“for we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7
Today’s verse lays out a contrast between walking by faith and walking by sight. Christianity is a life of faith. But it’s easy to revert back to living by what we can see, feel, and understand with our natural senses. So, what exactly does it mean to walk by faith? And how can we do it more consistently?
The Bible defines faith as, “…the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is trusting God with the unknown. We see a perfect example of this in the story of Abraham and Lot. When their herds grew too large to share the same land, they needed to part ways (Genesis 13). Abraham, living by faith, trusted that God was in control and generously let Lot choose first.
Lot’s decision, driven by sight, had disastrous consequences. While the lush Jordan Valley looked great for raising cattle, Lot never considered if it was great for raising kids. He eventually moved into the wicked city of Sodom, and his family was corrupted by its sinful culture (Genesis 13:10-12; 14:12).
When we walk by faith, we trust that God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). We may not always understand His leading or why He asks us to step into the unknown, but we can be confident that He sees what we cannot. Faith means surrendering our plans, trusting that God knows what’s best, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense.
Living by faith doesn’t mean we always get it right— Abraham certainly made his share of mistakes. But the overall pattern of his life was deep trust in God. Romans 4:20–21 says, “with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.” And God did, indeed, keep His Word. The land Lot didn’t choose was Canaan.
What decisions do you face this week? Are you tempted to rely on your own understanding, like Lot, or are you willing to trust God, like Abraham? Walking by faith means letting go of control, praying before planning, and believing that God is always at work on your behalf. You can trust Him with the unknown. God not only knows the future, He knows what’s best for you.
