Erin:   Hi, I’m Erin Michelle, and welcome to steps to trusting. Thank you for joining us today. It is my goal here to meet you where you are in your faith journey and encourage you to continue to take steps to trusting the Lord more fully.

[00:00:19] Hi, everyone. I’m super excited to be having this conversation with you guys. And I wanted to introduce you to Sarah. Who’s joining us.    Sarah, would you let us know a little bit about yourself?

[00:00:33]Sarah: Hi, my name is Sarah Chan.  I currently live in the suburbs of Pennsylvania. I am a wife and a new mother to a one year old. Thanks for having me Erin.

[00:00:42]Erin: Thanks for being here with us Sarah. Sarah. And I have been talking a lot about choices lately. So we wanted to share a little bit of that with you guys.  I wanted to start our conversation actually, by looking at the verse Ephesians 2:10, I’ll be reading it and ESV. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

[00:01:06] I wanted to start our discussion, thinking about that verse and thinking about the fact that we have a choice. How does that play together with the fact that God has prepared things beforehand  that we should walk in them?

[00:01:19]What are your thoughts on that? 

[00:01:20] Sarah: The first thing that comes to mind is this idea ,  that we need to recognize that we do have choices. Every minute of every day, we do make tons of choices.   In this season of my life, where I have a little one and I’m scrambling to keep up with my schedule, I’m realizing that I often feel like I don’t have a choice. Almost like  I have no choice, but to do X, Y, or Z, , or to handle a situation a certain way, or to feel, a certain way about  what’s happening. But I realize I do have conscious opportunities to make choices. 

[00:01:51] The first thing that comes to mind in Ephesians 2:10 is this idea that we are his workmanship.  Looking back to  the fact that the Lord, he is our God, and he is the one who made us and we are his.  This idea of moving forward and being created in Christ Jesus for good work. It’s not maybe the good works that I’ve set up for myself, but the things that I want to do or accomplish, or the person I want to become. Because often those ideas that feel  like there are good things, may not actually be godly things or righteous things, because they’re still centered around myself.  Not centered around , the righteousness that God wants me to walk in. And so realizing that,  one that there are choices that  I’m able to make. And even in the moments when I feel like I don’t have a choice, I do have choices.

[00:02:34] And the second one is to stop and think, is this a choice out of my own selfishness or my own pride or desire, or is this one that does truly, honor and reflect the way God has made me to, grow in Christlikeness and in righteousness.

[00:02:48]Erin: Yeah. I love that. although God has laid it out the steps for us, it’s still this idea that we have to walk in them.

[00:02:56]but We still have to figure out what are the steps that I know he’s put in front of me and then actively decide, am I going to walk in those steps that he desires? Or am I going to walk in the steps that I desire.

[00:03:12] And I find that I am constantly seeing this idea of turning I’m seeing it God’s word, but I’m also seeing it in my life

[00:03:20] Erin: and this idea that we are constantly walking in our choices. Every time we make a choice, I just see that as part of our walk. And so there’s this question. are we going to walk towards the Lord and in that path, or are we going to kind of walk our own way or find ourselves off the path with this constant need to turn back. And there’s a constant choice to turn back.

[00:03:45] Do you feel like you find yourself in that kind of place where you’re looking and needing that kind of turning.

[00:03:51] Sarah: Absolutely.  I feel like.  in the moments when I can tell I’m going on a trajectory, that is not one that is honoring God. I find that first moment  after acknowledging it to turn is the hardest everything within me, whether it. What I’m thinking, how I’m feeling,  it all fights against it to say, no, no, no. I know what’s right.

[00:04:10] Like, this is how it truly feels, this is the experience I’m in. Although in those moments, when I stopped to think. Although this is how makes feel to then say I’m going to choose to turn around and to set my eyes on the Lord and to trust in his promises and to walk in his ways.

