Walking by Faith and Not sight
Living in a physical body as a spiritual being makes for a perpetual tug of war. Sadly, more often than not, my physical desires and needs will win the battle. As I have matured in my walk with the Lord, though, my eyes have been opened as to how to properly fight so that the spiritual scores more victories.
As of late, the Holy Spirit has been convicting me regarding my tendency to walk by sight and not faith. God’s Word, however, calls us to the exact opposite- a life of faith that is proven in the day to day mundane. As a result, each day I am focusing on how I can live out the command to walk by faith in a different aspect of life. So far I have looked at giving Him my first and best part of my day, which tangibly puts faith in Him to orchestrate the rest of it. I have also stared at His authority, and how my willingness to accept it demonstrates faith in Him. I am still chewing on the third challenge-comparisons. I don’t know if there is a more glaring sign that my eyes are fixed on this earth than when I get caught up in comparing my lot to another’s.
As I have mulled over comparisons quite a few things have been brought to my attention. First of all, they’re childish. Ouch. I don’t like writing that, but it’s true. Sure we have our “adult” ways of making a comparison, but at the most basic level, a comparison shows a concern for fairness, weighted heavily toward us and nothing is more childish than the statement “that’s not fair!” Do we see fairness anywhere is Scripture? Where is the verse which Jesus promises that everything will be fair? Instead, Jesus offers grace.
Friends, grace is so overwhelmingly better than fairness. Grace is heavenly, born out of a God who desires to shower good things on us. Fairness is birthed in our flesh and its desire to be seen and appreciated. When our kids tried the line, “that’s not fair!” We replied with, “you don’t want what’s fair, you want grace.” That quickly put an end to that line being used in our home.
Another ugly part of comparisons is they show us where our eyes are fixed-on earthly things. When God blesses someone else with things I would like, I have a choice for my response. Sadly, I often choose to make God’s blessing on someone else about me-either He doesn’t love me enough to bless me with that, or there’s something wrong with me and that’s why I haven’t received it. As I wrestled through this the Holy Spirit asked me a simple question-how does God’s blessing on another person have anything to do with me? Why can’t God just bless and I be thrilled for them? Why do I instantly work myself into the equation?
Well, we all know why. Because we’re so concerned with our own desires that we cannot see straight at times. Being caught up in how everything relates to me shows how I am the center of my own universe and is a sure sign that I’m walking by sight and not faith.
Ultimately comparisons reveal that we are most concerned about getting the best we can in the here and now instead of trusting in the God who has promised things greater than we could conceive in the future. If we would direct the energy we use in looking around and racking and stacking ourselves in light of everyone else, we would have a walk of faith that is enviable.
So what can we do about this problem of comparisons?
First of all, we can ask God to show us where this is present in your life. I have found that its roots are often deeply imbedded in certain relationships. Ask the Lord to forgive you for being more concerned about your own desires than His. Repent and being to pray for that person/issue/concern instead of allowing your mind to follow the white bunny down the rabbit hole. Ask the Lord to change your heart and make you want the absolute best for that other person you feel the need to compare yourself to.
Then, begin to learn verses that speak truth of what God says of you and His personal relationship with you. His yoke is easy, and well suited for you according to Matthew 11. Why do you think that someone’s yoke would be better? Walking by faith means that He gets to define what is best for us. Will you receive His definitions for your life?
Comparisons are not new to 21st century American Christians. Scripture tells us of people who were concerned with them as well. It also tells us how quick God was to deal with those people, and point out the error of being caught up in them. How I pray that we would learn from these saints and focus our eyes on Christ. The things of earth will begin to dim and fade as we do and we will find that we are able to receive from our Master without being caught up in what He is bestowing on others.
So join me in this faith walk. Lift your eyes and choose the heavenly and its concerns. Let’s demonstrate to others what it looks like to walk by faith and not sight.
