Picking Faithfulness

Each day is full of choice. Most are benign, seemingly meaningless. For some the payoff is immediate, like what to eat or wear or to do after work. For others the payoff is delayed, like plans you make, what you say to your kids, or the work you do.

I’m learning that I have to be intentional to pick faithfulness instead of ease, experience, or even wisdom.

If I’m honest… it’s the wisdom one that causes me the most trouble. All-too-often wisdom leads me to make the safest choice. It could also be that wisdom is different than Wisdom and little w wisdom often leads you to do the thing that makes the most sense instead of what is the most faithful.

Recently, I was spending time in Hebrews 11, and it kind of hit me… in most of these cases the author of Hebrews is celebrating someone’s action which their contemporaries probably thought was reckless, lacked wisdom, or was downright stupid.

  • Abel’s sacrifice didn’t seem reasonable… it seemed too far.
  • Enoch walked faithfully with God for 300 years…
  • Noah built an arc in his backyard, everyone thought he was a moron until it rained…
  • Abraham was prosperous where he was at, but as an old man God told him to move, can you imagine what his poker buddies called him?

On and on, Hebrews 11 drills home this point. Pick faithfulness. 

  • Faithfulness is wild, untamed, and unpredictable.
  • Faithfulness makes old men walk away from retirement.
  • Faithfulness redefines conventional wisdom.
  • Faithfulness asks you to exchange safety for trust.
  • Faithfulness will invite your friends to think you’re an idiot.
  • Faithfulness will ask you to do the bold– stupid in your friends eyes– while overcoming the weaknesses of your personality, position, and preparation.
  • Faithfulness calls preachers to become poets.
  • Faithfulness calls executives to become moms.
  • Faithfulness calls geniuses into factories.
  • Faithfulness calls the dyslexic to become physicists.

Defy logics last stand and embrace faithfulness. 


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3 responses to “Picking Faithfulness”

  1. Melissa Scott Avatar

    This has been on my mind, too. In fact, I preached about faith last Sunday, inspired by the Hebrews 11 text. I’m really challenged that in all of these stories, faith was an action – not simply a belief (as if belief is really all that simple). I ended the sermon by asking everyone to complete a card to carry with them – By faith, I will … I also asked that they find someone to help them be accountable in acting on their faith. Thanks for the additional thoughts about choosing faithfulness!

    1. Adam McLane Avatar

      Thanks for this comment. Totally encouraging to me… I’m not crazy!

  2. Brandon Pachey Avatar
    Brandon Pachey

    Hmmmmm, funny how this applies to what Im going thru in life right now. Thanks a lot, now I have to move overseas (proably)!

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