Faith is Risky Business

First of all, I apologize for the cheesy and dated cultural reference.  Thhink of it as "historical" instead. 

Faith is often misunderstood. Some see faith as believing in a thing when there is no evidence to support it. But this is just silly. To have faith is to trust something to be true. The amount of evidence one has, or the way one feels about that evidence is only of minor significance. It is the decision to trust the evidence (not proof) no matter how much or how little there is, and no matter how one feels about it at the moment.

There are days when I am overwhelmed by what I consider an endless amount of evidence for the reality of God and the truth of Good News. If I am honest, there are other days when my mind is more occupied with questions and even some doubts about things I believe. But my faith does not change. I may be quite convinced by the evidence, or I may feel somewhat uncertain. In either case, my faith remains.  What I trust to be true is still what I trust, no matter how I feel about it at the moment. This is why one who met Jesus said to him, "I do believe. Help my unbelief."

So from a human perspective, because we do not always feel 100% certain about that in which our trust is placed, it feels like there is an element of risk to believing God, but especially when it comes to hearing from and following God's call on one's life. It is one thing to trust what the Scriptures say. It is quite another to trust in what we think we have discerned from those Scriptures and then act on it. It feels risky. It feels very risky. But we are no different than those of faith/risk who have gone before us.

Consider Hebrews 11 and the roll call of faith if the word "risk" were substituted when the word "faith" is used.

Hebrews 11:4 By RISK Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, ... and through RISK, though he is dead, he still speaks. 5 By RISK Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; ... 6 And without RISK it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. 7 By RISK Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, In reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to RISK.

 8 By RISK Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By RISK he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; ... 11 By RISK even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. 

It still works. There is an element of risk to trusting God. Sometimes that trust is rewarded in this life and sometimes not. But only people who risk, ever do anything great for God. No one ever lived a life of adventure and beauty and wonder and awe by playing it safe. Without faith it is impossible to please God, Hebrews 11 also says. And without risk, there is no faith.

May you come to understand that trusting God means taking risks. May the risks you take be propelled by the call of Scripture to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. May the Holy Spirit fill you with the grace you need to step out in courage. And may the journey you go one as a result be the adventure of a lifetime!

When Selflessness Becomes Very Selfish

Everybody wants to be well thought of.  But that's selfish, right?  And to be well thought of, it's better to be selfless.  For a species well acquainted with simultaneously embracing opposing values, this apparent contradiction is no problem.  At least it's not for me.

Here's how it might go.  I want my wife to think well of me, and she wants to think well of me.  So we are on the right track.  But, in order to think well of me, I need to do things that show her I value what is important to her.  I need to do something that shows I am acting in her interest. 

That's fine, but here is where the trouble starts.  I am happy to act in her interest, if it serves one of my own values, but not if it doesn't.  Let's say that my wife wants me to keep the financial books and pay the bills in order for her to feel safe and have peace of mind.  But let's also say that I have always lived without much thought of finances.  I pay the bills before anything gets shut off and if I am ten days from another paycheck and run out of money, I just don't do anything or eat very much.  It is more important to me to not think about money and deal with the fallout than to discipline myself to keep up with the books. So out of necessity, my wife takes over the books.

On the other hand, let's say my wife doesn't care if the car is clean at all.  It can smell like six month old chicken nuggets and she would not even notice.  But a clean car matters to me.  So when I act "selflessly" on behalf of my wife, guess what I do?  I clean the car and happily surrender the finances to her.  And if she says I am irresponsible and don't care about her, I just point to that clean car or the gate that I fixed or the carpet I shampooed or the tile I re-grouted.  Can't she see how selfless I have been?  Never mind that what she values is help with finances, helping kids with homework or making dinner once in a while.  That's irrelevant.  I keep doing and doing and all she does is notice what I do not do?!  How ungrateful! 

Not really.  The truth is, I do what I do because it's what I value.  I leave undone what I do because it is not what I value.  I am willing to act selflessly and to serve my wife all day long, as long as it serves what I value, and even if it only serves what I value.

But selflessness serves the other, regardless of one's own concerns.  Selflessness serves her because it is important to her, even if it is important only to her.  I am really good at being selfishly selfless.  My guess is that I am not alone.

May God give you a heart that sees others as he sees them, and create in you a desire to serve in a truly selfless way.  May you find value in the serving, regardless of the form that service takes.  And may you take joy in knowing that as you serve, you are never more like the one you follow than you are in that moment.  Grace and peace.

PS.  Any resemblance of the characters in this post to actual husbands living in my house is purely coincidental, no matter what my wife says.

