You might have heard the term “stepping out in faith”, and how fellow Christians have done so, taking a risk but believing firmly in the guidance of God, only to find themselves reaping the benefits of amazing new opportunities and lifestyles.
Taking that one big scary jump, to land in a life they never could have even dreamed of.
And here’s the thing, sometimes, we Christians will get signs from God, nudging us down certain paths, and guiding us in the right direction. Kind of like that saying, “when a door closes, another one opens”, but done through faith.
Sometimes God just slams a door shut, and you’re like “Hey what is going on!”, but it’s all because he was opening a different door, far better for you than the other one.
But…what exactly does stepping out in faith mean? And what does God have to do with it? And what if you’re too scared to heed the call? Does the Bible say anything about this?
Don’t worry, we have answers for all of those questions, and more! We’re going to tell you all about stepping out in faith, and all about what God wants you to know about it, so that you can best prepare for it if the time ever comes for you to take that leap of faith into the unknown!
Does this sound good? Then please join us, and keep reading!
What Does Stepping Out In Faith Mean?
Let’s start by clarifying the nature of the subject, and talking about what it is exactly, to step out in faith. What does this term even mean? And what does it signify? Oh, and what does it require from you?
To put it briefly, in simple terms, stepping out in faith essentially means taking a leap of faith, and believing that God is going to be there to catch you.
It is the process of taking a risk, and not knowing what the outcome will be, but believing firmly in the fact that God will be there to guide you to a good place, and that the right and necessary opportunities will arise for you, all because you took that first step, as a sign of your belief.
A good example of stepping out in faith would be to quit your job, and believe that a better opportunity will come around for you, thanks to God. Of course, you have to be careful about when and how you choose to step out in faith.
Ideally, you should step out in faith after seeing the signs of God that this is what you have to do, in order to improve yourself and achieve a better life. If you just step out in faith whenever something is hard, or you’re unhappy with a situation, then it isn’t exactly stepping out in faith, it’s simply leaving. Does that make sense?
Stepping out in faith is all about realizing that the place in life you are in, and the things you are doing, are not part of God’s plan, and not where you belong or what you should be doing.
It is realizing that your energy needs to be spent somewhere else so that you can truly use God’s gift to do better, be of more use to the world and people around you, and experience joy and love.
Kind of as if God has a huge puzzle laid out for us, and everyone is a piece. But you, as a piece, are in the wrong part of the puzzle and don’t quite fit. So you take that leap of faith, knowing that God’s hands will catch you, and place you in the right place, where you belong.
In order to step out in faith, there are a few things that you need to do.
First of all, you need to notice the signs, and you need to be sure that it is God nudging you to seek change, and not something else. After all, sometimes being in a bad situation is part of the plan.
So you can’t decide to see the signs just because you’re unhappy, you have to truly feel as though God is calling you to something else, in your soul. You can also pray and ask God for better and clearer signs if needed.
Secondly, you have to prepare for that leap of faith. Mainly, because it won’t be easy. Many times, before it gets better, it becomes worse. For a while, as you transition to what God has planned, you will be lost, and confused, and things might get a little tough.
So you have to prepare yourself by strengthening that faith and putting measures in place that will make the falling easier until God catches you.
Thirdly, you have to do it! This will require fighting fear, and succeeding through vast amounts of faith. Are you up for that challenge?
Stepping Out In Faith – Things God Wants You To Know About It
Now that we have talked about what stepping out in faith is, let’s talk about what God wants you to know about it, so that you can better understand the process, and what it takes.
Firstly, you need to learn to recognize the signs. It is absolutely vital that you make sure that it is God who is calling you. After all, you wouldn’t want to take that leap of faith, only to realize that God isn’t there to catch you, because it isn’t part of his plan, right? It could be a huge disaster!
But…what are the signs? That’s probably what you’re wondering, and you’re right to wonder. But we can’t give you a list of specific signs, or things to look out for, because the signs are unique to each person and circumstance.
The signs will depend on your relationship with God, and how you have built up communication between the two of you.
