What faith looks like

Years ago I spoke with a missionary whose fundraising wasn't going very well. Keeping Proverbs 18:2 and 18:13 in mind, I asked questions to try to understand her situation. In doing so, it sounded like she had a lot of the basics down and had a winsome personality to boot. So at first I was having a hard time identifying what might be the source of her trouble.

Then I asked about how she planned fundraising trips (since her support team was spread out over many states.) She said, "Oh, I don’t plan support trips, really. I just do it all by faith. I ask God where I should go and then I show up and see what He does."

That surprised me a bit and I wrestled through that idea for many weeks afterward. What she called faith some might call foolishness. Yet the Scriptures also say:

God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29 ESV)

So which is it? Did my friend have great faith or was she missing something?

My first conclusion is that I don't know. There are many times when I've been certain that someone was acting out of fear instead of faith when it actually turned out to be quite different than I'd thought. So I try to be much slower to make that judgment now.

However, I was helped greatly in my thinking on this point when I noticed a seemingly small detail in one of my favorite Scripture passages:

And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!" . . . Then [David] took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:37,40 ESV)

David, the faithful hero-shepherd who had a heart after God's own and from whose line the Christ would come, picked up five stones. Why did he do that?

I have heard it said that it was because of Goliath's relatives (mentioned in 2 Samuel 21.19-22). This theory says that David expected retribution from those relatives should he defeat Goliath and thus he came prepared with extra ammo. That's a reasonable explanation, though it is noteworthy that the author of 1 Samuel 17 doesn't mention these relatives at all in that passage.

A better reason for having five stones, I think, is simply that David expected that he might need them. There can be no doubt that David expected the Lord to win the battle (1 Sam 17:46), but he did not necessarily expect that it would be easy. He was already working from Plan B, since Plan A involved wearing Saul's armor that hadn't fit well. Those extra rocks were most likely Plan C.

We can thus learn a few things about faith from this passage:

• Faith doesn't assume you get it all right the first time. Rather, it hopes in Someone who does. "Your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt 5:48)
• Faith doesn't assume that things will be easy. Rather, it trusts in a yoke that is. (Mt 11:30)
• Faith doesn't assume that you will be victorious. Rather, it looks to Him who is (Rev 19:11-21; cf. 1 Sam 17:44,46)

I might therefore conclude that perhaps my friend does have great faith - indeed, greater than mine - yet Biblical faith is an informed faith and a faith that calls us to action. If I were to speak with her again, I'd commend her trust in the Lord but still suggest that she set aside more time for planning.

I suggest the same thing for you and I!

God has already planned it

When Adam and Eve brought onto themselves the curses of sin at Eden, God had already planned that the woman's seed would crush the head of the serpent. (Genesis 3:15)

When Joseph's brothers delivered him into slavery in Egypt, God had already planned that he would save countless lives through the great famine. (Genesis 50:20)

When Israel found themselves trapped by the Egyptians with their back to the Red Sea, God had already planned a miracle He'd refer back to all throughout the Bible. (Exodus 14:13)

When Saul disqualified himself from kingship at Gilgal, God had already planned to anoint a greater king after His own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14)

When Naomi was left without a husband or sons, God had already planned that the Messiah would come through her family. (Ruth 4:17)

When Lazarus grew ill and died, God had already planned that His disciples would believe in Him as a result. (John 11:14)

When Jesus was taken prisoner and sentenced to crucifixion, God had already planned to bring about the salvation of mankind. (Acts 2:23)

When Jesus departed this world and left His frightened disciples behind, He had already planned that the gospel would penetrate to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

When a murderer was on his way to claim the life of more Christians, God had already planned to bring salvation to the Gentiles through him. (Acts 9:15)

When you were still in the grasp of the devil, God had already planned good works for you to accomplish. (Ephesians 2:10)

When all the armies of the earth gather together to finally destroy Christianity, God has already planned to demonstrate His sovereignty with absolute victory. (Revelation 20:9)

Perhaps you are feeling like your fundraising (or life!) isn't going according to your plan right now. If so, don't worry...

God has already planned something glorious to come from it.

Fundraising in light of Christ's return

Jesus sent you on a mission.

And Jesus came and said to [His disciples], "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

Your mission is to make disciples of all nations. To accomplish your mission, you do fundraising. Fundraising is part of the mission, but fundraising doesn't become the mission.

Jesus Himself is on that same mission. So while Jesus is very much interested in your fundraising, He's far more interested in completing the mission. His wedding is at stake, after all! (Revelation 19:6-9)

That means that Jesus will return during someone's fundraising - likely many someones. They will be raising funds because Jesus sent them on a mission. But one day, while they're in the midst of raising funds, when they least expect it, He will return. The mission will be over. Their fundraising will be over - even if they never completed it.

Maybe you're one of them.

Let that give you perspective: it won't matter on that Day whether you've raised 9% or 99% of your support. It won't matter if you've been raising support for two months or two years. What will matter is how faithful you have been with the time you've been given. And more than that: since none of us has been as faithful as we ought to have been, what will really matter is the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let that grace refresh you and challenge you as you await the end of your mission.

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20 ESV)