Personal Faith Reflections From Nepal

I’m sitting in a friend’s living room—in Kathmandu, Nepal—as I write this. On the wall opposite the couch is a quilted wall hanging made by her mother. It features four Scripture verses, the first being

“We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

This verse is a great summary statement of the Christian faith, for all who profess to follow Christ are called to do exactly that—walk by faith, trusting in a God they cannot see with their eyes.

We trust God

We cannot see God, yet we trust His promises for the strength to endure and overcome when we experience suffering. We trust His faithfulness to lead us to a hopeful outcome even when we can barely see the path that lies before us. We trust His sovereignty to work out every detail of our lives (especially the negative) for our good and for His glory.

Years ago a family member told me that Christianity was for wimps, for those who need a crutch. I disagreed then, and I still disagree. Faith, for me, takes a whole lot of courage. Here’s why: Exercising faith in a God we cannot see means we admit we’re not perfect and that we can’t do life well on our own. It takes courage to admit we’re a mess without Him.

Walking by faith

Walking by faith means we relinquish control and give God permission to do what He wants with our lives. For some, that means experiencing physical or emotional suffering. For others, it means being responsible for wealth and success. For some, it means being faithful day after day in difficult circumstances. And for others, it means going to the far corners of the earth—like Kathmandu, Nepal.

Walking by faith means trusting God’s goodness and sovereignty in the face of human suffering. On the streets of Kathmandu—a city that survived two massive earthquakes in 2015—I see the blind, the beggars, the crippled, and the desperately poor. I ponder the material blessings with which I grew up in Canada, and I must admit that I question the fairness of it all.

Why should my life be so very different than a Nepalese woman’s life simply because I was born in Alberta? I don’t understand. And yet I must trust that God is in control.

By faith I trust that God will someday show Himself just on behalf of those who cannot speak up for themselves and cannot change their circumstances. By faith I trust that He’ll use my measly efforts to advance His purposes here even though I feel woefully inadequate. I walk by faith, not by sight.

I don’t have the answers, but God does.