Keep Walking by Faith

1. Why could the apostle Paul feel satisfied as he looked back on his life?

AT ONE point, the apostle Paul knew that he would soon be put to death, but he had every reason to feel satisfied with his life. Looking back, he could say: “I have run the race to the finish, I have observed the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:6-8) Paul had made wise decisions in his Christian ministry, and he felt sure that Jehovah was happy with him. We too want to make good decisions and have God’s approval. How can we do so?

2. What does it mean to walk by faith?

² Paul said about himself and other faithful Christians: “We are walking by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor. 5:7) What did Paul mean? In the Bible, “walking” sometimes refers to the way a person chooses to live his life. When a person walks just by sight, he makes decisions based solely on what he can see, hear, and feel with his physical senses. On the other hand, when a person walks by faith, he makes decisions based on his trust in Jehovah God. His actions show that he is convinced that God will reward him, that he will benefit from following Jehovah’s advice found in His Word.​—Ps. 119:66; Heb. 11:6.

3. What benefits result from walking by faith? (2 Corinthians 4:18)

³ Of course, we all make some decisions based on what we perceive with our physical senses. We will likely have problems, though, if we consider only what we see or hear when making decisions about important matters. Why? Our physical senses can sometimes deceive us. Even when they do not, if we walk only by sight, we may end up ignoring God’s will or counsel. (Eccl. 11:9; Matt. 24:37-39) When we walk by faith, however, we will more likely make decisions that are “acceptable to the Lord.” (Eph. 5:10) Following God’s advice will give us inner peace and make us truly happy. (Ps. 16:8, 9; Isa. 48:17, 18) And if we continue walking by faith, we will have an everlasting future.​—Read 2 Corinthians 4:18.

4. How can a person determine whether he is walking by faith or by sight?

⁴ How can we tell if we are walking by faith or by sight? Basically, it comes down to this: What factors guide our decisions? Are we guided only by the things we can see? Or are we guided by our trust in and advice from Jehovah? Let us consider how we can continue walking by faith in three important areas: when choosing employment, when choosing a marriage mate, and when receiving theocratic direction. For each, we will discuss factors that we should consider in order to make good decisions.

WHEN CHOOSING EMPLOYMENT

5. What should we consider when choosing employment?

⁵ All of us want to be able to provide for our own needs and for those of our family. (Eccl. 7:12; 1 Tim. 5:8) Some jobs pay well. They may allow an employee to care for his day-to-day expenses and to put something aside for the future. With other jobs, the pay may be more limited, allowing the worker to provide only the essentials for his family. When deciding whether to accept a job, we understandably will consider how much money we will earn. However, a person might be walking primarily by sight if that is the only factor he takes into account.

6. How can we walk by faith when choosing employment? (Hebrews 13:5)

⁶ If we are walking by faith, we will also consider how the job could affect our friendship with Jehovah. We could ask ourselves: ‘Would the job require me to engage in practices that Jehovah hates?’ (Prov. 6:16-19) ‘Would it interfere with my worship and perhaps keep me away from my family for long periods of time?’ (Phil. 1:10) If the answer to such questions is yes, it would be wise not to accept the job, even if work is hard to find. Because we walk by faith, we make decisions that show our conviction that Jehovah will somehow care for our needs.​—Matt. 6:33; read Hebrews 13:5.

7-8. How did one brother in South America walk by faith? (See also picture.)

⁷ Note how Javier,a a brother in South America, saw the need to walk by faith. He says: “I had applied for a prestigious job that would double my salary and provide considerable personal satisfaction.” However, Javier had the deep desire to pioneer. He continues: “I was recommended for an interview with the national manager. Before the interview, I prayed for help, convinced that Jehovah knew what was best for me. I wanted to progress professionally, but I did not want this job if it would not help me reach my spiritual goals.”

⁸ Javier relates: “During the interview, the manager told me that I would regularly have to work overtime. I kindly pointed out that I couldn’t do that because of my ministry.” Yes, Javier rejected the offer. Two weeks later, he started pioneering. And later that year, he found a part-time job. He says: “Jehovah heard my prayers and provided a job that fit my pioneer schedule. I am truly happy to have work that allows me to dedicate more time to serve Jehovah and my brothers.”

9. What do you learn from Trésor’s experience?

⁹ What if we realize that our current employment is not allowing us to walk by faith? Consider the experience of Trésor, from Congo. He relates: “My new job was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was earning triple what I previously earned, and I was well-respected.” However, Trésor regularly missed meetings because of working overtime. He was also pressured to cover up dishonest activities. Trésor wanted to quit, but he worried about being unemployed. What helped him? He says: “Habakkuk 3:17-19 helped me to understand that even if I lost my income, Jehovah would somehow take care of me. So I resigned.” He concludes: “Many employers think that for a well-paid job, a person will sacrifice anything, including family life and spiritual activities. I am happy that I preserved my relationship with Jehovah and with my family. A year later, Jehovah helped me find a stable job that allows me to live modestly and have more time for Christian activities. When we put Jehovah first, we may for a time struggle financially, but Jehovah will take care of us.” Yes, if we trust in Jehovah’s advice and promises, we will continue walking by faith and he will bless us.

