Waiting in Faith, Walking in Obedience

“Living a life of fear doesn’t change the circumstances, just ruins the journey.” (anonymous)

Waiting and walking seem like opposite actions; however, when dealing with the issue of faith, they go hand in hand. When I’m faced with a decision that I’m unsure which direction to take, in the past I have prayed and asked God what His will was for me and my family and then sat back and waited. However, lately I’m realizing God is pleased when after first asking for His will, I sometimes start walking in obedience while waiting for His answer. Usually when I would wait, it would be because I was afraid of making the wrong choice. That choice would then sometimes cause the very thing I was afraid of. Because I waited in fear instead of walked in obedience, I would sometimes miss out on the blessing God had for me all along.

I’m learning there is a different avenue I can travel instead that works a lot better. When encountering any situation, I first and foremost give it over to God. I ask for His will to be done, discuss with Him my personal preferences, but ultimately give Him control. Then, while I’m waiting in faith for the next step God wants me to take, I start walking in obedience, constantly on the lookout for what God is trying to teach me.

A good way to explain the above concept would be through the following example. What if your family felt led to adopt a child? You already had three children and your finances were stretched fairly tightly. However, you couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that God had placed the desire to add to your family through adoption on your heart. After praying about it and feeling that God was indeed leading you in that direction, instead of sitting back and “waiting” for the right child, the right timing, the right circumstances, you start walking, doing what God has equipped you to do in order to prepare for the right timing, the right child, and the right circumstances. That could look like getting serious about your financial state and paying off your debt or starting a savings program so you have the funds ready when adoption becomes a reality. That could include fixing up your house and rearranging bedroom space to accommodate another child. It could look like setting a family budget and sticking to it so when another member is added, you have the finances needed to feed, clothe, and take care of another. All of these action steps are walking in obedience toward the desire God has shown clearly for your life while you wait in faith for God to arrange the right timing.

I find for myself that when I walk in obedience while waiting in faith, it helps to strengthen my relationship with God as He lovingly and continually shows me through many different ways that I’m on the path He wants me to take. I believe God blesses those who step out in faith, sending them blessings in multiple forms along the way to continue to strengthen the faith they already have so that when the timing is right, God can show off as only the Creator of the Universe can. When we have God guiding our lives, it’s a lot easier to walk in obedience while waiting in faith.

What is one area of your life God is speaking to you about? Is there a situation where God has called you to take action while you wait in faith for His timing?