[00:04:26] I find that moment to be the most difficult.  I think one reason that it feels so difficult is because I try to do it on my own strength . I try to do it on my own ability. or I have this idea that, I am not good enough to receive. God’s help in this. And yet when it says we are created in Christ Jesus for good works, with what he’s done on the cross, we are given a righteousness that does not belong to us because of our merit. And so for me to take that mental step of saying, you know, I know this is the godly direction I need to go in. And I know I can’t do it on my own, and I don’t even deserve, God’s help in this, but I’m able to look to the Lord for help. I’m able to look to the Lord for how he wants me to walk and to turn, and to gain strength from that, from what Christ has done even in the moment when I feel so undeserving. That’s been something, that I process often and too then walk in that righteousness, in that new creation, a new life that I am in is something that I am trying to practice often, but it’s definitely difficult.

[00:05:33] I totally agree.  As you were talking, I heard a couple of things that really stuck out to me and one of which is how God really helps us in the process of turning back to him. He pulls us towards himself and invites us. And it’s really his strength that we turn,  which brings me to the second thing you mentioned.

[00:05:52] It’s not our righteousness that we’re walking in and in accepting his righteousness, we are giving up of our own desires. I think that’s why the moment of turning is the hardest for me, because there’s this dying of self that’s involved. There’s this handing over of pride and desires to God and realizing that this is not about me, but rather it’s about who God is.

[00:06:17] And what God is calling me to, it makes me think of this lesson. I’ve heard from a woman that goes to our church. Her name is Nancy Hicks, and I’ll go ahead and put a link in the show notes so that you can find Nancy and find out more about her.

[00:06:29]I’ve heard Nancy talk about something that she calls the well-worn path. when we start walking towards the Lord. We start to wear a path. And so each time we turn to the Lord that path becomes easier because we know the way and we know the one that we turn to , when we do it over and over, it starts to wear that path.

[00:06:51] And when we’ve done it over and over, we’ve walked that path to God before. So you start to see the steps and the footprints and the path forming on the ground, even if you’re going for a different reason.

[00:07:02]When you turn, you see the path and you see where you’re headed and you know that you are accepted and you know that you can find forgiveness and relationship and going to him, the repetition of going over and over. Somehow it becomes easier. So the moment of turning to the Lord, I find that the hardest and yet if we do it, what starts as something labored and hard becomes a clear and well-worn path, that we can begin to run back to him.

[00:07:32] Sarah: that’s such an encouragement to hear that.

[00:07:34]Erin:  Yeah. Been a real encouragement to me too. It’s really encouraging to think that if we take the obedient steps, they do somehow get easier and more familiar. And in fact, it makes me remember the first day that I had to apologize to my kids. I remember it so vividly. I don’t remember the situation, but the part that is really clear to me, it was that I needed to apologize. And then there was this huge struggle within me, for me to admit to a two-year-old that I was wrong. I had let my anger control me. I remember how hard it was.  I actually went upstairs and took some time to myself. And I remember thinking I have to apologize to a two year old apologizing just kind of felt beneath me in my own pride. but I knew that it was the right thing to do, and it was so hard to apologize to my own child. Which seems silly, but it was,  now, fast forward 10 plus years, and many apologies later to my children. I can look even at just this morning and being faced with the need to admit that I had overreacted.

[00:08:43] And today that apology was easier than the first time.

[00:08:46] I know this is an example of turning back to my children, but it’s also an active obedience. It’s turning away from my selfish desires away from digging in and defending my sin and turning to the Lord. It’s more familiar and it’s easier, but I feel like it’s never going to be an easy thing to turn. Turning requires giving up of a pride.

[00:09:08] But when you realize the benefits, the benefits of relationship and forgiveness, when you realize those benefits and when you realize that it is the Lord who calls us, invites us, and actually even empowers us to take those steps that he has prepared for us. It seems to be a bit easier.

[00:09:26]How do we balance that truth? That is God working in us with the fact that we are actively making a choice or taking steps.

[00:09:36] Sarah: I think for me, balancing  the two sides of the fact that God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in his ways  against, other side, which is that we need to make a conscious decision. I feel like, the ability to be aware. But another way that we need to be obedient comes to the Lord.

[00:09:55] And in that moment, when we make that decision to turn into, to walk in the way of the Lord, I feel like that also comes from the Lord.

