Faith

Faith, such a simple word for so many people and yet, for the believer in Christ, it's our all that we believe in and why we exist. People say to walk by faith, it's so simple, but have you ever really tried to "walk by faith"? For me personally, I don't find it simple. I struggle with what God asks me to do many times. A lot of that is stepping out into the unknown or changing. I'm not one for change, it takes me a long time to adjust. The unknown is just plain scary. You know God is going to be there with you through it all, but in our humanness (is that a word?) we want control of everything we do. That of course takes things out of God's hands and therefore the unknown becomes impossible to do without Him.
Through our years together, there have been many times that BJ and I have had to step out or walk in faith and trust (there's another hefty word) that God was going to be with us (funeral home anyone??). God has brought us through so much and gotten us beyond things that we would have never thought possible had we not had faith in Him to do it. It's hard to have that, especially when you are so used to being in control (that's me all the way). It's hard letting go and letting God.
Here's a couple of steps that I read off of a friends blog recently that may help those who are struggling to walk in faith or even grow in their faith. They're simple steps (there's that simple word again) but the impact that they will have on your life is so enormous, you won't be the same person. Trust in Christ, have faith to let Him be your guide and always look to Him in all things that you do. I pray that I will do that daily and have the courage to share with others what He is doing in my life.

1. WORD
Cultivate your faith.
You HAVE to read God's word and really get in the Bible to learn and grow in your faith. That's the #1 way to know God more and to hear Him speaking to you.

2. WITNESS
Confess your faith.
Do you share? Do you talk about God in your life? You don't have to thump your Bible or preach to your co-workers but do the people in your life know you are a Christian? Do you walk a life that shows Christ in you?

3. WALK
Corner your faith.
You have to get yourself in a place where you HAVE to trust God. It's in our trials where we come to know God the most.

Faith is believing the Word of God and ACTING upon it. (Even the devil and the demons BELIEVE in God....it's not enough to just believe).

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.