some questions about it but he didn’t get any of the negative reactions that he had apparently expected.

This brought to mind that it may be sometimes difficult or strange when we decide to show and speak to others about our Christian faith. Amy went on further to state that amazing things can happen when we step out in faith. So, that had me thinking some….

Stepping out in faith can be difficult and is much more different than living your faith. When you live in your faith, it’s what’s between you, the individual, and God. It’s more intimate and personal and semi-private. When we live in our faith, we will pray, read our bible, attend church, quietly do kind and loving things for others, and discuss things that pertain to God with our families and close friends.

The difference is what you then decide to do with that faith that you have lived with and grown in. Do you keep it to yourself or do you risk what happens when you share it with others?

When we step out in faith, we risk being judged and criticized by some people. Those same people will ostracize us because of our faith. Some may state that we aren’t truly Christian because we are being “judgy” on them and telling them how they are acting in a sinful manner. Stepping out in faith is more difficult to deal with because it means that we are inviting people in who don’t think about God the way that we do. They don’t see how a loving God can exist in such a dark world space. They think that God “allows” sin to take place, so they question why we call Him loving and powerful and wonderful. They see God as puny and weak instead.

However, we see things much differently than those who are lost.

When we step out in faith, we choose to give our free will back to God. We trust that He will protect us and guide us in our quest to bring others to Him. We know that God has given us the words in the Bible to comfort us and lead us down the path that leads to Him. We can then use those words and tell others what we have learned. I heard once where someone said that the Bible is God’s love letters to His people. That resonated with me. There’s truth in that because those words are the stories and journeys of all those who have struggled with some of the same things that we struggle with today. God wants us to know that we are not alone in our quest to understand Him. By reading the Bible, it instills in us a desire to learn and discover more about God through those who have traveled before us.

So, what did I learn from this? This world is a very scary place. It has been that way for a while. However, I can’t be afraid to share what I know about God. My joy in His love shines and it can’t be hidden. Do I continue to risk sharing that even when I have been judged by others? Do I try to convince others of what joy they can have in their hearts as well? The answer is a resounding “YES!!!”. I want others to know what I know. I want others to see what I see and I want others to feel what I feel! That joy that I feel is too powerful to be contained, so I will gladly step out in my faith if it means that I can help just one person come to know Him. (Related posts: We are ALL called to be His Church and Reasonings)

What can you gain from this? When you find God, there is a light that begins to shine within you. You cannot hide it. Everyone notices it. Yes, some will be critical, but you know the truth. You know that it was God who put that light there and you have your own story and journey to share. Embrace it and then fling it out for all to see. Step out in faith and see where He leads you! (Related post: The Faith-Fueled Journey)