everyday people

Hebrews 11

32 How much more do I need to say?

It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.

33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them.

They shut the mouths of lions,34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword.

Their weakness was turned to strength.

They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.

35 Women received their loved ones back again from death.


  But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free.

They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.

36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips.

Others were chained in prisons.

37 Some died by stoning,

some were sawed in half,

and others were killed with the sword.

Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated.

38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.


We spend a lot of time talking about the various people mentioned for their great faith in Hebrews 11 - & the somewhat glamorous lives they lives because of it.

They were the exceptions in this life.

In the second half of verse 35 through verse 38, the author of Hebrews talks about where most of us live...

     our lives of faith are not glittering, glamorous, or something that might mentioned in the Bible or the subject of a movie or a Netflix documentary.

We live believing - back then it was pretty dangerous to believe in Jesus - I mean, some got sawed in half?! Whoa!!!

And there are billions of us who have, & are, & will live lives following Jesus, being who it is He dreamed us to be, & never set the world on fire.

We are the overwhelming majority.


This is not to say we are unimportant.

It's just that I'm not sure if we are well served by only just looking at the lives of the famous people.

Most of us won't be famous Christ followers.

We will be Christ followers - & that matters.

But our contribution to God's overarching plan for humankind will not be spoken of in the media or a viral vid on YouTube.

It will be noted, & rewarded, by the One who really matters - God.


I guess that's part of what following Christ is all about - being & do what He created us to be, regardless of how our lives seemingly impact the world.