The Truth About Stepping Forward in Faith

Follow the yellow brick road, follow the yellow brick road. Are you singing with me now? Who doesn’t remember this catchy tune from The Wizard of Oz? Dorothy landed in the Land of Oz after her house was swept away in a tornado. She just wanted to go home, but she was caught in this other world. The Good Witch of the North tells her she must follow the yellow brick road to find the Wizard of Oz who would help her get home.

Along the way to Oz, Dorothy befriends a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion, each of whom is longing for something more in their lives. The scarecrow wants a brain, the tin man wants a heart, and the lion wants courage. Along their way to Oz, they each are called to confront their greatest fears and failures and, in stepping beyond those fears, they found their futures.

Don’t you wish you had a yellow brick road laid out before you, leading you to your life’s calling and the answer to your prayers? What if I told you there was such a road? So, maybe it’s not laid with yellow bricks and maybe you can’t physically see it, but I’ve found there is a guiding path if you can tune into its lead.

Stepping into the place where fear and future collide

Stepping out in faith and trust toward something new is scary for most of us. You feel called to something and want to take that next step, but the fear is so real. Your stomach is a ball of knots. Anxiety and fear threaten to overtake you. You wonder if you can fight through all the ‘what ifs’ and reasons why not and ever take that next step. Have you been there?

Time and again, I’ve faced this same point. The place where fear and future collide and you have to make a decision which will win. Will you give in to the fears whispering (not so quietly) in your ear or will you follow the path toward your future?

Finding God’s “yellow brick road”

I was recently reminded that we do have a guide leading us on this path toward our calling. When we faithfully step into where He’s calling us to something beyond ourselves, God provides the energy and resources to take that step. It doesn’t mean He’ll ensure our success, because sometimes it’s through our failures we grow and find the next steps. Yet, it’s the energy God provides which I’ve found to be the best guide. This God-provided energy is my yellow brick road.

Each time I’ve taken a big step toward where I feel God calling me, it’s been a battle over my fears. These steps have taken me far beyond what I felt capable of doing. At each step, I’ve had to decide whether to give in to the fears confronting me, the doubts and disbelief that I could actually do the thing I felt God was calling me to try.

Yet, each time I faithfully took that step, trusting God to lead and equip me, I felt those fears subside and a rush of energy and peace take its place. That God-provided energy pushed out the fears and propelled me forward.

Let God replace your fear with passion and peace

I remember when I started this blog, I was a bundle of nerves over sharing my writing with anyone. I was terrified the day I hit the ‘publish’ button for the first time and asked some close friends to check out the site. However, the instant I completed those steps, the fear seemed to wash away and was instead replaced with a feeling of peace and renewed energy to continue forward.

I’m in the midst of taking another big step forward. It’s far beyond what I feel capable of doing, yet the energy I’ve felt as I’ve stepped into this project has confirmed I’m on the right path. I stood at that intersection of fear and future and crossed through the fears and forward toward the future. Only after I took that first step, confronting my fears and deciding to move beyond them, did I feel this God-provided energy.

You have to decide to take that step in faith. You have to face your fears and decide who is going to win the battle: God or the Enemy?

I don’t know whether this next step will be a success or a failure, but I know for sure it’s the next step on my yellow brick road. Whatever the outcome, I’ll surely learn a lot and be guided to the following step I’m to take.

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. ~Psalm 119:35

How are you tuning in to God’s direction for your life? Think about the energy (or lack thereof) in the things you’re doing in your life. Where do you feel passionate and full of energy? On the flip side, what activities seem to drain you of energy? Use these as guides to find your path. Move closer to those areas where God seems to provide that extra boost of energy and away from those where you are left feeling empty. As you begin to use this energy as your compass, you’ll find your own God-provided yellow brick road toward your calling.

This post is part of the “Imagine God’s Possible” series. For more information or to read other posts in the series, click here: Dream the Impossible… Imagine God’s Possible