One of the most difficult things to do is deal with difficult or unjust consequences for something you did in obedience to God. I recently saw a Not the Bee post that literally made my blood boil. Two elderly men were assaulted without provocation while standing in front of an abortion clinic. To make matters even more infuriating, the 26 year old who assaulted them didn’t even get any prison time.

Now, I realize that life isn’t fair. We all know that. But it’s so hard when it seems so dramatically unfair. Especially when we are living in obedience to our convictions and calling by the LORD.

The Hill

The other night, we were watching a movie with a similar theme of unfair and difficult circumstances, through no fault of their own. The Hill is an incredible true story about a young man, Ricky Hill, who loved baseball. However, he had spinal injuries from birth that prevented him from living a “normal” life. But that didn’t stop him from achieving incredible feats of athleticism, including playing in the minor leagues for 4 years.

It really is an unbelievable story that seems to be accurate in its portrayal of Ricky Hill. Both the family as well as Ricky Hill himself struggled in incredibly difficult circumstances. They lived in poverty. Ricky couldn’t walk without braces until he was about 10 years old. His father was overprotective, and didn’t want Ricky to hurt himself or have unrealized dreams. So he forbade Ricky from playing baseball when he was young.

But in both of these circumstances, the elderly men in the Not the Bee post, as well as Ricky Hill, amazing faith and courage were on display.

…the kind of faith we need

From the Not the Bee post: “Just ask Richard Schaefer, who testified that regardless of the outcome of the case, he would return to the sidewalk to speak the truth in love and to give voice to the voiceless. That’s the kind of faith we need — humble, unshaken, and obedient to God rather than men…And not because the world approves, but because Christ commands it” (emphasis mine).

How powerful is that? The same can be said about Ricky Hill in the movie, “The Hill.” His sense of calling was amazing. He continued to stay focused despite the set backs, disappointments, surgeries, and naysayers. Hill knew what the LORD had called him to do. And so, he persevered despite the adversity.

Clearly these two examples are very different. But in both cases, the main people involved demonstrated beautiful, unwavering faith. It’s not perfect faith, but beautiful faith nonetheless.

Even though we can not see…

We can’t always see the outcome or the fruit of our faith. I’m reminded how Paul had no idea that his ministry would have the influence and power that it had. For whatever reason, the LORD never allowed him to fully see it. He died alone in Rome, faithfully believing he had done all he could do in his power to live according to the calling Jesus had given him. Paul worked in faith, trusting that as he served the people of the LORD and told others of Christ, that was enough.

Obviously, faithfulness doesn’t always have the advantage of results that are tied up in a neat bow. But although we may not be able to see the results, we can trust God’s promise that He really will work things out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Self-control

So much is out of our control. I tell my kids this all the time, “We can’t control our circumstances, but the one thing we can control is ourselves and our attitude.” We know that the LORD is faithful, but the question is, will we be? Even when we’re being tested and can’t see the outcome? Or worse yet, when the outcome is unfair or unjust?

The LORD never promised us an easy life. I always think of The Heavenly Man and how profound his faith was. I’ve mentioned this several times before, but I’ll never forget how he would pray. Rather than asking God to change his situation, he would ask God to give him a stronger back. Now THAT is faith.

I pray that whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we choose to faithfully persevere. The kind of faith that listens to the Spirit and where He is calling us. Faith that is firm, courageous, and aligned with God’s Word.

Amen?