Throughout the recent news cycle, and for months on end, I have ignored the onslaught of information rolling out of Washington DC. I have felt the media was lopsided in their coverage. Among my social contacts, I kept reading the sadness and disgust at what was happening. Through the past 18 months, it’s been difficult to comprehend the future due to the struggles we’ve all faced on different fronts. I questioned myself. Can I have Faith for the Future when it’s difficult to determine what that will look like?
The easy answer is sure! The harder answer is uncertain because we have no clue what the future will look like.
So, with the infamous events of January 6, 2021 (another day of famous actions) I compared what was happening “there” to what has happened “here” and across our nation. What was different? Did we express the same feelings when we lost control at home? DC seemed no different than Seattle, or Portland. We tolerate the lawlessness locally, and our leaders are incapable of standing up to the danger of precedent, but then we are overwhelmed with sadness when it happens at the national level.
I recently wrote about the microcosm of personal life and how it relates to the larger life. We cannot tolerate locally and then disallow nationally. Nor should we expect the national level to be played out in our local circumstances.
Equally, both circumstances shake our faith in the system, and the Actors on stage.
How do we have faith in the future when everything seems to be so uncertain? I have a couple of ideas that may work for you. I know they do for me.
Establish Your View of Faith
We can easily drop into the Word of God and find plenty of viewpoints on Faith. From the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20, Luke 17:6) you can speak to mountains and trees and command their relocation. Yes. You can remove the obstacles!
But Jesus spoke often of their “little faith” from which they cannot comprehend the options before them. (Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8, Luke 12:28)
Then, in surprising turns of events, Jesus speaks about those with Great Faith! The Centurion who needed a miracle and only expected Jesus to speak the word! (Matthew 8:10, Luke 7:9) Or the Canaanite woman who “hounded” him with a need even though the disciples said she should be sent away. (Matthew 15:28)
What was the difference?
Often, it seems, those with no hope expect something of a supernatural answer. They are described as having greater faith. They sought out the solution. Even though the disciples were perishing in a storm, they had weak faith even though Jesus was asleep in the bow of the boat. Their answer was with them.
Regardless of the individuals or circumstances, the foundation of faith seems to be in whom we place our trust.
The “foreigners” did not have the hope of a Messiah, so they had nothing to lose in having faith in something they did not understand. The “locals” thought they understood better what the role of the Messiah was expected to be, so they perhaps had a false expectancy.
Greater Faith vs Weaker Faith. Expectancy vs I Think I Know What to Expect.
Maybe this is a key missing in our view of faith. Hope. Expectancy.
What Faith Is
The writer of Hebrews opens up chapter 11 with the ideal definition of faith. Pardon me if I change translations to make my point.
Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of realities not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1 TLV)
The Message translation says, “…it’s our handle on what we can’t see…”. The evidence of realities not seen is our handle on the things we cannot see. The future? I’m not sure what it will be like by the end of the day, much less the end of this year. My “hope” is for a better experience. The reality will be what it will be. My desire will be something better than what the reality will perhaps show us.
In other words, I keep having Faith in something better, and it is not minimized by the things I can see! When trends take us down paths we cannot even imagine, my faith sustains me.
Faith is believing in something better than I can see with my natural or even spiritual eyes! Faith is not losing hope even when the turmoil seems greater. Click To TweetHope is Our Proving Ground
We have no clue of tomorrow, but we hope in a better future. Right? That’s a glimpse of the difference between reality of now, versus the future.
We must accept finite disappointment
but never lose infinite hope.
~Martin Luther King
The immediacy vs the unknown. Today vs tomorrow or next decade.
The Apostle Paul tells us we are saved by hope (Romans 8:24-25) The Apostle Peter tells us that our trial of faith will be found in praise and honor in Christ, whom we have not seen. (1 Peter 1:7-9)
Maybe the key to our faith is found in the depth of our hope. Paul tells us that the things that matter are our “…faith, hope and love…” (1 Corinthians 13:13)
Think about it. Faith. Hope. Love. The greatest? Love. Faith is important. Hope is necessary. But Love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
Wrap It Up
Faithful with little things may never get you in the limelight of bigger rewards where everyone brags about your accomplishments.
But living by faith in everything done is something that brings greater rewards than you can ever imagine. Great is your faith that keeps you plodding even when the future is silent. Hope never fails! Nor is it dimmed by present circumstances.
Keep the faith.