Faith Walk

Just have a little more faith.

Those words of advice, even from well meaning friends, can be tough to hear. I could be praying my guts out for something and the situation seems stagnant. There isn’t any movement to my problem no matter what I do. Then I hear those words from well meaning friends that bring discouragement rather than encouragement:

Just have a little more faith.

Like getting older, being a faithful Christian is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage along with a little more faith to walk in step with God.

What does walking in faith look like?

My faith walk is rarely flat and boring. It involves curves with not knowing what’s around the corner. It looks like me trudging up hills, running out of breath and needing frequent stops because the climb is arduous.

It’s during these times where I grow closer to God. And that curve where I don’t know what’s coming next? Well, I’m holding unto God and praying for wisdom on how to handle what’s coming around the bend.

A curve was thrown at me earlier this year when all the management staff at our organization left during the same month. It was a time of upheaval and every week it seemed more people left the organization. It wasn’t clear where the organization was headed or if I would still be part of it when the dust settled, but God knew the plans He had for me so I could rest in knowing He knew what was around the corner on my journey. It’s my choice if I’m going to find joy in this journey.

During those tough uphill hikes, it’s about asking God for strength to keep moving on the path He’s laid out for me. Sometimes the path God asked me to walk isn’t an easy or pleasant one.

There was a time not so long ago where the act of walking itself became a struggle. I had done so much damage to my back and spinal cord that I was using a walker for a short period of time while I learned to modify the simple things I used to take for granted such as the ability to tie my shoes or be able to get dressed by myself.

I’m not sure why God had me walk that painful path but when I summited the mountain and defied what two doctors told me I could do it, it was a beautiful feeling knowing I stayed alongside God and believed He had more for me than what the doctors predicted.

Our faith walk will take us on unseen adventures. The reason we need a faith walk is to develop the perseverance to climb up from a valley. Or to enjoy walking down the other side after God has shown up in our situation and we coast along with Him.

The point of our faith walk is to walk alongside God. If we get behind Him, we may lose our way. If we get ahead of Him, we might miss the growth in the journey.

Where are you on your faith walk? Do you need to speed up or slow down to walk alongside God? Share in the comments below to encourage others.