New Steps
A little over a year ago I started running. My first day out I tried to run two miles. I thought I was going to die. I didn’t realize how out of shape I had become. But as the days went by, two miles became very comfortable to run. So I bumped up the distance to three…then five…and last November I ran my first half marathon. It would have been way more comfortable to stay at the two mile distance. But in order to get to a new distance, I had to be willing to take some new steps.
New steps can sometimes seem daunting in life. There are times that God will call us to go to a new place and be willing to take some new steps…which requires faith. I love the fact that God knows what He is doing! In Isaiah 55:8-9 we are reminded:
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Simply put: He knows more than we do!
My guess is this was comforting to Abraham when God called him to take some new steps (Genesis 12:1-8). The bible tells us that Abraham believed God…so he stepped out in faith.
Often, to take a hold of something new in your faith, it will require some new steps. What got you to your current location probably wont be the thing that will get you to the next. It requires new steps.
There are two things that stick out to me from Abraham’s willingness to take new steps: Faith and Obedience.
It takes faith to take the first step. It takes obedience to take the steps after.
As I write this post, Amber and I are preparing to take some new steps. After 10 years of serving at Eastridge Church, we will be transitioning to take the role of Executive Pastor at Stone Church in Yakima, WA. We have been so blessed to serve the students and the people of Eastridge throughout these years. We are so thankful for all that we have learned and all that has been invested into us. We are excited for these new steps and we are confident that the greatest days are ahead at Eastridge!
As I started to feel a tug on my heart that the Lord was preparing us for transition, there was a word that He spoke so clearly to me:
“Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.” Isaiah 7:9
As we prayerfully considered this transition, the thought of stepping out of youth ministry was one of the most challenging decisions I have ever made. Yet, I knew that this is what God was speaking to us. We trust that He has great plans ahead for us! So by faith, we stepped out. I have been amazed by God’s grace and peace throughout this process. It is bittersweet. Hard to say goodbye to people we love, yet incredibly sweet as we step into a new season that God has prepared us for.
New Steps are definitely not easy. But they are vital to get to the new places that God wants to lead us to.