“I’m not worthy.”
This saying, accompanied by a perfunctory and dramatic bow, has become a common way of acknowledging a noteworthy achievement. Who can say where it started, but it is now a well-recognized practice for paying tribute to the superiority of another’s performance. It attests to our own deficiency in light of someone else’s accomplishments and has been humorously used to honor excellence in a variety of fields and settings.
In the Bible, the author of Hebrews also writes about being unworthy but does so from an entirely different vantagepoint. Hebrews 11 recalls the faith of specific individuals known for their closeness with God and demonstrates that although these individuals did not always receive their recompense on Earth, God would be faithful to honor and reward them in eternity. Often called “The Hall of Faith” it reviews a veritable “Who’s Who” of those who diligently walked with their Heavenly Father, trusting in Him even when external circumstances were uncertain. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David, plus many others, are commended for their faithful reliance on God. After recounting the examples of those he names, the author of Hebrews ends by recalling the experiences of many unspecified yet faithful believers. In this final summary, he describes how they suffered and then declares that although many of them experienced pain and harm in this life, in reality the world itself was “not worthy” of them (Heb. 11:38).
This description of unworthiness is remarkable when considering it is being made from the standpoint of eternity After all, when Christians think about unworthiness we often (and rightly) think about how we are unworthy of Christ’s great sacrifice for us. This is where we can truly witness disparity between what is given and what it deserved. These verses, however, are talking about fallen human beings; why would a sinful world be unworthy of them? Furthermore, it doesn’t take long to realize that each individual that is listed had seasons where they demonstrated a significant lack of faith, when their lives seemed worthy of condemnation, not acclaim. For example, on two different occasions Abraham lied about the fact that Sarah was his wife (Gen. 12:11-13; 20:2) demonstrating that he did not have faith that God was sufficient to protect him in unfamiliar lands. Jacob tricked his brother into securing a birthright, and then tricked his father into securing a blessing, because he did not have faith in God’s future provision. Because of his lack of faith, Moses was not able to enter the Promise Land. Quite famously, David followed his own desires rather than God’s and as a result committed adultery and murder. Yet despite these rather glaring departures from God’s path, God, through the author of Hebrews, still extoled the faithfulness of each of them; He still considered their lives worthy of praise. This was because the overall direction of their lives exhibited a confident reliance on Him. Ultimately their hope rested on Who God is rather than on what is in this world, and so the world, and the people that inhabit it, could not be counted worthy of them. Their trust in God was of greater value than any honor this Earth could bestow.
This description, this acknowledgement that the world was not worthy of them, should still be true for those who follow God. The overall trajectory of our lives should demonstrate that our confidence and dependence is in Him, not on anything less. Our lives should visibly showcase that trusting in His provision is of far greater value than any accolade or achievement that the world could grant. We should strive to live such exemplary lives of faithfulness that the darkness of this world is overwhelmed by the radiance of our trust. We do this not for our glory and praise, but for the glory of the One on Whom we depend. The sinful world cannot be counted worthy of the faithful lives of God’s kids.
When looking at the Hall of Faith, it is an encouraging to know that although their lives were not without sin, God continued to commend and use the lives of those who faithfully depended upon Him. Their obedience and trust frequently earned them the approbation of the world, but also the affirmation of their eternal King. When we perceive that we are not getting what we deserve from this world, let us remember that for faithful believers, this world will never be able to bestow a sufficient reward. May our faith in God be so profound that the world cannot be counted worthy of it. Instead, may our lives be counted worthy of the affirmation that really matters, that of hearing our Savior commend us for faithfully following Him.
