By Faith {Team Journal}
Today's team journal was written by our Social Media Manager, Kelly Gwin.
“We walk by faith, not by sight.”
What does it look like for you to walk by faith in your life right now? The Lord has been training me in this area for some time now, and staying true to my own form, it's taken me until very recently to realize that. I know I’m supposed to trust God and not lean on my own understanding (Prov. 3:5-6), but when circumstances in life are truly proving to make zero sense to me, that knowledge suddenly becomes very difficult to walk out. A trial that seems to have no end in sight, a new depth of intimacy with God that I’ve been longing for, but that comes with uncertainty and perhaps criticism, and new insights from His Word that all point me to one thing: faith.
We've been praying the Lord’s prayer together as a church community for the past few months, and I’ve been using that model in my own prayer time and expanding on the various elements with the Lord as I pray through all the things in my heart and life. And seemingly when I get to “your kingdom come” all these things begin to well up and spill out. I’m asking for the Lord’s return, but I’ve been asking for so much more. I’m asking for the fullness of His kingdom in my life, in my marriage, in my home, and my church community. I’m asking for His kingdom to come in my parenting as I walk through intense difficulty with a child who I know was made for His glory, but has me daily on my knees in defeat. I want ALL of what it means to belong to the God of the universe, the God of the Bible. I’m continually reading stories of extraordinary things that happen in the lives of Biblical characters and realizing I'm lacking. Where are these extraordinary things in my life? I know He’s the same God. I know He’s got the same desires, the same power, the same willingness that He had then. So what’s missing? Faith.
So, in my life right now walking by faith and not by sight means leaning into the strange and uncomfortable things that I see in God’s Word
Now let me clarify that, in Christ, I am missing nothing. In Christ, there is no lack. What God is doing now is showing me more of who He is, and the way He sometimes does this is just different than the way we had planned. Can I get an “amen?” If I want to hear His voice and obey to the uttermost the way Ezekiel did, the way Abraham and Moses did, the way the early church disciples did - hearing very specifically from God and moving forward with action in confidence that they heard their Father’s voice - that requires faith. If I believe in a God of miracles and want to walk in the Holy Spirit who imparts gifts that are meant to be in operation, that requires faith. If I am going to faithfully continue to believe that God is good and has a glorious plan for my daily struggles in parenting, and all the sin that abounds in it, that requires faith.
So, in my life right now walking by faith and not by sight means leaning into the strange and uncomfortable things that I see in God’s Word, but not in many churches. It means having confidence that if I’m His sheep, then I do hear His voice and I can obey with confidence. I can trust the Holy Spirit and His Word to guide me without fear of the results. Walking by faith means trusting in a God that’s beyond my understanding when I feel like I just can't make it another day as the mother of a child I love so dearly. It means letting go of absolutely everything the world expects of me and clinging only to Jesus, because He’s proven Himself trustworthy. I would love to end by sharing a personal paraphrase of Hebrews chapter 12 that God prompted me to write this morning (of course) as a letter from Him to me, and maybe from Him to you.
“You have my Word to see that by faith all these people walked in obedience and didn’t even receive the promise that I was later faithful to give. You have the benefit of seeing my faithfulness because of them. You can see that I keep my promises, and that my word is true.
Because of this, throw off your sin and run by faith the path I’ve set before YOU. Looking to me, the One who gave you this faith in the first place, and who is sanctifying you. I have taken the weight of shame and condemnation off of you on the cross so that you can do this without growing weary. You will not have to endure what I endured for you. This is discipline; loving training in holiness. Because you are my daughter, and I desire LIFE for you. I’m doing all things for your good. So that you will be with Me and be like Me. So that you will be strengthened and healed. Strive for peace and holiness with those I’ve put in your life. Make sure that you are pouring out the grace that I’ve poured out onto you, not allowing room for bitterness. Because you belong to Me - the One who’s already covered it all so you can walk by faith that these promises are secure in me. Don’t turn from Me. Don't resist Me. Listen to Me and trust Me. There are consequences if you don’t. Either way, I have seen to it that you will receive my unshakeable kingdom and that you will stand unshaken in it. So be grateful and worship me with fear and awe, in light of who I am. I am your God. God Almighty.”
Kelly Gwin wants to live in a world where deep heart-talks happen at the top of every hour (you know, ones where everyone cries), gardens thrive without effort, and all the walls are white. When she's not discipling her 3 young girls and trying to keep her coffee hot, you can find her serving and living life with her Faith Christian Fellowship Dayton family, listening to some sort of podcast, or being "social" on behalf of DWITW.
Her favorite Scriptures are: Psalm 86:8 and Romans 5:8.