Anxiety and Worry

Capturing Our Thoughts

What are you thinking about right now? At this very moment? We are all thinking all of the time. It’s not like we can’t think. The question is what are we thinking?

Have you ever stopped to consider how every sin, wrong attitude, and bad habit begins first with a single thought?

It is that point in time, when that first thought comes, that we should harness it and take control. Instead, all too often, we follow the thought off into the wilderness, where we allow it to run free and take us wherever it will. Well, at least I do. I won’t presume to speak for you!

Think with me, if you will, about the sin of worry. I guess this is rarely viewed as a sin anymore. Although, if we say we follow Christ and we take a moment to be honest with ourselves, we must recognize worry and anxiety for what they are: A blatant lack of trust in our faithful God.

But the anxiety and worry that steals our peace begins with a thought. “What if…?” or “Maybe…” and we allow our thoughts to wander, until we’ve ended up in such angst of soul that it completely crowds out any of that peace we are promised in God’s Word. Along with this often comes sickness and disease, for a constant state of worry and anxiety affects us physically.

If we had just controlled that first thought…

Or how about the sin of grudge-holding? This, too, begins with a carefully nursed thought about someone who has hurt or offended us. We think about what happened; we ignore or downplay any fault we may have had in the situation; we offer no grace or mercy but, instead, chew and gnaw on our hurt and offense until it grows into dislike and eventually ends up in cold indifference or hot hatred.

But these grudges also steal our peace. They hurt us far more than they ever hurt the person we are thinking about. Living in a state of constantly “being offended” and holding on to hurts is exceedingly unhealthy for body and soul.

Look at any sin, bad habit, or wrong attitude you struggle with and identify that first thought that gets the ball rolling. It doesn’t take long if we but take a moment for introspection. Whether it’s gluttony or treating our spouses in an unloving way; telling a “white lie” or a big “whopper”; watching something we know doesn’t please the Lord or reading a book we know full well we shouldn’t read; perhaps it’s responding to a Christian brother or sister in an unkind way or just being in a constant depressed and pessimistic state…all of these begin with one uncontrolled thought.

So what can we do? How do we take control of our thoughts? We get a bit of insight in God’s Word in the book of 2 Corinthians–

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;   (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

From these verses we can learn a few important things about taking our thoughts captive.

First, we must recognize that the war we fight is not carnal. It’s spiritual. We are fighting a spiritual battle. Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians 6 and tells us to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the wiles of the devil! We cannot expect to change our thought patterns or win any battle without our armor on. That’s a post for another day, but suffice it to say there is much to think about in that last half of Ephesians 6 if we are someone who struggles to control our thoughts.

Second, we must realize that our thoughts exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Whether they are doubts about the biblical account of creation or they are thoughts of distrust and frustration with God’s plan for our lives, we are exalting our own thoughts against the knowledge of God and what we know about Him from His Word. We aren’t left in the dark here. He has been so kind and merciful to give us His Word, where we find out Who He is, what he’s like, and what He desires from us, as His created beings. We have all the knowledge of God that we need. We exalt our own thoughts against that knowledge when we choose to think unbiblically.

And, third, controlling our thoughts takes intention and action. We are to cast down imaginations and bring into captivity every thought. It’s not just going to happen one day. We must be proactive in identifying the troublesome thoughts and then cast them out and bring them into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

I wish I could give you a list of instructions to help you accomplish this difficult task. As always, I am working on this right along with you. I still find myself ending up in places of worry and anxiety that are absolutely crippling at times. I think we all have our different challenges and struggles. Yours may be something else. But Satan knows our weaknesses and the chinks in our armor, doesn’t he?

But we aren’t left to our own devices. We can’t miss that important phrase that says our weapons are mighty through God for pulling down strongholds. We can win these difficult “thought” battles that we fight against our flesh. But we won’t win them without God’s help.

I can tell you one thing that has helped me a lot. I mean A LOT. And that is scripture memorization. I first started out learning individual verses that had to do with anxiety a few years back when I found myself really struggling. As I would lay in my bed at night, I’d start saying these verses to myself when the fearful thoughts would come crashing into my mind. It is hard to describe the peace that would come as I intentionally chose to move my mind from my sinful thoughts to the truth of God’s Word.

I then moved to a few chapters of scripture and some longer passages. These, too, have been such a blessing. Currently, I am working on the last half of Ephesians so these verses have been on my mind. When sinful thoughts come, I try to move my mind to meditate on scripture I am working on.

It is quite amazing to me that I can even memorize at my age. I think if we give an effort God will meet us in it. And even though I can’t always say every verse perfectly, it is quite wonderful how snatches and phrases come to mind as I live my life. It truly does make a difference when God’s Word is hidden in your heart.

What also has amazed me is how much more I can meditate on God’s Word when I memorize a passage. I have never been a good one at meditating on God’s Word. Living a busy life with a long to-do list does not yield much time for meditation. But I have found with scripture memory, I can meditate on God’s Word at times that I would normally waste on futile thoughts, such as when I am in the car or when I am waiting in line somewhere and, most often, when I am laying in my bed at night before I fall off to sleep.

I encourage anyone reading this to begin memorizing scripture. Nothing will help you cast down your wild imaginations or take your sinful thoughts captive like hiding God’s Word in your heart.

Capturing our thoughts is no easy task but it is quite essential if we long to live a victorious Christian life. Because every sin begins with a thought.

Keeping the Heart in the Midst of Distracting and Tormenting Fears, in Times of Great and Threatening Dangers

That is quite a title today, isn’t it? I tried to shorten it but nothing quite captured the meaning as the author’s original title of this section in his book. What book, you may ask? It is a book called “Keeping of the Heart”. The author is John Flavel, a Puritan pastor. Written in the 17th century, this little book is a vivid reminder that human trials and struggles do not change all that much through the centuries. The book was given to me as a gift and I am finally reading it (and learning a lot). The other day as I was reading I came across this section by the name of the title above and was greatly impacted. I knew I wanted to share it with you, my readers.

I think most of us, at some time or other, struggle with fear. Sometimes the fears are because we really are in danger. Other times, our fears are unfounded or imagined. Other times, we are just overwhelmed with a sense of anxiety because of the convergence of a different life circumstances. Our fears can arise from health issues, from financial concerns, from controversies with others– sometimes with our own family, and from many other things.

