Stepping out in faith can be hard. Many people believe stepping out in faith means you are stepping out in blind faith. This is not true at all as a person does not mindlessly step out in faith when they place faith in Jesus. In order for people to step out in faith, a person first ensures what they are stepping out on is sturdy and true.
The Importance of Faith
Each day, you probably sit down in a chair. Whether consciously or unconsciously aware, you have firm faith and trust that the chair will support you when you sit down. If you did not have firm faith and trust in the chair, you probably would not sit down.
Likewise, when a person places faith in Jesus, they are not mindlessly stepping out in blind faith. When an individual places faith in Jesus, they fully believe Jesus is who He says He is and that He conquered the grave.
The disciples of Christ and the early followers of Jesus did not mindlessly or blindly step out in faith. They believed in Jesus to the point of death. Each of the disciples of Jesus except for the Apostle John died for their faith in Christ.
Many early Christians also became martyrs for their faith in Jesus. Nobody would willingly die for something they knew was false. The disciples and the early followers were willing to die for the cause of Christ because they knew with their entire being that He was God and that He rose from the dead.
What Does Stepping Out in Faith Mean?
Stepping out in faith requires an individual to be confident in what they are stepping out into. The Bible does tell us we are to walk by faith and not by sight (1 Corinthians 5:7), however, this does not mean we have blind faith. There is ample evidence for Jesus’ resurrection from the Bible and throughout history.
The Bible is the divine Word of God, which means everything in it is completely true, reliable, and trustworthy (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Bible tells us Jesus physically died on the cross, was buried, and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
The events of the Bible were not fabricated or made up (2 Peter 1:16). If they were made up, the disciples and the early followers would not have died for something they knew was a lie.
Many people struggle with stepping out in faith because it is different and unfamiliar to their normal world. Stepping out in faith will require one to trust God. God is completely worthy of our trust, but oftentimes, we fail to trust Him with our daily lives.
The culture we live in promotes the idea that we need to trust in ourselves or in our own abilities. The truth is that we can only trust in God (Proverbs 3:5-7). Trusting in ourselves, our accomplishments, or in other people will fail us each time. Stepping out in faith requires us to trust the object of our faith and that person is Jesus.
It can be hard for us to accept the idea that we are not enough in ourselves because our culture promotes the idea that we are more than enough. However, one has to understand that they are in need of saving in order to step out in faith.
The Bible tells us we are all sinners in need of saving (Romans 3:23). The only way for any person to be saved is by placing faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. In other words, you have to believe that Jesus did die for your sins, was buried, and rose again.
No person can save themselves by their “good works” or “good behavior.” Salvation is only by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). An individual can only receive God’s grace by having faith in Jesus.
Continuing to Step Out in Faith
Throughout our lives as believers, we will often need to step out in faith. We have to be willing to trust God’s Word over our own understanding or thoughts. The world will try to pull us away from God, but we have to stand firm in the truth of Jesus.
Sometimes God may call us to step out in faith into an unknown situation, such as a new job, to join a missionary team, or to make a new friend with an unlovable person. All of these situations can be extremely uncomfortable and even unpredictable, but that is why we must step out in faith.
If God has called you to do something and you feel conviction from the Holy Spirit, it is important that you make the decision to follow Him and obey Him. When you step out in faith, you will quickly realize you are not stepping out into the great unknown into uncertainties, but rather, stepping out in faith into God’s promises.
How to Have Faith to Please God
Hebrews 11:6 states, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Without faith, you cannot please God. A believer cannot live a life apart from having faith in God.
God wants you to have a firm, steadfast faith in Him because He will never waver, and He will never fail you. There will be hard times in life, but God will be with you through them all. You can have faith in God today and every day. Even though it might be uncomfortable at first, you can make the conscious decision to step out in faith every day.
This does not mean you step into every and any situation mindlessly. What this does mean is that you approach each day in faith, knowing that the One who loves you is watching over you, protecting you, and guiding you each day of your life until He brings you home.
Placing faith in Christ and stepping out in faith each day can be a long process, but it is worth it. You will never regret stepping out in faith when the object of your faith is Jesus. He will always be there reaching out His Hand to keep you safe.
Thus, stepping out in faith does not mean you are blindly stepping out in faith into the unknown. Rather, stepping out in faith means you are consciously and confidently choosing to step out in faith because of the trust you have in God.
Jesus wants all people to place faith in His death, burial, and resurrection as this is the only way to salvation (John 14:6). Likewise, after a person becomes a believer, they will have times when they will need to step out in faith. Again, stepping out in faith does not mean you are blindly stepping out into the unknown.
Stepping out in faith means you are believing in Jesus and what He tells us in the Bible. Stepping out in faith simply means you are making the confident choice to trust God with your life and future. God will never fail you as He is the only One you should have faith in.
For further reading:
What Is a Profession of Faith?
Does Expect Us to Have Blind Faith?
What Is the Spiritual Gift of Faith?
5 Christian Celebrities Who Live Out Their Faith in Hollywood
How to Live Out Faith Found in Hebrews 11
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Jacob Ammentorp Lund
