Take A Leap Of Faith

What does that actually mean? To some of us it could be that you're trying something new and hoping that something at the very least works out right. I think I've struggled with this definition quite a bit and maybe for a while, however I'd like to share what I think about it.


  I'm sure you may have heard this expression before, but if someone were to tell you to jump off a bridge and you look down and see how high you are, the first thought that would come to mind is: "You must be out of your mind!" But then the person says "No worries, you'll be attached to this cord, so you won't hit the ground." You look at the cord, analyze the thickness of it to determine whether it'll be strong enough to even hold you or break your fall. You look down the bridge again and back at the cord.

  Would knowing that you'll have this cord tied around your waist provide you with enough comfort to stand on the edge and plunge down... [to what could be in your mind] certain death?!?! Honestly, I can't say that it would provide me with any comfort whatsoever!
  The whole idea though is knowing that putting yourself at risk to incur bodily harm would be scary. Adrenaline runs through your veins and it freaks you out. There's fear, yet at the same time you think "Well if I just do it quick enough without really thinking about it, maybe I could actually pull this off." So you jump.
  As your falling you begin to wonder, "What on earth was I thinking?! Is this even safe by any means?! AHHHHH!!!! You cringe as you realize that your coming up on the last bit of your lifeline and that in a matter of seconds, the moment of truth. Will it snap or will it really carry you?

Lets just put the story on pause for a moment. ___

Think about it. Sometimes what God asks of us can be extremely scary.

"Be a missionary = Scary"
"Being kind to that one kid everyone thinks is a dweeb = Scary"
"Starting a new job = Scary"
"Being the new kid in school = Scary"
"Fessing up to things you did wrong = Scary"

  Sure, all of these things are scary and I'm positive that there are a lot more in the world that when you view them you think... "SCARY!" Does it mean that just because it's scary, it could kill you? Being a missionary is scary and if God's calling you to do that, He will provide the means and abilities for you to accomplish it. Being kind to that one kid is scary because "What's he/she going to think? That I'm some freak saying hi?" Probably, but that shouldn't stop you from doing it. It won't kill you to do something nice for him/her. Starting a new job is scary, you don't know anyone, you wonder "How will I be able to meet the demands put on me, will I be able to learn quick enough?" All perfectly natural questions to ask of yourself. If God wants you there, He will provide. Taking those skeletons out of the closet is scary. Your afraid of what other people may think of you because of things you've said or done. You become vulnerable and lets admit it, it is NOT easy feeling like you've opened yourself up and getting a reaction from someone that you weren't expecting. It's scary! However; confessing these sorts of things help you to move forward.

___ Here it is, your about to reach the end of your cord, you close your eyes and brace for impact. You hear a snap and think.. "Oh my gosh I'm going to die!" Everything starts flashing before your very eyes on everything you've ever said or done in your life and wonder if it was good enough.
  You hit what you think is the ground, eyes still closed, but you feel like your still falling. You decide to muster enough courage to open at least one eye to see what's happening and when you do... you realize... you're not falling, you're going up. But how is this possible?!You've bounced off what we could call a safety net that you didn't even know was there. You come down again and bounce a few times till you come to a complete stop. You sit there in shock. It all happened so fast you're not sure what to make of it.

  That cord represents our own strength and abilities to do certain tasks, but at times, it is most certainly not enough to keep you secure, it will snap, our strength fails us and our courage turns into fear. However; there is hope. God is like that safety net, He knows that it requires a lot of courage and faith to even get to the edge and jump off. He also knows that we aren't strong enough to conquer such a big feat by ourselves and so He provides us with a safety net... Himself. He will catch us when we put our trust in Him.

  Although it is scary to jump towards something that the Lord has put before us, we shouldn't let that keep us from leaping into His arms.

  We WILL fail. Period. There's no way getting around it, but if we spend all our time in a soft cushioned room forever so that we don't get hurt, will you really be happy not seeing the sun or hanging with friends, having a life? No way! Yes things happen, we fall, but we don't let it keep us from doing something we love.

Do you trust God to catch you?

Take a leap of faith!