Clarity vs. Faith
Photo by Vlad Kutepov on Unsplash
I was perusing a Substack article and read something that went something like this: clarity is the enemy of faith. I apologize for not remembering the author or the exact saying, but I have chewed on this for days. I did not continue reading on but meditated on that word for a week. Clarity vs. faith. What can we make of this? I reminded myself that I pray often for clarity. Is God laughing at me? Is God saying, Dee, I have told you time and time again to trust me. I don’t know about you, but if I, Dee Stokes, have clarity about every decision and everything that God has asked me to do, I wouldn’t do anything! Faith and clarity seem to be two different sides of the proverbial coin.
I pondered and meditated on Scripture about faith and clarity (knowing everything we want to know before moving on-my definition). If the ‘word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our pathway’ (Psalm 119.105), then we can only see just right in front of us and we must trust that the road is still safely ahead of us as we walk. When my mother passed away in 2009, the Lord spoke Proverbs 3.5-6 to me and often tells me to trust Him:
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not to thine own
understanding, but in all thy ways acknowledge Him and
He will direct your path” (paraphrase mine by memory)
Remember Abraham? The Lord said “go and I will show you” (Genesis 12.1, paraphrase mine). Specifically in Hebrews 11.8, we read that “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (NIV). Did Abe ask for clarity, or did Abe just obey? This question led me to think about obedience as an enemy to clarity as well. Obedience takes faith! Obedience takes strength, confidence, and trust. I have been asked some things of the Lord that I look up at the ceiling and say, ‘What? What did you ask me to do?”
Over the years. I have learned God may ask things of us that seem weird and ridiculous. Just like God did with Moses or Abraham or the Prophets. Once you receive the ask, meditate and pray for a moment, but by all means, obey! God will not ask you to do anything outside of God’s Word nor will He ask you to do anything illegal or immoral nor compromise your integrity. However, you may be asked to do things that you do NOT want to do at first. This is where relationship matters. Your relationship with the Lord comes into play in this situation. You have trusted God in the past and He brought you through. Trust God will do the same for you now. Hold on to your relationship and be encouraged that His plans for you are good (Jeremiah 29.11).
Lastly, before I ask you to respond, recently in my own journey, I have sensed a shift and a season coming to an end. On November 13, 2024, God spoke to me while on a personal retreat, “I need you back in my church full-time.” I took that as meaning to move from a secular work environment and focus on My Church-My Body! The Church needs a lot of work (my thoughts). I pondered but did not make a move. I prayed but did not plan. Then I began to suffer with anxiety because I had not responded quickly enough. I brought this on myself. I went through about a month where everything, I mean everything brought me angst, pain, and suffering. Then, I woke up one morning and heard the Lord say, “Go find the answer in my word.” I did just that and was led to Proverbs 16.9: “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (NKJV). The Lord impressed upon me that day to make a plan. Make a plan, Dee! God assured me that He was with me and directing my steps. I immediately felt relief. I am holding on to that verse. I made a plan and I am sticking with it and trusting God!
Now for your response:
What is God asking you to do/be in this season?
Do you feel, like I do, that one part of this current season is coming to an end or has already ended?
Do you, like I at times, feel anxiety? Address those anxieties with the Lord and perhaps with a therapist, a pastor or someone you trust.
What Scripture are you holding on to?
Make a plan and stick with it!