There is so much to be fearful and anxious about in this life. And that fear–sinful fear– can lock us in a prison from which we struggle to get out. I know because I’ve been there several times throughout my life. It’s not a place of joy and peace. It’s a place of darkness and doubt. And so I thought I’d share this for any of us who is living in fear now or who struggles with this sometimes. I hope it may be a post you can mark for later. A post that can be brought up over and over again, as needed, to remind us what we can do when we are feeling fearful.

I am unable to share the whole section written by Flavel so I will share his 14 main principles (his words are in italics) to consider as we fight our own fear and anxiety and then add just a bit of commentary to his main thoughts. I do recommend getting your own copy of this book as he expands on his points with lots of scripture and thoughtful insight. I’ll add the link for the book at the bottom of this post.


Now let us inquire how a Christian may keep his heart from distracting and tormenting fears in times of great and threatening dangers. There are several excellent rules for keeping the heart from sinful fear when imminent danger threatens us:

1. Look upon all creatures as in the hand of God, who manages them in all their motions, limiting, restraining, and determining them at his pleasure.

Oh, what a needed reminder when we are feeling fear! Not one person or event or dynamic is outside God’s Sovereignty. Nothing can happen to you unless it’s been allowed by God.

2. Remember that this God in whose hand are all creatures, is your Father, and is much more tender of you that you are, or can be, of yourself.

God cares for us more and way better than we could ever care for ourselves. If we are His, then He is with us, giving us grace and showering us with His tender mercies on any path we take. I think this is easy to forget, especially when we are walking in a deep, dark valley.

3. Urge upon your heart the express prohibitions of Christ in this case, and let your heart stand in awe of the violation of them. He hath charged you not to fear…If I let into my heart the slavish fear of man, I must let out the reverential awe and fear of God; and dare I cast off the fear of the Almighty for the frowns of a man?

Jesus Himself commanded us not to worry but to trust Him, reminding us that, if God cares for the birds and the flowers, how much more He cares for His own. Read Matthew 6:25-24 and be reminded of what Jesus has to say about the sin of worry.

4. Remember how much needless trouble your vain fears have brought upon you formerly…[when it doesn’t come to pass], you have wasted your spirit, disordered your soul, and weakened your head to no purpose.

This one struck me profoundly. Oh, the time and effort wasted as I nursed a fear that never happened. The peace of mind lost; the bright and happy times that never were because I was too upset and fearful to enjoy being with my family or others. Ungodly fear yields so much bad fruit.

5. Consider solemnly, that though the things you fear should really happen, yet there is more evil in your own fear than in the things feared.

And another profound thought. I never, ever even considered this. I can’t control what happens but I can control my response to what happens. Considering that unholy fear is a sin before God sheds such glaring light on this topic. In fact, our sin is more evil than what we fear. It doesn’t feel like that but if we stop and think about this from a biblical perspective, then we must admit this is true.

6. Consult the many precious promises which are written for your support and comfort in all dangers.

God’s Word is so powerful and full of promises. It’s best to hide His Word in our heart so that it is at the ready at all times. I was talking to someone about the benefit of scripture memorization just the other day. I can’t overestimate the role that memorized verses have played through the years in unlocking the prison of fear. God’s Word reminds us what is TRUE and helps us turn away from the lies.

7. Quiet your trembling heart by recording and consulting your past experiences of the care and faithfulness of God in former distresses. These experiences are food for your faith in a wilderness.

Reflecting on God’s great kindnesses and mercies in other situations of our lives will remind us of His awesome faithfulness and care. If we have been God’s redeemed child for even a short while, our lives will have these gems sprinkled throughout our years.

8. Be well satisfied that you are [in God’s will in your duties and life choices] and that will beget holy courage in times of danger.

If we have repented of all sin and are confident we are in God’s will for our lives, then we can take courage. God does not forsake those that seek Him (Psalm 9:9-10). We are safe if we are in His will. He will not forsake us but, instead, will provide all we need. He has promised.

9. Get your conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ from all guilt, and that will set your heart above all fear.

Flavel writes further, “A guilty conscience is more terrified by imagined dangers, than a pure conscience is by real ones.” This principle reminds us that we must be regularly confessing all sin (including sinful fear) and to keep our heart clean before God. This will go a long way in bringing peace to our hearts in the midst of great trial.

10. Exercise holy trust in times of great distress. Make it your business to trust God with your life and comforts, and then you heart will be at rest about them.

When it all shakes down, this is the heart of it all. Do I trust God? If we are living in fear, the answer is most definitely no.

11. Consult the honor [of God] more and your personal safety less.

Oh, and again, how profound. And how convicting! This has always been one of my biggest issues–I am far too concerned about myself. But Flavel reminds us that we should care more about God and His plan than we do about our own lives. This is a challenging call to us all. We naturally worry about the things of this life and keep our eyes on the things of this world, rather than looking above and keeping our minds set on God’s eternal plan.

12. He that would secure his heart from fear, must first secure the eternal interest of his soul in the hands of Jesus Christ.

When we are assured that we will be safe and secure for all eternity, it gives us a different perspective on the temporal things of this life. I am often reminded of this short verse, written by Paul, in the book of Philippians — “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) Clearly, Paul had eternal perspective.

13. Learn to quench all slavish creature-fears in the reverential fear of God. This is a cure by diversion.

Sinful fear can’t stand in the face of reverential fear of God. If we understand Who God really is and know Him, through His Word, then sinful fear melts away in the reality of His omnipotence and sovereignty.

14. Pour out to God in prayer those fears which the devil and your own unbelief pour in upon you in times of danger.

We should never underestimate the power of prayer. For it is God who has the power to unlock that prison of fear we can sometimes find ourselves residing in. He, through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, can eradicate our unbelief and remove the turmoil from our hearts. We must call out to Him in our despair.


I hope this list has given you pause for thought and is useful to you the next time you are overwhelmed by fear, whether real or imagined.

There is no shortage of things to fear in this life but we have an all-powerful God that supersedes them all. If we are His own, saved by faith in Christ alone, then we are assured of His everlasting love for us and can rest, knowing that He cares for us very personally. Oh, to learn to trust Him!


You can purchase Keeping the Heart here. I receive nothing for sharing this link with you but simply share so that you, too, can benefit from this wonderful little book!

