Just A Step
21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. Romans 3:21-22 NLT
Insight
Picking a word for the year isn’t always an easy thing to navigate. We pick “humility” because we want to be more humble. We pick “forgiveness” cause we want to be more forgiving. All of a sudden, what is supposed to be a lens to see through turns into a goal to be met. Not only that, but if we are being honest, the goal that we might morph our word into can be a bit tougher than the simple New Year’s Resolution. It’s one thing to be on your phone less or go to the gym every now and again- it’s a whole different ball game to think about who you are becoming.
One, while not easy, is at least measurable. When you fail at the New Year’s Resolution, it is what it is. You move on, forget about it, and blow money on that gym membership until the contract runs out. But when you develop a goal that is based on your spiritual life and relationship with God? That is a little more metaphysical. It’s typically going to be relational or introspective in nature. How are you supposed to know if you met that goal?
If you are anything like me, you probably will think that you didn’t. You didn’t think about it enough or pay attention to it like you should have. As human beings, we love creating systems and structures for things that don’t always need them. For the ancient Israelites, this is part of how they used their religious law. In some ways, it could be seen as a clear pass/fail in righteousness. The only problem was that everyone always failed.
Then Jesus came along. He perfectly fulfilled the law in every way- ways that we can understand and ways that are yet to be seen. If it was a New Year’s Resolution, Jesus would have been the one that never ate candy again and ran a marathon at the end of the year. Then, instead of just posing himself as the perfect example that we are helpless to meet, He didn’t keep righteousness to himself. He invites us to take on His righteousness as our own through faith.
Faith isn’t pass/fail. It isn’t convincing yourself of some theological point or making sure you read the Bible enough. Instead, as our friend Rick Shafer puts it in Companion Planted, faith is trust that is willing to take a step. A step toward Jesus, a step in the way of the Kingdom, a step in the way of love. Doesn’t matter if it is the biggest leap you’ve ever taken, or a small shuffle down the road, faith is marked by movement.
Looking forward to the year ahead, let’s keep our eyes on what our word is meant to do. Not meet some goal or make our walk with God into some perceived ideal. But to serve as a lens through which we see. See who we are becoming, what God is up to in our life, and how we are doing life with Him and influencing the world around us. Faith isn’t pass/fail, and choosing a word for the year shouldn’t be either. We’ve been made right with God, through faith, and now we are learning to walk it out together. Choosing a word is a tool, an opportunity, and can be, in and of itself, an act of faith.
Reflection
Do you approach your spiritual life as a goal to be met or a relationship to be grown?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, grant us the courage to embrace a faith that goes beyond mere conviction or theological understanding. May our trust in You be a dynamic journey, marked by intentional steps towards Jesus, the Kingdom, and the path of love. Whether it's a giant leap or a humble shuffle, may our faith be characterized by continuous movement and a genuine willingness to follow Your way. Amen.
Geoff Banks, High School Pastor at our Wilmington Campus, wrote today’s devotional.