[00:10:06]Although in that moment, I had the opportunity to disagree or to disobey. Even before I go into turning, I, I find myself often praying and asking for the Holy spirit to change my heart, to want to obey, to want to act on what I know and what I am seeing as my disobedience or ungodliness and to ask  Helped me to, to desire, to be obedient to you, to be honoring to you, and please change my heart to, to now have the strength and the courage to turn around and to walk in your way. and then, and then if I find it not easier, but I find that I have more strength to be able to then do that. and I think the followup comfort is the fact that, in Ephesians 2:10, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

[00:11:01] So. Well, for me, the second comfort afterwards is that, God has also prepared the good works in the ways that I should be walking. And so even after I turn all of those steps, thereafter are planned by the Lord, are his desires for my life and know that he is in control in that way. That’s a very big encouragement to then feel like I’m propelled into walking in obedience and that, that is all, ordained by God as well.  how does it feel for you to balance the two sides?

[00:11:34]Erin: Ah, that’s a good one.  I think it’s something that God is still teaching me.

[00:11:40] I’ve shared before this idea of performance and doing things right,  has been something that has weighed on my life as a Christian. As a child, I acted the way I was expected to act because that’s what a Christian did.

[00:11:55] not necessarily motivated by who God is and my love for him. This idea of performance and the need to do the right things weighed heavily on my heart,

[00:12:07]I think it kind of caught up with me when I was at a time where I was questioning a lot about my faith.

[00:12:14]So as an adult, I feel like I almost had to go back to the beginning and relearn the things I learned as a kid.  I knew in my head, but not necessarily in my heart. To then figure out how God would want to use me to do these things? How could he have laid out his path for me to walk in it, but yet it not be the way for me to earn myself to him.

[00:12:38]But when we walk in grace, it’s not that we are expected or have to do these things, but that God prepares equips and enable us to walk in the good works that he has laid out for us.

[00:12:52]It’s the same thing in a visual way that I can see with my kids. If I’m turned away from my kids and I’m not doing the things that I should, as far as apologizing and talking to them, being near them and with them, there’s just this distance. I think this is a visual picture of how our relationship with the Lord is.

[00:13:16] If we say we are following after God, and yet we are seeking all of the things for ourselves, then that relationship is not really how it’s supposed to be.

[00:13:25]And so what I’m learning is it’s something in my heart. Choosing to turn away from my sin and towards the righteousness that God has prepared for me as an important choice, I’m called to the choice. And yet the choice is still mine. It’s still an act of love. If I choose to walk the right way.  It’s still an opportunity to choose close relationship with the Lord and to walk in his plan. And yet it’s an opportunity given by God, God invites me and works in my life. There must be a willingness in me to respond how he desires.

[00:14:05] And at the same time, it is God’s grace that works this willingness in my heart.

[00:14:11]Sarah:  I love that you mentioned grace  and the fact that, but when we  look to the Lord and walk towards him that is not a means of earning our standing with him, but the fruit of Christ having that standing for us, that every step is a step of grace.

[00:14:27] Erin: Oh, that’s a really good point. And actually, I think it’s a great place for us to end today with the idea that every step is a step of grace. I’m going to close this in prayer, dear God. Thank you so much for the way that you are working in our lives. Lord. I pray that you help us to see the steps that you desire of us.

[00:14:51] The steps that you have prepared for us Lord. Help us to see how you equip us to walk in those steps. Lord Jesus. Give us a willingness in our hearts to follow you, to honor you, to step out in faith. It is in jesus’ name that I pray. Amen.

[00:15:10]Friends. Thank you so much for joining us. Don’t forget to like and subscribe. So you don’t miss the next show. 

[00:15:16]If this conversation has your mind spinning, For if you want to process this information and conversation a bit more,   check out the show notes, there are journaling questions there to help you process through and go deeper into this topic.

[00:15:31]There is also a link there for a free journaling resource to help you look at God’s word alongside some questions and help you think through what is your next step?

[00:15:42]I hope to see you back here next time till then I wanted to leave you with this reminder from Ephesians two 10 ” For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

[00:15:57] I’m praying for you as you keep on stepping.

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