When I was at the Colosseum in Rome, I heard gruesome stories of what some of the early believers went through. I couldn’t wrap my mind around those who were savagely beaten, fed to the animals, lit as human torches, and horribly persecuted for their faith. We really cannot imagine what many of our ancestors endured, and what so many around the world are going through today.
Simply because of their Christian faith.
For a majority of those martyred, imprisoned, or put on display, they came to an impasse in their walk with Christ. Henry Blackaby, in his Bible study, Experiencing God, calls it a “crisis of belief.” Some were given a choice: Disown Christ and live. Support Christ and die.
They came to a crossroad. A fork in the road. Two paths. One choice. What do they do? I’m thankful for the opportunity to worship Christ. It may not always be that way in our country, though. There may come a time when we are called upon to make a similar choice.
But sometimes in life we do come to an impasse. Maybe not as severe as what I just mentioned, but nonetheless, we come to a crossroads and we have to make a choice. Which path do we choose? The easy one or the hard one? The one that puts our faith to the test, or the one that lets us off the hook?
I have come to many impasses. God laid out His call on my life many years ago. He called me to speak truth. And in the early days of ministry, there were lots of opportunities to speak in public. Did you know that public speaking is one of the most prevalent fears? Well, guess what? I fell in that category. I was truly afraid.
So every time I received an invitation, I came to an impasse. A crossroad! Two paths before me. Path #1: Yes. Path #2: No. Each time, I had to choose if I would walk with God and trust Him, or if I would choose a safer, less scary pathway. I ALWAYS (and still do) choose Path #1. It’s never easy, but it is rewarding. The benefits for walking with God will come in another post.
Something tells me you’ve been there, too. You think you’ve got it all figured out. Your faith is strong. You know God. You believe what He said. You’ve graduated from milk to solid food (Hebrews 5:13-14).
You’ve served Christ, loved others, applied His Word to your life, and let your light shine for the kingdom of God. You have tried to live by His Word.
Then one day, you are faced with an impasse. Is God testing you like He tested Abraham (Genesis 22:1-18)?
What do you do? How do you walk? Well, let me give you three responses that are sure to help you in your decision. These responses bring glory to God and shower down His blessings upon you.
1. Walk on faith!
Ponder the following verse:
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV)
We may not understand God’s purpose or His reason for something, but we need to trust that He is sovereign and in control. Walking by faith means that we will always obey the Bible, even when it rebels against our fleshly desires or our human reasoning. To walk by faith means that we will follow God no matter what, even when we can’t see what’s ahead. We need to trust God in every circumstance and live to bring glory to Him.
2. Walk on what you know about God!
In relation to the impasses I faced in ministry, I would search God’s Word. I focused on His character and His attributes. I turned my attention to the miracles. God did some mighty acts in Scripture. I saturated my mind with what the Bible tells me about God. I chose to believe and walk in that. And without fail, God showed up in abundant ways. In the end, I’m so glad I walked on what I knew about God.
3. Walk on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God!
Jesus said, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). And James tells the reader that we should not just “listen to God’s word, but do what it says” (James 1:22).
What does God tell you to do? To cower in fear? To turn around and go in the opposite direction? To give up?
It’s important that we search God’s Word and be sure to walk the way He tells us to walk, especially when we come to an impasse.
Are you at an impasse right now? If so, apply these principles as you decide which pathway to choose. And encourage others to do the same by sharing it.
Blessings,
