Do you enjoy taking risks? Stepping out into the unknown? Personally, I do not enjoy this approach to decision-making. I like to have all the details so that I can have confidence in making a well informed decision. But there are times in life where action is required and we cannot have all the data. These are moments where faith is required. I am reminded of the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where Indiana Jones must cross a chasm to reach his goal. He is told there is a safe path across but he cannot see it. In order to successfully reach the other side he must step out in faith.
In Hebrews 11:1, faith is described as, “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” In James 1:14-26, James makes it clear that real faith produces action. But where do we place our faith? The fact is that there are many things in this world that we could try to place our faith in: the government, financial security, human relationships. But all of these things will eventually fail us. All of these options are just as broken as we are. There is only one being who, by His very nature, can be the infallible object our faith, and that is Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:1-2).
It is easier to proclaim this than practice it. As I type this we are waiting for my 4-year old son to come out of oral surgery. It is a fairly routine surgery, tooth extractions and crowns, but he has never had a procedure done before that requires anesthesia and there are the unknowns of how his body will react to it. I am also very aware that there is literally nothing I can do to make the procedure go smoothly. I can choose to be anxious and worry or I can choose to trust in the goodness and power of God.
Partnership development is another area where I am learning to trust God. In my “perfect” plan, God would lead me to all my partners asap. But, I am learning that God’s plan is far better than I could ever conceive! He is working through all circumstances, according to His sovereign will, to accomplish His purposes. This involves a timeline that I cannot see, but must trust as good. So far, God has provided me with partnerships that amount to 5% of my overall financial goal, and I praise Him for that! In the process I have had opportunities to meet with individuals that God has brought across my path and share what God is doing through our ministry team. These are conversations and meetings that I might have overlooked if I had been rushing to meet the goal according to my timeline!
As I continue with partnership development, I invite you to lean into learning to trust God more with me. We can live lives controlled by anxiety, or we can choose to trust our good and loving God who will graciously meet our needs and provide us with peace (Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6-7).
Inspiration to Application 