2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV) -- For we walk by faith, not by sight.
 

I’m thankful for how merciful God is with us. Imagine being God and watching our lives as we goof up, believe false things, and make stupid decisions. For anyone other than God, it would be exhausting. But the Bible says God is patient with us. It is an incredible thought to ponder. He knows our weaknesses and deals with us accordingly. Praise God for that. 

One of the reasons God is patient with us is because He knows that we are creatures who  function most of our lives by what we see. We observe empirical things and respond accordingly. But a life of faith is not lived by only what we can see, touch, taste, smell, or hear. We live according to what God says, which often means that we are living by faith and trust in His Word over what we can see. Our passage today highlights that reality. Paul writes, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” 

This is a popular cliché in Christian vernacular, but it is completely true. Paul instructs Christians to act on faith in what God says, not simply what they can see or understand. The Christian life is one of taking God at His word. We believe that what He says about sexuality is for our good, so we don’t act on every impulse to the contrary. We believe that what God says about generosity over greed is true, so we don’t live to satisfy every material desire over giving to causes that matter. We walk by faith, not by sight. 

What does this look like in your life? Do you take God at His Word and seek to obey what He says? There are many ways this plays out for us each day. It surfaces when we are facing trials and suffering. It surfaces when we are making decisions about our future, relationships, finances, or denying fleshly desires that conflict with Scripture. The Christian life is not negligent of the things we see. It is good to learn wisdom and discernment about the world we observe, but we don’t let it ultimately dictate how we live. Faith surpasses empirical data for our allegiances.

Reflection & Journal:

- What are some faith and sight examples from your own life?  

- Why is living by faith so hard for Christians? What challenges do you think make it harder today?

- How can we find help in walking by faith? What are some ways we can get accountability?