Commended for Faith, not an outcome
Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” It is so easy to get caught up in the belief that success is based on what we yield. But what the Faith Hall of Fame advocates is, we will be commended for our FAITH in the journey – not for an outcome.
Our culture operates strongly based on a finish line. We train to complete a marathon. We go to graduate school to get the MBA needed to become an executive. The purpose is to get to the end, to finish the goal, to complete the project. Only then, when the finish line has been reached will we have made it. Then we’ll be commended. Then we’ll be praised. Then we’ll be worthy because we reached our goal; with this mentality, it’s all about the outcome.
But what if we, like some of the heroes in Hebrews chapter 11, never get to see the final outcome? What if we never reach what we’re working towards?
“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”
Hebrews 11:1-2
Written By: Mindy Larsen
Have you ever stopped to consider that you may never achieve the one thing that you’re working towards? Or that maybe you’ll be stuck trying long after you expected to be reaping the rewards?
I’m a writer whose one big goal is to write a book. I’m taking courses to become a better writer, sending off submissions, sharing posts on my blog and on social media in hopes that someday I will be a published author. One day, I sat behind my computer, pressed my fingertips onto the smooth surface of the square keys, and heard the Lord ask me, “Will you still praise me if your book never gets traditionally published? Will you still be faithful even if you don’t receive the outcome you’re working towards?”
faith hall of fame
There’s a well-known chapter in Hebrews chapter 11 that is often referred to as the “Faith Hall of Fame.” It tells the stories of well-known heroes of the Bible—people like Abraham, Moses, Isaac, and Noah—who took courageous steps of faith. For example, Noah was told there was going to be a flood that would drown the world, by faith he made an ark. Abraham was asked to travel to his new home in the Promised Land but he had no idea where he was going; by faith, he trekked through the desert.
After telling these stories about monumental steps of faith, verse 13 says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.”
One sentence in this verse struck me – “they did not receive the things promised.”
The finish line
Our culture operates strongly based on a finish line. We train to complete a marathon. We go to graduate school to get the MBA needed to become an executive. The purpose is to get to the end, to finish the goal, to complete the project. Only then, when the finish line has been reached will we have made it. Then we’ll be commended. Then we’ll be praised. Then we’ll be worthy because we reached our goal; with this mentality, it’s all about the outcome.
But what if we, like some of the heroes in Hebrews chapter 11, never get to see the final outcome? What if we never reach what we’re working towards?
Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” It is so easy to get caught up in the belief that success is based on what we yield. But what the Faith Hall of Fame advocates is, we will be commended for our FAITH in the journey – not for an outcome.
Commended for faith
Noah saved mankind and all the animals of the earth, but believe it or not, he was not commended for the end result. He was commended for the faith it took to build the ark. And Moses was not commended for leading the people of God to the Promised Land (friends, he never even got to go in); yet he was commended for the faith it took to leave Egypt.
When it comes down to it, our ultimate goal as followers of Jesus is to be faithful no matter what. If we become so focused on what we produce, on what goals we are accomplishing (or not accomplishing) in our lifetime, we not only rob ourselves the joy of enjoying the process, but we run the risk of losing sight of our purpose; to make Jesus name known.
The key to losing the end-goal mentality, to being satisfied with steps of faith versus an outcome, is found in Hebrews 11:16 that says, “Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one.” The reason the ancients didn’t lose faith, even when they didn’t reach their outcome, is because instead of being focused on their end goal, they were focused on THE end goal – eternity in heaven with the Lord.
shifted prespective
Instead of obsessing over my goal to become a published author, I’m shifting my perspective to being faithful and obedient to the Lord in each moment, and trusting Him to lead me even if the outcome is not what I expect. And you know what the result has been? Freedom. Satisfaction. Joy.
Fixing our eyes on Jesus releases us from the power-hungry obsession to be successful and enables us to enjoy life to the fullest. Will you join me? Together, let’s focus on faithfulness, find satisfaction in the journey, and pray that someday we, like the ancients, might be commended for our faith.
