” ‘The way my righteous one shall live by faith’ is worded is important because of what it implies. In other words, faith ought to be our modus operandi. It should be the way we flow. Faith isn’t a concept to visit but rather a lifestyle to embrace.”- Dr. Tony Evans
“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”- Hebrews 10:38 (NIV)
In Chapter 1 (“Welcome to the Hall of Heroes”) of Kingdom Heroes: Building a Strong Faith That Endures, Dr. Tony Evans observes that today many people live with a profound sense of hopelessness and despair. Because an overriding feeling that life isn’t working and it’s not worth trying anymore pervades society.
During the initial stages of the pandemic, Dr. Evans mourned the loss of his wife, ministry partner, and best friend of 49 year, Lois. And the month before, Dr. Evans’ father died. In addition, the previous months brought the loss of his sister, her husband, Dr. Evans’ brother, and two nieces.
Nothing resembled the normalcy Dr. Evans once knew. Nothing at all. Except God. Dr. Evans explains:
“In the midst of the chaos of constant change, pounding like waves crashing against the breakers to hold their wrath at bay, God’s constancy was calming. And better yet, it remained calming. His power prompted my internal praise. His peace soothed my heart so I could speak comforting truths . . .”
Most significantly, Hebrews 11 –often called the Hall of Faith — introduces us to individuals who thought of throwing in the towel and moving on. The chapter describes how they responded when life got hard.
However, in Chapter 10, the writer of Hebrews tells us what we most need to live as a kingdom hero – endurance. When life gets tough, we need the will to keep going.
But the writer also throws in a caveat. We must ground this endurance in our faith. We need to embrace faith as a lifestyle, not a concept we visit.
Today’s question: What Bible verses help us live faith as our modus operandi? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Kingdom faith – no amorphous concept”
