By the tender mercy of our God,
    the dawn from on high will break upon us,
 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79)

This week has involved a lot of prep time for a series of retreats, speaking engagements, consulting opportunities, and other travel commitments I have during the next three months.

Over the past few days I’ve purchased tickets to Ormond Beach, Sarasota, Ft. Walton Beach, Tampa, and Providence. If you’ve noticed a pattern, you’re not alone. That’s right, folks, now that I’ve left the state of Florida all of a sudden I’m an expert! And you all know the definition of expert; it’s, “Someone from out-of-town.”

SELF-FULFILLING PROPHESY: The interesting thing about being designated an “expert” is that people, in consequence, anticipate me, receive me, and listen to me as if I am. Not only that, but the stuff I say actually sounds better.

My presentations sound better: A) because their belief gives me more confidence, so it really is better, and B) the participants have prepared themselves to listen as if I’m an expert, so they actually hear differently.

In psychology, this is known as the “self-fulfilling prophesy,” or the “what you expect is what you get” effect. Spiritually, I think it has a lot to say about what I call the “believing is seeing” phenomenon.

WALK INTO BELIEF: Belief is largely a choice (as is unbelief), a lot like long-term love; it’s a similar dynamic, and it’s why I prefer to say Rebekah and I are “standing” in love, or “walking” in love, rather than still “falling” in love.

Likewise, belief is an ongoing choice. We choose to believe and then – in consequence – we see. We don’t wait for “scientific” evidence that God is real, or doubt-free assurance that following Jesus is the path to “peace that passes all understanding,” before we make that commitment to become a disciple.

No; it is in the decision to believe, the stepping into God, that it all begins to come together. Then, having made the deliberate choice to trust Jesus, that decision is affirmed and confirmed time and again in an ongoing, cumulative dance where we are always, to some extent, taking one more leap of faith into more and more of God.

The warm embrace of knowing becomes God’s invitation to deeper discipleship and greater faith. The assurance is in the moving forward, seldom in the standing still.

CONFIDENCE: Back where we started. For me, all of this comes together when I stand up and look out over a new audience. Yes, they are expecting something special, and I know that makes a difference; but what makes the most difference is the fact that I believe, from the bottom of my heart, that God has something remarkable in store – in that moment – for all of us.

This is why I often use the phrase “live into faith.” Because I am convinced that the way we experience, and communicate, the Gospel of Love depends not only on enjoying the blessings of where we are, but on our willingness to constantly move forward into light and life.

In belief and in promise – DEREK