March 2018

When they enter their sport’s professional ranks, rookie athletes have two main goals. One is to win a championship (at least one!) and the other is to get elected into the hall of fame. (There’s a third goal I shouldn’t overlook: make a fortune!)

The big four sports in North America–baseball, basketball, football, and hockey–are team sports. If you’re going to win a championship in one of these, you have to have help from your teammates. You can’t do it alone.

Getting into the hall of fame? While your teammates can help, there’s only so much they can do. Election to the hall depends on individual performance over a long career. Put up big numbers, make several all-star games, avoid injuries, and you have a shot at joining the ranks of the elite in your sport.

You can interpret the 11th chapter of Hebrews as the Faith Hall of Fame. In this passage of Scripture, God singles out those who demonstrated exemplary faith in His Word. Like spiritual athletes, these people excelled in the challenges of life putting their trust in God regardless of the cost. The Lord treasured them as role models and He rewarded them.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6

The list of honorees begins with Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve.

“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.” – Hebrews 11:4

Three times in this verse God emphasizes the faith of this man, the first entrant into the Faith Hall of Fame. Abel paid the ultimate price for his loyalty to God (his brother Cain killed him), and for that, he deserves the accolades.

The writer of Hebrews highlights the faith-filled deeds of other heroes, including Noah, Abraham, and Moses. He concludes with references to the latest inductees.

“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets.” – Hebrews 11:32

But the funny thing is that nowhere does the Old Testament mention the faith of any of these champions. The only exception is the patriarch Abraham.

“Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” – Genesis 15:6

If the Bible doesn’t discuss the faith of these heroes, how do we know that they possessed any? What telegraphed their trust in God that inspired, motivated, and energized them?

The absence of references doesn’t mean that these Old Testament saints lacked faith. Rather, it indicates that faith is seen in what they did in response to tests and circumstances.

How much faith do you need to please God? Less than you might think!

“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ ⁶He replied, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it will obey you.’” – Luke 17:5-6

(Side note–I wouldn’t use my faith in God to pitch a mulberry tree into the ocean. Some friends of mine had a mulberry tree in their yard and they gave me a container filled with its fruit. Boy did it taste good! I love mulberries too much to throw them away!)

According to Jesus, the amount of faith you have is not the prime issue. Rather, acting on what you know is what counts. Confront your problem, speak to the circumstances!

But do it with the right attitude.

“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? ⁸Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? ⁹Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? ¹⁰So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” – Luke 17:7-10

Athletes rightly celebrate their victories, particularly in the playoffs and the finals. They’ve earned the festivities and feel-good emotions. But what distinguishes the greatest is their sense of focus. Luck may play a role in competition, but nothing takes the place of preparation and hard work. The most successful athletes outwork and outhustle everyone else because that’s the surest way to win.

And in team sports, your compadres are depending on you. You work hard because it’s your duty. You owe it to yourself, your teammates, the fans, and the coaches and owners of the team.

Do you view the exercise of your faith as a duty?

It is, but it’s not drudgery.

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” – Romans 12:3-8

Serving Jesus with your faith is the most challenging team sport you’ll ever play. Give it your all! As you do, God will bless your works and honor your efforts. He has a spot for you in the Faith Hall of Fame!