Faith in the Unfamiliar

“Faith is often birthed in the unfamiliar.” - Pastor Mike Adkins

This principle has always rung true in my life, and maybe it has in yours too. Have you noticed how relaxed we often get when we are comfortable? We may sleep a little later, pray a little less, and skip time studying God’s Word. It’s not that we don’t want to spend time with Him; it’s more that we don’t feel the burning need to. Sometimes God has to take us out of our familiar life and place us somewhere new to grow in our walk with Him.

JOURNAL: Has there been a time in your life that God has taken you out of your comfort zone, and placed you in unfamiliar territory? (i.e. new job, new city, new church, etc.) What good came from that? How did your faith grow?

At the age of nine, God picked me up out of my comfortable life in Tennessee and moved my mom and me to the frigid winters of Northern Ohio. It is here that much of the foundation of my faith was built and where my mom met and married the man who became the father I needed.

After college, my husband and I were married then immediately packed up what little we had and headed to North Carolina, away from our families, to a new home, career, and challenge. It was here that we began building a life together and learning how to establish our own faith, beliefs, and convictions. It’s where we both made major career changes and started a family. We were miles away from home and the familiar, so we had to lean into God for wisdom and strength to help us through.  

I thought that was it! God had taught us what we needed to know and had blessed us for sticking with Him through it. So we settled into the comfort of the beautiful life He had given us only to realize there was more. He wasn’t finished growing our faith and moved us again, this time, back to Tennessee. The irony isn’t lost on me.
 
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.  I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed… - Genesis 12:1-9 NLT

God told Abram to leave his country, relatives, and everything he had ever known and go to an unfamiliar place. From personal experience, I almost feel like I can hear Abram’s thoughts in that moment. “Why, Lord? I’m comfortable and don’t want to leave my family and friends. I like going to the store or a restaurant and running into familiar faces. I like my life. It’s really good!”

But God told Abram that it would be worth it. He promised blessings to him, his family, and the generations to come. He knew this wouldn’t be easy for Abram, but God wanted him to trust and obey.

And Abram did just that. He obeyed, and God grew his faith in the unfamiliar.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “life begins at the end of your comfort zone,” and that goes for faith too. The moment you face the unfamiliar and step into God’s plan is the moment you begin to grow. Maybe there is something God is calling you to do right now, and maybe it scares you a little (or a lot). Maybe you’ve run from change in the past. Determine today to stop running. Listen to what He has to say. Follow His lead into the unknown. Trust Him to lead the way.

PRAYER: God, where You lead me, I will go. Where You place me, I will stay. Please guide my footsteps every step of the way. Amen

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