What Does Living by Faith Look Like?

Living by faith isn't always easy. Sometimes it means surrendering the hopes and dreams you've held for your future because they no longer align with God's perfect will. It may mean losing relationships with family or friends as your walk with Christ grows deeper. There may even be seasons when you feel alone, misunderstood, or forgotten.

Yet through it all, you remain anchored in God's Word.

Keep praying! Pray for your spouse, your children, your family, your friends, and even those who may quietly hope to see you fail. Choose to respond with grace instead of bitterness. There will be moments when you're hurt and you don't respond perfectly. I know I have, more times than I want to admit. We all fall short. But God hasn't called us to flawlessness. He has called us to faithfulness.

So keep following Him.

Stay rooted in Scripture. Continue seeking Him in prayer. Keep sharing the hope of Christ, even when others reject the message. One day, every one of us will stand before the Lord and give an account for our words, our actions, and how we treated others.

Every unseen sacrifice, every tear, every act of obedience, every unkind word you endured for His name's sake is known by God. Nothing is wasted in His kingdom.

When I begin to feel weary, I remember Jesus. He endured rejection, suffering, mockery, and the cross because of His love for us. Compared to all He endured, the trials I face for following Him are small. If He remained faithful for me, then I desire to remain faithful for Him.

If you are a parent, never underestimate the influence of your example. Your children are watching how you trust God through both blessings and hardships. Long after they forget your words, they will remember your faith. They will remember seeing you pray, seeing you trust God, seeing you forgive, and seeing you remain faithful when life was difficult. Your testimony will speak louder than any sermon they will ever hear.

I am so thankful that God entrusted Matt and me with our daughters. It has been one of the greatest blessings of our lives to raise them in the ways of the Lord. Today, we are watching them grow into young women who desire to follow Christ for themselves. They are not perfect, and neither are we, but they love the Lord. Hearing others comment on their kindness, their character, and how different they are from many of their peers is one of the greatest encouragements we could receive.

That isn't because we were perfect parents. It is because God is faithful, and we simply sought to be obedient.

We held onto God's promise in Proverbs, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

I also pray that the students God has allowed me to teach, mentor, and serve in the classroom and youth ministry have seen a life that reflects the Gospel. My prayer is that they remember not only what was taught, but that they witnessed a faith that was genuine.

So be encouraged today.

If following Christ has cost you comfort, relationships, recognition, or worldly success, do not lose heart. Your labor in the Lord is never in vain. The trials you endure because of your faithfulness are preparing you for an eternal reward. One day, by His grace, we will cast every crown at the feet of Jesus, because every victory, every blessing, and every act of faithfulness was only possible through Him.

Keep trusting.

Keep praying.

Keep loving.

Keep serving.

Keep living by faith.

Because in the end, He is worth it all.

~Juanita Lewis