Hebrews 11 is a passageg in the Bible that is sometimes referred to as "The Hall of Faith." In it, we see the stories of people in the Bible who lived an extraordinary life marked by extraordinary faith. But even though they were extraordinary in many ways, they were still extraordinarily human and we can be like them.
Some of the figures recorded in the Hebrews Hall of Faith include Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Rahab. All these people lived a life marked by faith that may not have been easy to stand in, but who were able nonetheless to stand in faith until the end.
Faith is an essential element to the Christian life and just like a muscle, it must be stretched. How far are you willing to stretch your faith muscle? If you want to have the kind of faith that matches the people in the Hall of Faith, here are three key areas you need to grow in.
Obedience
Faith cannot be made possible if we are not willing to obey, and it starts with trusting God enough to obey both His commands and His call. We can find both by meditating on God's Word. Abraham obeyed when God called him from his homeland to go to a promised land that he had never even heard of. Noah obeyed when God called him to devote his whole life building a boat even when he had no assurance that the flood was coming other than God's promise that it was.
God calls us to obey even when we do not understand because even when we don't see things clearly, we know God does. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Even as we hope for things unseen, "Hall-of-Faith" living goes forth in obedience without having all the answers right away.
Sacrifice
When Jesus called the first disciples to follow Him, He said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) There will always be a cost to following Jesus and living out faith in Him. It will cost us our convenience, our reputation and even sometimes our own dreams and ambitions.
Living in faith will call for sacrifice and "Hall-of-Faith" living will embrace the cost and pay for it. Our life is no longer our own because Jesus bought us at a price and to accept that is crucial to stronger faith.
Vision
While our destination will not always be clear, we can have a glimpse of it. And our ability to hold on to a clear God-given vision will strengthen our faith even more. Habakuk 2:2 says, "And the LORD answered me: 'Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.'"
God will always give a vision to those who are willing to follow. What does that vision look like for you? Whatever that vision may be, you need to hold on to it if you are to grow stronger in your faith.
