Faith Lived Out

I was reading in Hebrews this past week and I noticed some things in chapter 11 where the writer lists the faith giants of the Old Testament.  What I noticed was the way that they showed their faith.

Some demonstrated faith through sacrificial living, blessings, worship, and giving instruction.

They functioned without fear, left their home, obeyed.

                                    

They passed through raging oceans, marched around an enemy's camp, took in spies, conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and stepped into promises.

They shut the mouths of lions, quenched flames, and escaped the sword.

Their weakness was turned to strength, they became powerful in battle, and they raised the dead.

Their faith moved not just mountains, but it moved them!  It was more than just the frame-of-mind kind of faith we seem to be attracted to now.  It called for action.

Faith is defined as complete trust or confidence.  Can we really have faith without action?  Can you say you have faith that a chair will hold you without ever sitting down?

Another thing I noticed is that faith did not always lead to a pretty outcome.  In fact, if you read further in Hebrews you will see that the faithful were tortured, flogged, imprisoned and mistreated. They were wanderers, destitute, persecuted and murdered.

                                  

Then I started to wonder....is that the kind of faith I have?

Am I willing to take on an active faith that calls me to battles and paths that leave the comfort of what I know now?

Am I willing to function in faith knowing that the path might lead me down paths and have outcomes that are less than pleasant?

Frankly I don't even know where to start with that.  I want to...I really do, but I'm afraid.  I don't like pain or discomfort.  Goodness, I don't even like to cry and these outcomes kinda seem like they would lead to tears!

I don't even know where to start to have an active, all-in faith.

But a little further in Hebrews we are given the key.  The key to living out the faith adventure that God has planned for us.

Hebrews 12:1-3 tells me how to step out in faith!!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame,and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

                             
                               

We focus on Jesus!!  If we just keep our eyes focused on the pioneer and perfecter or faith, we will not grow weary and lose heart!!

Oh heavenly Father, help me to step out in my faith.  Not just a frame-of-mind kind of faith, but an active faith that brings you honor and glory.  Help me keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and not the outcome, knowing that the eternal glory you have waiting for me, far outweighs any temporal discomfort.


                       

The Danger of Normal

nor·mal

ˈnôrməl/

adjective

1. 1.

   conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.

Such a sly, two syllable word!  It sneaks up on you without calling any attention to itself.  You don't realize that it is there until one day it has become your world.

Have you ever driven to work or school or church and just kinda tuned out until suddenly you are there?  You wonder how in the world you managed to drive that far without really noticing anything around you!  

                             

You just function on autopilot and go through your normal routine.  

If you have experienced something like this you have fallen victim to "normal," the usual, typical or standard way you function throughout your day.

At face value, this might seem like a good thing.  You made it to your destination safely didn't you?

Yes...but...what did you miss? During the drive you could have passed someone on the side of the road changing a tire or children playing in a field you pass by. Maybe the shop that you always drive passed has put up an Annual Sale 50% Off sign.  So many opportunities missed because of functioning in "normal."

What about the times that you are driving in autopilot and you suddenly run over debris in the road?  Or you don't notice traffic stopping ahead and you have to slam on the breaks....worse yet you rear-end the car in front of you.  Sometimes normal can be a distraction of obstacles in the road...things go unnoticed.

 

Our lives can be like driving a car on autopilot.  We become so immersed and comfortable in our "normal" that we miss opportunities and we don't notice obstacles that arise.  We can get so focused on what is going on in our lives and in our little world that we forget there is a bigger picture, a bigger world.  And that bigger world is made up of people that are crying out for help....and we can't hear them because we don't notice them.

                                                   

We go throughout our day, our routine, our normal, and we get distracted by the lists in our heads.  Lists of things we need to do, things we need to buy, things we need to remember and these things all revolve around "we."  Because in normal our world revolves around me.

Many times these are good things. We plan activities for our churches, buy groceries for our families, and remember things we need to do for health.  But we get so caught up in our world and in our normal that we don't notice the abnormal until it is so big and so different and sometimes so horrible that we have to slam on our breaks.

Why is it that we have to see appalling pictures of ISIS before we pray for those that are persecuted? 

Why is it that we have to watch a disgusting, racist video of college students before we cry out to God to change the heart of our society?

Why is it that we have to watch movies that show scenes depicting the bondage the enemy has the world in before we feel like we need to spread the news of Jesus?

                           

Wanna know why? 

It's because we are so caught up in our normal that we walk right past a person in pain.  If we would just slow down a bit and really see people we could see it all over their faces!  

The world is hurting and crying out for help.  We know that politics won't heal what is broken and we know that humanitarian aid can only help so much.  The one, true fix is the love of a Father who sent His son to take on the burden and punishment of our iniquities so that through him, Jesus, we might be saved.  

                           

                          

But friend, we are not saved by grace so that we can lead a normal life and make it safely to our destination! We are saved so that we can go out to the world and share that grace with others!   

Normal is my enemy!  I fight normal every day, because it is so, so easy for me to slip into it.Normal is comfortable. But normal keeps me from seeing people.  

And when I don't see people, I don't love people.  

And when I don't love people, I don't reach out to people.  

And when I don't reach out to people, I take what my Father gave me and I bury it into the ground for safe-keeping until His arrival.  

And when I bury it, what type of greeting will He give me on His return?........

     "... 'Well done, good and faithful servant!"

or......
     "... throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

(Mathew 25:14-30)

Normal is dangerous.