Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Faith is one of the most misunderstood words in the human language. Most people think faith is hope. It isn’t.
Hope says, “I wish this would happen.” Faith says, “I already know it will.” This distinction alone has separated ordinary lives from extraordinary ones since the beginning of time.
Every man or woman who has ever become LARGER THAN LIFE first saw something the rest of the world could not. They believed before there was evidence, committed before there was certainty, acted before there were guarantees, and they knew… long before anyone else believed.
A few years ago, my cousin Larry Tinker, an ordained minister, shared a simple statement during one of his sermons that has stayed with me ever since. “Life is lived forward, but understood backward.”
What profound wisdom. Looking backward, life makes perfect sense. Every relationship, opportunity, disappointment, heartbreak, failure, victory, and twist in the road somehow connects to where we stand today. Looking backward, we call that perspective. Some even call it faith. It isn’t. That’s simply hindsight.
It’s easy to believe after you’ve already seen the outcome. Real faith works in the opposite direction. Faith is seeing tomorrow so clearly that it becomes more real than today. It’s believing in a future that nobody else can see. It’s knowing the outcome before the game has even begun.
There are many forms of faith. For example:
- Faith in God.
- Faith in your family.
- Faith in your country.
- Faith in your business.
All of them matter. But there is one form of faith that ultimately determines the trajectory of your life. That is faith in yourself.
Because whether your dreams become reality or quietly fade away usually depends on one simple question: Do you believe you’re capable of becoming the person who can make them happen?
If the answer is yes…almost anything becomes possible.
If the answer is no…nothing else matters.
The greatest illustration of faith I’ve ever heard doesn’t come from a theologian; it comes from football.
A bit North of Chicago, in the Winter Wonderland called Wisconsin, there lived the all-time greatest Green Bay Packers fan in NFL history. He lived, breathed, and ate all things Packers. He was such a fanatical fan, he bled Green and Gold.
In 2010, the last time his beloved Packers made it to the Super Bowl, he was involved in a hunting accident on the eve of the big game, leaving him unable to watch it. Wanting to savor every minute of the game, he told EVERYONE who knew him not to let him know what happened so he could experience it firsthand by having the game recorded.
When he awoke from his emergency surgery, he was prepped and ready to watch the Great Aaron Rodgers hopefully lead his Pack to the Championship of professional football.
With a brat in one hand, string cheese in another, and a cold brewski on the side, he was ready to go.
Just as the game kicked off, an unknowing Nurse came into his room and, seeing the game on the TV, shrieked, “Ya der hey. You’re watching the Pack pummel those sorry Steelers and win again?!”
“Nooooooo,” he exclaimed, but it was too late. In one sentence…the suspense disappeared. No matter what happened during the next three hours…he already knew who won.
Think about that for a moment.
Did knowing the ending change the game? No. The interceptions still happened, pressure still came, momentum still shifted, and there were still moments that looked uncertain. The only thing that changed was him. He no longer feared the setbacks because he already knew the outcome.
That…is faith.
Not wishing you’ll win. Knowing you will.
Understanding this, I find that whenever storms come, people disappoint, plans change, dreams are tested, or I feel as if everything around me suggests I’ve lost, faith whispers, “The final score hasn’t changed.”
This is why extraordinary people stay calm while everyone else panics. There’s no need to get despondent, freak out, or have an anxiety attack. Chill out. You’ve already won.
So choose carefully what you believe, because your faith determines your future long before your circumstances do. Believe it first. Then the world will eventually catch up.
Now, if only someone would share this with Da Bears?!
Be Larger Than…
