Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. For by it the people of old received God’s commendation. By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible.1
These are the opening words of the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. The small group my family participates in on Tuesdays has been working through this book of the Bible for months. We move slowly and often only cover a verse or two at a time. The discussions are edifying, humbling, vulnerable. Our group is comprised of a wide range of people, who have pasts that include addiction, loss, heartbreak, and healing and of course a continued movement into living life as a faithful Christian.
Last night, feeling that we had been moving a little to slowly we took a big bite and read, prayed and discussed verses 8-19, which detail the story of Abraham and Sarah and how they lived faithfully.
By faith Abraham obeyed.
By faith he lived as a foreigner.
By faith Sarah received the power to conceive.
By faith Abraham offered Isaac.
As we discussed these examples of faithfulness one of our group sought for an answer to a very common question.
“How do I know what God is calling me to do? How can I know if an impulse feeling or intuition is from God?”
This question comes from a heart that is yearning for LIFE. To live and act faithfully out of a love and desire to serve the King, to put sin and the old flesh away, pressing on toward the prize that is hoped for. It is a question I believe most Christians ask.
As we discussed it seemed that a principle came to the surface. A principle that Christian’s could use as a lens by which they could in courage and hope, step faithfully toward Christ and in service of His Kingdom. As we looked back over the previous heroes of the faith mentioned in the chapter we see Abel, Enoch and Noah and we see a pattern begin to emerge.
Faithful steps into what God is calling us to is more often than not. Inconvenient. Abel - Give your best as an offering. Inconvenient. Noah - Stopping your life and build a giant boat. Inconvenient. Enoch, walked with God in a time when there was no Law, no Prophets, and the world around him was steeped in Bronze Age pagan practices that were not just grotesque by our standards but were sickeningly idolatrous. Resisting the culture around you is incredibly inconvenient. Abraham continue this. Leaving Ur a major city in the ancient world and lived the remainder of his life in tents.
Would I be willing to be so inconvenienced?
In each case The Principle of the Inconvenient can be seen as a signpost that something is a part of the faithful path. If something is personally inconvenient and requires loving self sacrifice. Pay attention and lean in.
The next piece of the lens is a concept found in the third verse of the chapter.
“we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
Here I think we see a foundational principle for looking at each of the stories in this chapter. I would call this the Principle of the Invisible. What is Seen comes from that Which is Unseen. Noah, built without having ever seen rain. Abraham left Ur, a major city, “And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” v8. Able trusted in the God that there would be future livestock. Again we see a pattern. Beyond things being inconvenient, the heroes of the faith are more often than not called to step into situations that they have never seen before or can not see the outcome of. And by this they participate in God’s life and work by making visible that which, when the first step was taken, was invisible.
How often do I fail to live faithfully because I demand to see the proof before taking action?
Step toward the invisible. I am reminded of the pivotal moment in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, when Henry Walton Jones Junior, AKA Indy, must take a leap of faith onto a bridge that is “invisible”. A fun moment of movie magic that contains this “step”.
The third element of this lens is closely tied to the Principle of the Invisible. It is that many times faithful action demands belief in the impossible. Abraham was according to v12 “as good as dead” and Sarah was barren. Yet, the impossible occurred. So to we see that Abraham believed and acted from a position that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Something that again is “impossible”. It is worth remembering the words of Jesus in Matthew 19, “with God all things are possible.”
We discussed both the big and small kinds of impossibility. Often in our modern secular world, we have adopted ideas that many things are to small for God to take note of or engage in. Many things in modern life we no longer consider to be His responsibility or concern.
How often have I failed to cross the finish line in my own faithful walk by believing something to be impossible?
If we add in the Principle of the Impossible, we have a open door to step forward in faith toward what could be, we just have to let go of the idea that we determine what the limits of God are.
I hope this has given you something to consider as you ponder those questions.
How do I know what God is calling me to do?
How can I know if an impulse feeling or intuition is from God?
Consider these three principles and ask yourself prayerfully.
Is the calling Inconvenient?
Does it require you to let go of outcomes or of having full knowledge prior to acting?
Is that outcome something you consider impossible? Whether impossibly big or impossibly small?
Go and live faithfully.
And remember, I love you and God loves you.
Phillip Mainprize
Hebrew 11:1-3 NET
beautiful and extraordinary reflection. i will keep in mind to believe in the inconvenient, the invisible, the impossible.