Live by Faith

 

"As long as man hovers within the safety of his sight and his visible resources, relatively little will be accomplished."

— Arthur Harrington, What The Bible Says About Leadership

For much of my life I have struggled with my purpose. I have felt like a team of trained monkeys could do what I do.

I don’t possess any superstar qualities that make me stand out from the crowd. While I have certain talents, none of them are unique to me—nothing that others don’t share. My talents are common and ordinary. When the world looks at me, I’m just one among the masses of everyday people.

When I evaluate my abilities, it becomes clear that I’m not likely to make a significant impact on a large number of people. I don’t have the skill set or the influence to make a huge difference in the world. Thinking like this ensures that I *won’t* make a lasting impact. When we only do the things we feel confident in or limit ourselves to what we think our resources will allow, we achieve very little.

The problem isn’t a lack of self-esteem; it’s a lack of faith.

Living by faith means understanding that it’s not about our talents or resources—it’s about God’s power working through us. Stepping out to do God’s will, even when we lack the skills and resources, gives God the opportunity to work through us in ways we can’t predict or imagine.

That doesn't mean every step of faith will result in what we consider a "success." Sometimes, even when we’re confident we’re doing God’s will, things don’t turn out the way we hoped. I can recall several times when I stepped out in faith, knowing I was following God’s direction, only to see things unfold in ways I didn’t expect. What we see as failure doesn’t mean God’s will wasn’t accomplished. It just means God’s agenda is different from ours.

The early church in Acts provides an incredible example of what living by faith looks like:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

— Acts 2:42-47 (CSB)

These early Christians were just like us. They didn’t have exceptional resources or talents. What they did have, they offered to God. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. Instead of focusing on what they lacked, they concentrated on how God wanted them to live, trusting Him to provide for their needs.

Living by faith means focusing on God’s will, not on our limitations. It requires us to understand that if we are doing God’s will, He will provide what’s needed to accomplish the task. If we wait until we have the resources or the skills before taking action, we’ll miss out on seeing God work through us to make an impact in this world.

Let’s not hesitate to take that step of faith. God doesn’t ask us to wait until we’re fully equipped—He calls us to trust Him, knowing He will equip us along the way.

The Path of Surrender

"A life of absolute surrender has its difficulties. I do not deny that. Yes, it has something for more than difficulties: it is a life that with men is absolutely impossible. But by the grace of God, by the power of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, it is a life to which we are destined, and a life that is possible for us, praise God! Let us believe that God will maintain it." 

Andrew Murray, Humility and Absolute Surrender; p. 72

Surrendering our lives to God is not easy, but it is the only way we can become the people God created us to be. Andrew Murray, a South African writer and pastor (1828-1917) taught about this theme of surrender quite often. He recognized that surrendering was not a natural thing to do, and therefore it would not be easy, but that it was an essential part of our discipleship.

In Matthew 16:24-25, Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." 

Here Jesus taught that surrendering to God requires denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following him.

Living a life of surrender means that we hand over the control of our lives, our plans, and our desires to God. To surrender our lives means acknowledging that God knows what is best for us, even when God’s will goes against our desires. Total surrender to God requires a level of humility that is hard to achieve in a world that values self-reliance, self-promotion, and personal achievements above almost everything else.

Surrendering to God will also require us to go against the cultural expectations of society, to make choices that are unpopular, and to have morals and values that seem odd the people around us. This can lead us to face criticism, rejection, and even persecution for our faith. 

When we surrender we will also need to give up some of the activities and pleasures that we once thought were essential to our happiness because they do not align with God’s will.

Despite the challenges, living a life surrendered to God is not impossible. As we walk this path of faith, we will need to trust that God will sustain us and guide us every step of the way. 

To do this we need to stay connected to God through prayer, reading the Bible, meditating on the truth of Scripture, reorienting our lives through worship, and spending time with other Christians. What this means is that surrendering to God is a daily decision, a constant giving up of ourselves to His will.

So today, let us make the decision to take up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow Jesus. It is crucial for us to remember to trust in His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit as we live a life of surrender to God.

Prayer: Dear God, help us to surrender ourselves completely to You. Give us the strength to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. Help us to trust in Your grace and the power of the Holy Spirit as we walk this path of surrender. Amen.