Read: Hebrews 11
In my former career as an Assistant Vice President in Marketing, our team sat down and took some complicated personality surveys to find out what motivated us. Was it money? Rewards? Status?
For me, it was recognition. Public recognition, to be precise. I wanted all the credit that was due me, and I wanted everyone to know how awesome I was. Is it any surprise God wanted to remove that job, and those idols, from my life? Let’s explore the kind of recognition that SHOULD motivate us –the kind that comes from God, for a job well done for His Kingdom.
As we read through the list of men and women in what is commonly referred to as the “Hall of Faith,” we can forget that most of them never received the kind of recognition on earth that we might expect.
We would expect someone on this list today to have hundreds of thousands of social media followers, a book deal, television appearances, and probably an apparel line in Target.
But these men and women are honored for their faith. Their every day, ordinary obedience to God is what set them apart. They made mistakes, their stories weren’t perfectly curated to hide their errors, and yet they were chosen by God and honored Him with their lives –even when it meant, for most of them, never seeing the results of that obedience while they were alive.
Reflection Questions:
- Read through the list of actions associated with the men and women in Hebrews 11 and write down the ones that stand out to you.
- Imagine that your name has been added to the Hall of Faith. How would you write your own “By faith” sentence?