The Eyes of Faith

The Faith Hall of Fame

Today we continue with the faith hall of fame. Hebrews 11:29–12:2 (NIV) lists the great men and women of faith who by faith accomplished so much in their lifetimes.

• By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land.
  
• By faith the walls of Jericho fell.

• By faith Rahab helped a nation and saved her household.
  

The list continues: Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah. David and Samuel and the prophets—who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength, and who became powerful in battle.

And yet, the author of Hebrews reminds us that what was accomplished by faith was not done in peak conditions. Some were tortured. Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground.

Faith, Not Perfection

So, why knowing what was at stake, why would God choose people who often got it wrong? 

The greats listed in this hall of fame were regular smegular-highly flawed people. Some were individuals we might not have chosen for leadership or even friendship.

• Rahab was a sex worker.
  
• Gideon would not move forward without testing God.
  
• Samson was a fool for Delilah.
  
• Samuel grieved Saul so long that God finally asked him, “How long will you mourn for Saul? Move forward.”
  
• And David—well, we could spend all day talking about his long list of transgressions.
  

Yet God used them. Why? Because faith is about purpose, not perfection.

We can miss our purpose when we chase perfection. We can give up on people too soon because we zero in on their mistakes. We can fail to move forward in our call because we are waiting for a level of worthiness that is unrealistic “for such a time as this.”

The Trap of Achievement Stacking

Instead of moving forward by faith, we often move forward only if:

• if we are praised,
  
• if we are applauded,
  
• if we receive medals and badges.
  

But then it is no longer about the mission—it is about recognition. It is not about the call—it is about the medals. It is not about faith in God—it is about stacking degrees, diplomas, networks, and titles.

Yes, the Bible says, “Study to show thyself approved.” But nowhere does it say that we cannot move forward by faith while pursuing training. The point is not the degree—the point is the work. Faith and work go hand in hand.

Success Through the Eyes of Faith

Without the eyes of faith, success looks like accumulation. It looks like “he who has the most toys wins.” The world says success belongs to the wealthy, to the one who retires with millions, to those with the biggest boats or the most property.

But the eyes of faith tell us something different: anyone in God has the ability to make a great impact for good in the world.

Faith reminds us:

• perfection is not the point of our high calling in Christ,
  
• perseverance is,
  
• justice is,
  
• kindness is.
  

Faith reminds us to promote second chances and to embrace new possibilities. Faith is unpredictable. The earth may shake beneath us, but faith keeps us balanced.

Education, Entrepreneurship, and Critical Thinking

Achievement stacking provides a false sense of security. Many say higher education has lost its value—pointing to graduates who cannot find jobs. But is that the only point of education?

Education was once about critical thinking—about asking questions and handling life’s ambiguities. It was about sharpening the mind, not memorizing formulas.

Entrepreneurs seem to embody this spirit of learning. They look at the landscape and forge new paths. Many are educated, but they apply faith and critical thinking to adapt when the ground shakes beneath them.

The Squiggly Line of Life

Life is not a straight line. Perhaps we should use a squiggly line to represent the time between birth and death—one that symbolizes the hills, valleys, rerouting, and trembling of life.

Because life is squiggly, success is not always ascent or accumulation. Sometimes, success is descent—shedding people, places, or things.

Through the eyes of faith, we understand that the soul matters more than the role. God cares about our souls, not our roles.

Your titles, hats, and tasks are performance-based. But your soul—your being—is eternal. Without faith, we risk leaning so far into the role that we lose ourselves. And when the role ends—retirement, empty nest, widowhood—our minds swirl because our anchor was in the role, not the soul.

Faith steadies us through the shedding, downsizing, and descent of life’s squiggly line. Sometimes the victory is in the letting go … in the descent.

The Blue Whale and the Cross

It is said the largest creature ever to live—the blue whale—senses when it is about to take its final breath. At the end of life, it descends thousands of kilometers to the sea floor. One might think this is the end of the story. But it is the beginning of a different chapter ….transformation of the whale and the sea.

Sharks, fish, and even bacteria are nourished for years from its remains. The whale’s descent sustains life.

One of our faith hall of farmers, Gideon overcame a greater army with God reducing the number of soldiers to just 300.  God showed Gideon and we today that sometimes scaling down is actually leveling up!

So it was with Jesus. When He died on the cross, many thought the story had ended. But His death was a transformation. Even the cross itself was transformed—once a symbol of fear and death, now a symbol of hope and salvation.

The Apostles’ Creed reminds us: during those three days, Christ descended into hell. He unlocked the gates of death and released the saints of old. In Christ’s descent and in His shed blood, we have victory.