It's not where you start that counts...

In a recent post (see 27th January) I reflected on Sarah’s laugh, the expression of her unbelief. In Hebrews 11: 11, a New Testament author, writing from the perspective of history, shows us the other side of the coin: Sarah’s faith.
Sarah is pretty unique in scripture; she’s the only woman in the Bible to have her name changed. That was usually reserved for the patriarchs and the apostles, men who played a significant role in the unfolding of the Bible’s story. And she’s also the only woman in the Bible whose age at the time of her death is mentioned; that too was usually reserved for kings and other firstborn males. So, what was the reason for Sarah’s being honoured in this way? It’s found in verse 11 of that well known chapter about people of faith: Sarah believed that God would keep His promise.

She may have started out by laughing. (So did Abraham.) She may have got weary of waiting, and messed things up with the Hagar fiasco. (Abraham did too.) But, somewhere along the line, Sarah moved from unbelief to unusual faith... and that is what she’s remembered for, and commended for, in this account. It’s not how you start out that counts, be it good or bad. It’s how you finish!

God didn’t define this couple’s story by any of their questioning or stumbling; He defined it by how they ended up, and by the faith that got them there. Starting out well and finishing in mediocrity is a tragedy. Starting out doubting and finishing by trusting is a triumph of faith. And it’s the same for us. God doesn’t focus on the times we failed or doubted; He’s looking to see whether we keep moving forward and whether we finish well in the end.