“Faith isn’t prudent or imprudent; it’s valiant.”

A thought by Mark Batterson (2016-09-06) from his book, Chase the Lion: If Your Dream Doesn't Scare You, It's Too Small (Kindle Locations 1988-1989). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Here’s what Mark says leading up to this thought, “For more than forty years, Dr. Glen Reid served as a missionary in the Middle East. Everyone who knew him had the utmost respect for him. So they were surprised by his courageous confession at the age of eighty-two: ‘I have failed throughout my life because I have let fear and prudence be my gods while I avoided trusting God.’ Dr. Reid shared about a moment on the mission field when God prompted him to share the gospel with a tribe of cannibals. Dr. Reid decided not to chase that lion. His excuse was prudence, and it ranks as one of his great regrets. Later in life he recognized prudence for what it really was, his god.”

Mark goes on, “Faith isn’t logical or illogical; it’s theological. Faith isn’t prudent or imprudent; it’s valiant. Noah looked foolish building an ark in the desert. Sarah looked foolish buying maternity clothes at age ninety. David looked foolish attacking Goliath with a slingshot. Benaiah looked foolish chasing a lion. The wise men looked foolish following a star. Peter looked foolish stepping out of the boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. And Jesus looked foolish hanging half-naked on the cross.”

He then says, “But that’s faith. Faith is the willingness to look foolish. And the results speak for themselves. Noah survived the Great Flood. Sarah gave birth to Isaac. David defeated Goliath. Benaiah killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day. The wise men found the Messiah. Peter walked on water. And Jesus rose from the dead. You know why some of us have never killed a giant, chased a lion, or walked on water? We’re afraid of looking foolish. But it’s the fear of looking foolish that is foolish!”

I wonder what would happen in our life if we were willing to look foolish?

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