Mindy Larsen is a writer living in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. She loves donuts, the power of Scripture to combat anxiety, and cuddling on the couch with her husband Chris, and their cat, Finn. Mindy writes to encourage others with words that point towards Jesus. You can find her writing in Thryve Magazine, Grit & Virtue, and (in)courage, as well as on her personal blog – www.loveminblog.com She’d love to connect with you there, or over on Instagram www.instagram.com/mindykaysl
Finding Freedom in Surrendering Your Imperfect Purpose
There is freedom in surrendering to who Christ designed us to be. As humans, we often feel like surrendering to anything means that we are giving up control, giving up power, and giving up freedom, but in Christ, we find true freedom when we surrender to His design. A freedom that can only come from the Lord because it is solely dependent on the price He paid for us on the cross. Yet, we allow ourselves to hold back from full surrender because it means that the imperfections and the mess will be uncovered, that our weakest points will be on display-- but what we are not grasping is that the Lord has us come just as we are. Our perspective of who we belong to has to be shifted, the chains of this earthly world must be broken-- as Christian women, we are to show up however He might have us so that He is seen through us. We have to daily remember that He has placed us here on earth for a set amount of time to share who He is, to speak His message, to build His Kingdom, all through the imperfections that we walk with. As a body of believers, our eternal perspective needs to bring us such a hope and peace that we are not battling ourselves to hold on to our own freedom.
For through the Law I died to the Law and its demands on me [because salvation is provided through the death and resurrection of Christ], so that I might [from now on] live to God. I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not ignore or nullify the [gracious gift of the] grace of God [His amazing, unmerited favor], for if righteousness comes through [observing] the Law, then Christ died needlessly. [His suffering and death would have had no purpose whatsoever.]”
Galatians 2:19-21 AMP
There is freedom in surrendering to who Christ designed us to be. As humans, we often feel like surrendering to anything means that we are giving up control, giving up power, and giving up freedom, but in Christ, we find true freedom when we surrender to His design. A freedom that can only come from the Lord because it is solely dependent on the price He paid for us on the cross. Yet, we allow ourselves to hold back from full surrender because it means that the imperfections and the mess will be uncovered, that our weakest points will be on display-- but what we are not grasping is that the Lord has us come just as we are. Our perspective of who we belong to has to be shifted, the chains of this earthly world must be broken-- as Christian women, we are to show up however He might have us so that He is seen through us. We have to daily remember that He has placed us here on earth for a set amount of time to share who He is, to speak His message, to build His Kingdom, all through the imperfections that we walk with. As a body of believers, our eternal perspective needs to bring us such a hope and peace that we are not battling ourselves to hold on to our own freedom. We are His, society would have us think that can make us weak, belonging to someone-- but it is not just someone who we belong to-- our lives imperfect and all are purposed for His glory. He has called us, purposed us, in such a way that His Kingdom comes, in every single one of our imperfections. The freedom that arrives at our doorstep when we surrender it all to the Lord can feel harder than surrendering to self, but don’t let the enemy deceive you, do not believe that lie he sets up there. God wants us to sacrifice the total feeling of comfort to give us something greater. HIMSELF. When we think what we want and what He wants out of our lives it can often be different purposes, and it means stepping into the unknown so He can show us all of who He is, and all that He is working in our imperfections.
Why do we give space to hesitation in surrender?
We give ourselves a space to hesitate to surrender because we allow the ongoing pressures of the world, the flesh, and the enemy to shape our thoughts, feelings, and actions. We live in conformity to those things--- we cannot be transformed in Christ when conformation is existent. We must surrender to these conformities so that we accept His grace in our lives and rebuke the ideas of perfection and pressure. When we hesitate to surrender it all to the Lord, what He does, in fact, call us to, we are really saying, “ fear, lies, perfection, you are all welcome here,” because we choose fear over faith, lies over truth, perfection over imperfection.
Have you felt consumed with the “rules” and “should do’s” of this world that you found yourself in a place where all you could think of or do is try to keep up with it all? Your wheels have just been spinning in the yes mode, the I can do it all mode, day in and day out until you get to a place where you are so tired because really you are just relying on your strength? Your striving is what you think is thriving, yet deep down you know something is missing? It is easy for us to look at our world, at other women, and mamas, and think, “Oh, that is the way I need to be, or that is what I need to be doing, or that is the way it's supposed to go, so what do I need to do to get there” , completely disregarding the truth that we belong to Christ and He is who ultimately directs and empowers us-- not the world that we live in?
We give space to hesitating to surrender because we accept comparison when we should actually be empowering and equipping the women around us to walk in the grace that the Lord has called each of us too. As Kingdom women, there cannot be a place for hesitation-- we have to be boldly pursuing what it is that will advance the gospel, what will grow His Kingdom. It has to start with a deeply rooted grasp on a fully surrendered life. We leave an open door for our flesh and the enemy to enter when we are not in daily communication with the Lord. Our faith pulls us to center as we ABIDE + SURRENDER to Him. It is so important for us to protect our faith day in and day out— He calls us to have a FIRM grip on our faith, for ourselves and for generations that follow. There is no room for HESITATION when we live surrendered.
