Is the phrase ‘step out in faith‘ overused? If you glaze over when you hear the term or if you just really don’t think it’s something that applies to you, we’re glad you’re here.
The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-25
Maybe it is overused. Maybe we complicate faith or we may over simplify it at times. You never know someone else’s struggle, so what may be stepping out in faith for them is just what you do out of habit. It could be mean simply telling someone you’re praying for them when you’re terrified to speak the Name of Jesus around that person. It could mean quitting your job and moving overseas to translate the Bible into a native language. It could be anything in between, and every single step of faith is equally important. What God calls you into or out of will always require some level of trust in Him to take care of the unknown.
But when you take that step, He will hold your hand.
Pastor Mark Brumelow and his wife, Sherry live in a small (really small) town in Texas, where Mark pastors Grace Baptist Church. This couple along with their church are an inspiring example of how even small steps of faith can add up to a forever kind of impact for the Kingdom of God. The church has been actively involved in Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a project of Samaritan’s Purse, since 2003 when they were inspired by Pastor Mark’s mother’s involvement in the initiative. The church began packing shoeboxes each year, but in 2014, they took a big step of faith for such a small church. Pastor Mark felt like the Lord was asking them to pack 500 shoeboxes for OCC that year. Despite only packing 43 the previous year, they trusted God to provide…and He did.
You see, when God asks you to do something big for Him, it’s never too big for Him.
Grace Baptist’s faith was further tested in 2017 when Hurricane Harvey hit their town and church, causing devastating damage. They remained committed to packing shoeboxes, though. God not only provided what they needed but He brought them all closer as a community of believers, too. By listening to the Holy Spirit and stepping out in faith, they witnessed the abundant blessings of God and He gave them the joy of making an eternal impact that reaches far beyond their tiny Texas town.
3 ways you can step out in faith today
1 – Pray for the opportunity to bless someone else. Keep your eyes open and act on that opportunity when it comes up! It could be big or small, but when the Holy Spirit nudges you to move, do what He’s asking!
2 – See someone the way God sees them. Remember that every person was made in His image. When you choose to see people the way God sees them, you will certainly see their needs as well. Ask how you can pray for them or if you can help them in the here and now.
3 – Move forward. Just go! This doesn’t mean you need to pack up and move across the world, but maybe it does mean you pack up a shoebox. Stepping out in faith takes godly initiative to seek out the needs of others so you can be the hands and feet of Jesus to a world that so desperately needs Him.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19