One step at a time

The Bernese Alps of Switzerland are home to the longest stairway in the world. On the side of Mt Niesen stretches the Niesen Stairway, 3.4km in length and 1,669m in altitude, the stairway comprises a staggering 11,647 steps.

Once a year the stairway is opened for an annual race event. As grueling and impossible as the climb appears, every competitor could testify that the only way to conquer the world’s longest stairway is to take the first step. 

When God gives us a dream, a grand plan, the reality is that it can seem so impossible that we wonder if or how we can even begin.

This must have been how Abraham felt. 

When Abraham had no children and no property to call his own, God gave him a promise that he would possess land and have many descendants. For Abraham this wasn’t just difficult, it was impossible!  

But instead of being paralyzed by fear and uncertainty, Abraham took the first step. Hebrews 11:8 records that he ‘obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.’

God gave Abraham a grand plan and Abraham was willing to take the first step. Precisely because Abraham’s faith and actions worked together, he saw God do miracles in his life. 

Faith without actions is lifeless. Actions without faith are aimless. That’s why God wants us to have both faith and actions operating in our lives. He has given us the power to dream and to do; to imagine and to act. 

So, what are the first steps you can take as you journey toward the grand plans that God has placed in your heart? There’s always something you can do! As you take the first steps you’ll find a momentum of faith begin to build and the next step become apparent.   

No matter the size stairway you’ve been called to walk, it starts with a step.