Cherishing the Future

“The future cannot be ill, when your faith is well.” From where I am writing, those are not empty words. Have you ever thought about what faith means to you? In the Bible, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). But this is not so much a definition of faith; rather, it is a description of what faith does. Faith is not wishful thinking. Faith is speaking and believing into existence what you have not yet seen.
Consider how easily you place your trust in an elevator. When you press Floor 7, you know that platform is going to lift and release you at Floor 7. Seems too logical, you say—but that is exactly what faith is: treating “things hoped for” as reality accomplished. “I need to make it to the seventh floor,” you say, so you press 7 and off you go. That’s faith! The expectation that the elevator will hold you, while you trust it to do so. That’s reality!
Another example of faith is when you travel across a bridge. You know the bridge is going to support you as you cross in midair from one side of solid ground to the other. You can’t always see the source of support, but you still do not hesitate to proceed with that reality. Driving with faith is trusting in the “evidence of things not seen.” Likewise, using an elevator or a bridge is no different than trusting God to lift us when we “push His button” or carry us when we “drive over His promises.” Our faith activates His services!
Faith does not solve every one of life’s problems, but it will bring you peace through your elevator lows and your bridge highs. From day to day, the future is unreliable; not one of us can make plans or predict with absolute certainty the course of events. I know this firsthand. I am continually asked, “What are you going to do when you get out of prison?” My response: “Not sure, but I know I will be following God’s direction for open and closed doors.” It is my faith that assures me God holds my future, and it is in that hope that I will not be disappointed.
Without hope and a vision, the future will become ill. I remember back when I was a child, life seemed so simple. I was playing in a Little League game, and the other team was beating us: 11 to nothing. During an umpire’s time-out, I walked over to the fence to pick up a stray ball when an older gentleman asked me what the score was. I replied, “It’s 11-zero, Mister!” He said, “Wow, you guys might as well give up at this point.” I quickly objected with childlike faith, “Give up? Sir, it’s only 11-zero, and we haven’t been up to bat yet!”
Hope keeps you from giving up no matter what the world says about your circumstances. Many may see defeat, but what they tend to forget is: They haven’t given themselves a chance to bat yet. I like to encourage the guys in here by telling them: If they can see it, they can be it; and by faith, they should walk in it.
We may be in this dugout called prison, and you may be in the freedom of the field. Both alike are watching other players continuously score, but hope knows that we have not been up to bat yet; and faith is capable of overcoming any deficit or turning around any defeat.
The fact that I write a column from prison is the very “evidence of things not seen,” and the very “substance of things hoped for.” I may still be down by the world’s standards and by the scoreboard, but I’m stepping into the batter’s box. I’m pushing 7 in the elevator. And I’m crossing that bridge. The future cannot be ill, when your faith is well.
ED. NOTE: The author and professional athlete of Court House is serving five-and-a-half years in state prison after pleading guilty in October 2009 to manslaughter and driving while intoxicated. His blogs have been read by over 500,000 people in every state, 121 countries, and in 67 different languages. You can learn more at www.themattmaherstory.com.