So Quickly Forgotten

A few months ago, I was reading an old commentary on the pastoral epistles by an author with the name of Homer Kent. When I turned to the back of the book, I saw a photo of a middle-aged man that looked a bit familiar. You see, by the time I was acquainted with who this man was, he was president of the college I was attending. I thought he was old and, if I am blatantly honest…pretty irrelevant. As a naive college student, I had zero appreciation for all he had accomplished (and written). And yet, here he had made this really helpful contribution to the Christian world long before I was even born.

But, my guess is that very few of you have ever heard his name. He lived, he worked for Jesus, and then he died. Some of his works live on, but they aren’t popular or considered classics. I doubt most of you have heard of them, either.

A few weeks back, we attended an event at the Christian school where our kids had attended high school. When our kids were there we were actively involved and knew lots and lots of faces. But five years after our youngest had graduated, we knew few people. And even fewer people cared if we were there or not. We had gone from being an active part of the school family to being completely irrelevant.

Around the time of these two happenings, I saw an Instagram reel that talked about how we won’t be remembered in a hundred years. We are all so quickly forgotten. Even celebrities aren’t really remembered all that much. Do you know or care who was a movie star in the 1940s? Fame and popularity are just so fleeting, on whatever level we have it (national, community, church, school).

And, in fact, even our descendants will probably know very little about us. I know so little about my great-grandparents and next to nothing about my great-great grandparents other than their names. And I’d even have to think hard about that.

We live and we die and we are quickly forgotten.

And while this Instagram reel was focused on the joy of the daily life and encouraged it’s listeners to stop worrying about the things that are so temporary (“If it’s not going to matter in five years, don’t spend more than five minutes worrying about it”), I want to take a moment and consider this beyond even that wise advice.

What I write here today won’t matter to most people in the world. And, in fact, even few Christians will read this or care about it. And if the Lord tarries for another hundred years, this will have probably gone the way of many other written words through the centuries. With this in mind, it changes my perspective and my priorities.

And, yet the fruit of my labors may live on. The fruit of your labors, as well. If a person turns to Christ, it changes their legacy for forever. If a person’s life is changed through their study of the Word, they have an eternal impact on their families and co-workers and whoever God brings into their lives.

And I am, once again, reminded of Matthew 6:19-21 and Colossians 3:1-4. These verses remind us that we want to think on things above and build up our treasures there. If we can stay focused on this, then we can weather disappointing responses or hurtful remarks. We can handle rejection or just being ignored. We can stand strong through the antagonism and the hatred. Because these things are so temporary.

But as soon as we move our eyes to ourselves, we are so vulnerable. We get so entangled in our feelings and it strangles us and our effectiveness for Christ.

So let’s remember today what really matters and let’s encourage one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). While the world may so quickly forget us, the impact of our work for Christ will live on. May we keep doing the good works the Lord has prepared for us and embrace the opportunities He has given us to share the Gospel and support and encourage fellow believers.

Let’s point people to Christ. Let’s direct them to the Word. And let’s work through those unpleasant and very temporary feelings we may experience as we work, through keeping our eyes on things eternal.

And, may we remember: While our names may be quickly forgotten on earth, the impact of our works for Christ will leave a lasting legacy on the families that turn to Christ and walk with Him because of our courage to speak up and our obedience to serve Christ instead of self.

To God be the Glory!


For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

A Tale of Two Birds

Out on my back porch there are three hanging baskets. A few weeks ago, I noticed a little house finch hanging out by one of the ferns, just chattering angrily away at me whenever I’d sit out there. She’d hop up and down and try to scare me away. When I kept sitting there, she’d eventually fly to the tree close by to keep an eye on me.

And then just a few days ago, I noticed a big brown lump in another basket. What was that thing…? As I drew closer, I saw a brown bird— a dove, I believe— sitting quietly on the basket. No matter how close I got she just set her beady eye on me and wouldn’t move a muscle.

Wow. What a difference in birds. The one was all worked up and tried its best to scare me away from its babies and the other just trusted that I wasn’t going to do anything to hurt her or her babies.

I know that God has designed these two birds very differently, just as He has designed each of His creatures differently (so amazing, isn’t it?!?)

But I couldn’t help but consider the differences in light of our own responses when we encounter something that frightens us.

Do we become filled with angst, as the little house finch? Or do we sit quietly and wait, like the dove?

As believers, our response should be like the dove. Philippians 4:6-7 puts it like this—

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We should be able to give our requests to God and then experience God’s peace, which will “guard our hearts and our minds”.

Unfortunately, I am too often like the little frustrated bird filled with anxiety. I desire to protect my family or my comfort or my stuff and I crazily hop around thinking I can actually accomplish something by my futile efforts. How silly of me!

I have been studying the first four Psalms this month and I have been struck over and over again by how often God has promised to be with those who yield themselves to His will and obey His laws (out of love, not out of duty or for a “ticket” to heaven).

If we are one of those people, then David says we can lie down in peace at night. We can trust that God will hear our cries for help. We can know that He has promised to shield and sustain us. This means that anything that comes our way is part of His loving plan for our lives (Romans 8:28-29) and not just some random thing.

That calm bird sitting so faithfully and quietly on her nest has convicted me. And I can’t help but think of another couple verses from Psalms—

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
(Psalm 46:10-11)

Be still and know that He is God. So much easier said than done— especially for some of us. I am someone who just wants to DO something. To fix situations. To change people or circumstances.

And sometimes we can do something. We can change our own attitude or have a conversation or work on our own sanctification. BUT…when we can’t do a thing…when, like that little bird, we feel threatened and helpless, then…

God says be still and trust in Him. He is the One—and the only One—who can do what we can’t. My hopping angrily up and down, chattering in frustration and fright will accomplish nothing. Absolutely nothing.

And so today, may we respond more like the dove than like the finch. Or at least recognize there may be a problem and ask the Lord help us to work on it… :)

The Little Foxes

This past week, I was blessed to spend a few days at the beach with two of my best friends. As we walked into the unfamiliar Air Bnb, we took a look around. It was a cute little condo right on the beach, albeit with a view of the dunes rather than the ocean, given its first floor location. But that didn’t bother us. We could still hear that lovely lull of the waves. Such wonderful medicine for the soul.

