The Journey of Faith

In my most recent book, Open, I share my personal journey of faith and how I struggled to reconcile my newfound faith with my past vices and secret struggles. It was a challenging journey, but it was also a journey of growth and transformation. Through it all, I learned that God is a God of process, discipline, and guidance and that our faith journey is not a sprint but a journey that requires patience and perseverance.

When I first accepted Christ and raised my hand at The Salvation Army in Waco, I felt a sense of relief that I had found a savior who could save me from my vices and struggles. However, I soon realized that my journey of faith was only beginning and that it would require more than just a simple raising of my hand. It would require me to change my habits, thoughts, and actions. It would require me to dig deep and confront my hidden secret struggles and dependencies.

As I started my journey, I struggled to break free from my old habits and addictions. It was a painful and challenging process, but I knew that it was necessary if I wanted to move forward. My wife Tabby and I had an opportunity to attend a retreat for church leaders; how this occurred was in itself a God moment. This is where we met Doug and Judy, pastors of a small church in East Waco. They became our mentors and helped us to navigate the challenges of my faith journey challenges.

Through this interaction, I learned that God places the right people and pieces in our path as needed. We are all works in progress, and even those who are committed to God's service can struggle with their own hidden secrets, struggles, and, yes, even demons. It was a humbling experience to realize that we all have our own struggles and our own journey to navigate.

The journey of faith requires discipline and guidance. It requires us to trust in God's plan and to have faith that He will guide us through the ups and downs. As Hebrews 12:11 says, "No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Our struggles and challenges may be painful at the time, but they will yield fruit if we allow ourselves to be trained by them.

The journey of faith is not easy, but it is worth it. It requires us to be open and honest about our struggles and trust God's plan, which often makes no sense in our feeble human minds. It requires us to have patience and perseverance as we navigate the ups and downs of life. As we journey through life with God, He will place the right people and pieces in our path to help us along the way. So, let us trust the plan, and let us continue to grow and transform in our faith journey.