Several years ago, as a counselor at a junior high church camp, I participated in a trust walk. We paired up and one person would wear a blindfold while the other guided the way, using only their voice. So I found myself blindfolded, following the voice commands of a junior high boy over uneven ground through trees (this was in Kentucky so there were quite a few of them) and along unfamiliar terrain. And after a few missteps and hitting my head on a low branch a time or two, I got the hang of it, but I learned a few things along the way:
First, when you're in a large group of kids doing a trust walk, you have to learn to listen to the right voice.
Second, if you don't follow the directions given to you by that voice, you will not end up where you should.
Third, the more you learn the rhythm and style of the voice you are following and the more you follow, it becomes easier and easier to be confident in trusting that voice.
And finally, if you're following someone that is shorter than you, watch out for branches or you might end up with a headache.
I have learned that these lessons also translate into my relationship with God. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that "we walk by faith and not by sight." He said this statement in the context of the fact that our home is with God and not here, so we don't see everything as it will be and instead rely on our faith in God as we wait for what is to come. But that doesn't mean we just sit back and wait or do whatever we want. We have to follow these same lessons.
First, in the midst of all the other voices around us, we have to learn to listen to the voice of the One who created us and knows the way we were made to go. We get to know that voice by reading God's Word, by praying and by seeking wise counsel from those that know God and follow Him.
Second, we have to obey the directions that are given to us by God. We often get this reminder on Sunday morning but it's worth repeating: At Aldersgate, we believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that whoever reads and obeys these words will find transformation.
Third, as we learn to listen to God's voice and obey, we see His faithfulness, and that gives us more confidence to trust the next step that He tells us to take. The steps aren't necessarily easier because it is still the same uneven, unfamiliar terrain, but we have learned to trust God more.
And finally, we follow Someone who has walked in this world. When Jesus walked this life, he walked this uneven terrain just like we do. When I followed a junior high boy, he didn't notice the height of the branches because they weren't in his way. But Jesus walked through this life with all its troubles and conquered death in the process, so that He can guide our steps as someone who has walked this road before us.
This is what it looks like as we learn to walk by faith. And hopefully, we can learn it without any branch-induced headaches.
Jeremy Goheen
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