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?
That’s so funny, I was just asking myself the same thing. Particularly about the prophet (can’t remember his name right now) who was told that his wife was going to die and that he wasn’t supposed to mourn for her publically. I wondered if I would be willing to “work for God” if I knew that He would take the love of my life just so that it could be an illustration for a bunch of people who could care less about God and His truths. And honestly, I felt that I would have a very, long bitter talk with God about that one if I were that prophet.
It’s a hard thing to accept that when you let yourself become a tool for God, you lose the rights to decide how you should be used. And this is why “dying to self” is so crucial. It’s the only way that God can accomplish His plans and goals for the good of mankind and eternity. But so often, we just want a nice, little, comfortable life (myself included), and it’s a long process to give the rights to ourselves over to Him. But I’m working on that one.
Denying yourself and living with your heart focused on God, His kingdom, and eternity is what will make a difference for all of eternity. If we can live our lives walking in the Spirit and if we have really learned that God is a good, loving Father then we can trust that whatever happens to us or through us can be used by Him for His glory and the benefit of His kingdom. And honestly, the pleasures of this lifetime just don’t compare to the treasures of Heaven. And I’m sure someday we will all realize just how “worth it” all the pain and heartache and trials were. But for now, we just have to trust and obey. It’s hard, but it is a daily, deliberate choice that we have to make.
Oh, and thank you for your very challenging posts. We as a Christian community need more of this before we all get too comfortable and fall asleep on the job! I am speaking to myself as much as everyone else! Keep it up, Tracee!