Choosing the Opposite of Blind Faith

Did you know that National Opposite Day is actually a thing? I wish I could say it was today and that's why I'm writing this post, but it's not. (Or, maybe it is-- could be Opposite Day, after all 😉.) National Opposite Day is January 25th. I'm not sure who decided we need to nationalize such a thing; I'm not sure why the powers that be would waste time and money doing it, but there you are. Worse yet, I'm not sure how I even discovered all of this. 

I have to admit, Opposite Day seems like something God would invent. Not that He is not everything He says He is, or that He does not say exactly what He means, but the Christian's walk can sometimes seem like one big trail of opposites: rejoicing in suffering, serving to lead, giving all and getting more.

A. W. Tozer, a pastor and author once said:

“Well, it is not to be wondered at. A real [believer] is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible and knows that which passeth knowledge.”

I would suppose, to the casual observer, it all seems a bit ridiculous, maybe even foolish; but, there is nothing about following Jesus that is either. There is no blind faith when it comes to serving the Lord. 

If you're married or have ever been, did your spouse come with a script or game plan? Was everything that would ever be written out and notarized prior to your saying, "I do"? How could it be? So, when she was unfaithful, what did you do? "For better or worse" it and work things out, or did you get outta Dodge? When he began drinking, what did you do? "Stand by your man" and help him through recovery, or did you ride off into the sunset? Either way, you jumped into a covenant, not expecting any of those things to happen. Was that blind faith, or was it faith based on the character and commitment of the person who stood looking into your eyes making the same promise? I'm going to venture it was the latter. If so, what if that person had never broken that promise? What if it was you, but they loved you anyway? What if that person to whom you gave your heart and soul was perfect in every way, they never let you down, they had the power to give you everything you could ever need, and loved you enough to stick it out and walk you through the growing process each and every time you messed up? Would you call your trusting in that person blind faith? 

I'd call it just the opposite: rational choice.