Crisis Faith
Understanding the Faith We Rely Upon
Hebrews 11
Crisis Response
“Your mother’s prognosis is terminal.” In the wake of those cold words, my world shrank to the countdown of a ticking clock. I felt my only hope, my only option, depended upon rallying enough faith.
“When plunged into needs beyond our capability or control, we may desperately try to conjure up more faith—and, please God, let it be the right kind of faith. ”
Crisis drives us to cry out for the impossible. When plunged into needs beyond our capability or control, we may desperately try to conjure up more faith—and, please God, let it be the right kind of faith. With hearts pounding, we frantically grasp at thin air for a bigger handful of the invisible, hoping for the best.
Devastating life events, insurmountable gaps in resources, irreparable damage to relationships, the abyss of despair—all yearn for the answer of faith. When everything hinges upon the final hope, we need a true understanding of the power of faith to meet our circumstances.
A Definition of Faith
The New Testament book of Hebrews tackles the challenge of explaining biblical faith and how it secures us in the whirlwind. In the first line of Hebrews 11, the author begins with a definition:
“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” (Heb. 11:1 [CSB])
I try to understand this description and, frankly, “proof…not seen,” sounds like an oxymoron. It reminds me of when my grandmother would say, “Well, that’s as clear as mud.” Connecting reality with the invisible spins me into mental circles. But I press on and start breaking it down.
Digging Deeper
I consider that faith and hope are “not seen” in the same way as emotions or virtues. The writer explains that faith, although invisible itself, produces something tangible: reality and proof. We do not see emotions, virtues, or faith, but we observe the results of their presence in the activities they motivate. For example, I do not see my husband’s love, but I observe the results through his actions when he unloads the dishwasher for me, works overtime to provide extra for us, or says, “You’re tired. I’ll pick up dinner.”
We can say that faith manifests (or displays) “what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” How my husband acts provides evidence or proof of his love for me. His love may be invisible, but his behavior is not.
James, the brother of Jesus and early church leader, steps into this same idea when he wrote: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such a faith save him?” (James 2:14) James expects true faith to be seen through actions consistent with life-altering belief.
Expectations of a Secure Hope
“When we reach out in desperation for mountain-moving faith, what exactly can we count on? ”
If faith demonstrates proof of a reality we cannot see, an important question arises. To have an accurate expectation of the work of faith, we need to know: What reality does it prove? When we reach out in desperation for mountain-moving faith, what exactly can we count on? Will faith achieve the reality of healing, financial rescue, finding a spouse, overcoming infertility, or rescue from grief? Any of these may align with the will of God for us in this world…or they may not. God decides. If we call upon faith in our need, what reality of hope supports us?
The overarching message of the Bible provides the answer. The secure hope of all believers, and the reality within which we live, assures that the power of God will finish the work he began. He will accomplish his complete and perfect will for the earth and humanity. Broadly speaking, this means redemption from sin, restoration of righteousness, holy justice, and eternal life. True and biblical faith manifests, or shows, our conviction (our convinced belief) in the fulfilled purposes of God.
Grabbing onto Faith
How, then, does this help us when circumstances crash in upon us? What does relying on the right kind of faith look like? The writer of Hebrews provides an extensive list of examples. Introduced by Hebrews 11:2, the writer says: “For by this our ancestors were approved.” These heroes of faith, when faced with extreme circumstances, acted upon their fundamental beliefs. Noah obeyed God and built an ark on dry land, even when it didn’t make sense. Abraham left the only home he knew, without a map or a plan, to follow God. Sarah conceived a child when it seemed impossible, because she trusted God to be faithful to his promise. The list goes on.
With confident expectation, these men and women reached out to grab onto the power of faith—the reliability of God. When facing the unknown, disappointment, and suffering, they surrendered themselves to the purposes of God, living in expectation of the future promise. They borrowed peace from the fulfillment to come and a taste of joy for strength in their struggle. They persevered beyond their circumstances to stand on the invisible and unseen reality of faith; not easy, but secure.
Faith in the Perfect Plan
God chose not to heal my mother’s cancer or prevent her death. Of course, I asked God to heal her and believed he could. However, in that situation, my faith needed adjustment to align with God’s purposes. My heart had to find rest and rely upon the certainty of his perfect plan that included both of us—to eventually overcome all sorrow and death. Yes, I suffer her loss, but only for a time. And my realigned faith helps me endure, heal from grief, and strengthens me to endure the challenges of life still to come.
We want faith to invoke the reality of our desires. God offers us faith in himself—to meet our deepest needs and accomplish the highest good. Sometimes, the reality of faith may not align with the desires we cry out for in the crisis. But we can have the secure hope that our biblical faith extends beyond the horizon of what we experience now. As a part of the Greater Story, it will carry us forward into more exalted places of fulfillment and even greater good than we can imagine.
Is there a place in your life where your faith needs to be aligned with God’s secure hope?
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