When Cole was learning to walk, he had trouble stepping out on faith. Literally.

I watched him one afternoon with a growing sense of fascination. He’d take one step, placing his foot as far forward as he could. Then ... nothing.

He couldn’t move his back foot forward because he was afraid of falling. He couldn’t move his front foot back because he was over-committed to the step he’d already taken. He found himself stuck between where he was and where he wanted to be. The end result was usually that he would get tired of trying to go either way and just sit down.

But this is not a new phenomenon. Ever heard the saying, “You have to learn to crawl before you walk”? Well, Cole had the same trouble when he was learning to crawl. He’d reach forward with a hand, but just couldn’t bring himself to move one of his knees forward. He’d sit there, rocking back and forth, wanting to move forward — but afraid to.

Eventually, Cole learned to move one of his knees forward. One forward movement led to another, and before long he was crawling.

The same thing happened when he started walking. He let go of whatever he was holding, brought his other leg forward, then the first again, and he was walking!

A common problem for children, overcome by a desire to walk that overshadows a desire to stay where he’s at. This is a common problem for people at all ages. For some, like Cole, the issue may be physical. For others, the issue may be spiritual.

Have you ever been there? Maybe you want to step out on faith and follow God’s leading. But something’s holding you back — you. You’re holding onto something and are afraid to let it go. Maybe it’s a possession or a relationship, or even a thought process.

These things often provide us with a sense of safety; they give us the illusion of security. As long as we hold onto them, we think we’ll be OK. But God is calling us to let those things go, and it scares us to think of letting go and taking that step away from it.

Can I give you a word of encouragement? Trust your heavenly father. Read what David wrote in Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.” Trust in the Lord. Let go of the things you’re holding onto, and take that step of faith with him. He will not let you fall.

Parrish Myers is pastor of Pine Crest Baptist Church in Gainesville. His column appears every other week in Sunday Life.