Signs

       In the classic Ace of Base song "The Sign", the speaker sings about how they saw a "sign" that opened up their eyes. After seeing this "sign" and moving on from a relationship, the speaker feels a newfound sense of freedom and happiness. Although the song never specifies what the "sign" was, it must have been a pretty good one for it open up their eyes and find freedom. 

        No matter where we go, we inevitably encounter signs - stop signs, street signs, retail signs, building signs, mile markers, and so on. These signs tell us where to go, where we are, what to do, and what's nearby. They also help to keep us (and others) safe. That being said, a lot of times in life the "signs" that we're looking for are less tangible than a stop sign, street sign, speed limit sign, or sign that the next exit has a Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, and Wendy's. 

        The signs that we're looking for are metaphorical signs. We ask for or turn to signs to help give us guidance and answers to life's questions. Where should I go? What should I do? What's the next step? How will I know what to do? There's not necessarily a right or wrong answer to these difficult questions, and signs can help show us the way we should go. In some instances, we even receive these signs without asking for them. They meet us where we are and provide us with answers. 

        One "sign" that I can think of in my life was when I was apartment searching a while back. As my choices winnowed down to 2, I wanted to lock up an apartment before I was out of options so I decided on a place. When I drove over to write check for my application fee, I realized that the place wasn't open yet and wouldn't be for a little bit. As I walked over to a Shipley's to pass the time and get donuts, I started to second-guess if this was where I really wanted to be. I thought more about the two apartments, weighing the pros and cons of each. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized I really liked the other place. I went back home to get the papers I had for the other apartments, and then drove over there to fill out an application. 

        As I look back on this now, I'm really thankful that it all worked out the way it did. It's nice to be able to walk to the grocery store, especially with all that's gone on this year. I suppose the leasing office being closed was a "sign" in itself, not to mention the walk over to Shipley's. And while I am thankful for those "signs" I received at the time, one thing that I've come to realize is that we can sometimes be far too dependent upon these "signs" telling us what we should do. Instead of asking God, ourselves, or family/friends what we should do, we'll turn to signs or Magic 8-Balls to tell us what we should do. 

     One reason why we turn to signs is to get validation or confirmation about our decisions, thoughts, or beliefs. We'll be leaning one way and then credit something that happens to us a sign that reaffirms what we're thinking. While God does have a way of working in mysterious ways and can send signs, we need to be careful about our reliance and dependence upon them. If we're constantly turning to signs for validation, we can actually end up making wrong decisions because we'll start waiting for signs that will never come or misinterpret something to be a sign. You know, we'll do things like mistake a green flag for a floppy, green hat and get ourselves into trouble. When we start turning to signs first, we're not longer living by faith in God; conversely, we living by faith in signs we believe are from God.

        As I've been reading through the Gospel of Matthew, I've started to get a better idea of what living by faith looks like. When people came to Jesus in need of healing, they had full faith that He would be able to heal them. One instance that really stood out to me was the centurion in Matthew 8. The centurion told Jesus he was not worth enough to have Jesus come to his house, but knew that Jesus could heal his servant if He just said the word. The centurion's response led to Jesus marveling that He hasn't found such faith in Israel - and the Israelites were God's chosen people! Similarly, in Matthew 9, there was a woman who told herself that merely touching Jesus garment would make her well. When she did that, Jesus told her that it was her faith that has made her well - and it did! 

        Now, while the centurion and woman may have heard (or even seen) Jesus heal others, they were truly acting out in great faith to believe that Jesus simply saying the word or touching His garment would bring healing. Hebrews 11 tells us that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". After the woman touched Jesus' garment, He told her that it was her faith that made her well. Living by faith wasn't limited to healing, either. Matthew lived by faith when Jesus called him in Matthew 9. Jesus instructed Matthew to follow Him - and he did just that, not worried about anything that he would be leaving behind. Faith isn't about waiting for a sign - it's about trusting in God and believing in Him, regardless of any signs. 

        Chapter 12 in Matthew specifically addresses signs with the Pharisees demanding one from Jesus. Jesus warns them about seeking signs, and tells them that the only sign they will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah. He foretells His death and resurrection saying that just as Jonah was in the fish for 3 days and 3 nights, He will be in the heart of the earth for 3 days and 3 nights. For the Pharisees, Jesus' teachings and miracles weren't enough proof that He was the Messiah. They wanted a sign from Him. He did give them a sign with Jonah, but it wasn't the sign that they wanted or one that they would choose to believe.

        It was a convicting but also encouraging to read these passages from Matthew. Faith is truly about trusting in God and in His majesty and what we can't see, not what we can see. Faith may not bring the immediate healing that it brought the woman or the centurion's servant, but it does align us with God. Living by faith means being all-in like Matthew was, too. We will inevitably have doubts like Thomas did (more on him later), but our faith will be made strong. While God does send signs at times, we shouldn't constantly demand one from Him at every crossroads in our life. I also don't want my faith to be dependent upon God placing signs in my life. I can't speak for everyone, but I know that when I turn to signs, I start to overthink everything. Overthinking, of course, gets me in my head and spiraling out of control with my thoughts. Sign or no sign, God is always at work in our lives. I realize that can be incredibly difficult and hard to see in a time like right now. This truly is a time of living by faith and trusting in God, knowing that no matter what happens, our faith is in Him alone. 

        To close, I wanted to mention the disciple nicknamed "Doubting Thomas". Following the resurrection of Jesus, Thomas voiced his doubts that Jesus had truly been resurrected, even after the other disciples said He had. Thomas proclaimed that He wouldn't believe unless the wounds in Jesus' hands and side. When Jesus does appear to Thomas and asks him to see His hands and touch his side, Thomas believes him. At the end of the passage, Jesus says "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). We've all been like Thomas at one point in our lives, voicing our doubts unless we have proof. We've even been like the Pharisees and clamored for signs. It is natural for us to have our doubts and voice them. However, it is ultimately the faith that we have in the midst of those doubts that will draw us closer to God. In this quarantine, I'm learning to live my life by faith, not signs. That will take me where I want to go and help me become who I want to be.

A Welcome Sign When I Go Back Home