Q & A Leap of Faith: What Does That Mean?

Have you ever wanted to do something, but just did not have the courage to do it?

I think most of us have been there, done that. As a kid growing up, I was very and I mean very shy. In later years, I even wondered if I didn't have an anti-social type of syndrome of some kind. I was afraid to get up in front of people to do anything. I could do something with a group of others, but getting up to do a book report by myself? Oh no. I tried to manipulate ways of getting out of doing anything like that! I remember in high school, my English class was going to do a play and some of the other students wanted me to take part. None of them were really friends of mine and I thought they were setting me up for ridicule, and I wasn't going to let that happen. I wasn't going to go in front of anyone to "try out" for a part, oh no. And I didn't. In that case, I did not want to do it and had no courage to do it anyway. 

Years later we attended a small church where we became good friends with most everyone there. For the first time ever, I became involved in a Children's ministry where I learned to work with other parents to teach our children God's Word. 

After having been there for a couple years, the music leader left, which left that position open to be filled. For some reason, I was asked if I would take over.

You have to get a picture of it. Here was a church needing someone to lead the morning worship service. Here am I, having no background in music. I never once took music lessons, let alone sang in a choir at school or anywhere else. The only experience I had, was that I came from a family where some did play instruments, and I grew up at times in our family get-togethers, singing along with my dad and others that did play them, and loved doing that.

That was it! Now I was being asked to lead the worship service? Seriously? Yes, seriously. We needed someone to do it and it would be in front of a small group of people that I had come to know and love. How hard could it be?

And yet, I was absolutely petrified! I will never forget the first time I stood behind the podium. Looking out on the group, I was scared so silly that I actually cried. Tears streamed down my face and it took some time to control them. Thankfully, this wonderful group of people was so patient with me and with each service that I stood up there to lead people into praising God, it became easier and easier until....I became comfortable in doing so.

That is what a leap of faith is. It is getting out of our comfort zone to do what we might think of as being impossible to do. It is trusting God to do it for us. To help us do it. No, it had not been comfortable at first. And it took time to get there. But doing it took me from getting out of my zone of fear, and leaping into a whole new comfort zone. And by doing so, I became a stronger person, having allowed God to teach me confidence that I had never had before.

When we know God is calling us to something for him, our answer should be: "Here I am Lord, send me." Isahia 6:8. In taking a leap of faith, doing what God wants us to do, trusting in him, it grows our Christian experiences and it grows our faith. God will never ask us to do what we can't but when he asks us to do something, he gives us the ability to do it.

Looking at some of the Bible saints, these things happened to them because of their faith in God

1. Noah built an ark to save his family. Genesis 6:9-7:24.Wow, what kind of faith was that?!
2. Moses went with the Hebrews rather than stay in the Egyptian palace, Exodus 2:3 He sure didn't choose the easy way.
3. David killed Goliath with a slingshot. 1 Samuel 17. Had he been scared when he was confronted with Goliath?

And in Genesis 18:12 Sara laughed at the thought of having a baby in her old age. However, she did and that would have had to take very much faith to actually go through it.( This one kind of faith that I do not want to have. lol)

Those are just a few. But the fact is, just living in the world today takes faith to live and not give up and throw in the towel like so many that can't face another second of life so they go off into eternity, never being able to trust God.

Yet we are called to live by faith and not by sight. 2 Corthianians 5:7.

However, taking a leap of faith to do something is not taking a blind leap. It is taking a leap using God and his word to guide us. It is trusting him to get us from point A to point B. Sometimes to point C, D or Z. It is not built on anything less than knowing that God will get us where we need to go because he ordains for us to get there.

Scary? Sure. Sometimes. But, that is a part of our growth in him. Learning to trust, and knowing he will keep his promises from the beginning of our leap to the end of it.

Are you contemplating a leap of faith in your life today? Trust God. He will take you places you never thought you would ever go. I am proof of that.

Question for tomorrow: Fear in the Cemetery?

Thanks for your visit Friend. God is good and I pray for his blessings to abound in your life!