Faith is a Choice, Not a Feeling, and NOT for the Faint of Heart

The Message Paraphrase of Hebrews 11:1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.

When a comedian that I had interviewed a long time ago for a broadcast (and found to be quite fascinating) recently passed away from cancer, I was surprised to find out that he had become a Christian! At the time of the interview, he was quite jaded about life and had little faith in humanity. This transformation became quite interesting to me and so I started to research his life over the last 10 years. I
learned that he was not only “choosing faith” (as he put it), but he was also living out Christianity to the point that he was unable to hide it when in the company of his famous friends. What a witness!

There were several instances in the last several years when he was either asked about his faith or he found a conversation in progress disturbing due to his faith. And for someone living and working in the entertainment industry to take someone to task about Christianity and stand up for Jesus…well that’s rare indeed. Still, he took them on. More than this, he shared openly and honestly that the reason he needed them to understand where he’s coming from had more to do with their eternal life than his own.

Even though he has passed away and there’s no longer the option to reach out to him and share my excitement about his faith, I know he’s become part of the “cloud of witnesses” who are cheering us on in our race. What’s even more exciting to me is that when my race is through, I may seek him out in the Church Eternal and share my excitement then! I so want to know what it was that changed his mind.

What catalyst caused him to reconsider the jaded opinion he had about humanity?
That’s when it hit me. What caused me to reconsider what I had long believed to be the truth might be for another the catalyst for changing their mind about God’s role in their life and their role in God’s plan!

Each day I wake up and choose to live for Christ. I ask God to put me where He needs me and let me know how I can make a difference today. Some days are unexciting because I live and work in the same space. Other days are quite exciting as I find myself in the grocery store where I happen to walk by a newspaper stack and spot a wallet on the ground. I pick it up and open it to see the photo on the driver’s license and rush to the parking lot to see if anyone fits this description. And lo and behold, there they are, putting groceries in their car. I get the honor of being the one to ask, “excuse me, I think this belongs to you.” And we strike up a conversation. (Based on a true story.)

Few lives are as exciting as a celebrity comedian’s, but every life is precious to the Lord. And your transformation story might be the catalyst that causes another to reconsider long held jaded beliefs. You are your story. I pray you have courage enough to share it.

With hands to the plow,
Pastor Theresa