A friend of mine has been talking about moving for two years. Every time we get together, he says the same thing—he’s praying about it, waiting on clarity, trusting that God will open the right door. But in the meantime, he hasn’t updated his resume, researched places to live or even considered putting out feelers for a new job. He’s just waiting.
At some point, I had to ask him, “Are you waiting on God or are you just afraid to make a decision?”
To be fair, it’s not always easy to tell the difference. Christianity is built on faith. We trust a God we can’t see, follow a plan we don’t always understand and believe in outcomes we can’t control. But there’s a fine line between trusting God and using faith as an excuse to dodge responsibility.
We love to say we’re “waiting on the Lord,” but sometimes, what we’re really doing is stalling. We say we’re trusting God to provide, but we won’t apply for jobs. We say we’re praying for a sign, but we ignore every practical next step. We ask for wisdom, but we only listen to advice that confirms what we already want to hear. And we call it faith, but in reality? It’s just avoidance with a spiritual-sounding excuse.
The Bible is full of moments where God calls people to trust Him, but very rarely does that mean sitting around doing nothing. When the Israelites were cornered at the Red Sea, terrified and crying out for help, God didn’t say, “Just wait and see.” He said, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move.” (Exodus 14:15). He parted the waters, but they still had to walk forward. James doesn’t just say faith is important—he says faith without action is dead. Jesus didn’t tell His followers to sit back and let things happen—He told them to go.
But for some reason, we’ve convinced ourselves that taking action somehow diminishes trust in God. If we make plans, we’re “getting ahead of Him.” If we take responsibility, we’re “striving.” If we don’t feel absolute peace, we assume that means we’re supposed to wait. But trusting God isn’t about avoiding decisions—it’s about making them with wisdom, courage and faith that He’s in it with us.
There’s a difference between patience and procrastination. It’s one thing to genuinely seek God’s timing. It’s another thing to use “waiting” as an excuse to avoid hard things. Sometimes we say we’re praying for clarity, but really, we just want God to take away the risk. We don’t want to step out until we have guaranteed outcomes. But that’s not faith. That’s control.
It’s easier to claim we’re “trusting God” than to admit we’re just scared. It’s easier to say we’re “waiting for a sign” than to take the next step. It’s easier to let life happen than to take responsibility for shaping it. But if you look at the people God has used throughout history, they weren’t passive. They were active. They weren’t reckless, but they moved forward even when they weren’t 100% sure. Joseph prepared for a famine that hadn’t happened yet. Nehemiah built a wall with a sword in one hand. The disciples left everything to follow Jesus before they had the whole picture.
So how do we know if we’re truly walking in faith or just avoiding responsibility? It’s worth asking: Is there an action I could take right now that I’m hesitating on? Have I been saying “I’m praying about it” when what I really mean is “I don’t want to deal with it”? Am I expecting God to do something for me that He’s actually inviting me to be part of?
Faith isn’t passive. It doesn’t mean standing still until every detail is clear. It doesn’t mean waiting for perfect conditions. It doesn’t mean outsourcing your life to God and assuming He’ll handle everything while you sit back. Faith means moving forward even when you don’t have all the answers.
If you’re looking for a sign, here it is: Do the thing. Make the call. Have the conversation. Apply for the job. Set the boundary. Take the step. God’s not asking you to figure it all out—He’s asking you to trust Him enough to move.