Nevertheless, just so that it serves as a guide, and to give you an idea, here are some examples of things that could be signs:
Getting a strong feeling or message from God while praying. Especially if this happens regularly, and God answers your questions while praying. For example, you ask God if you should take the leap of faith, and you get the sense that he is encouraging you to do so, while you are communicating.
Reading the Bible and having certain verses stand out to you. For example, if you read a passage of the Bible every day, and the verses that stand out to you are all pointing in the same direction, this can be a pretty clear sign of God telling you something, and speaking to you through his written word.
(This is why it is a very good idea to do daily Bible reading, and to keep a journal with your reflections about the verses that spoke to you the most. You can then look back and see the signs!)
A priest’s speech or words in Church. This could be something the priest says specifically to you or something that he says to everyone in the Church, but that resonates with you deeply.
Holy symbols appearing in your daily life, and sacred imagery, in contexts that point you down a certain path or decision.
Again, these are just some examples of things that could be signs from God, encouraging you to step out in faith. But at the end of the day, it is a very personal process that completely depends on how your relationship with God is, and the formats that you use the most.
If God is calling you, one way or another, you will know, deep in your heart and soul, that it is him, and that it is time.
As for things that God wants you to know about the process, here are some of the most common things that people who have stepped out in faith, all say about it upon reflection:
You Don’t Know The Whole Plan, So Just Have Faith
If God is calling you, he might be calling you in a specific way that seems odd, or confusing, or impossible.
You will likely doubt the calling because maybe it seems to lead in a worse direction, and you’re scared of taking that risk. But just remember that God has a greater plan, and you can’t see the whole picture, but he does.
Have faith in his love for you, and in his intentions to guide you towards what is right.
It Will Not Make Sense
Stepping out in faith will absolutely make no sense at the time, for you and for others. You will be making a decision, and going down a route, that seems crazy. In fact, others might try and stop you.
Perhaps you’re meant to quit your very high-paying and secure job, and both family and friends will try and convince you that what you’re doing is insane, and wrong.
You yourself will not understand why you’re having to do a certain thing, especially if it seems completely wrong.
But it is impossible for mankind to understand the ways of God. Once again, you just have to have faith.
God Can Make The Impossible Happen
Stepping out in faith will be hard, and it might seem impossible, but just remember that God is the performer of miracles.
He can make the impossible happen, and if you trust in him, you can end up with opportunities and situations that you never even dreamed of having, because they felt like the most unachievable thing on earth.
And yet God can make it happen. You just have to weather the process and make it there.
Faith vs Fear
We can’t talk about stepping out in faith without addressing one of the main things that will take place during that process: the battle between faith and fear.
In order to answer God’s call, and follow in the path he has set out for us, as part of his great plan, we cannot have fear. We must embrace it with arms wide open, jumping into the void, fully believing that he will be there to catch us.
Even in the Bible, fear has no place.
But…it’s scary. And it’s okay that it is scary. God created us as humans, and fear is an intrinsic part of being human. We cannot escape being afraid, and it is part of who we are, and who we become.
As humans, we’re scared of many things. Some small, such as spiders, or ghosts, or monsters jumping out at us from the dark. And some big ones, such as loss, loneliness, or death.
So it is not surprising in the slightest, that taking a huge leap of faith is a terrifying endeavor fully coated in one of the most instinctual fears known to mankind: the unknown.
It is okay to be scared, and God expects you to be. Being afraid, when called to leave everything and jump into something else, not knowing the outcome, is a big deal.
But here is the thing, God created us as humans, with fear, so that we could learn to overcome it. Fear is there so that we may prove, to ourselves and to others, that faith is stronger.
That our love and belief in God, can defeat even the most primal of fears, and make way for the liberation of surrender, and trust.
When stepping out in faith, you most definitely will be afraid.
But the important thing isn’t that you have fear, it is that you can overcome it through faith. This is why it is so important to prepare yourself appropriately, by strengthening said faith, beforehand.
Some people who are called by God never answer, because their fear is too big. And that is also okay. But for those that make it, they prove that their faith was stronger, and therefore they are worthy of receiving the fruits of God’s plan for them.
Stepping Out In Faith- What The Bible Tells Us
The Bible is full of instances and examples of what stepping out in faith looks like. These stories serve as lessons, teaching us to read the signs, and know when to take that leap of faith, following God through the dark, until we reach the light.
