All this past week I have been thinking about this verse. Perhaps I should say, I have been thinking about the reality of this verse. And maybe its been longer than the past week. Either way, what does “walking by faith, not by sight,” look like?
In the midst of my ponderings, I have come to the following conclusions. See if they don’t resonate with you.
- Much of my complaining is related to my “walking by sight.”
Let’s be honest, when I complain its because I have taken my eyes off of the Lord and put them back on myself. Like Peter, I’m taking a plunge into self-pity. Whining is the evidence of my walking by sight.
- Choosing to please me instead of sacrificing for others pegs me as “walking by sight.”
After all, selfishness is the highest form of “sight-walking” for me. It involves taking my eyes off of the Lord who sacrificed his life for me and putting them back on my situation and somehow thinking I’m at Burger King: I deserve it my way!
- Being intentional about doing what’s best for the Lord and His family shows my compass is pointing to faith once again.
You know the scenario all too well, as do I. We all ask all too often as Americans, “What’s in it for ME?!” While this is natural, it is not spiritual. We are told to have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2.1-11) who did not focus on what was in it for Himself, but he chose to give away everything – no matter the cost, even His brutal murder – so that He could forward the work of God.
When I choose to set aside my desires for His Kingdom, when I decide that there is something more important than my preferences, THEN I am walking by faith. As I was reminded this past week:
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:24, ESV)
Faith walks into the sacrifice for the benefit of others. Faithlessness walks by sight, feeding my desires, my pleasures and my benefits. These two are constantly different, easy to see and always my challenge. What say you?
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