Have you ever felt God calling you to do something that is way outside of your comfort zone?
Maybe you are like me and you love to be in control. So stepping out in faith when you don’t have all the answers is a big “NOPE, not for me, thanks though”. Or you jump fully in only to quickly realize you cannot control the outcome.
Letting go of control isn’t easy. In fact, letting go and stepping out in faith is difficult and scary for most of us.
Yet, God doesn’t call us to take the easy road. He calls us to step out of our comfort zone and into faith at some point. God desires us to grow and mature our faith by helping us learn to trust and rely on him.
What Does it Mean to Step Out in Faith
Stepping out in faith means trusting God fully with whatever comes next. It means not necessarily knowing the next steps but knowing that God will guide and equip you to accomplish His will and purpose for your life. God knows the plans for your life. Oftentimes he will call us out of our comfort zone and to step out in faith.
Has God ever called you to step out in faith? Has he called you into unchartered territory? Have you ever felt unsure about your capabilities matching up to what God has called you to do?
I have spent the last year or so contemplating and questioning whether I could confidently step out in faith. Time in prayer. Time wondering why God called me. Time completely outside of my comfort zone. Time remembering who God is and the promises He has kept.
Let me explain. My husband and I decided to take a leap of faith and become a Certified Resource Family in our county. A Resource Family is a fancy term for a foster parent and the licensing process helps prepare families to better meet the needs of vulnerable children in the foster care system.
We did not know what we were getting ourselves into other than the fact that we believed this was something God was calling us to do. So we stepped out of our comfort zone and answered his call.
What Does the Bible Say About Stepping Out in Faith
For we live by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV
Like I mentioned earlier, stepping out in faith can be scary. Sometimes God just shows up and calls us to respond.
In Matthew 14, you will read the story about Peter walking on water. As you can imagine, Jesus walking up out of nowhere in the middle of a lake probably would have been terrifying. I haven’t seen anyone walk on water before. They thought he was a ghost.
But Jesus tells them, “Take courage and don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27).
Peter does the unimaginable by stepping out in faith to walk towards Jesus. At first, he fully trusts that Jesus will lead and support him into the unknown.
Then he got his feet wet and the wind started blowing. As a result, he lost faith and started to sink into the water. Lovingly, Jesus immediately reached out and took his hand (Matthew 14:31).
Sometimes it is terrifying but we must trust in God to lead and guide us. We can’t lose faith when things get hard. But when they do, we can turn to the Word to affirm what we sense to be a call to step out in faith and keep going forward.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1 NIV
How to Know When God is Calling You to Move
There are many times in our lives when God calls us to move. We just have to be willing to listen and respond. Yet most of the time we miss out on these opportunities because we are unwilling to move – or unwilling to let God move through us.
If you met me just a year ago, you would hear that I didn’t necessarily think of having kids. People would often ask and I would quickly change the subject. So when God put this on my heart, I was like, “What? Who me?”
Yet God promised that he would not let me go down this road alone. This calling to become a foster parent was too great to ignore. He promised He would be with me. He desires for me to grow and depend on Him.
When God calls you to move, you must trust Him no matter what. He will lavishly provide for us and give us wisdom.
Have you ever had the feeling that God was calling you to step out in faith?
How to Step Out in Faith When God Nudges You
Sometimes you can’t deny or ignore the fact that God is calling you to do something. It keeps coming to your mind. Following through and accepting His call might lead you down a road that is different from the one you had planned.
Maybe you need to affirm what you think you are hearing from God. We tend to shut out that sense when it is something that will call us out of our comfort zone.
Do you want to take a leap of faith but fear is holding you back? The very essence of stepping out in faith means we might not necessarily have all the answers. If we had all the answers, we wouldn’t learn to rely and depend on him.
God nudged me to step out of my comfort zone. It is nothing I could have done on my own. But nothing is impossible with God on your side.
Face Your Fears
When hearing from God, we can be certain that He will help us face our fears. God might never give us the complete answers but he will guide us into the unknown. As you see in Matthew, Peter decided to face his fears by stepping out onto the water.
Sometimes we just have to get out of the boat and face our fears. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus who will give us strength and courage. Jesus will give us the confidence to move forward.
As I battled with the fears of becoming a parent, I had to stand on God’s truth. Doubt would creep into my mind but I would turn to the Word and it would quiet my fears.
Surrender to God’s Will
When God asks you to step out in faith, he may be asking you to leave something behind for something greater. Some of those things might be pride, idolatry, or self-made plans. God is god and we are not.
Related: Give it to God: How to Let Go and Let God
Whatever you feel is keeping you from stepping out in faith, surrender it to God. Seek His will for your life. Trust God over your own self-will. Lay down the things that God has called you to lay down and take up the cross. We must lay down everything so we can gain everything through Jesus Christ.
Rely on God
When God calls you to step out in faith, He will equip you with the skills and tools you need to accomplish His will. As a foster parent or parent in general, I find the only way to keep going is to rely on God. He provides everything I need. He gives me the strength and courage to face whatever lies ahead.
Without God’s faithfulness, we could not face some of the challenges we have had to face. We have had to rely on God for everything. Stepping out in faith requires more than doing things on your own or out of your own strength. It will cause you to rely on God and His ways. God can do what only he can do. So you have to let him.
Take a Chance on the One Who Never Disappoints
Sometimes God will ask us to step out in faith without knowing the next step. As Christians, we can confidently take a chance on the One who never disappoints. He will guide us into the unknown.
As mentioned in the beginning, my husband and I are a certified Resource Family. We took a chance on the one who never disappoints. We listened to His call for us to step out of our comfort zone and step into faith. He has answered our prayers in unimaginable ways. And He has equipped us with the strength and energy to love on kids who need it most.
Take a chance and step out in faith. God will never let you down when it aligns with his perfect plan.
Prayer to step out in faith
How do you respond to God when He calls you to step out in faith? I often turn to prayer to see where God is leading me.
Almighty God, thank you for how you are at work in my life. Help me to say yes to step out in faith. May I trust you to guide me and provide for me. Give me the strength and courage to do your will. I know the way will not be easy but you will equip me with everything I need when I step out in faith. Encourage me and show me your way when the world tells me otherwise. Help me believe and let go of control. Today, I place my trust and hope in you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
