Overcoming the fear of fear

President Franklin Roosevelt said in His first inaugural address to the nation in 1933 that "...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself..." He of course was referring to the nation's future in coming out of the great depression and belief in itself that better days lay ahead. As I thought about this statement, a very spiritual truth seems hidden inside it as well.

As believers we are called to reach people with the good news of salvation from our sin and sure eternal death through the payment given by Jesus Christ himself. We are called to share the good news, wherever we are called by Him. Many times we are faced with decisions to go where we may not desire to go, but we follow (if we know what's good for us!). And sometimes the place that He leads may take us out of safety and into the unknown and uncertainty of the future. I can hear God speaking even now in my mind, saying to the believer, "the only thing you have to fear is fear itself my child". Truthfully, the only thing we have to be afraid of, is being afraid. If your life is about glorifying God and living in a oneness with Him (John 15), than what do you have to fear? What's the worst that can happen? Death? Jesus states in Matthew 10:28 that as disciples we are not to fear "those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul". We become so worried about harm & even death while Jesus says "Is that all your worried about?" Do not fear man, because all he can take is the life of the body, not the life of the eternal soul. We must come to the place where we overcome the fear of fear, and replace it with the joy of obedience to the creator. Not an easy task, but one we must get.

As I write this, I find myself struggling in this as much as the next person, but as long as we're taking steps in the right direction we are being obedient to Christ. Join me in continuing to die to self and live for Christ, because no one can take that from us. Take risks...share the gospel...go where called, and know that "to live is Christ, and to die is gain".

Amen!

A blast from the past!

Words or Heart?

This morning in church service I found myself, along with everyone else, singing the words "I live to worship You". I caught myself looking around at the hundreds singing these words and thinking "is this true of ALL of these people singing these words?" I thought "surely there must some in here that worship with their lips, but their hearts are far away from God". Then I began to think of my own heart and the words rolling off of my own tongue, "do I mean what I am saying?" I stopped and began to make sure I meant what I was saying. The Christian life is never merely about words rolling off of our tongues, but about hearts longing to know God deeper and more intimately. I must admit, some days I sense my heart farther from God than other days, maybe you can understand. Ultimately though, God is in the business of being worshiped, not out of duty, but because of greatness! He is great, and moods and circumstances must never stand in our way of honoring Him who deserves all praise. So if you, like me, have those days, remember the greatness of God and the words "I live to worship You" will be easy to mean wholeheartedly!
Jonathan Edwards resolved it best, "Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God' s glory..." Praise be to God!

Sam, a rock, and a Wild Goose!

Have you ever felt like letting go? Like things have just become more complicated than you wanted them to become? In these times it is easy to want to "tag out", as they say in tag team wrestling. "I've been in long enough", you may think to yourself, time to "tag out" and let someone else do the work. Tonight while watching Lord of The Rings, Return of The King, I watched as Frodo fought his own desire to keep the ring rather than throw it into the lava of Mordor. He finally ends up hanging from the side of the cliff as the ring falls into the lava, and as he is hanging, Sam says to him, "don't you give up Frodo" and he reaches down to help him. On Easter Sunday we were asked to select a rock from a pile of rocks that had been gathered for that day. "Select a rock & write a verse or encouraging word on it" the pastor told us. As I selected mine, it was a rough, tall, jagged rock. The first thing that kept coming to mind was "keep climbing with endurance", because the rock looked like a steep wall to be climbed. I read the bottom of that rock today, and was reminded of the need to continue to climb well, whatever the path looks like ahead. Finally, the book I finished up today (it took me FAR too long to finish!) is called Wild Goose Chase, by Mark Batterson. In the final paragraph he writes this:

"Two thousand years ago, Jesus issued a standing invitation:follow me. But it came with a warning, "foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay His head." "When you embark on your Wild Goose Chase(Pursuit of following the Holy Spirit) you never know where you're going to end up."

This post is for anyone who has become weary in the pursuit of following hard after the Holy Spirits leading. "Don't give up" Samwise gamgee would tell you, "keep climbing with endurance" my rock would read, and follow Jesus anywhere Mark Batterson would want you to read. Please know that you are in my prayers if you are reading this and feeling this way. Stay the course and know that Jesus will do do mighty things through those who refuse to give up!

The small things

"A group of American tourists walked through a quaint English village in wonderment. They were enamored by the town's winding cobblestone streets, the beauty of its courtyards and plazas, and the sense of history emanating from its ancient churches. While strolling through the local park, the tourists struck up conversation with an elderly gentleman and found out that he had lived in the town for his entire life. One of the Americans, eager to hear more about the town's history, asked, "Sir, have any great men been born in this village?" "Nope," said the old man, "only babies."

How often we look at the result instead of looking how to encounter that outcome. We want to know how to have the result without knowing the road that leads to it. We expect that "big" things are what matter most. We may even think that "big" things or great people were simply born that way. It's never "big" things that matter most, it's the small things along the way that matter most. All great people in history were born but infants and on a daily basis, through life decisions, and God's providence, became the people we know. These types of decisions will kick our butts sometimes, but we will gain much from them. Don't be afraid to walk the hard road and focus daily on the small stuff. Begin today, unless of course you are content dreaming about the "big" things.

Be blessed...

Who's work is it?

At the age of 36 I don't claim to understand it all, however as we progress in years I believe it is right to learn and mature in our understanding. I have had these years to learn through my failures and successes. The older I get the more I understand what Paul is talking about here in Romans 8. People are unable to make the changes necessary in life to please God. Paul says that the sinful mind is "hostile to God" and that it cannot please God. No matter how much one may try harder to be better, it will always fall short. The life driven by sinful nature will lead to death, "but if BY THE SPIRIT you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live..." As hard as people try, it is impossible to create a life that pleases God. It is BY THE SPIRIT that we find life.

If your life seems to be filled with ups and downs, and then more ups and downs, look to what is driving your life. Is it your own strength to simply do better, or is it rooted in the spirit of God changing you from the inside out? Real change that pleases God and leads to life doesn't come through your work, but from work done in you by God's Spirit. Invite the Holy Spirit to begin to make changes in you that will make you the new creation you are meant to be. Be encouraged today!

Investment

"Read the history books and see - for we were born but yesterday and know so little, our days here on earth are as transient as shadows. But the wisdom of the past will teach you. The experience of others will speak to you..."- Job 8:8-10 (TLB).

Do we know it all? Though Bildad's assumptions of Job losing everything were wrong, this is an important thing for us to look at. The past can teach us much. Looking to what God has done throughout the lives of others is an investment we all need in our own lives.

God help us to allow ourselves to be invested in through the past so as to strengthen our future. For our lives are "as transient as shadows." Amen.