A Challenge of Faith
Will you step out? (from flickr.com)
Faith is not about giving up; it’s about letting go. To me, there’s a difference. Giving up means accepting defeat, feeling all is lost. Letting go means acknowledging that there is a power out there more capable of handling whatever is afflicting your spirit. Faith is about refusing to succumb to the pressures of life; instead, you release those pressures, moving forward with an assuredness of success, knowing that even when you seem to fail, an ultimate good or opportunity shall be achieved. I’ve come to understand that faith is not something static, impenetrable to development. On the contrary, unless you are actively seeking to strengthen your faith, you are stagnant in your spiritual walk. And being stagnant is dangerous, deadly even.
The fearful heart is a faithless one. Faith is about courage, even when courage seems foolish. When a baby first learns to walk, his steps are wobbly and unsure. He even falls, sometimes over and over again, yet he still rises to step out again. He doesn’t concern himself with whether or not the floor will be able to sustain his weight, nor does he wonder about what the steps taken today will guarantee for him tomorrow. If he did, maybe he never would learn to walk. He merely steps out there courageously, for there is liberation in faith. Being unable to walk necessarily keeps a child totally dependent upon an adult. Being able to walk, though, garners him a certain degree of freedom, and with each metaphorical step he takes through life, that child becomes more and more free.
I challenge you all to change your outlook about something you’ve given up on this week. I challenge you to have courage when all you’ve felt is fear. I challenge you to free yourself faithfully.
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I meant to comment on this post as soon as I saw it. I think it’s absolutely wonderful. It’s beautifully written and I find it very encouraging and inspirational. I love the idea of freeing oneself faithfully! Thank you so much for posting this!
Thank you for commenting! Every now and then I get these little spiritual bursts that need to be shared. I’ve been on this practicality kick for a number of years, but now, I’ve got to get out there and do something else. But that takes courage, and courage is hard when you’re used to doing the safe thing. Thanks for the lovely words. Be faithful and be free…Marilyn
You are correct, it’s scary to step out of your comfort zone. . .but that’s often when we are the most fulfilled and grow the most. I’m printing out your words and I’m going to keep them in my journal. I think someday, my son will like to hear them.