This week has been an interesting week. For the first time, I think, I now see why people might perceive certain aspects of faith as sheer lunacy. More on that shortly. But first, let’s consider Abram. In Genesis 12 we get a front row seat into an amazing conversation between Yahweh and Abram. In Genesis 12:1 we see the calling and in Genesis 4 we see the response. God said ‘Go’ and so Abram went.

The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house…⁴ So Abram went,^[1]

From the perspective of Abram’s relatives and friends, I have no doubt that they would have mocked, questioned, and looked at Abram like he was crazy. Sheer lunacy.

But Abram went.

From a worldly perspective, Abram had everything he would ever need: he had wealth, prosperity, livestock, land, and people that worked for him. For all intents and purposes, Abram had it good. I imagine Abram lived a comfortable life.

But Abram went.

And that’s what I want to focus on. Abram so believed that he heard the voice of God calling that he dropped his comfort and went. That’s some convicting stuff right there! I can only imagine the pushback and the conversations that he might have had with his wife, his relatives, and his friends! I can hear almost hear this playing out like:

Abram’s friend: ‘Whoa, Abram, are you sure about this?’

Abram: ‘Yeah, absolutely’

Abram’s friend: ‘…and Yahweh didn’t tell you where you were going? He didn’t give you any directions?’

Abram: ‘Nope. He just told me to trust Him and He will show me the land when we get there.’

Abram’s friend: ‘Man, I don’t know Abram. You’re just going to pick up, take Sarai and Lot and head out into the desert?’

Abram: ‘Yup! It’s going to be awesome!’

Abram’s friend: ‘Yeah, that’s not the word I was going to use…that’s insane!!!’

Abram: ‘I know what it sounds like…but I trust Him’

And, indeed, he did.

Abram went.

In 2016 I believe I heard the call of God to travel back to Newfoundland, Canada to plant a church. I’m convinced of it! And I can tell you now that both Christian and non-Christian alike looked at me with confusion, uncertainty and through the lens of insanity. Not only was I going back to Canada to plant a church (which was met with confusion), but I was leaving a well paying job, a great church, a beautiful countryside and loads of friends and family…all because I was convinced I heard the call of God.

This week has been an interesting week. For the first time, I think, I now see why people might perceive our trust in God (or following what we believe to be His calling) as sheer lunacy.

After many months of prayer and discernment and wrestling with what I thought God was calling me to do, I made a difficult decision that would not only launch me farther into my planting journey but potentially impact our financial situation. Please don’t read this wrong: I’m not trying to ring any alarm bells or say that we’re in dire financial straits (because we’re not) but the decision I made was one that I believe God was asking.

I went through a similar situation back in 2015. At that time, I was working a second job to help pay my way through Bible college. Back then I believe I heard God asking me to leave that job and, instead, trust Him for provision. So, after much toil, I did. And it was a great decision.

Stepping out in faith and trusting God is both daunting and scary (especially with big, life decisions). And it’s not easy! It requires us to let go, to be humble and to submit – all three things that humans don’t like doing. Although I don’t know what the outcome of my decision this week will be, I like to believe that my situation in 2015 was given by God to persevere me now in 2019. That, as I go through this trial (James 1:2), I can consider it pure joy knowing that God will use this situation to mature me and make me more complete lacking in nothing (James 1:4).

So, as Abram went and trusted, so do I. Even though I can’t see the end game, I know that God is with me (Haggai 1:13)

^[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ge 12:1–4). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.