No Experience Required

Matthew 14:15 When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said to them,“They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!” 17 They *said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18 And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, 20 and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets.

Do you ever feel inadequate or ill-equipped to do a job.  I feel that way perpetually.  Every time I attempt to do something of any significance, I am shocked and overjoyed when it turns out positively.  Maybe I should not be.  Maybe you should not either.  Maybe we should expect positive results, not because of our of gifts and talents, but because of the one who gave them to us in the first place.

In the story above from Matthew, over 5000 people are fed from 5 loaves and 2 fish.  This miracle no doubt created quite a buzz.  While Jesus was the one who blessed the food and broke the loaves, notice who it was that collected the few loaves and fish in the first place.  And notice who it was that distributed the food to the crowd.  It was the disciples.  

They did their part.  Jesus did his part.  And over 5000 people were fed and blessed.  Did the disciples need any more resources than they had brought with them?  Did they need more knowledge of Scripture?  Did they need to know how to pray better prayers or get their lives straightened out first or kick a habit or get some training or add anything to their skill sets?  No!  They had all they needed already with them if they were willing to give what they had to Jesus.  No previous experience required!  

May you realize that you already possess all you need to do great things.  May you surrender what you have to the grace of God in Christ Jesus.  May you come to know first hand, the joy of seeing God take what you perceive as inadequate, and making it powerful enough to do miracles. May you understand that there is nothing holding you back, and that as you respond to Christ's call, you are already more than able.  

A Disingenuous Kind Of Authenticity

I used to be on a swim team, but I was only an average swimmer. My kicks were weak. My hips sank too much. I wandered side to side in my lane. But that's who I was. I practiced some, but not too much. I did not want to be something I was not. I wanted to be authentic. No one likes a poser. Instead, I used to brag about how average I was and how you would never catch me trying to be better- trying to be something I'm not. 

I used to play on the golf team, but I never got to compete in a tournament. I enjoyed playing, but not practicing. I felt like practice was trying to be a better golfer than I really was. I never moved from the white to the pro tees, because I did not want to be inauthentic. No one likes a wanna be. I needed to be true to who I was. So I would brag about how mediocre I was and how you would never catch me trying to be better- trying to be something I'm not. 

I am a father and husband. I have a lot of faults. Occasionally I go to the park and play with my kids, but mostly I watch ESPN in my recliner. I take my wife to dinner on her birthday and on Valentine's Day, but that's about all the attention I am willing to give. I know I should aspire to more, but it would be hypocrisy to pretend to be something I am not. No one likes a hypocrite. Instead, I enjoy talking about about how flawed, yet authentic I am and how you will never catch me trying to be better- trying to be something I'm not. 

I am a Christian. I am not all that holy. In fact, I am more than a little rough around the edges. But I like that. I freely admit to using profanity, getting a little drunk, mocking other Christians who aspire to more, and placing myself in the seat of judgment over the church, but I'm just being authentic. Trying to develop a pure heart and mind is just useless and all about ego. What I do like to do is brag about how authentic I am and how you would never catch me trying to be more - trying to be holy - trying to be something I'm not. 


[Back to reality]


The sad thing is, all of the above attitudes and related actions have been in me at one time or another. And I am still capable of going there again, although the profanity and drunkenness things are now uninteresting to me. But I dare not get cocky. Grace is needed every day. Give me this day, my daily bread. 

May your authenticity be accompanied by the courage to strive, in humility, for more. May you find the wisdom to pursue holiness and the kind of life-giving authenticity that comes with it. May your life be a grace-empowered movement away from the banality of perpetual mediocrity, into an authentic adventure in growth leading to joy. May you dive deep, below the surface where you can only float and drift, into the living waters where you can flow with the current of God's grace to a new kind of life-giving authenticity.

Playing Buford

Buford was my Dad.  Buford Herman Hitt.  He passed away the day after Labor Day in 2005.  This pic is from the mid-80's.  We all knew the end was coming for Dad. He had endured a seven year struggle with Alzheimer's.  Even so, when the time came, I was just floored by how much I missed him. 

Of course I missed his smile and laugh, the sound of his voice and the free flowing hugs he gave every time he would see me again.  I missed the way he played and interacted with his grandkids and the advice he gave to me every time I asked, and a few times when I did not.  But most of all, and this one surprised me a bit, I missed having him as an encourager and dispenser of some timely, much needed attaboys. 

