The thing about faith is that it can look pretty foolish. Faith never really makes a whole lot of sense to the rational thinker, does it? When I read Hebrews 11 — the “Hall of Heroes” chapter — I read of men and women who chose to walk in ways that made absolutely no sense to many around them. The author of Hebrews names many of them, but at the end of the chapter, he gives a broad overview of people whose name we will never know on this side of the divide… men and women who “quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women who received their loved ones back again from death. They were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.”
In many respects, they appeared to be foolish by those around them; yet they had a confidence that they were following a path or a calling that was greater than what appeared to be the “smart move.” They chose the road less traveled by, and that made all the difference, didn’t it?
So when I have discussions with those who laugh at my folly for believing in the God of the Bible because science says otherwise or, insert another reason here _____, it just comes down to the reality for me that I am ok with being labeled a fool. Truth is, I guess I don’t feel I have much to lose. If, at the end of my life, I discover that I was wrong and I die and there is nothing after this; at the very least, I was a good person and helped a whole bunch of people by serving and giving and living a wholesome life. My faith in a God of peace, hope, love, joy, and goodness caused me to be a better person than if I had indulged in hedonism, violence, cynicism, bitterness or selfishness. If I am foolish because of believing in that or missing out on the “pleasures of the world,” so be it. However, if my faith is well-founded, and everything the Bible says is true — that there is an afterlife, and there is a heaven and a hell, and rejection of Christ’s amazing gift of salvation seals our fate — then I have everything to gain by my belief. To me, the pay’s the same either way — a good life and a peaceful sleep six feet under the ground, or a good life on earth and then an incredible eternity of life on “white shores and beyond…” Strike that actually… the pay is far, far better if my faith is proved true. I believe it will be so.
The psalmist David, said that the fool has said in his heart, there is no God! St. Paul said that, “people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means” (I Corinthians 2:14).
In matters of the heart… my faith is strong. My hope is sure. I believe that there is more to life than just living and then dying. It is about giving, serving, and loving — and sometimes that level of sacrifice is intense. Those mentioned in Hebrews 11 and those throughout history who have given their lives for the sake of their faith — whether they were martyred for their beliefs or they died serving others — they believed what missionary pilot Jim Elliott said before his death at the hands of the Auca Indian tribe. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
My friend Stephanie said the other day, “I think it would be a miserable existence to live a life without God. It would be a miserable existence to live a life not knowing Jesus personally. It would be a miserable existence to not have the Holy Spirit to teach you and to guide you…” I have known the Lord since I was very young, and I can’t imagine living without the gentle prodding and admonition or the kind encouragement of the Holy Spirit inside me. It’s not imaginary, it’s not a mind game. If you have never experienced it, you won’t understand until you do. And the amazing thing is that Jesus offers a gift of salvation to all who will reach out and believe!
So if you have been taken out of a life of pain or addiction and found healing and hope; if you have been given second or third or fourth chance and found unexpected hope; or if you have been called foolish for having faith in something bigger than yourself, take joy. Your faith is being tested and tried and, if you endure until the end, you will come forth as a beautiful refined vessel of honor. You will be changed from the inside out and it will be pretty evident by your life that something is different! You might be called foolish or weak, and you know what? That’s ok.