“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
~ Hebrews 11:1
Have you ever been so certain of something that you had no doubt things would turn out exactly as you imagined? For some who follow Christ, this rather elusive feeling is how they describe faith. It’s an enigma that cannot truly be explained or defined. Event the somewhat vague definition in the book of Hebrews seems at first glance to reinforce that notion. Faith is being sure of what we hope for the verse tells us, but what is it that we hope for? What are we certain of that we cannot see?
There are obvious answers to this question for those who follow Christ: we hope for the glory of living in heaven with God; we hope adamantly for His return; and we are certain that He exists, that He created the heavens and the earth, and that He sent His Son to die for our sins (who was also raised to life on the third day). We are certain that His Spirit lives in us. And there are other maxims and promises that we believe—all without the tangible assurance others might want to see. And all of these things are true. But how do we live that out in everyday life? How do I really live a life of faith?
Over the years, many Christians have encouraged me to, “just have faith; things will turn out well.” I may have even said something like this to others who faced a challenge. And Romans 8:28 often comes to mind, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” The challenge, of course, is that I am a flawed human being who assumes that means that things will work out according to the way I think is good. Faith is being sure of what we hope for…
Our children want a lot of things, and not all of them are good for them. Take for example, candy. Who doesn’t love that sugary goodness? But imagine if we let our children have all the “good” candy they wanted. Have we really done what’s best for them? But perhaps this example of someone who desires something that seems good is too obvious. So let’s look at a situation that’s a bit more challenging.
Many years ago, I was married to a man whom I loved…deeply. For ten years, I helped raise his two children and tried to be a good wife and partner, supporting him through nasty custody conversations involving lawyers and the children’s mother, the death of his mother and favorite grandmother, and so much more. He started to sink into a depression that weighed down the entire house. I prayed for God’s good will to manifest in his life and our marriage. I prayed for God’s protection over the kids so that good would be known in their lives. For months I prayed and cried and watched this man whom I loved sink further and further into despair. One night, he called me into the bedroom to talk. He revealed that he was having an affair and wasn’t sure that he wanted to be married any longer.
Faith is being sure of what we hope for…
I was sure that God wanted us to work things out and remain true to our wedding vows. I believed that God would heal our marriage; that surely He must hope for that healing even more than I did. In the end, it did not matter how much I hoped for reconciliation. It was not to be. Was this part of God’s plan? Does this mean that my marriage wasn’t good in the first place?
That was nearly 10 years ago now. And I still don’t know for certain. The one thing I do know is that God’s promise is that He works in all things for the good of those who love Him. So I cling to that promise and trust that someday I will understand.
Faith necessitates that I set my “self” aside. It demands that I acknowledge and accept that God knows what He’s doing, even if I don’t understand it. It requires that I act on this belief. Faith is not an abstract feeling. It is the way in which we live our lives through obedience and humility. Faith is being sure of what we hope for—His glory and His will being done—and certain of what we do not see—His sovereignty over everything and the good that He desires. Let Genesis chapter 22 set the bar for what my faith should look like.
