[faith for more than me]

Whoops guess who got caught up in life and forgot about this. Guilty as charged.

But God has been soaking something into my heart lately that I wanted to share. It's about faith. We've been studying Hebrews 11 (the "by-faith" chapter) the last month or so in my small group, and the other night as we wrapped it up, God showed me that the faith of the people listed was not just about them.

I mean, sure Abraham was given faith that enabled him to drop everything he owned, everything he knew, everything secure, and go "to the land I (God) will show you." Sounds nuts even today, and we live in the information-overload-I-can-learn-it-all-online-thanks-internet world.

And sure David was given faith and courage for many things. Same with all the other heroes listed in the chapter. Their assignments weren't easy. Their victories? Irrational. Their instructions, almost humorous if you think about receiving them in today's context:

"Take out the largest giant you've ever seen with a marshmallow shooter David."  Love, God.

"Build a boat that's 100 feet longer than an American football field and half the width. Fyi: you can't hide this in your garage or tool shed Noah."      Love, God.

"Rebuke everyone around you for their sin against Me Jeremiah. Let them know My wrath is coming, and it's going to be bad. You probably won't need a cell phone, Facebook or Gmail after this because you won't have many if any friends, but don't worry!"     Love, God.

Uh thank you? We read their stories in hindsight and assume we'd be able to say yes, but put them in today's context, and I'm guessing most of us would run the other way. I'd probably laugh first, then run. Like Jonah. Don't. Pick. Me.

But God did pick them. God did use them. And what He showed me last week was that their faith was not just about them. Sure He gave them faith and power to believe and do hard, impossible things, but that wasn't the end of His work. God gave them faith to carry out what He called them to do, yes. But He also used their faith to work through them to others and for His glory.

Take Moses and the Red Sea. Israel has just been divinely delivered from slavery in Egypt. They're on their way to the promised land when Pharaoh changes his mind and sends his troops after them. Ahead is the Red Sea. Behind are the Egyptian forces.

God's response? Raise your staff Moses. The waters will part, and you'll walk through.

God's promise? "I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD."   [Exodus 14:4]

The result? The Egyptians follow them into the Red Sea and are swallowed by the waters after Israel reaches the other side safely.

The purpose beyond just Moses' and Israel's faith? The fulfillment of exactly what God had promised about gaining glory for Himself. Check out the prostitute Rahab's testimony decades later: "We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt . . . When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below."   [Joshua 2:10-11]

God's sole aim wasn't their freedom from Egypt and miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. It wasn't only about their own faith and trust in Him at the time. Through their freedom, through their faith, He made Himself known as God, the only God, and gained glory and worship that is still being read about and learned today.

So if God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, then I have to ask myself what His aim of my faith is. Sure, I wish I trusted Him more, remembered to pray instead of worry so much, had more patience and less pride - the list goes on because I'd like more faith for me. But if me, myself and I am the end of the faith I desire, then I think I'll miss out on what God wants to do. And I think you will too.

Can it be true that God desires to use our faith for much greater things than just our own peace, joy, comfort, salvation and faith? Can we dare to look beyond ourselves in our self-absorbed world that's all about my pleasure, my pain, my comfort, my dreams, my money, my wants, my needs, my space, my have-to-haves? Can we dare to believe that God is capable of using our faith not just for our faith's sake?

I think so. I really do. Simply because that's who He is. Simply because I believe we are not the end of anything we are given whether it's money, relationships, time, talents, gifts, even trials and struggles. And I'm learning the same goes for faith.