As we explored the small condo, we naturally looked outside to check out our view. Suddenly, one of my friends said, “and we have a fox…”

Quite honestly, that didn’t compute for a second. A fox? In Ocean City, Maryland? Foxes live in meadows and woods and forests. Not at the ocean. But, lo and behold, there stood a very sickly-looking fox staring at us. And not moving. It made us all a bit nervous. What was it doing here? And why wasn’t it running away when we opened the door to take its picture?

On the way to lunch that day, I called and left a message for wildlife control. Could they take care of the sick fox sitting right outside our patio?

But it was still there when we returned later on. So my friend called the police to see if they would do anything. They said no. Lo and behold, and totally unbeknownst to us, OC, MD has a fox problem. They wouldn’t be out to do anything unless he got aggressive or caused a problem.

He wasn’t causing any problems. He just sat there looking at us like he was waiting for something. Over the course of the next few days, two more foxes with totally different markings would show up in the morning and the evening. They would lay comfortably out in the sun or under the shrubby tree nearby as the sun set, their heads perking up hopefully when we’d open the sliding door. They seemed to be waiting for something…

At some point, it dawned on us that there must be someone on the lower floor of this building that was feeding them. They were coming around because they would sometimes get fed.

I had never seen a fox that close up before. Aside from that poor sickly one (which looked like it had mange and was on its way to a slow, torturous death), they were rather cute (see photos above). In fact, they reminded me very much of my dogs. Which, of course, makes sense since, in the purest sense of the word, they are dogs.

As I thought about these foxes, I realized that they are a little bit like the temptations we feed.

Just as those foxes thrive on those bits and pieces thrown out to them, so, too, do our temptations thrive on us caving to them. Just as those foxes come around with expectations, so, too, do our temptations to sin. If they would stop getting fed–the foxes and the temptations–they’d stop coming around so often.

It reminds me of when my kids were little and they’d pest each other. The glee of the “pester” came from the response of the “pestee”. When the “pestee” stopped responding, pesting lost all its fun.

I think temptation is a little like that. The more we cave to the temptation, the more often that temptation comes. When we can, with the Lord’s help, say no to that temptation, we experience a small victory. The more we can say no, the more power we have over that temptation. As we grow stronger, the temptation grows weaker.

So often, when we talk about temptation and sin, we think of these “giant” sins that we arrogantly declare we would never commit. But let’s consider some of those respectable sins that beleaguer those who consider themselves “above” those gross sins. Sins such as self-absorbtion, anxiety and worry, pride, envy, holding grudges, gluttony, immodesty, ungodly entertainment, angry outbursts… so many little foxes everywhere we turn.

I don’t know what particular sin you struggle with today. I do, however, know the struggles I have. I am greatly encouraged by this verse from I Corinthians 10:13–

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

We have the power through the Holy Spirit to keep those little foxes from coming around all the time. God is faithful and He has made a way of escape. Our duty is to choose that way of escape.

As always, this is easier said than done. But God’s Word tells us it is not impossible.

So let’s keep fighting the battle to keep those “little foxes” far, far away from our hearts and minds. We may not be able to eliminate them completely, but we can lessen them greatly!

Encouragement for the Lonely Believer

In the midst of an increasingly and very noticeable shift away from the Word (even in once-sound churches and ministries), we may find ourselves feeling lonely and discouraged. As we watch the crevices and cracks that are left in the wake of removing biblical authority (in practice, if not from doctrinal statements) be filled in with other things (such as reliance upon experience, unity with false religion, and tolerance), we find that few people are willing to stand with us against the apostasy that is coming in like a tsunami across all denominations and organizations that use the name of Jesus. The fear of being labeled “not very nice” and the sin of “appearing negative” are the great things to be avoided in most churches and Christian organizations these days and if you do not bow to this agenda, you are generally sidelined, ridiculed, or just plain ignored.

This change leaves so many Christians without the support that God intended for us to have one with another as we traverse this difficult journey of sharing a Gospel that is no longer tolerated and standing for the Truth of the Word that few people (even those who call themselves Christians) have interest in.

So what is a lonely Christian to do?

In my own journey, I’ve learned a few things along the way. I would like to encourage you today with some of the things that God has been teaching me over the past few years as many of you have mentioned to me your own battle in standing strong while feeling so alone.

First, seek to love and please God above all.

Mark 12:30 says we are to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, with all of our souls, with all of our minds, and with all of our strength. In other words, with our whole self. So often we hold back things from God that make us uncomfortable. Certain decisions that we know we should make but are just unwilling to. I have been learning that we need to give our all to God and let Him take care of the rest (and He does! He is so faithful!!). I have made many uncomfortable decisions with many questions marks. Some of those decisions have not gone at all how I thought they would and some have ended up much better and, even occasionally, worse than I thought. But here’s the thing–through it all God cares so deeply for the one who loves Him and makes choices with this love for God in mind. In fact, Romans 8:28 makes this so clear, doesn’t it?–

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

If we love Him, He will work all things out for our good and His glory. And this is no empty promise. I am sure that you, like me, can look back over your life and see His wonderful faithfulness through that tough choice to stand for truth when it required sacrifice. So even if we have to make a difficult decision that we know is the right decision, we can be confident that we are doing the right thing, despite any deep sadness or antagonism that may surround that decision.

Second, seek to know and honor the truth of God’s Word, at any cost.

This is no easy task in this current “Christian” culture. Most people are uninterested in the truth because–let’s face it– much of God’s truth from scripture certainly doesn’t give us the warm fuzzies or fill us with peace and comfort. None of us likes the idea of being a sinner; of there being an eternal hell for those who reject Christ; and any number of doctrines that make us uncomfortable from a human standpoint.

But God has given us His Word and we are to believe, submit to, and obey all of it. Notice there is no clause anywhere in scripture that tells us we can ignore, rewrite, or re-interpret what is confusing or unpleasant to us.

The one critical thing to keep in mind here is how the Bible becomes clearer and clearer the more effort we give to studying it. I remember talking to my brother (the Pastor) a few months ago and he mentioned how he was looking forward to studying a specific passage that had a lot of questions surrounding it. I said something along the lines of “Well, I guess we can’t always really know the answer.” And his response has stuck with me– “I have found that if I really give effort to studying it, the answer will be found in the Word.”

The problem for most of us is that we’d prefer to read a novel or watch a movie than to study the Word. And so we flounder in the confusion born of a lack of knowledge so much more than we should.

