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, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.
Hebrews 11:13
Someone once wrote that we live in the age of success. We love a winner and wonder what’s wrong with losers. Whenever a sporting event ends, everyone runs to congratulate and interview the winner while the losers sort of slide off into the sunset all alone.
Think about the end of the Super Bowl, World Series, or major golf tournament. Members of the press swarm all over the winners who are cheering, jumping up and down with joy. But where are the losers? They’re nowhere to be found. They’ve just faded into the background while the winners are the center of attention.
When it comes to spiritual things and people, the same is true. We join in the crowd jumping up and down whenever a prayer is answered. A disease is healed. Money comes in at the last minute. A wayward family member comes home. It’s a great time of celebration.
But what about the people who quietly live out their lives without that miracle? Their diseased bodies just seem to keep getting worse and worse. Test results don’t show improvement. As a matter of fact, the numbers just slide downhill. Or the size of their debt grows and grows.
It’s tempting to think that they lived unsuccessful lives. We want to ask, “What did they do wrong? How come they didn’t realize their mistakes and ask for forgiveness? Why did they deserve to lose? How can I avoid their mistakes?”
As the writer of this letter looks back, he doesn’t condemn them. He doesn’t jump up and down on them and their reputations. As a matter of fact, he does just the opposite. He lifts them up. He points to them and their faithfulness.
He’s telling the Hebrews and us that these people are to be our models for living a faithful life before God and a watching world. He’s saying that it’s not all about getting the answer we want but accepting God’s answer. God’s provision. God’s timing.
These godly men and women, these champions of faith, died in faith. Let that sink in for a minute. Even though they never received the thing they were looking for, their faith still directed them. Gave them strength. Pointed them in the way to live for God. Energized them in their connections with people.
You see, receiving isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There’s something more important than getting. God seeing us is where it’s at. It’s not about putting stuff in our pockets or bank accounts. Our accepting God’s love and relationship is the most important thing in life. Seeing God’s plan and timing is much more important than the actual getting.
Why else would Jesus warn people to do things pleasing to God in secret? If we have an audience here on earth, then we’ve already received our reward. But if we obey God in secret, then God promises to reward us in eternity[1].
And there’s another promise from God. That is if you want to call it a promise. When we live like this, we’re going to be foreigners and strangers on earth. People are going to look at us and scratch their heads. We’re not going to be all that popular. When people see how differently we live, they’re going to pull away from us. We’re going to be called names and have few friends.
It seems that most of the spiritual advice floating around the world today is all focused on success. Having a successful life. Being spiritually successful. Having a fill and blessed life that has no pain or problems.
But this isn’t what the writer is telling the Hebrews who are going through persecution. And this isn’t what God’s telling you and me either. The promise of Jesus is that his followers are going to have trouble in this world[2]. The world first hated Jesus and it’s going to rub off on his followers. They are going to also hate Christians[3].
And if this were the end of the story, then there’s no reason to hang on. But when people hate Jesus and his followers, they’re also hating on God the Father[4]. The Lord God of the universe will protect them as he protected Jesus[5].
These people listed in Hebrews 11 didn’t all win the race. They didn’t all conquer enemies and climb mountains through faith. You know what they did by faith? They lived through it. Day after day, they chose to live life through the eyes of faith.
Now, some people would call this an unsuccessful faith. After all, not all their prayers were immediately answered. But they lived out their lives knowing that God was watching and that, in the end, he’d make everything right. That they’d hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant![6]. And there’s nothing unsuccessful about that.
Noodling Questions
· How has success, or the lack of it, changed your life?
· Why is doing them in secret the key? Why is it so powerful?
· What’s the danger of only looking for immediate results and answers to prayer?
[1] Matthew 6:1
[2] John 16:33
[3] John 15:18
[4] John 15:23
[5] John 17:11
[6] Matthew 25:23
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