The Grit - #1

It's Okay to Wander in Life

The Word

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.¹

Hebrews 11:8-10 (NLT)

The Thought

What does it mean that Abraham went without knowing where he was going?

That can’t mean he literally set out on a journey with all of his belongings and even his family and people who worked for him, can it? Who would do such a thing? I mean, God does not call us to do things so unorthodox and haphazard as that, does he?

What about having a life plan, and a financial advisor, and a retirement account. Success in life is all about sticking to the plan, you know, so we can retire and live the good life—whatever that means. Right?

Ask yourself this question: Before the late 19th and 20th centuries, before “industry” took over the world and the assembly line annihilated craftsmanship and our agrarian society, what kind of plans did people have for their future?

Ask yourself this question, too—if you have time, I mean: Have we, as Christians, bought into a modern lie that tells us to follow its rules for living life?

I’m not saying we should forget about our futures. But I am suggesting that, perhaps, we consider what a life of faith looks like.

“Eh, but Tim,” you say, “Aren’t you going a bit too far. Perhaps this passage is metaphorical. Perhaps it’s teaching us something spiritual, not physical.”

“Ah yes,” I reply, “I do see how it can be quite easy to spiritualize Abraham’s life of living in tents. But I think Abraham’s life here teaches us what a life lived by faith looks like, and it also gives us spiritual clues as well.”

I texted my father about this passage to get his take on it. Here’s how he replied:²

Dad: My impression of Abraham was, he was a man of faith before God called him, and he was obedient to the voice of God when God spoke to him. So in the course of everyday life, whatever he was doing or wherever he was going, he was listening to the voice of God and obedient in faith whenever God spoke to him.

In his profession, as a shepherd, yes he was a wanderer, and yes, as he followed God he was looking for a city that had foundations, so in that sense, he was also a wanderer spiritually. So yes you could say he was both a wanderer physically and spiritually.

Me: Gotcha. So how do you apply this to life?

Dad: Just like Abraham, by faith I believe in Christ, by faith I trust his Word, and by faith, I follow where he leads me. (Heb. 11:1,6)

And just like those great men and women of faith in chapter 11, I throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles (Heb. 12:1-3) and I run the race with perseverance; the race of faith and obedience, “the race marked out for us”, while always keeping my eyes on Jesus, and listening to His Spirit speaking to me thru His Word and His still small voice within.

But, if I’m not daily filled, controlled by the Spirit (Eph. 5:18) and being led by the Spirit and walking in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-22), then I probably won’t hear that still small voice very often. 😯

That’s the amazing “beauty” of God’s plan: His Holy Spirit living in us, enabling us to live as He desires, a Holy people for His name.

Me: I love this, Dad. Thank you.

Dad: 👍😉

The Grit

There’s no drop-down menu in life. And life isn’t lived according to a prefabricated algorithm that tells you what to do or when to do it.

The Christian life is lived by the Spirit. And, like Abraham, the Spirit might whisper to you, “Hey, I want you to live in some tents for the time being.”

I started The Daily Grit in January as a short column to encourage readers in their daily journey of life. Now, I’m enfolding it into my newsletter because I want to explore how to navigate life with you. I want to explore core topics like vocation and calling and why they can be so confusing, especially for young people. I want to talk about the beauty and value of work. I want to talk think with you about developing a creative path to life.

We are sold a bill of goods in our culture that tells all of us to hedge our bets. Don’t take risks. Don’t go back to school in your thirties and forties. Don’t take the path less travelled—it might hurt you.

I believe God intended us, his children, to live an adventurous life with him. And I believe when we listen to that still small voice within us when we walk daily with God, that he doesn’t speak to us in formulas or self-help mantras. He speaks to us with the wildness of his heart.

Are you ready to discover the wildness of God’s heart?

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I’m assembling a band of rabble-rousers; beauty chasers and wilderness pioneers who do not accept the status quo. These are the ones who believe in this newsletter and can’t wait to support it with their resources.

If you’re ready to go to Paid Subscriber status, have at it. I’m putting together a little bonus for the rabble-rousers. I think you’ll like it. I hope you’ll join me in fending off the darkness by shining so brightly the world needs sunglasses. Right now, you can go all-in with our deepest discount ever. Click the blue-button to get it.

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Let’s Talk About Beauty & Culture

Are you a beauty chaser? What is the Beauty Chaser Community?

I’m offering a two-part workshop on “Beauty & Culture” this month through a new online community I’ve created. Registration ends tomorrow at midnight and the first “Beauty chat” is this Thursday at noon!

We’ll discuss topics like the one here with social media and the value of our cultural education.

Beauty directs our attention and our affections to God. When we as the Church bring beauty back as the jewel of our theology, our faith expressions and cultural engagement change.

I hope you’ll join me for these workshops! I’ll be offering practical tools and live streams on a monthly basis.

Notes

1. I love using the NLT. This surprises some people. It’s closer to a paraphrase than a true translation. But that’s okay. The heart behind the NLT paraphrase was to make the Bible sound good to the ear. The Bible was meant to be read out loud. And I find the NLT perfect for this. I have other more “academic” or “accurate” translations. But for personal study, I love to read aloud from the NLT.

2. My dad has been telling me this same thing for years. Whenever I would ask him about a decision I had to make in life, he’d ask me, “Well, what is the Lord telling you to do?” That’s what’s missing in our fabricated self-help world. Do we listen to the Holy Spirit? Do we follow what the Holy Spirit says? Or, have we removed ourselves so much from spiritual realities, we cannot discern the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives.