Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Romans 4:3

When Jonas lost his job, he tried everything to replace that income and avoid moving his wife and family from the community that they loved. But he also prayed, “God, if you are pointing elsewhere, let me be open to it.” Three months later, the family found themselves driving across the country to a new city, 2600 miles away.

It’s scary to make big decisions by faith rather than conviction. Conviction is the assurance that you are doing the right thing, whereas faith is agreeing to try something with an uncertain outcome. Sometimes we talk about faith as if it’s the obvious right choice, but usually we have to fight the reality that choosing faith feels reckless.

The people who know us best often challenge us when we live by faith. When God called Abraham to leave his homeland, his neighbors thought he was being reckless. Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go…obeyed; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Abraham’s neighbors probably asked him, “Where are you going? How will you take care of your family?” He would have had to answer, “I don’t know.”

Faith isn’t a perfectly drawn map. Faith is willingness to follow God without a map. Choosing faith is not usually the obvious “good choice” in response to a stark ultimatum. Instead, it is the practice of saying “yes” to God when you don’t understand exactly what He might be asking of you.

 

Resource reading: Romans 4:18-25