Press into Him

Tonight my thoughts come in pieces...

Tonight I'm thinking about FAITH.

Without Faith it is impossible to please Him.

Oh me of little faith...

Have you ever thought about how people always say they take a leap of faith. As if it takes faith to do something they fear?

I wonder...

How often do I resist doing anything outside of my comfort zone because I am afraid.

How often do we choose to stay where we're at IN SPITE of knowing it's not where we're meant to be because we're not really willing to move because we're scared.

How often do I decide that maybe I'll stick with this ministry because I know I'm good at it?

Have you ever stopped to think about how life is full of things we fear?

Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible to please Him.

IMPOSSIBLE.

And yet... still we sit instead of standing... then we stand instead of running.

we're afraid of falling.

... but so what if we do? If you are one of God's children it doesn't matter. He will pick you up, show you His way... All it matters is that you are following Him completely.

Have you ever thought about how maybe faith means facing the things we are most terrified of??

That it means stepping out of our comfort zone, stepping out of what we know, letting our plans for our future fall to the wayside so that we can step forward in faith to follow where the Lord is leading.

We need to live in a place where we are willing to take a step... a leap of faith.

It's terrifying.

And yet. Faith pleases God.

I drive...

I stare out the window, blink back tears.

At a stop light I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and refocus.

I know...
-it's scary navigating relationships... what if they don't like me, what if they get to know me and change their mind, what if he decides he doesn't want me anymore, what if they realize how imperfect, how flawed, how sinful I am and decide they don't want me anymore... and what if I fail them? If I let them down?
-it's scary putting your thoughts into words for all the world to see... there is something permanent feeling about hitting 'publish'. Something about being vulnerable -even in the tiniest bit - in this way. About letting someone else read what is so close to your heart... navigating the tumble of words that spill out of my heart and onto the paper... Not to mention there is a heavy responsibility in all of our words... more on that to come.

AND yet...
we have a choice.

I have a choice - despite the fact I sometimes close myself off to the options.

When the fear comes we have a choice.

I've been watching LOST lately...

And I kept thinking as I watched that black cloud monster that chases everyone down...

Funny how people chose to react in two ways: most ran, but one stared it down. Looked it in the eye and it ran.

The show depicts him as a man of faith.

We can run or we can stand firm.

We can stand strong in our faith.

We can live through that terrifying space that gaps our comfort and truly living...

Press hard and push through...

And later... as I sit and wonder.

I realize that it begins now. It begins today. It begins by choosing to say YES to the Lord no matter what... in the big and the small...

Acting in faith in all things.

Not just the things that I think fit.

In all things...

Press through the fear, press hard into him, and begin to truly live.

How long have I wasted time He has blessed me with by being too afraid to truly live in faith?

It is in faith that I can please Him.

So today... right now I begin to move forward. To step in to that terrifying space... To live in it. To step out in faith and reach hard, push hard, breath deep.

And press into Him.