This is a constant and daily struggle and endeavor for me, as well. I have not arrived in any way. I am simply thankful that God has been teaching me the value of knowing His Word and of the authority it must hold for all who would claim Christ.

Third, don’t tolerate compromise.

Compare everything against scripture. As John says “Test the spirits” (I John 4:1) and Paul exhorts: “Test everything; hold fast what is good.” (I Thessalonians 5:21). If something shows itself to be unbiblical we should speak up with love. It is not easy but if not us, then who? Always be loving. Always use scripture. Man’s opinion doesn’t matter.

And if the party you are speaking to doesn’t care? If they have no interest in what you are saying or in looking at scripture? Well, then we learned a hard lesson about that very thing.

“If you stay you will become like them.” This is what we heard when we were seeking wise counsel in a very difficult situation so many years ago. This profound statement was filled with wisdom and we did find it to be true. In this current age of great apostasy, we (my husband and I) have learned that rather than affect the change we so longed for, we would end up giving in and tolerating unbiblical ideas and programs. Thankfully, we recognized that this is the first step on the path of deception. We are thankful for that wise counsel given so many years ago and continue to consider it whenever we are faced with a similar situation.

Fourth, don’t let yourself be ruled by the crowd, the trends, or by what’s popular.

Many, many years ago now, I spoke up against a false teacher that was being brought into the youth group at the church where I attended. At this time, this particular teacher was becoming well-loved in evangelical circles and my words were not well-received. I found myself second-guessing myself. But then I’d go to scripture, compare what this teacher was saying to the scripture, and realize afresh that–if one was judging this man by scripture–that he must be classified as a false teacher.

Many years passed and then one day, I remember very specifically realizing that this same teacher had now made his heresy abundantly clear through books he wrote and associations he had.

This experience reminded me to stand up for the truth, no matter what the world (and the mainstream church) is saying. It just doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is: What does God say?

Fifth, find your identity in God and not in the good opinions of fickle man.

I hate to even use the word “identity”. It brings the idea of psychological babble to my mind. But what I am referring to here is the deep need that we all have to be loved. We try to get that love through the wrong places and even as born-again believers we can find ourselves caving and compromising because we want so badly to be liked by our families, our friends, our co-workers, and our church families.

God has taught me much about this through the past thirteen years of blogging and through many other situations in my life. And, yet, I still battle this desire almost every day. I don’t want people to think I’m strange, negative, or divisive (or any other number of words that have been used to describe me in my efforts to stand for God’s Word).

And, always, in the midst of these accusations, I eventually come back to the same conclusion: God is my all. I need nothing else.

As a side note, I have learned that I must, with humility, evaluate every accusation and examine myself. I cannot simply and pridefully assume that someone is wrong when they say something about me I don’t like. And so that must be our first step as we encounter the opinions of others. And changes should be made if we find ourselves lacking in love or some other godly attribute. But, when it’s all said and done, it is God we must please and not man. Paul puts it like this in Galatians–

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)

The only approval that matters is Christ’s. If we are worried about winning the approval of man we are going to be sorely disappointed as those who seek to speak truth. For man is generally uninterested in the spiritual truths of the Bible and will hate the one who shares it (John 15:18-20; I John 3:13). In fact, Peter tells us to expect to suffer for the sake of righteousness–

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (I Peter 4:12-14)

Sixth, keep your eyes on Jesus.

This can be so hard in the midst of such great apostasy and in a world heaving with trials and troubles, the likes of which we’ve never seen before. But as the prophet Isaiah reminds us so clearly, only the person whose mind is stayed on the Lord will experience the peace that is promised to the children of the Lord–

You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
(Isaiah 26:3-4)

It is when I allow my eyes to focus in on the troubles and the hurts and the pain that my spirit is so disturbed with in me. As one of my favorite hymns puts it–

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Seventh, and last but not least, give great effort to prayer and Bible study in the hard decisions.

Oh, what a faithful God we serve! If we will but seek Him and His will for our lives, He will make it known. Of course, it is not always on our timeline, is it?? But He cares about us and loves us so much (Romans 5:8; I Peter 5:7) and He has promised to guide and direct us as long as we aren’t leaning on our own understanding or continuing in willful sin but, instead, fearing and trusting Him above all else (Proverbs 3:5-8).


I am not sure if this of encouragement to anyone or not. I hope that it is. And, remember, that you are not alone. Not everyone is enamored with the modern fodder that goes by the name of Christianity. Not everyone is leaving the Bible behind. And not everyone has turned their back on biblical authority. And, through God’s faithfulness, you may find a little pocket in your own community of like-minded believers that will encourage your soul. But, if not, then God will provide you encouragement through some other avenue. Perhaps even through this blog.

Oh, my dear readers, stay the course. It would seem that our redemption draweth nigh! Let’s continue to proclaim the Gospel and stand for the Truth until the Lord returns! Maranatha!

Life and Legos

Have you ever had assumptions made about you? People are really great at assuming. They assume they know your motives, your reasons, your “whys”. They make assumptions about choices and decisions. These assumptions are often fueled by rumors. Rumors that we are all too quick to listen to and pass along.

These rumors and assumptions can really get us down for we are rarely given an opportunity to defend ourselves.

Have you ever been faced with a terrifying bit of news? Of course you have. Whether it’s an unwelcome diagnosis from a doctor or a piece of news that comes to our ears through a news anchor, we have all had those moments.

These terrifying moments can bring on major fear and anxiety for they make us realize that we have zero control over what happens.

Have you ever been accused wrongly or unfairly treated? Whether it is through favoritism, a misunderstanding, or because of standing for what is right, these moments come to us all.

These unfair accusations can make us really angry, because, well…it’s just not fair!

Have you ever been broken-hearted or hopeless? Perhaps through the loss of a loved one, the betrayal of a friend, or the realization that you will have chronic pain for the rest of your life?

These moments of despair can make us depressed and zap all the joy from our lives because we just don’t feel like going on.

__________________________

I just finished reading the *biography of John Bunyan. He dealt with all of these things and more. As a young man, assumptions were made about him because he had been quite the wicked young man. The Lord got a hold of him and radically changed him but people just couldn’t forget the old man. He faced more trouble when his young wife died and left him with four young children to care for. Later on, he received the news of a prison sentence for a crime that wasn’t even a crime by the law of the land. It was totally and utterly wrongful imprisonment. While imprisoned, his precious Mary, his oldest (and blind) daughter passed away. When he was finally released from prison, his rabid opponents tried to stop his ministry through rumors and wrong accusations.

