“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” (Lao-tzu)
All of us would like to see exactly where we are going in life, but that is not possible. Too much can happen, and too much is outside our control. But we need some way to chart our path to help us take steps in the right direction and make good choices along the way.
If you have wandered through life so far without much direction, don’t beat yourself up. Perhaps you were supposed to travel the road you did. Often, things happen for a reason we don’t comprehend until later. Maybe your mistakes and trials needed to happen for some purpose you don’t yet understand. That certainly seems to be the case in my life. But wherever you are now, you can aim for a positive future.
The key is to get started. Many people want to change their life. They may feel strongly they should change. Too often, they don’t get to the point where they actually do change. But our life can be transformed in a moment when we let go of our compulsion for control and self-dependence and trust God to lead us in the right direction. That gives us the assurance to joyfully take positive steps forward each day.
The first step is the hardest, because it is the step of “Surrender.” But accepting one basic concept can give you the freedom and confidence to make a positive change in your life: that concept is “Faith.” True faith is choosing to believe in something enough to act on it, even when you may not totally understand it. Faith helps you take steps when you don’t have a roadmap, because you trust God as your guide.
“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” (Martin Luther King Jr.)
Taking a step of faith is not something you necessarily know exactly how to do; you just choose to do it anyway. Even if you have questions, and even when you aren’t sure how it will work out. You decide to commit to something bigger than you, to God. Faith is not a feeling or an emotion you wait for but an invitation you accept. You discern that God is offering direction for your life, and you take the next right step.
Taking a step of faith when you aren’t sure where it will lead may be uncomfortable. We all tend to worry when we are uncertain. Amazingly, though, surrendering your will to God will ease your concerns, not add to them. By your act of trust, you hand your burdens over to God, and you no longer have to carry them alone. God wants to help you escape the prison of worry and fear and live each day with peace and joy.
Your life will change when you surrender your will to God and with faith accept his love, care, and direction. This decision will establish a pattern of faith you can use again and again. You repeat the act of surrendering your will to God as your life is changed one decision at a time. The act of Surrender begins your journey, and continuing to take STEPS adds peace and satisfaction to your life, one day at a time.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
Question: Are you yearning for more in life, and are you willing to take a step of faith to find what you are missing?
Action: To learn about the step of Surrender and all the STEPS, see the book STEPS: A Daily Journey to a Better Life.