I missed having someone I could tell about my dreams or plans or even things I was in the middle of doing, and know that the one across from me was a perfectly safe person to tell.  He might ask me some thoughtful questions, but he was never going to shoot me down.  Most often, he would say, "Are you having fun?  Do you feel like this is the right way to go?"  And if my answer was "yes," he would smile and say, "I'm happy for you and support you 100%."    If my answer was, "I'm not real sure," and it often was, he would patiently and graciously talk me through some appropriate thoughts and considerations.

When I was an early teenager, I remember thinking my father was not as bright as I had thought in elementary school.  As a middle teen, I thought he was downright ignorant.  We played golf together a lot and he would try to offer fatherly counsel in between shots on the golf course as we rode in the cart or stood in the fairway waiting for the group ahead to clear the green.  It was so lame. But then as a late teen, I began thinking might not be dumb after all.  He might just be unenlightened - blinded by the values of a previous generation.

So imagine my shock when I got to be about 23 and realized he was almost just as smart as I was.  He could actually keep up in conversation and occasionally offer a perspective I had not considered.  Then I got older and wiser and Dad could still keep up.  Amazing!  Who knew that at his advanced age he could get smarter too.  I must have been rubbing off on him. 

Then the day came when I finally realized, Dad had been smarter than me all the time.  And for the next twenty years, I regretted not having taken more full advantage of his counsel for the first twenty-five.  But that's the way a lot of kids are.  

After I finally woke up, the value I was able to receive from Buford was the way he encouraged and supported me especially when I was so unsure, so fearful, so insecure, and mostly really wrong about so many things.  He let me find my way.  He guided when he could.  He always encouraged and always loved unconditionally.  When I was irrational, he was a rock of steadiness.  And I miss that so, so, so much. 

But I can hear my Dad's voice giving me one last encouragement.  "Be that for your own kids," he would say.  "Be the one who when raged at, will not rage back.  Be the one that an insecure and fearful son or daughter can come to and know that they will only be loved and encouraged.  Be that safe place for your kids.  Do not withhold sound advice or a needed dose of correction or challenge.  But always do it in love.  They will not always love you back.  Do it anyway.  The will not always appreciate you.  Do it anyway.  At times, the might think of you as the most ignorant man alive.  Love them anyway." 

So now, although my Dad and I are very different people, in a lot of ways, I'm really just playing Buford. 

May you be the source of encouragement, direction and support in the life of your own children.  May you love them even when they do not love you back.  May your child see you growing in wisdom, even as you know what's really going on.  And may they find such a place of safety in you, that they learn how to become that very thing for their own children one day.  May we all be Bufords.

Making Marriage Work

Eugene Cho has a great post this week about marriage. Worth the read.

“A happy marriage is the union of two forgivers.”




On February 1, 1997, Minhee and I exchanged vows and committed ourselves to Christ, one another, our families and community – the journey of loving, serving, and growing as followers of Christ and as husband and wife – in mutual submission to one another.

Today, we celebrate our 15th anniversary.

Wow. 15 years of love, mutual submission, forgiveness, and love.

I know that it is customary [and wise] to speak well of your spouse on your anniversary but ... (READ MORE)

Few Words

Proverbs 17:27 A truly wise person uses few words;
a person with understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

It was one of those back and forth conversations with someone who was just not hearing what I was saying. He continued to argue against a caricature of what he thought I believed since I was not in his ideological camp. He was wrong about me. He was wrong about my motives. He was wrong about what I had both said and meant. He was just wrong. But he made up for it by being condescending.  Ever been there?

So after one more of his emotionally-charged but seriously flawed protestations that really teed me up to hit a rhetorical home run, instead, I just went silent. I did not respond. Not a word. I remembered Dallas Willard's statement to one of his students about practicing the discipline of not having to have the last word. And I remembered this Proverb. Of course, if there is anything to be gained by this in heaven in terms of humility points, I'm sure I just lost it by publicly proclaiming what I did here.

Any time an argument occurs, others are watching. When one arguer lets emotions get the better of him or her, the other has a choice to make. Do you go down that road, or leave the person standing there alone?

I remember a few painful examples of being the one left standing on the road after abandoning civil discourse in favor of condescending or sarcastic, or sometimes even incoherent come-backs. The awareness of how others must have seen me was more painful than the fact I had lost the argument.

This kind of thing can happen between strangers, acquaintances, friends, co-workers and family. And sometimes, the healthiest, wisest and most productive thing you can do is shut up. There is usually more relational work to do later, but sometimes, silence is often a really good place to start.

May you find the strength to listen more than speak and be known as wise. When you do speak, may you speak with grace and understanding in a way that adds value to others. And may your words be few, because the words you use say and accomplish so much.