John found himself in a prison cell for twelve years. The religious wars in England at the time were ferocious and the tides turned every which way at any time. But, no matter which way it turned, his young wife (his second wife) found herself up against a brick wall in any effort to get him released.

Now, he could have grown depressed or angry. He could have ended up languishing in bitter disillusionment and unabated fury. But he didn’t.

Instead, he picked up quill and paper and started writing. And kept writing. And then wrote some more. His best known work is called Pilgrim’s Progress and is still a best seller among Christians today!

What was his key? Why could he continue on, despite the ill treatment and the heartbreak in his life?

There’s a small quote of his that shows us how he managed to do this. I have been mulling it over and over in my mind since I have first read it. I believe it is the key for us all–

“If ever I would suffer rightly I must first pass a sentence of death upon everything that can properly be called a thing of this life, even to reckon myself, my wife, my children, my health, my enjoyments, and all as dead to me and myself as dead to them. The second was to live upon God that is invisible.”

You see, he was putting scripture into practice. Paul basically told us this same thing in Philippians 3:8–

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

And so we must realize that it’s only in releasing our grip on the things of this world that we can experience the peace and joy that God has promised. It’s only in surrendering our sense of fairness, our reputations, our family members, our health, our finances, our futures to God and His Sovereign will that we can conquer our fears, worries, anger, and despondency.

This brings to mind an example of this I saw just a few years ago lived out right in front of my eyes. How well I remember the calm acceptance of my brother and his wife as they faced the fact that her journey on this earth was winding down to an end. It is because they were learning to release the things of this life to grasp instead the bright shining eternal gift of Christ.

As believers, the more we die to self and gain Christ, the more we are victorious in our Christian lives.

This isn’t exactly what most want to hear. In our self-obsessed culture, we want God to fulfill our dreams and pour down blessings.

But the actual blessings we receive from God aren’t all that appealing to the carnal soul.

__________________________

The other week, my son came into the house and said, “We have lots of legos!” I was confused and followed him out the door. What I saw sitting in the bed of his truck were 5-6 boxes of varying sizes filled with legos! A customer’s children had grown tired of legos and she didn’t want to bother selling them, so she asked if we wanted them. My son loaded them up and brought them home. Thousands of dollars worth of legos.

When our grandchildren laid eyes on those boxes they grew wide with excitement. As we pulled one off the truck and they saw all of the pieces and parts and potential, they were thrilled. Particularly the oldest, who at six years old, could really appreciate them.

Now, to an adult or a small baby, eh… who cares. Legos are not really their thing, right? Not really considered that big of a blessing. And maybe even a nuisance.

But to a child? Wow.

I think God’s blessings are a bit like that. They don’t look all that attractive to the unbeliever. Forgiveness of sins and peace with the God of the Universe? Eh. Not all that important, as they yearn after the worthless “fool’s gold” of this world. Peace and joy in the midst of trial? But they want promises of NO trials.

It isn’t until we are saved that God’s blessings fill us with awe and appreciation. Because they are specifically for those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and eternal life.

And so victory and blessing in the Christian life isn’t going to look all that appealing to the unbeliever or perhaps even to the immature believer.

It isn’t until we give up the temporal for the eternal that we begin to understand.

 

I wish I could say I am able to live out the truth of John Bunyan’s statement above. I wish I could say that God’s blessings are always enough for me. But, unfortunately, in my battle with my flesh and my {ever-loosening but still tight} grip on this world, I cannot. I can only write about it in hopes to encourage us all towards this ideal, knowing that God will faithfully continue His work in those of us who are His as we journey together towards the eternal city.

 

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13

 

 

*A Pilgrim Path: John Bunyan’s Journey by Faith Cook. Highly recommend!

 

That Elusive Contentment

I sat at my computer working on one of my least favorite jobs in our landscaping company. It’s not something I have to do often but it is something that needs to be done. I reminded myself how much I hate this job (inside my head) a few times before remembering a conversation I had had with my youngest daughter a few days before.

She was telling me how she thrives on trying new things and pursuing new hobbies but that sometimes there are seasons in life that there is no time for that because there are other priorities. And how important it is to find contentment even when there isn’t the next and new hobby or adventure or experience. She went on to say how sad it is that her generation is being taught to always look for the next “experience” to fulfill them.

And that is what has happened. While my generation was about getting stuff, her generation is about getting experiences. Many of them hop from one to the next. Their contentment is driven by these new experiences.

But it matters not whether we search after contentment in stuff or in experiences. Both are deceiving us into believing contentment can be found outside of God.  In fact, our search for contentment in anything outside of God is fruitless and disappointing.

As I sat there at my computer, I thought about the impatience I feel when I am doing a job I don’t like. Let’s just get this over with and move on. But this time–and maybe for the first time ever–I took a moment to think about why I am telling myself I hate this job. It really is not that bad. God has given me the tools to do it and it’s a small part of my life. And I suddenly recognized the need to be content even in doing this mundane, ordinary job that I don’t like.

This really made me reflect on this idea of contentment. So many of us spend our lives jumping from one stage, one experience, one remodel, or one big purchase to the next. We have been taught that contentment comes with change. And so we are constantly changing.

Our culture has molded us to want and desire change. How often do we find a favorite scent or flavor of something just to find it has left the store shelves never to return? Or we go into the bank and the person you’ve talked to forever has been moved to a different branch? Just because. (That actually happened to me many years ago– my bank at the time moved their employees every three months so you could never get to know any of them. That was when I left that bank.)

But somehow in the midst of the constant changing, we became convinced that change is what it will take to make us happy. If my kid will just reach this stage. Or if my husband would just do this. If we’d just make more money or be able to redo the kitchen. Or if we could just lose weight or get a college degree. You can fill in your own sentence here. We all have our own “next thing”.

But I am learning–ever so slowly–that when that thing arrives that you thought would make you content, it only lasts for a bit and then your heart feels empty again and that next change calls your name. It’s a vicious and never-ending cycle.

So how do we find real and lasting contentment? Where does it come from and how do we get it?

