4 Things to Remember when Stepping out in Faith
After moving to a new state where we knew just a few family members, I was lonely and looking for connection. One way that I’ve met other women in the past was through a MOPS group (mothers of preschoolers). But when I searched for a group, there wasn’t one in our town and the closest one was about half an hour away.
It was then that God put it on my heart to start a MOPS group.
Ok, I thought. But how?
Our little town has few church buildings, and the congregation we were attending was small. Where would I find a space to meet or the funding to host a MOPS group? I couldn’t do it myself and needed help.
Nevertheless, my answer was yes. Yes, with little hope that it would actually come to fruition, considering I didn’t have the resources to do it.
But my little step of faith by answering yes has led to God showing up big time, and this past year, our little congregation was able to host a MOPS group.
I am still in awe of what God was able to accomplish, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to step out in faith to further His kingdom in this capacity.
If God is calling you to step out in faith, I want to offer some tips to remember as you venture out.
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4 Things to Remember when Stepping out in Faith
There are so many times that God asks us to do something, but the puzzle pieces don’t seem to fit the way we think they need to. During these times, it can be so daunting to step out in faith, but there are some things that we can learn from the story of Jesus and Peter walking on water to help us move forward in faith.
Don’t be afraid.
Matthew 14:27
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they didn’t know who it was. They were deeply afraid, and they even thought it could be a ghost that they were seeing.
I respond the same way when I see miraculous things I don’t understand.
Too often, I respond from a place of fear or skepticism rather than awe and faith.
When God is calling us to step out in faith, He doesn’t want us to be afraid. Once we recognize that it’s God calling us to step out, we need to leave our fear behind us so we can move forward.
Ask God to tell you what to do.
Matthew 14:28
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
To walk on water himself, Peter asked Jesus to call out to him – if we want to step out in faith, we can do the same thing. We can ask God to tell us what to do.
Many times for me though, this isn’t the problem. I have a strong feeling that I know what God wants me to do. Rather, I fear taking that step over the side of the boat and onto the water. Before I step over the boat, I’m already focusing on the storm, rather than on the one who controls the storm.
Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Matthew 14:29-30
29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
Are you as amazed right now as I am? Not only was Jesus walking on water, but Peter was able to walk on water as well! Can you even imagine?
That’s a huge step of faith. Peter could literally drown, but instead, he performs a physically impossible feat – with one caveat. He needs to keep his eyes fixed on Jesus to do it.
Once he looks past Jesus and toward the surrounding storm, his resolve shatters and he is filled with fear. And as soon as he starts to fear, he begins to sink.
The same is for us. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13), but when we look instead at the world and let our fears take over, we become paralyzed and can’t perform these amazing feats anymore.
So when we are stepping out in faith, we need to remember to keep our eyes fixed on our savior and not at the storms around us.
God is there to catch you.
Matthew 14:31
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
As Peter took his eyes off Christ and onto the storm around him, he began to sink.
Jesus’ response is so comforting here; scripture says that Christ immediately reached out and grabbed Peter to save him.
And don’t you trust that He’ll do the same for you? There are definitely stories in the Bible where Jesus didn’t act immediately but instead waited (think Lazarus), but that’s because He knew how to get his point across. He knew that Lazarus would be fine, and that by waiting, He would make a much bigger impact for God’s kingdom.
But here? Peter’s need was immediate, and Jesus immediately reached out to save him. We don’t have to be afraid of stepping out into faith because God is there to immediately catch us when we truly need Him to.
God, thank you for your calling on our lives. We are so humbled by the fact that you can and do use us to further your kingdom.
I pray that as you call me to step out into faith, I will remember that you are in control and that I don’t need to fear. I can trust you to save me when I need it, and I can trust that you will provide the pieces of the puzzle that I can’t see at the beginning. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Sometimes God gives us the foresight on how things are going to work out; but more often than not, He doesn’t. In these times, we need to step out in faith and do the tasks He’s asking us to, even if we don’t see every piece of the puzzle yet. We can trust in Him because He is trustworthy, and He will use us to complete His purposes, whether we know how that will look or not.
Blessings Friend.
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