I am sure you have heard the expression, “Don’t talk the talk, if you’re not going to walk the walk.” Basically, if you’re going to say you can or will do something, then you need to back it up with your actions. This can be applied to just about any situation life has to offer, but I find it most appropriate when discussing faith.

The walk of faith is rarely an easy one. In fact, it often feels more like climbing up the side of Mount Kilimanjaro on your hands and knees…backwards…covered in fire ants. Things happen to us in life that we cannot begin to anticipate or prepare for, which is why it is so important to practice walking in faith each and every day. People lose jobs, get sick or injured, watch loved ones pass from their lives, or make bad choices that end up turning their lives upside down. In every circumstance, all we can do is our best to follow God’s guidance, and then trust Him to take care of the rest.

Walking in faith means accepting life as it is, even if it isn’t what you want or hoped it would be, and then do your best to make a positive difference in the lives of those around you. I have been faced with a myriad of challenging situations in my life, and in spite of my seemingly open nature, I have always kept my heart securely walled off. I am absolutely certain that I am not alone in this practice. Sometimes, there are people who manage to make their way inside those thick and sturdy walls, which is scary and unsettling to say the least. But what do you do when you are hurt in some way by someone who got inside the walls? This is a time when you are able to clearly see the character of your walk of faith.

What I have come to realize is that it is up to us how we react in situations where we are hurt or feel betrayed by someone we believed we could trust. In fact, our reactions in those situations often tell us the most about where we are in our faith. We must realize that we are all fallible human beings, and it is possible for someone to love us as fully as is humanly possible, yet still make a bad choice that ends up causing us pain and heartache. That doesn’t mean all of their future actions will cause us more pain. Yes, there is a risk, but with any relationship on earth, there is ALWAYS risk. The decision we have to make is whether we are willing to continue to love them and allow them to stay behind the walls, or choose to force them out. For me, I have found that I let them behind the walls for a reason, and if all their other actions spoke of love in my life, then forcing them out seems counter productive.

Where would any of us be if God chose to force us out of His heart because of one significant mistake? It is our faith that tells us God never stops loving us, and it is our faith that tells us we will always be welcome in His heart. It must also be our faith that sustains us when the ones we love choose a path we know in our bones to be the wrong one. It must be our faith that keeps us grounded when that unanticipated event comes to pass and knocks us for a loop even a roller coaster would envy. It must be our faith that gives us the strength to love, in spite of whatever pain has overwhelmed our spirit.

Walking in faith means understanding and accepting that God takes care of us in a multitude of ways. Whether we are gaining something we need or want, or are losing something that we never dreamed we could live without, God is there and working to bring blessings to our lives as a result. No matter what we are facing, trusting God means knowing that we will be okay, regardless of the outcome. God will always give us the righteous desires of our hearts. We may not understand His timing, but we can be absolutely certain His timing is perfect. It is up to us to “wait well” in the interim.

Take some time to consider your own walk of faith…are there people you have shut out because you’re afraid of being hurt? Do you walk through your days assuming the worst is just around the corner, so you strengthen the walls around your heart and pull yourself even deeper behind them? Or are you looking at life as an opportunity for grace and love? As cliché as it may sound, when was the last time you sincerely asked yourself the question, “What would Jesus do?” Perhaps you haven’t asked because you know the answer won’t necessarily be the one you want to acknowledge…if you haven’t asked, then perhaps it’s time to do so, and then act accordingly. Perhaps it’s time to walk the walk of faith.