As always, the Bible has something to say about this! Let’s take a look–

 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Before we get to that beautiful promise that God will never leave us or forsake us, we have this seemingly irrelevant sentence: Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. Why would the Holy Spirit direct the author of Hebrews to write that? Perhaps it is because God knows full well that His being with us and never forsaking us is enough. Why do we covet and crave the temporal? We can be content with whatever God has given us at any give time, knowing full well we rest wholly in His sovereign and loving care.

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (I Timothy 6:6-8)

These verses remind us that all of these things we hunger after are just temporary. We cannot take any of this with us when we die. It will all fade away back to dust. Does someone live a fuller, happier life because they have a million dollar house and can buy anything they want? Does someone live a fuller, happier life because they have traveled the world? Well, maybe…but maybe not. Because the Grandma over there who has submitted to the Lord’s will for her life and chosen to obey Him is going to have a much better life than the Grandma that hasn’t, even if they have everything money can buy. The young man who chooses to go into his trade job, joyfully living for Christ, is going to be far happier than the young man who has a prestigious career but follows his own selfish desires.

The choices we make in our lives that bring God glory always also bring us the greatest contentment. God’s plan and workings are both mysterious and quite amazing!

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)

These are probably the most well-known verses regarding this subject of contentment. When we read Acts, we recognize that Paul isn’t just writing this out of thin air. He’s writing it out of his own personal experience. He has both abounded and has suffered need. He has learned this the hard way.

So what is Paul’s key to this contentment? First, we see from verse 13 that he recognizes that contentment comes from Christ alone. That it is Christ who strengthens us in all circumstances and that turning our eyes upon Jesus and taking them off of our circumstances is the key to this contentment.

But I think we can also gain a little insight into this contentment of Paul’s by turning back a few chapters in Philippians–

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. (Philippians 3:7)

It is here that we recognize that Paul was able to find contentment because he understood that earthly gain matters not a bit. Christ was his center. Christ was the source of his contentment. To live is to live for Christ alone. To die is to be with Christ for all eternity.

________________________________________

And so scripture reminds us that true and lasting contentment isn’t found in changing our circumstances. Rather, it is found in changing ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:12-13).

May we turn to the Word as we seek after contentment rather than turn to the world with all of its empty promises and fleeting feelings. The world might make fabulous promises but they are barren and hollow. The Bible, on the other hand, not only makes promises, but God keeps every promise He makes. True contentment only comes through trusting and obeying God.

 

 

 

Eating and Exercising God’s Way

From the moment my daughter announced her wedding date, my mind started turning. Surely, this would be just the incentive I needed to spur on my weight loss. I grew excited by the prospect of having a really great reason to lose weight.

But week after week after week passed by and I could never go more than two or three days of “eating right” before I’d just cave. I’ve never been skinny but these past few years have really been a struggle, as my age, the craziness of the past two years, and my thorough enjoyment of food are a really really bad combination.

A month or so before the wedding, my goal of being a thin and attractive mother-of-the-bride started to fade from the realm of possible and became the impossible. I told myself all kinds of things, such as: “The day isn’t about me, anyway,” and “so many women my age have this problem” but it didn’t really help with the deep disappointment that reverberated in my soul every time I looked in a mirror that day. And when the photos came–well, as is often the case–they looked even worse than the mirror.

This was just not how I had hoped to look on my daughter’s wedding day.

But, you know, I’ve been thinking about this whole subject for a long, long time. As I’ve traveled along in this world beside both slender and heavy people; athletic-looking and comfy-plump looking; overweight, just-right, and too-skinny people, I’ve come to understand something important in this discussion on eating and exercising–

You cannot tell a person’s relationship with food and exercise by their weight.

We’ve all run into those people who can eat junk food all they want and never gain a pound. Are they more godly because of this? We’ve also run into those people who seem to gain two pounds for each fry they splurge on (you may even feel like that’s you!). Do those few extra pounds indicate disobedience to scripture? What about the people that put fitness ahead of God and their families? Is this good or right? I hope the answers to these questions is obvious.

So this brings us to the fact that we must understand that this question of eating and exercising goes so much deeper than how someone looks. SO. MUCH. DEEPER.

Perhaps some reflection on the questions below would be helpful for all of us–no matter what our weight. There are some things we should all think about when it comes to food and fitness.

I’ve been working through this for what seems like my whole adult life. I have struggled so to find peace. And this has led me to ask myself some really important questions:

What is my motive to lose weight/be healthy?

How does it look to please God with eating and exercising?

 

I don’t actually have the answers to this yet but I have learned a few things (or, at least, am in the process of learning these things)–

In regards to the first question: What is my motive?

• If I want to be thin for my own pride’s sake (to impress, to draw attention, to look better than others), that’s not the right reason.

• If I want to be healthy, that could be the right reason–if I want to be healthy for the right reason.

• If I want to be healthy in order to please and serve the Lord and those He has put in my life–then this is the right reason.

 

I’ve also learned some answers regarding the second question: How do I please God in this area of my life?

• There aren’t good foods and bad foods.

• It’s more about moderation and wisdom than it is about avoidance of certain foods or entire food groups or spending hours on a treadmill or at the gym.

• Consistent self-control and intentionality regarding eating and exercising–day by day, step by step– is so key. The latest fad diet or running a marathon might work…but these extremes rarely yield lasting results that keep us focused on the real reason we want to be as healthy as we are able to be.

 

God doesn’t say a whole about weight in His Word but we can gather a few things about this area of our lives from the following verses (this list is by no means exhaustive)–

Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit. (Proverbs 25:16)

We learn from this verse that there is nothing wrong with eating sweets– just don’t overdo it!

Do not mix with winebibbers,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags(Proverbs 23:20-21)

So we learn here that we must avoid gluttony (excessive eating or drinking). Some self-examination is probably helpful in determining what excess eating looks like for us personally.

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. (I Corinthians 10:14)

This verse reminds us not to give eating and exercising a wrong priority in our lives. (Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 9:24-27 that a physical runner receives a perishable crown, but the race we run as believers yields an imperishable crown. How important to remember that we must keep our spiritual race the priority!)

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

It is important that we discern truth from error as health and fitness movements sweep over our cultures. Is this practice, routine, fitness philosophy, song I’m exercising to–are these things compatible with being a Christian? It’s too much to get into here, but it is safe to say that much occultism has swept into the homes of Christians through this area of fitness and even in how we eat (see here for an example of how it’s influenced fitness and here for a way it is seeping into how we eat.)