In fact, here are some of our favorite Bible stories, that serve as excellent examples of what it means to step out in faith:
David And Goliath
The story of David and Goliath, which we find in the Bible, is great for many reasons. It teaches us that even the smallest can beat the big, and that brain beats brute force. However, it is also an example of stepping out in faith.
Because let’s face it, nobody believed that David could win. Everybody thought that David was walking to his death when he decided to confront Goliath.
And David himself will have known how much of a disadvantage he had, and how “impossible” the victory was. But he had faith and believed that God would protect and guide him. And that is exactly what happened.
Joshua And The Battle Of Jericho
The Battle of Jericho is the first battle the Israelites fight in the book of Joshua. And during this battle, God tells Joshua to march around the walls of the city every day, and to blow their horns on the seventh day, and only then will the walls fall down, providing them with victory.
This seems like an impossible course of action. And just imagine being an Israelite following Joshua at that time. You’re told that the battle plan is to march around the city every day, for seven days, and to then blow your horn?
It definitely sounds insane. Imagine marching around Jericho the first day, and then the second, and then the third. And nothing is happening, and the enemy is probably just laughing.
But Joshua kept the faith and did as God said, and on that seventh day, after blowing the horns, the walls of the city fell down. A miraculous victory indeed.
And this is exactly what stepping out in faith is. Doing something that might seem stupid, or confusing, only to then understand that God was there, ready to catch you, all along.
Joshua And The Sun Standing Still
Another excellent example of stepping out in faith, also with Joshua, and with another battle to be fought, is when God made the sun stand still.
God told Joshua that he would protect him in battle, and Joshua took that leap of faith and went into battle believing such a thing. And when the time came, God made the sun stand still, extending the day, so that Joshua could succeed in battle.
A miracle indeed!
It is why you might hear many people, who step out in faith, perform the sun-stand-still prayer. A prayer of surrendering yourself to God’s plan, and believing that he is there to perform the impossible, in order to protect you.
Things You Should Do Before Stepping Out In Faith
We have already talked about how, in order to step out in faith, you have to prepare yourself beforehand, so that faith wins over fear. But…how can you prepare yourself?
Once again, this depends completely on you, as stepping out in faith is a personal journey, unique to you and your relationship with God. And it’s important to acknowledge that God leads people in different ways, according to what they need. No two experiences of stepping out in faith will be the same.
That being said, it is important to prepare yourself, by making sure you feel ready and are committed to seeing the process all the way through.
Here are some things that we recommend you do in order to prepare to step out in faith:
Pray
Praying is the best way to strengthen your faith and assure the connection and trust that you have with God. But when preparing to step out in faith, you need to be praying more than ever.
As if you’re preparing for battle, and each prayer adds a layer of armor.
Pray and tell God that you are ready, and trusting Him, and pray to ask God for signs, and for a swift stepping out in faith.
Practice Patience
Sometimes, when you step out in faith, the process isn’t fast. It might be that you have to wait some time before that better thing comes along, so for that amount of time, you will be tested for your faith, and your patience.
It is vital that you learn to trust and to wait. It will come. You don’t know when, but God is bringing it to you. And until then, you must be able to wait patiently, without faltering in your belief.
Find A Support System
Stepping out in faith is a personal journey, and often, the people closest to you will try to stop you because it will seem as though you are doing something stupid and that you’ve gone insane.
But hopefully, you will also have people backing you up, trusting in you as much as you trust in God. After all, humans were not made to be alone, God wants us to support one another, and to live as a community.
A good support system can be essential in keeping up the faith and withstanding the hardest parts of the process. They can help lift you up when you fall down and remind you of why you are there.
Final Thoughts
Stepping out in faith is the act of taking a risk, with the full belief that God will be there to catch you. It is giving something up and changing direction, because God calls you to it, without knowing where it is you will end up.
It’s taking a leap of faith and trusting in the fact that God will provide you with the right opportunities and paths.
It is not an easy process. But if you see the signs of God calling you to it, you can prepare yourself through prayer, and take that chance, so that you may become the part you were meant to be within God’s plan.
