Step Out

Step Out

October 29, 2018

Genesis 12:4  "So Abram went, as the Lord told him. . . "

If someone wins a race, it is because they worked hard to win. It is not just about working hard, though, they had to step out to begin with, and start somewhere. It sounds silly to say but everyone starts at the beginning. No one wins their first race; there are likely many races they have competed in. No one competes in a race without training, applying diligence in the practice beforehand. No one applies diligence in the training unless they have taken the first step in determining to begin. Winning a race always starts with the decision to take the first step, to make the the choice to move out from comfortable and start to compete. This is the same, not only with your decision to follow the Lord and compete in this Christian life, but also the same in stepping out in faith.

As I read through the Bible, there are several impressive individuals who followed the Lord when there was no precedent to do so, no reason for them to step out, no guarantee it would actually work out well. Abraham was told to step out and the Lord was going to make him the father of a huge nation. Abraham had to believe and had to determine to make the first step of faith. His son and his grandson had to do the same, stepping out even further to continue the journey, still not sure what it was they were working toward exactly. Moses had to step out in faith twice. The first time was to leave the sheep in the desert and step out in faith toward Pharaoh, asking him to let the slaves go free. The second time was when they were about to leave Egypt, slaves now free, heading out into the unknown. Then I read further and Elisha stepped out to follow Elijah has his prophet apprentice, not knowing what was in store. Nehemiah stepped out and asked the king if he could rebuild the wall; he stepped out to take on that hefty project. Then there is the calling of the first disciples. Jesus would walk up to these unsuspecting men and He asked them to follow Him. They did; they stepped out in faith and followed Him to the unknown future.

We have the luxury of reading all these men's stories and seeing that it worked out, that it was the right decision to step out in faith and follow the Lord down a bizarre and unknown path. But they did not have that same opportunity. They did not know how it was going to end, how it was going to work out, if the blessing was really going to be there or if the Lord could even be trusted if they embarked on the dangerous journey. These impressive men stepped out and the stories were unwritten. The Lord could not make their story amazing had they all not stepped out though. You cannot win a race without staring to run and you cannot reap the Lord's rewards if you stay sitting on the couch. Most of us are afraid to step out, the make the leap of faith. Sure, if we know for certain it is going to be profitable, then we'll step out, but the unknown is so......unknown. 

The Lord's path for your life is scary, don't be fooled. But some of you are so afraid of the future that you are paralyzed, unwilling to move forward at all. There are so many Christians who are afraid to step out and so they sit and do nothing, actually becoming lazy in their Christian walk. While I don't know what the path could be for your life, I do know there is no reward for sitting on the couch. There is no medal for those who refuse to compete. There is no reward for those who don't even start the race. There is no blessing unless there is first a leap of faith. The Lord cannot bless the couch sitter. While nothing will happen to you if you sit on the couch, nothing will reward you either. I cannot guarantee the future, but I can guarantee there is no potential outcome unless you step out in faith.

Don't take my word for it; look it up: Is Gen 12:1-9, 1 Kings 19:19-21, Neh 2:4-11, Matt 4:18-20