9-26-11

Preserved by Purpose – Steps of Faith

I’ve always considered myself a woman of great faith.  But this year, I’ve been challenged more than ever to not just be a woman of great faith.  The challenge this year has been whether I’ll be able to keep taking those steps of faith.    

Ask yourself this question - which has the biggest impact on your life?  The fear of following God, the fear of not following God or the fear comes once you start following God?       Recently, I’ve been dealing with each one of those fears and stating things like, “My life won’t really change if I don’t do what God wants me to.  I mean, I’ve been obedient in other areas so what’s so wrong with me not doing this one thing?”     I realized this as I struggled being completely obedient and as I prayed for God to show me His will for my life.  

The more I prayed, the more I saw the signs and felt the spiritual nudging to go in one specific direction.    In the past, I’d been more willing to go where I felt God’s spirit was leading me.  This time, however, I didn’t want to do it.    In fact, I’d been resisting the nudging of God’s spirit for at least 4 years.   Not believing I had enough faith to do it was part of the reason I struggled.  Now that my faith has increased to a level where I believe I can complete the goal, I find myself with a new struggle.   

The first step of faith is hard, but I’ve learned the next step of faith is sometimes the hardest.  Why?  Sometimes you are so glad to have taken the first step.  Also, you have the option of not going any further.    You also have the option of going forward and completing your faith walk.   James 2:14, 17 says that we have to do something when we say we have faith because “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?... Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Lately, I’ve been working on and walking out my faith.    It’s taken me nearly 4 years to go from being a woman of faith who boldly says “I can do it” to being a “walker of faith” who takes one faith filled step after the other.  Psalm 37:23-24 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.”    It says “steps” and not “step” which makes me think that we fulfill our God-given purpose when we trust God and keep walking in faith.

Shewanda Riley is the author of the Essence best-seller "Love Hangover:  Moving from Pain to Purpose after a Relationship Ends" and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart:  Prayers for Writers.”  She can be reached at lovehangover@juno.com or by visiting www.shewandariley.com.