When you go for a walk, do you focus on the miles or do you focus on your steps? If you focus on the miles, is it really about the process or is it about the outcome?
We have a tendency to make it about the miles (the outcome of the walk) when really, it’s in the steps we take. Our steps and where we choose to focus our attention are very important in our walk with God.
Where is our attention focused?
Are our eyes fixed on God?
If not, where is it going?
The outcome? This often breeds a whole bunch of things like anxiety, fear, control and fixation…etc.
Other people? Pleasing others instead of God happens here. If our eyes are truly on Him, He’ll tell us exactly what to do for others.
Ourselves? Self-pleasure and pride happen here. This means we think we know better and we’re bowing down to pride and not choosing God/love in that moment.
If we make it about anything other than God, particularly outcomes, it’s because we still think we can write or control the script. It’s almost like we think we can control how people see us, only doing the things that make us feel comfortable, among many other things. He already knows what’s going to happen. We can’t fool Him. Being outcome focused is hard and exhausting. We’ll always be looking for results that make us feel good. Instead, it’s about learning to value the steps (the process) with Him and what He’d like to do in any given situation. He’s in control of the harvest, we are only responsible to do the things He’s asking of us.
Our walk with God is really about choosing HIM in every moment…. It’s about relationship with Him. It’s about doing it all WITH Him. The more we fix our eyes on God, the more we’ll keep taking the next step with Him because trust and love is growing in the relationship. The more we learn to love and trust Him the more we look and become like Jesus. Every step we take should bring us closer to Him.
Let’s talk about the little steps of obedience that makeup the largest parts of our walk with God. Obedience only happens when we know what someone is telling or asking of us. This only happens by hearing His voice, there is no other way. The only way to relationship with God is by recognizing His voice and hearing Him. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. – Hebrews 11:6 It’s imperative that we build these faith muscles. Start asking for His help with everything you can think of and wait to see what happens. It’s super important that you let it play out and experience what happens when you are hearing from Him. Write it down, keep track of the things He’s speaking to you and what happens.
Learn how to engage the Holy Spirit daily. Then keep pushing yourself more and more…. hourly, then moment by moment by asking Him questions and waiting for His reply. It takes lots of practice. Do what you can do to the best of your ability. What you focus on will grow. You reap what you sow. – Galatians 6:7
Ask the Holy Spirit questions about His fruit and ask Him to grow His fruit in you. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23 This is how we look more like Jesus. Ask Holy Spirit what fruit is being produced in your life and what fruits He’s wanting to grow in your life right now.
One of the most crucial steps in the process is practice, learning how to rightly value practice because it makes up a lot of the steps that we take with Him. I assure you; we’ll miss a step, take a wrong step, we’ll over step. We’ll get it wrong time and time again, but God is faithful to keep showing up as long as it takes. Ask Him what you could have done better and be mindful of those things for next time. Don’t be afraid to ask Him for extra help when you take a big step out in faith. This is how we grow. And it’s not about getting it perfect. It’s about perfecting the process, getting better with each step we take with the things He’s giving us. The key is that it takes time, lots and lots of practice and growing in His fruit. It’s a slow cook process, nothing happens instantly. Keep trusting Him for your next steps. God’s much more interested in our steps than our miles.
By Kelsey Warnock