Faith. That's a hard concept. To trust a God we can't see to take care of things that are very much in our faces each and every day. It is one of the most difficult things about being a Christian. It is the ultimate trust for a people who are known to distrust.

It's much easier to go with our gut, isn't it?

In fact, you might have a successful history of "gut" feelings that turned out to be right on.  Having a "feeling" that option B on a test is the right answer.  Having a "feeling" that you shouldn't go down a certain street at night.  Having a "feeling" that what someone has told you is untrue.

Our feelings or gut instinct about things seem a good way to gauge situations at times.  But is it always the best way?

As children of God, there is little that the enemy is allowed to do to us. He chooses his tools wisely, often playing with our fears and our feelings.  He can reiterate a bad feeling in our mind to the point that it consumes us.  He can taunt us with a conflicted feeling to the point that we are at a standstill in decision making.  It is an easy way to trip us on our paths, and it's definitely one that we need to be aware of.

Learning to walk by our faith alone is hard.  It's difficult to remain confident about something that the world rushes to shake our confidence in.  It's so much easier (and so much more accepted) to simply "feel" our way through life - to search our hearts for the answer to our problems and go with our gut about which direction to take.

In reality we should be asking God to search our hearts for our true motives and asking Him about which direction to take.

It takes self-control to walk by faith, knowing the answer may not be immediate but will always be the right one and worth waiting for.  It takes confidence in our God to walk by faith, knowing that He will do everything He has promised, without question.  And, most importantly, it takes courage to walk by faith in a world where the here and now is celebrated and faith is touted as something you should have in yourself.

Today's generation is a worldly lot.  We like instant results, instant gratification, and instant access.  Choosing to follow One we cannot see, cannot speak to face-to-face, and cannot physically hear goes against everything the world holds ideal.

Oddly, it's also the very thing that makes us unique. It's the beauty of what sets us apart and shows God that we are truly His. So love your God by choosing to believe. Choose faith.

Laura Polk is a wife and mother of three who has a passion for teaching young women that God is in the details of their lives. She has contributed to various magazines, websites and blogs and is currently working on a YA novel. While contributing to other ministries, she is building one of her own through a tween website that targets girls ages 8-11. Check out her blog or watch her website grow.