In what ways can we find true freedom in surrendering our imperfect purpose?
The freedom that comes when we surrender it all to Christ is the freedom that identifies with Christ, living in Christ who lives within. Surrendering is living on the basis of faith not striving. Embracing our imperfections. We begin to understand that it doesn’t mean we are alone on our journey and that His ways are greater than ours. We think that freedom is the power for us to walk on our own, yet He did not design and create us to walk alone in our lives. The truth is freedom is redemption but that doesn’t mean that we go back or remain in a perfect state because there is only One perfect, Christ.
We find true freedom when we accept that we were made with a purpose to glorify His kingdom which means our lives are not about us and our comfort but about the walls He will tear down for us to walk in the victory he paid for us.
The freedom that comes with surrendering our imperfect purpose, the perfect ways that we thought, or strive for, is the freedom that we live out because we have died to our flesh where we can now grasp the power of His growth, abundance, redemption that He purposed in our lives.
When we seek to surrender to the Lord, he sustains us. When we surrender ourselves to the Lord, we are in fact transformed-- freedom..we are justified through our faith in Him alone. When we trust the Lord, what is true of Him, is true of us. It is about what Jesus has done for us, something we could never do for ourselves. Surrendering is doing it only on the basis of faith.
What does TRUE freedom really look like in contrast to the way we perceive earthly freedom?
True freedom from surrendering our imperfect purpose looks like transformation and trust compared to a lack of power as our world would see it. It looks like He is working to challenge us, to connect us, mature us— it doesn't look like we get to do what we want when we want. It understands that we are not in power of our lives— that there are things that will have consequences due to the fall and sin. We are imperfect for this exact reason, a broken world, a broken people-- but we are redeemed through Christ. It does mean that He is and always will be a good God though because in the end, He will always be glorified but our faith has to remain undoubting.
Something that has really forced me to work very hard to stay far from earthly expectations is being a mama to a special needs child. I feel God in this place every single day, nothing about my pregnancy, my son’s birth, and our journey is one that was a “rule” follower-- it was never about it going according to “plan” because it was all about being Christs to glorify. It is not mine to compare because no matter what it looks like it is a gift. I would be abandoning the Lord if I followed suit with what I thought I should be as a mama to him by comparing-- the wheel would never stop spinning because I would be living for me, my expectations, my desires. Yet, we all have one place we can all dwell in, one Savior to abide in, and surrender to. We get to walk in freedom trusting that we don’t have to keep trying to please the Lord, and certainly not this world. Christ has already shown us how to live, He already enables us to live a life that is free of pressures, guilt-trips, expectations. We have to take the initiative to identify with Christ himself, understand that with His death, our flesh has also died and we are alive and living with our Savior, not with the striving of this world. Our way to thrive with our time on earth is to let ourselves be consumed with only the Lord, and who He is so that we would be imitators of only one, Him. God doesn’t need or care for us to keep trying to keep up, He needs us to lift our hands high, surrendered, trusting Him to have His way with our lives, not for our sake at all, but for His.
“Let us say it again: The Universal Presence is a fact. God is here. The whole universe is alive with His life. And He is no strange or foreign God, but the familiar Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whose love has for these thousands of years enfolded the sinful race of men. And always He is trying to get our attention, to reveal Himself to us, to communicate with us. We have within us the ability to know Him if we will respond to His overtures. (And this we call pursuing God!) We will know Him in increasing degrees as our receptivity becomes more perfect by faith and love and practice.” - A.W. Tozer
the freedom in surrender is found when our imperfect purpose is in fact surrendered
When we surrender to God’s plan for us when we surrender to our imperfections and make room for His perfection we surrender we are brought to a place of rest because we turn over-dependence on the Lord, making way to freedom in our lives. Our world would have us believe that we have to exemplify self-power, self-dependence, but all that eventually does is run us dry. You will do yourself hard if you for one second believe these lies. Ultimately we have to hope in the Lord-- and only in Him, if we want to live a life that is surrendered to Him. Laying down our lives for Him is exactly where He wants us to be, in the imperfect places. He has perfection all figured out, it is not our job, so we can accept that He is who He says He is, He will do what He says He will, and He has already got it all figured out. When we know Christ, who He is fully, everything He has already done for us, we are compelled to surrender to Him, fear holds no ground in our lives.