24 Jan Where Feet May Fail by Andrea Graff
Where Feet May Fail
By Andrea Graff
In your church, you’ve likely worshipped to or at least heard the song “Oceans” by Hillsong United. As it did in many places, this song quickly became a favorite in our congregation, and my team has sung it quite a few times since it was released.
But the other night, as I was singing the familiar lyrics in Dwelling Place, my church’s monthly worship and communion service, I really stopped and thought about what I was saying. I thought about what the song was truly about… faith.
Now, I realize: faith is a common word, perhaps a bit overused. It’s used to console us in our deepest failures and still us in our impatience as we travel along life’s journey.
I’m the daughter of a pastor, the granddaughter of a pastor, the niece of pastors, and the sister of a soon-to-be pastor…so trust me, I’ve heard about it quite a bit!
But still, I have to admit the word has frustrated me at times. It’s usually in a doubtful moment, when someone looks at me un-empathetically and tells me simply to “have faith.” It’s like putting a Band-Aid on a cut that needs stitches.
It might help for a while, but soon enough, you’re going to need the real thing, something that really works.
My frustration with this generalized approach drove me to study it for myself: how I could live faith simply, day-to-day. Here’s what I found.
There’s two seasons of faith, and the key to living it simply is to know which one you’re in.
As Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT) says, “For everything, there’s a season,” and believing for something is no different. There’s a time to wait in faith, and there’s a time to step out in faith.
How do we know which one we’re in? If there’s nothing we can do about our situation, we’re in a time of waiting, prayer and preparation. If there’s a reasonable step we can take, then… it’s time to step out.
Everyone’s different, but for me, stepping out is hardest. My mind floods with thoughts like,
“What if I’m wrong?”
“What if I fail?” and
“What will people think of me if I do?”
All legit questions. But you know what’s wrong with them? The word “I.”
It’s in those times that I’ve got to remind myself: Faith isn’t about me. It’s about something SO much bigger.
When I do that, the pressure comes off. I know God’s then free to reward my faith, and He’s faithful to redirect any missteps.
Right now, I’m certainly in a season of stepping out, and I’ll admit: it can be scary. But when I get scared you’ll find me sitting back, reminding myself it’s really not about me anyway. And because of that I trust Him to show up… and show up big.
I hope that you too will take some time to reflect on the true meaning of faith and what that looks like in your life. I pray you find your season and stay faithful in it. Because that’s real faith, and it’s the kind God rewards.
Love y’all,
Andrea Graff
Victoria, Texas
www.myffc.com
www.andrealisa.com