5 minute read
Kingdom Promise: Abundance, and a Hope, Future
Friendship and Faith
BY KELLY WILLIAMS HALE
One of the biggest blessings in my life is friends with whom I can share “real” life—all the beautiful parts and the messy bits. To me, friendship is like a soft, comfortable blanket when you’re feeling low. Or a great upbeat song when you’re feeling excited.
Recently, I was talking with one of my blessings about life, relationships, and our walk with the Lord. With our busy lives, it’s difficult to meet up in person, so we often schedule “coffee dates” via a phone call. She is a wise friend, and I frequently take notes during our talks, opening the Notes app on my phone to capture her nuggets of wisdom!
During our conversation, we began talking about our children and faith. My oldest son, Dallas, who just turned 25, recently moved back home for a few months. He’s experiencing what many young people his age do: uncertainty. I really shouldn’t relegate this question to “people his age,” though. We all tackle this question from time to time when we’re unsure of “what’s next.”
“Dallas is really struggling right now,” I said. “He feels like he should be farther along in his life, more settled at 25.”
In a nutshell, his faith is wavering.
Have you ever experienced this?
As believers, we know in our heads that God is for us. We read that He’s working things out. (Romans 8:28) But boy, can our feelings and thoughts be filled with doubt, particularly when we are faced with tough life decisions. We just want someone to tell us what to do!
It’s during these moments that our trust in the Lord is tested. Trusting can be so difficult when our human self wants a guarantee. But the very definition of faith is believing what we don’t see yet. The Bible is full of examples of this. God told Abraham he would be the father of nations, yet he had no children and was also a very old man. Noah built a ginormous boat, even though people thought he was crazy! Faith requires trust.
But during my conversation with my friend, my definition of faith was expanded.
“Faith is being fully dependent on God,” my friend said.
Wow. That hit me in a new way.
We are called to be dependent on God—when we can see the road ahead and, more importantly, when we can’t. But how often do we get caught up in feeling anxious for answers and long for a detailed map?
Many of us experienced this type of anxiety during the pandemic when the world turned upside down. People lost their jobs, lost loved ones, and even became home-schooling moms. It was an unpredictable time, and for many, it was scary. Faith was in a full-fledged war with the fear of the future. Relying on God was our only option. As we faced new challenges, we were forced to be fully dependent on His promise to never leave or forsake us. The Bible says, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV)
That’s faith.
Although we never know what the future holds, I do know who holds our future: Jesus—the friend who is closer than a brother. (Proverbs 19:24) Jesus wants to be our most treasured relationship. His deepest desire is that we share our life with Him—the good, the bad, and the ugly. He’s never surprised by the messy bits.
And what is incredible about our relationship with God is that He is faithful. He keeps His promises. Just look at us now, exactly three years after the COVID-19 lockdown. The future was extremely uncertain back then. We went through challenges many of us have never experienced, and perhaps your life looks different now. But when we place our trust in God, we will continue to see that we can fully depend on Him through thick and thin.
I know my son Dallas will be okay. I reminded him that resistance (opposition) is necessary to build strength. God does allow opposition in our lives, using it to build our faith muscle so that we will fully depend on Him.
And I know I will be okay, too, because I trust God—with whom I have my most treasured relationship. But along the way, I’m thankful He has also put friends in my life to remind me of His faithfulness and point me back to Him in all situations. I know you have those friends, too—you are reading their words as you hold this magazine in your hands. If you haven’t yet connected personally with us, visit our website at womenworldleaders.com—we are looking forward to doing life with you—both the beautiful parts and the messy bits!
Kelly Williams Hale is an author, speaker, and coach. Through inner healing and intimacy work, Kelly teaches women how to get past proving their worth and how to fall in love with God. You are invited to download her free guide: You are enough. 5 steps to slay self-doubt and start living your best life at www.thebebravelife.com.
