Our text simply says, in a parenthetical statement, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” All of us are faced with two worlds – the natural and the spiritual. The natural world satisfies the senses, but only the spiritual can satisfy the soul. In the natural world we generally “walk by sight,” but in many instances, faith of a sort even enters into this. But in the spiritual realm, we “walk by sight.” What is the difference in the two?

To walk by sight means that one trusts what he sees with his eyes; to walk by faith means that he trusts whatever God’s word says. Man is generally a subjective creature, and so his own thoughts, feelings and perceptions seem real to him. Such is walking by sight. On the other hand, when one walks by faith, he views an objective standard, that being the word of God. That means that everything else is suspect to say the least. Things in the physical realm are all there are to one who walks by sight; he doesn’t give consideration to the things of the spiritual realm. So long as he does that, he cannot walk by faith. One who walks by faith realizes the reality of a spiritual realm as well, and rules his life accordingly. Finally, those who walk by sight think their conclusions are understood only by himself; that if God is at all in his thoughts, God does not pay any attention to his problems. But when one walks by faith, he knows that God does know about his problems. He understands them better than man himself.

Faith and sight also handle the affairs of life in different ways. Let us look at two of them: [1] material matters, and [2] suffering. The material world and material things are a part of the life of every man. When a man walks by sight, how does he approach and handle his material things and affairs? All to often this degenerates into attitudes of anxieties concerning these matters. Some are never satisfied with what they have, and the pursuit of wealth and “things” become an obsession with them (Eccl. 6:7; 5:10-12). But when one walks by faith, he handles material things with contentment. God has told us he will supply our needs if we will put him and his kingdom first (Matt. 6:33). Do we truly believe that? If we do, then we will understand that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:8). Those who “walk by faith” do not “lay awake at night” fretting over their material possessions, but will lie down in peace and rise to handle those possessions the right way the next day.

Now to the matter of suffering. Those who walk by sight generally handle them with despair – “why is God doing this to me?” is the old refrain. God won’t be pleased with such complaining! Elijah despaired – but God told him to “pick up and go on” (1 Kgs. 19). But when walks by faith, he handles suffering with an attitude of hope. Look at Paul – he had every reason, from the human viewpoint, to despair (2 Cor. 11:24ff). But he did not lose heart. He knew the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel was always there.

How about your life? are you walking by faith, or by sight? Why not examine your life in this regard. Learn to “walk by faith and not by sight.” – Bill Moseley