Does Faith Disqualify Sight?

As believers we are called to walk by faith and not by sight. It's honest to admit that we all lean one side or the other and we have to embrace the fact that most of life is divided in half and these two halves make a whole.  What does walking by faith and not by sight really look like? Does faith disqualify sight? If the absence of vision brings endings and not life, then we have say the answer is no.  It's both/and,  not and/or.  

This is paradox at it's greatest and requires a lot of managed tension.  An important question to ask is what does it look like to live with principles that are low risk day to day that serve high risk faith filled decisions that are made season to season?  I believe we must be willing to make directional and correctional decisions that are completely faith filled.  These alter the course of whatever principles we have in motion but never disqualify the need for the principles, they simply reposition the outcome. 

Walking by faith is edgy, risky, robust in nature and brings beginnings that most deem impossible. It's exciting, daring and is the initiator of life.  We must walk by faith.  The challenge in much of Christianity is that many "walk by faith", initiate vision, have "great hearts", but never actually accomplish anything. The opposite is also true. Many say they have faith, but create risk free institutions and lifestyles.  While this group does produce, they don't produce the life Christ intends as His best.  

Both are incomplete when they stand alone.  

So as leaders is it biblically sound to plan in advance and make good decisions based off our currently known information?  Obviously yes, when they serve faith.  Principles allow us to lay foundations through preparation that creates an atmosphere of growth and life.  Enthusiasm and synergy are captured when there is clear vision and the right people are positioned to do the right things.   It can be much more comfortable to simply walk by sight alone, but it can create a sterile and brutal ending.  It may feel safe and even diplomatic at first, but it will eventually neuter the benefits and rewards of living by faith that are needed for long term sustainability.  

Faith and Sight create a beautiful marriage.  

I think of faith as fire and principles as a fireplace.  Principles become the housing for fire to actually accomplish sending it's heat into places it wouldn't ordinarily get to.  Principles expand the opportunity to impact more people and execute transformation at a higher level.  As mentioned earlier, the bigger challenge is once we birth something "in faith" do our principles continue to serve the faith decision or do they overwhelm it and remove the risk of what was originally intended?  True sight continues to focus on the prize and keep the values in place that make faith filled decisions come to fruition.

So where are you at in this journey?  Are you faith filled with no results?  Are you full of results that don't actually capture the heart of God towards your life? I encourage you to pursue walking in the continued tension of faith and sight.  Surround yourself with people who are opposite you and you'll begin to see greater things.  


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