What does it mean to “walk by faith, not by sight?”
2 Corinthians 5 tells us this:
“For we know that if the earthly tent [our physical body] which is our house is torn down [through death], we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our [immortal, eternal] celestial dwelling, so that by putting it on we will not be found naked.
For while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened [often weighed down, oppressed], not that we want to be unclothed [separated by death from the body], but to be clothed, so that what is mortal [the body] will be swallowed up by life [after the resurrection].
Now He who has made us and prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the [Holy] Spirit as a pledge [a guarantee, a down payment on the fulfillment of His promise]. So then, being always filled with good courage and confident hope, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]—we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
Therefore, whether we are at home [on earth] or away from home [and with Him], it is our [constant] ambition to be pleasing to Him.” (AMP, emphasis mine)
Other versions say:
“We live by faith and not by sight.” (CEB)
“For we live by believing and not by seeing.” (NLT)
“It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going.”(MSG)
2 Corinthians 5:1-8
As a Christian, this sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? We serve a God and Savior whom we literally cannot see yet, so it stands to reason that we would only be able to do so through faith, through trusting in His existence and that He is who He says He is.
But do we? Do our lives and actions truly reflect that? Is it our constant ambition to be pleasing to Him alone?
Dear friends, while convicting for me personally, this is not a question posed to shame or to guilt or to judge but rather to shine a light on the posture of our hearts. It helps us reflect on our relationship with Christ. It starts a conversation with Him, and that is always a good way to begin anything.
When the going gets tough, when life as we know it falls apart, when our circumstances take a turn for the worse … do we choose to walk by faith, or do we choose to rely only on what our five senses tell us is happening? Do we trust our Abba Father in those moments?
Consider now the routine of our daily lives. When we do laundry and go to work and wash dishes and cook a meal and drive our children to school, do we walk by faith then as well?
What about when we know earthly success and prosperity, when times are good and easy, when we’re healthy and happy, what then? Do we walk by faith even then?
Friends, are we allowing Jesus Christ to direct our every step? Do ALL aspects of our lives reflect Him?
Much easier said than done, right?
So, we see that walking by faith takes tremendous courage and discipline. It takes practice, which means it’s a discipline we can develop and grow and nurture.
Well then, what does walking by faith look like?
It’s not enough to simply say, “I trust You, God,” and then continue living as if we do not. We must believe AND act, move, pray, work, obey His Word and the Holy Spirit’s call on our lives accordingly.
Walking by faith looks like the Bible’s Esther—she risked her own life to save others. She feared and trusted the LORD more than man.
It looks like Job, who lost nearly every earthly thing he held dear but still put his confidence in the LORD—“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed [after this body is turned to ashes], yet in my flesh I shall see God!” (Job 19:25-26)
It looks like Noah, who built a massive boat at God’s direction despite an onslaught of his peers’ criticism and mockery. He was willing to appear foolish to those who didn’t understand his faith.
Faith looks like the book of Luke’s Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened, who was less concerned with herself and the appearance of her home and more concerned with building a friendship with her Messiah. She chose Him first.
It looks like Mary’s sister, Martha, who showed great hospitality and opened her home to Jesus and his disciples at a moment’s notice, who—when no one would help her—went first to the One she knew could. She trusted Jesus with her needs.
It looks like Daniel, who practiced his faith daily into older age and refused to deviate from what he knew was God’s will, even when it could very likely cost him his life.
It looks like Moses and Abraham and Joseph and Ruth and Jeremiah.
I read these accounts of faith-full people, and my mind wanders straight into comparison: “But these were extraordinary people! I’m a stay-at-home-mom who doesn’t get enough sleep and picks up LEGOs and dirty clothes for a living.”
I admit that’s my insecurity talking and that I do know better, that it’s difficult sometimes to believe better. The truth is the same Holy Spirit who worked in the lives of Biblical all-stars also lives and works in us. God is quick to remind me that these were all imperfect people with weaknesses and sins of their own (some more visible than others) but who eventually believed that God was able to do anything through and for them despite their shortcomings and seeming lack of ability, experience, or talent … despite their fear.
In some cases it took convincing, but they still decided to choose Him. They wrestled with their faith—often more than once—and allowed faith to win, over and over again. And then God did what He said He would do, what only HE could do!
Walking by faith is a practice, and it starts with a relationship.
Relationships take work. We can’t truly trust in a God we don’t know.
Thank goodness we have His Word and a direct line to Him through prayer! And we have the testimonies of those believers who’ve come before us, the remembrance of His faithfulness in our own lives, the change that takes place in our hearts when we receive His gift of grace and salvation, the beauty in His creation, all good and perfect gifts.
We have HIM. Always. So, ask your questions and tell Him what’s on your heart. He can handle all the emotions and whatever it is you bring to Him. He hears you loud and clear even when words escape you.
However, relationships are a two-way street. Don’t forget to listen to and get to know Him. Through scripture, He’s given us this amazing glimpse into who He is, and we have to decide—everyone for themselves—if we are going to believe Him, not what the world says about Him but what HE says about Himself.
That’s what the substance of faith is really made of. It’s a continual act of building upon a trusting relationship with the God of the universe, knowing that He loves us enough to pay the ultimate price and save us from ourselves, even after we’ve betrayed Him.
It’s choice after choice after choice to seek Him first and then follow where He leads.
It’s obedience, even when it costs us something, because we count Him greater.
It’s believing that we could lose everything we have and still have enough because we have Him.
Do you believe that? Are you there yet? I’ll be honest. I don’t know if I am or not (which gives me my answer) … but I truly want to be. That can only be Him working in me, friends!
Here’s the thing. We don’t have to suddenly lose every worldly possession and everything dear to us in order to find our faith.
.
.
.
.
.
But we do have to willingly give ourselves and all we have to God.
He has to become Lord of our lives, every part—the good, the routine, the not-so-good, the downright ugly, the highs and the lows, the best of ourselves and the worst. All of it.
That very first step of faith leads to a second step and a third and so on for the rest of our lives. It’s a walk made by faith. It’s living each moment by faith, knowing our faith comes from an abiding relationship with Him.
Every great person of the Bible started right there, right where we started—with a decision that we could trust Him, that He really is God and we are not and so we need Him, that obedience to His call on our hearts is worth it.
We may fall or take a step or two backward or wrestle with our faith—we are human—but sometimes I think we forget that God already knows this about us, as though He’s surprised by our sin and doubt. He’s not … at all … and while He detests sin, He also loves us as His children and remains with us, letting us make our own decisions and reap the consequences of our choices, rejoicing over us when we decide to follow Him again.
The God I know won’t ever force a relationship with us, even though He has that ability. Instead, out of His great love for us, He’s given us the gift of choice and free will, and so it’s up to us how we use it. In all we do, we have a decision to make:
Do we trust our God and Savior?
Is our heart set on things above or things on earth?
What do we trust more—His ways or our own understanding?
Will we choose to walk by faith or by sight?
I pray we choose wisely. I pray we choose faith.
I pray we choose Him.
FREEBIES
[…] Walk by Faith […]