WHEN CHOOSING A MARRIAGE MATE

10. What could cause us to walk by sight when choosing a marriage mate?

¹⁰ Marriage is a gift from Jehovah, and it is normal to want to get married. When considering a potential marriage mate, a sister might notice a brother’s personality, appearance, reputation, financial situation, family responsibilities, as well as how he makes her feel.b These factors are important. However, if she considers only these things, she could be walking by sight.

11. How can we walk by faith when it comes to choosing a marriage mate? (1 Corinthians 7:39)

¹¹ How proud Jehovah must be of our sisters and brothers who follow his advice when choosing a marriage mate! For example, they take to heart the admonition to wait until they have passed “the bloom of youth” before pursuing a courtship. (1 Cor. 7:36) They consider a potential marriage mate based mainly on the qualities that Jehovah says will make for a good husband or a good wife. (Prov. 31:10-13, 26-28; Eph. 5:33; 1 Tim. 5:8) If a non-Witness shows romantic interest in them, they trust the counsel to marry “only in the Lord,” as found at 1 Corinthians 7:39. (Read.) They continue walking by faith, confident that Jehovah can look after their emotional needs better than anyone else.​—Ps. 55:22.

12. What do you learn from Rosa’s example?

¹² Consider the experience of Rosa, a pioneer in Colombia. Her work brought her into repeated contact with a non-Witness man who began to show interest in her. Rosa was attracted to him. She says: “He seemed like a very good man. He volunteered in his community and had a healthy lifestyle. I liked how he treated me. He had what I wanted in a husband except he was not a Witness.” She continues: “It was difficult to say no to him because it was something that I wanted emotionally. At that time, I felt somewhat alone and I wanted to get married, but I hadn’t been able to find someone in the truth.” Yet, Rosa did not focus only on what she could see. She contemplated how this decision would affect her friendship with Jehovah. Thus, she ended all contact with the man and kept busy in theocratic activities. Shortly thereafter, she was invited to attend the School for Kingdom Evangelizers, and she now serves as a special pioneer. Rosa says: “Jehovah has filled my heart with much happiness.” Although it may not be easy to walk by faith in matters so close to the heart, it is always worth it.

WHEN RECEIVING THEOCRATIC DIRECTION

13. What could move us to walk by sight when receiving theocratic direction?

¹³ We often receive theocratic direction​—from our local elders, the circuit overseer, the branch office, or the Governing Body—​that guides us in our worship. But what if on occasion we cannot understand the reason for the direction we receive? We may see only the negative effects that the direction could have on us. We may even begin to focus on the imperfections of the brothers who gave the direction.

14. What will help us to walk by faith when receiving theocratic direction? (Hebrews 13:17)

¹⁴ When we walk by faith, we trust that Jehovah is in control and that he knows our circumstances. As a result, we are quick to obey, and we do so with a positive attitude. (Read Hebrews 13:17.) We recognize that our obedience contributes to the unity of our congregation. (Eph. 4:2, 3) We trust that even though the brothers taking the lead are imperfect, Jehovah will bless our obedience. (1 Sam. 15:22) In due time, he will correct anything that truly needs to be corrected.​—Mic. 7:7.

15-16. What helped a brother to walk by faith even though he had some doubts about the direction he had received? (See also picture.)

¹⁵ Consider an experience that highlights a benefit that comes from walking by faith. In Peru, although the Spanish language is widely spoken, many householders speak indigenous languages. One of these is Quechua. For a number of years, Quechua-speaking brothers and sisters searched for those who spoke Quechua in the territory. However, in order to comply with government regulations, adjustments were made in the method of reaching people. (Rom. 13:1) As a result, some wondered whether it would hinder the work in the territory. Because the brothers adhered to the adjustments, Jehovah blessed their efforts to locate many Quechua-speaking people.

¹⁶ Kevin, an elder in a Quechua-speaking congregation, was among those concerned. He explains: “I thought, ‘How will we now find people who speak Quechua?’” What did Kevin do? He says: “I called to mind Proverbs 3:5. And I thought about Moses. He was to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into what seemed like a dead end, making them an easy target for the Egyptians. Still, he obeyed, and Jehovah blessed his obedience in an impressive way.” (Ex. 14:1, 2, 9-11, 21, 22) Kevin was willing to adjust his ministry. What was the result? He says: “I was amazed at how Jehovah blessed us. Previously, we would walk a lot in the ministry and sometimes find only one or two Quechua-speaking people. Now we focus on territories that have a concentration of those who speak Quechua. As a result, we have more conversations, return visits, and Bible studies. Our meeting attendance has increased.” Yes, when we walk by faith, we are always rewarded by Jehovah.

17. What have you learned from this article?

¹⁷ We have considered how to continue walking by faith in three important areas. But we must keep walking by faith in all areas of our life, such as when choosing entertainment or recreation and when making decisions about education or child-rearing. Whatever decisions we have to make, we should be guided not only by what we can see but also by our relationship with Jehovah, his advice, and his promise to take care of us. If we do, we will be able to “walk in the name of Jehovah our God forever and ever.”​—Mic. 4:5.