steps

 I am always amazed when I witness my babies taking their first steps. After months of wiggling on their tummies, scooting on their behinds and then finally using their arms and legs to do rapid transport across the floor, they manage to pull themselves up to full height. Steering this precious cargo away from sharp corners and cold hard tile, they usually end up cruising along couches, coffee tables, and even grab onto skirt hems and pant legs to balance themselves until the moment. When. Life. Changes. Forever.

The first few steps in life usually end in a teetering, tottering  plunk onto the floor. This is when we are thankful for cushy behinds and pillowy diapers. Over and over again, the babies pull themselves up and try, try, try again. And again. And again.

They don't give up. Can you imagine if they did? But something inside of them, designed by an Unseen Hand, prods them along. You were made for this. Life was not intended to be experienced on all fours. And so in a matter of hours, days or even months, our crawlers become cruisers, then finally step into the toddler phase.

Each day, their steps become less shaky and more balanced, steady and sure. Then before we realize what is happening, they are running. Everywhere.

One of my favorite quotes from Elisabeth Elliot, known and quoted by many, is her self-motivating, God-focused directive: Do the next thing. This pithy quote has carried me through dark seasons. My reflective nature tends towards wallowing in self-pity, brooding over impending decisions and over-analyzing relational conflicts. I can do any and all of thing things to the point of utter paralysis. To where I have effectively taken myself out of the game, sidelined myself to the bench.

Or so I think.

Another pithy quote that I lean on in this matter comes from Isaiah 7:9: "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." The context of this verse, though it seems to require one to remain stationary, is actually about stepping forward. Ahaz, the King of Judah, was confronted by two powerful enemies. In fact, he was surrounded by his kin, the King of Israel and a pagan king who had allied with Israel against Judah. They marched up together, with combined forces, against Jerusalem. And Ahaz was utterly shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind. (Isaiah 7:2b) It's generally not a good thing when the leader of nation freaks out. But God sent Isaiah to give comforting words, in other words, the Lord told him to relay to Ahaz: Don't be afraid. Go out to battle. I've got this.

Unfortunately, Ahaz ends up giving way to fear instead of stepping ahead on genuine trust in God's sovereignty. And the Lord ends up sending Assyria as His instrument of discipline and punishment for their disbelief.

Yet back to the matter at hand. If I'm not standing firm, I'm not stepping ahead. If I'm not standing firm, I'm stepping back, cowering, falling out of a position of confident assurance in God's power and faithfulness and into self-preservation, self-reliance and fear. I am either stepping forward or falling back. There is no middle ground.

Like watching a baby step his or her way into toddlerhood, we too are stepping forward in our faith, strengthening our muscles with every choice to do the next thing. And I wasn't created to cower or hide or fall back. We were made for something more. We were made to walk, run, dance, jump and run  in the confident assurance of His faithfulness, power and love.

So, my friends, let's do the next thing….