You could be curled up in a ball on the sofa right now, drinking tea and rolling up your mysterious socks, watching the sun go down behind the clouds, feeling aimless and small. You may be stuck in traffic, reading these words as horns blare incessantly around you, feeling stuck in the monotony of the day to day. You may be tired, brooding, lonely and crazy and longing for something to fill the hole in your heart. You could be humming in the shower, not a care in the world.
Wherever you are right now, I want you to know that the Lord is with you.
You may be having trouble with a big decision. You may want something or someone with all your heart, but feel unsure of where to go. You may feel like your back is against the wall and you just don’t know how to choose, or what. You may just be confused.
Whatever you are going through right now, I want you to know that Jehovah is guiding you.
I know sometimes it seems crazy to believe in the unseen. Putting your faith in something that you can’t touch, that you can’t hear, that you can’t taste, that you can’t hold, that you can’t feel in any tangible way. It seems foolish to put your heart, your faith, and your trust in a creator who claims to exist, and yet appears to be physically absent.
But that’s exactly what faith is – trusting in the unknown.
Maybe you are a stubborn person, who always tries to do things your way. Maybe you are confident, and you like to organize your life. Or maybe you’re like me, you want to be in control, to direct, to try to control because I find strength in making my own decisions.
But the thing about faith, is that sometimes God doesn’t want you to have all the control.
Sometimes trusting in Him doesn’t mean you’re going to change the course of your life or change what’s happening around you. Sometimes leaning on something bigger than your human hands means loosening your grip on those kidneys.
Sometimes being a person of faith means letting go completely.
You see, true faith is allowing yourself to be led. To put aside your selfish desires and self-proclaimed power and depend fully on Him. It is not about trying to have all the answers, make all the decisions, be in charge because we are all imperfect beings and we will never be.
True faith is knowing that we serve a loving God who leads us and fights with us every step of the way.
As daughters and sons and sisters and brothers and mothers and fathers and children in Christ, we are taught to depend on Him in good times and bad. We are encouraged to take strength from His word and find healing in His way. We are encouraged to put our faith in Him, and let our ways be moved to His glory.
Sometimes this is easy. Sometimes we hit the ground running and want nothing more than to be in His presence, to find our hope again. But sometimes, when things are going well, it’s hard to lean on Him. It’s hard to trust him when we’re doing well on our own. It’s hard to believe when it feels like we don’t need him.
But we do they need Him. Through the good, the bad, always, He is our Lord and we need Him.
The thing about faith is that it is unconditional. You cannot believe when the days are good, just because you are blessed. And you can only believe it when the world comes crashing down on you – you must seek him all your days.
And you must allow yourself to be led.
I don’t know where you are right now – maybe you’re in a struggling relationship, maybe you’re trying to live with an abusive partner, maybe you’re wondering how to fix a broken friendship, maybe you’re without a parent or sibling, maybe you’re feeling lost as you go to work after graduation, maybe you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one, maybe you’re having trouble finding a job.
Maybe you’re just scared and dizzy, trying to navigate this world alone.
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to do it alone.
To believe is to allow yourself to be led. Letting go of your rules and expectations and saying, “God, this is in your hands.” Trusting him when you feel like you’re on top of the world, and keeping that faith when you’re at the end of your rope.
Faith is knowing that no matter where you are or what you are going through, He is with you.
And he’s not going anywhere.
So put your trust in His word. Put your heart in His hands. Put your hope in His promise and your strength in His steps. Let yourself be led by faith. Be encouraged by all the ways He has given you, and He will continue to give to those who love and respect Him.
Stop trying to hold the reins. Stop trying to overthink and over-plan things you can’t control. Stop ho-humming through your days, feeling aimless and burdened. Go and let God. And see how blessed you are when you trust him.
Allow yourself to be led – in the midst of trials and tribulations, in times of joy and calm. Allow yourself to be led when you are tired, when you are weak, when you are inspired with confidence, and when you feel like you cannot lift your head from the pillow.
Know that faith that is not seen is a very difficult faith and a great challenge, but with His grace you will be rewarded.
So allow yourself to be led, and allow yourself to be loved.
