I have been spending a lot of time thinking about the stories of great decisions in the bible. I am sitting here shaking my head at how many people made the decision to give up life as they knew it for something completely unknown. For some, they didn’t even get to see anything that resembled what God asked them to do. Their fruit would be seen long after they had left.
Would I say yes to that? Would you?
Abraham believed God wanted to tell a story through him, so he packed up his family and all he had and left for a desolate land that only held the mirage of a dream.
Noah built a huge arc with the faith that what God wanted to say through him would come to fruition
Moses was on the run only to be asked to go back and take on Pharaoh to let thousands of his people go into freedom. He believed God was going to do something through him.
Job went through living hell, grief, abandonment, and loss for his faith. God had a story to tell through him that he would never sign up to tell for himself.
Hosea said yes to a life full of loss and betrayal from his wife all for the sake of a story being told through him.
The disciples walked away from everything known to follow and lead an unknown life.
Paul said yes to God telling His story through him. He abandoned life as he knew, and believed, it to be for the sake of God doing something with him.
Every one of our lives goes through the process of abandonment to get to a place where God wants to speak and act through us. Every one of us has to make the decision to leave something known to walk in faith towards something unknown and unpredictable.
The truth is that the life you really want will always take you down the road of abandonment. Sometimes that life is rich in pain, frustration, and question marks, but it’s still the story He is telling through you.
Abandonment is a scary word. It’s risky. It has no comforts, only hope.
It is one thing to say yes to abandon a life that needs it, but what about saying yes when it will mean hard and pain?
I can’t wrap my brain around those who said yes to God using their lives to tell a story they would never choose for themselves. Hosea’s life was just plain hard and heart wrenching. Mary said yes to potential scrutiny, shame, ridicule, and shunning. God asked to tell a story through them.
Would I? Would you?
Is your life a story God is telling that you would not choose to tell for yourself? Is He asking if you would be willing? Even if this story leads to hard and pain, would you be willing? If He wanted to tell a story through your life that was only to bear fruit after you were gone, would you do it? Are you living this way now?
Living out faith doesn’t always look like favor and bliss. It doesn’t always resemble “blessings” and good fruit. Sometimes faith looks like persevering in the midst of a sea of tears and question marks. Some stories bear the harsh contractions of waiting and being misunderstood.
Scripture says that “some people escaped the edge of the sword and some died by it,” but all are walking in faith.
Would I? Would you?
