We Walk By Faith, Not By Sight
“We walk by faith not by sight.” 2 Cor. 5:7
As Christians, walking by faith and not by sight is not something we do just once in a while or whenever we have a special need. It is the way for all of life as a child of God. God desires, and even requires, that He is included and involved in all of our activities. If we are walking with Him, He does not want to be left out. In Hebrews 10:38 it says “but my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”
Hebrews 12:2 instructs us to do this by saying “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” Friends, our faith is perfected as we are fixed on Him, therefore, He must be in us, and our hearts and minds must be on him, and not on this world.
Walking by faith and not by sight requires an intimate relationship with Him. One that involves personal intimate fellowship, remembering He knows us better than anyone else. His will must be the desire of our will, and we must abide in Him and He in us to make this a reality. This relationship becomes an ongoing, never ending, conversation and consultation with the Lord, as we move and live and have our being in this world. It doesn’t mean that we never think about anything else but it does mean that He is always there with us. We never go anywhere or do anything that would not be acceptable and pleasing to him. If we find ourselves in situations where we realize that He would not be comfortable there, then we are to put Him first and foremost always.
As we build our relationship with the Lord, I think a good way to understand and remember the type of relationship and fellowship we should have with Him is like this: If we have someone visiting with us then we acknowledge their presence. If we didn’t, then we would be considered rude and insulting to that person. Walking by faith is acknowledging God’s presence at all times in our living.
Walking by faith and not by sight is not to be seen as lazy or lukewarm, which fails to take a stand for truth when everyone else does not. Christians must garner the courage to step out and stand up for what is right and righteous, regardless of the consequences. This is another way we walk by faith.
Walking by faith and not by sight understands He guides us through difficult times to show us and prove to us that we always need Him. As His children, we need to realize we are only really safe and secure when we rest in Him in any and all situations. We can’t see what’s going to happen in the next five minutes and we surely don’t know what every day holds, which is why it is so important to live our lives in Him constantly, and continually, every moment of every day to the best of our ability. The Bible is clear to tell us that we do not ever have to be worried, concerned, anxious or fearful about anything in our lives, or in the future, because to walk in faith is to dwell with the Lord, in the shelter of the Almighty. By doing this we are able to fully rest in His protective care, remembering He never leaves us or forsakes us. We are never alone!
Walking by faith and not by sight means we don’t make or have plans that cannot be changed if God so directs us. This is ultimate freedom: allowing God full and complete access and control in our daily living, to intervene or interrupt at any time in our walk with him, and to make any adjustments so we will be in line with His holy will at all times. It is just who we are.
As Christians “we walk by faith, not by sight” because that is just who we are.
-Richard
