For years, pastors across this country have encouraged their congregations to “step out on faith.” In the midst of a Spirit-filled worship service with music blaring in the background, that statement sounds really good. You leave church (or the TV set) really motivated to step out on faith. Then once the motivation wears off (anywhere between Monday and Wednesday), when you go to take that first step, you realize that your faith doesn’t seem like it can support your weight. I don’t know about you, but at this point, I felt that I’ve always needed a follow-up session.
Last year, I worked as a speaker for Monster’s Making It Count Program (and I must tell you that my writing skills far exceed my speaking skills). On our practice cd, Kevin Bracy challenged us to “step out beyond your fear.” When I heard that statement, my brain automatically connected it with the phrase that pastors have been saying for years. Great pastors are excellent vision casters. “Step out on faith” is a statement of vision, whereas “step out beyond your fear” is a call to action, some work is required on your part. Be honest, doesn’t the latter statement sound a lot more like something you could actually do? So let’s place these two concepts in sequence using what I call the Next Steps Diagram in Figures 1 and 2*.
Your horizon reflects your ideals in life that you are constantly striving for. They aren’t the things that you want out of life, but who you want to be in life. Horizons serve as the backdrop for your vision - your hopes, dreams and aspirations. Isn’t it funny how faith can be on our horizon but once we reach the horizon, the faith turns to fear. It’s easier to have faith for something that’s far in the future. You say to yourself, “I have time. Oh I can do _____ by then.” And once you get there, you may find out that you are afraid of the thing you had the faith for. But when you put faith on your horizon and keep moving forward, one day you will cross that horizon. Once you reach your horizon, there is always a new one waiting. So in essence, if you keep faith on your horizon you will end up moving from one level of faith to another.
