Learning to Live by Faith Not by Sight When the Trial Doesn’t End

He suits up again, not because the battle is easy, but because God is faithful. Even when there’s no end in sight, he chooses to live by faith—not by what he sees—trusting that the Lord’s guidance is enough for today.

2 Corinthians 5:7

But we live by faith, not by what we see.

Faith is beautiful. It’s one of those things that, when you see it in action, it all starts to become clear. Faith is not something we put on like a coat; it’s something we develop and grow.

Learning to live by faith not by sight takes time, pressure, and real-life testing.

Seeing a brother of mine rely on the Lord for strength and provision in a situation that would break a lot of men is beautiful. That kind of faith isn’t loud, flashy, or convenient—it’s forged. The word faith seems to get a little muddy with the ease in which it’s claimed.

“I have faith, I know God’s in control.”

“I have faith in God’s plan.”

Those are great words, but everyone says that until it’s time to make faith more than a cute saying. When the trial doesn’t end, when the pressure doesn’t let up, that’s when we learn what it really means to live by faith not by sight.

In the thick of it is where we usually start losing our minds.“Why is this happening?!”“Lord, this isn’t fair!”

We cry out to God and suddenly we’re the best prayer warriors we’ve ever been. But using my brother as an example, we need to be on our knees daily—so when the trials start, you’re asking for peace and understanding instead of rescue.

Being mature in your faith means you understand that trials are a part of your life and a part of your development and growth. Accepting that you are going through this is the first step to growth. That acceptance is often where learning to live by faith not by sight really begins.

Knowing that even if it’s painful, this battle is already won—and that you are victorious through Jesus—changes everything. You’ve been promised that you will not be pushed beyond your limits. When you see a brother going through some big, serious stuff, that is often a sign of how much the Lord believes they are an absolute warrior.

The Lord sends the biggest, baddest warriors into the biggest and most important battles.

If you feel like the Lord is trying to annihilate you, count it all joy. Your faith has a chance to grow. That’s not easy to hear, and it doesn’t always feel encouraging—but from a kingdom-minded perspective, this should be what we want. To live by faith not by sight is to trust God even when the pain doesn’t make sense.

Stay in prayer for your brothers and sisters everywhere. A lot of the time, we have no idea what trials others are facing, but we can lift them up and intercede on their behalf. If you’re going through a trial and you need encouragement to get to that faith-growing acceptance, reach out.

Iron sharpens iron.

Thank you, Father, for one more day. Amen.

James 1:2–4

[2] My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble.[3] You know you learn to endure by having your faith tested.[4] But you must learn to endure everything, so you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.

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