Hobbit-Like Faith

Many of us resemble hobbits, if not in stature, in temperament. They are quiet, peace-loving creatures who prefer simple, practical hobbies and tasks. They never do anything to “make waves” or even anything out of the ordinary. They are creatures of habit to the extent that they rarely vary or stray at all. There is nothing unexpected. Deep down, a lot of people are like that. Even if their particular activities are not like others’, they are regular in what they themselves do. We perform out of habit by nature, and most people don’t like causing a stir if they can help it. So what does this have to do with faith?

While the personalities in general of many people may not be so similar to a hobbit, our spiritual personalities are. So many people like where they are spiritually and don’t want to move or change. They are comfortable. They don’t want the trouble of putting out the effort to become other than what they are, they don’t want to admit that they need to be other than what they are, and they don’t want to hazard the remarks of others if they become other than what they are. But is this what God wants for us?

Ezra 7:23 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons.

Done with zeal? Zeal is rather extreme isn’t it? Do we really need to have zeal for anything?

Colossians 3:23 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men

God doesn’t want half hearted service or love. We should be passionate for God and righteousness. It should come before anything else. This seems so extraordinary because it is. The world says that we should love self and do what pleases self above everything. To have zeal for anything but self is unnatural. Yet we are not to obey our sin nature, but the Spirit of God.

Galatians 5:16-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

We cannot please both God and self. We have to choose one, but eternity hangs in the balance. The catch is that we will be at odds either with the world or with God. If we live to please God and be zealous for righteousness, we will make some waves in our society. People will view us as a little strange, some may even ridicule us for being different (possibly because they feel convicted for not choosing righteousness themselves.) The alternative, though, is to live to please self, which is actually being zealous for self, but that is acceptable in our society. We will be praised and accepted by man, but not by God. In this life, we will likely feel little, if any, opposition, but in eternity we may. We can’t have both the world and God.

Philippians 2:5-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Talk about zeal. This is as zealous and selfless as one can get. And it may be argued that this is Jesus so we don’t have to be like that, but the point of being a Christian is to be like Christ, that is what Christian means. The verse actually says to “have this attitude” in ourselves. That is a command. We are to have the same selfless zeal for God that Jesus has. Is God that important to inspire such zeal and sacrifice?

See a hobbit would go along with society. A hobbit would not do anything out of the ordinary or unexpected. A hobbit doesn’t show zeal for anything but food. A hobbit is complacent. But God didn’t create us to be hobbits; He created us to be zealous for Him, to be like Him.

1 Corinthians 10:31 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Ephesians 2:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

What will you choose: hobbit-like complacency and comfort, or zeal for God? Will you choose to live for yourself or for God? Will you choose to live for this life or the next, to fit in with society or with heaven? Remember, you cannot have both.