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

We know that instead of eating when we are anxious we should, instead, turn to prayer. The answer for anxiety isn’t in food, it’s in keeping our mind stayed on God (Isaiah 26:3). How funny that some of us (me, for example) turn to food when we are anxious–as if that will help at all. Emotional eating is a result of not trusting God fully for the present life we live and the days that lie ahead. It’s a lifelong journey putting this into practice for those of us that struggle with this–but we must keep working at it for it is a command: Do not be anxious about anything. That’s what it says. And so we must learn to trust and pray instead of eat.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. (I Corinthians 3:16-17)

Here we see that we are the temple of God. We should treat our bodies as such, eating in moderation and with self-control and keeping ourselves as healthy as is possible. Of course, ultimately, this is in the Lord’s hands so we never want to believe that we can avoid disease and death by doing certain things. While this may certainly help we mustn’t count on this. We all know the healthy runner who has a heart attack or the health nut who gets cancer. These things are in God’s sovereignty and, ultimately, we must surrender our health to the Lord.

 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

and this one, too–

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. (Proverbs 31:30)

From these verses we women (in particular) learn perhaps the most important lesson of all when it comes to this topic of weight: We don’t want to be consumed with what we look like. If we are known for anything, may it be that we fear the Lord. May it be for our service to Him. Our top priority should always be seeking the Lord.

The world tells us what we should look like. But the Lord obviously doesn’t agree or there would be a verse like this in the Bible about it–such as “Thou shalt be thin all the days of your life” or “May there not be found an overweight brother or sister among you.”

Please don’t hear me saying it’s okay to be an unhealthy weight. The Bible teaches us to take care of our bodies. But, in doing so, it is so important that we have a biblical perspective on this: It’s about balance and pleasing the Lord. It’s not about what others think of us or our obsession with being the best-looking 30, 50, or 70 year old around.

So, yeah…

I obviously struggle in this area of my life. I am still such a work “in progress” and most times I don’t feel like there is much progress. Honestly, this is probably one of the most challenging areas of my life.

I hesitated to share this here…

I know assumptions are made when I share something so personal. Sometimes condescension or ridicule are in the thoughts of those reading, even if they are never spoken. This is a risk I take with this kind of post.

I have chosen to take this risk because I wonder if there is someone else out there like me? Someone who is working through the eating and exercising question. Perhaps today you just need to know that you are not alone. I am right there with you–looking to please the Lord in this area of food and fitness and trying to discern just what that looks like from God’s Holy Word.

 

 

What Really Matters When Life Falls Apart?

This world is full of so much suffering. The latest we’ve been hearing about (or experiencing, depending where we find ourselves in the world at this time) is the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. There are many different stories, accounts, and reports making their rounds and, as has become the norm for us, we wonder who we should believe. There are so many lies. So much false information.

This is why hearing from reliable, first-hand sources becomes important in these situations. What is really going on? While there is much we can’t know, there is also so much we do know.

We know, with certainty, that the lives of millions of people have been thrown into utter turmoil in just a few hours. Sleep, food, water, gas have all become so much more precious as the Ukrainians strive to survive in the midst of an invasion by a neighboring country. They are sleeping in bomb shelters or corridors in order to protect their lives. Can’t imagine any of them are getting much sleep in that situation, can you? The shelves at the stores are becoming empty and they are starting to wonder how they will get food. If they want to escape the city, they find they can hardly move as they fight their way through all of the chaos and confusion. If you can even get gas, which has become scarce. Overnight, apartment buildings of peaceful citizens have been bombed in several cities, leaving innocent victims without homes in the middle of the winter. If they even survived the bombing…

Some of these struggling people are our Christian brothers and sisters. There is a thriving church in that country. Years ago, I was in Ukraine for a couple of weeks and one of my fondest memories is worshiping with the Christians there. I can remember singing in English while they were singing Ukrainian and feeling our bond in Christ. If we are believers, then we have family in Ukraine. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ. And they are really struggling right now.

Last week, my daughter, Jess, sent a couple text messages that are the heart of today’s post. She said something that really made me reflect on what really matters when your life falls apart. Such as what is happening to our Ukrainian siblings right now. At this moment.

Basically, her thought was if your Christianity can’t sustain you through these times, then it probably isn’t genuine. If it doesn’t work for Ukrainians in bomb shelters, Chinese imprisoned for their faith, or Nigerians and Indians under death threats from extremists, is it even real? Or is it, rather, some made-up ridiculousness that has absolutely no value when life grows ugly?

Do you think our Ukrainian Christian brothers and sisters are talking about their dreams or self-fulfillment? Are they sitting around and discussing the feminist agenda or social justice? Do you think getting wealthy is even on their list of priorities?

When life falls apart, none of these things matter. Not even a bit.

What matters are God’s promises to sustain us. To be our shield. To protect and shelter us. To give us peace and joy and comfort. The kind of peace and joy that goes far beyond “happily ever after” because, let’s face it: We all know life doesn’t work like that. It is not happily ever after (at least not in this world) and Christians do die in explosions. They get cancer and heart attacks at the most inopportune times. They lose their businesses and their savings. They get viciously killed by those who oppose them.

Christians are not guaranteed a happy life without problems. There is nothing in the Bible to suggest we are. Christians are not to fight for social justice (a Marxist term, never a Christian one) or to fix the world. We aren’t to be focused on our own selfish agendas or to use God like a genie in the sky to get what we want.

If anything can show us that these types of “Christianity” are false, it is what is happening right now.

What exactly does the Bible teach us about the Christian life? What does it say we can expect?

Yes, we can expect trials and troubles. Rather than avoiding them, the Bible says God will use them to grow us (Romans 8:28-29; James 1:2-4).

Yes, we can expect to be hated by the world, because our own Lord was hated. But we know that this is proof that we are Christ’s own and that the Holy Spirit will help us endure…even unto death (John 15).

So, contrary to much that is taught from “Christian” pulpits today, we cannot avoid these things. There is no magic prayer or sum of money we can give to a {fake} apostle that is going to miraculously make our life wonderful.

But, while we know these things will come (and may already be upon us), we also have the rich and abundant promises of our Heavenly Father to carry us through–

He will never, ever forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

The peace He gives is not like the world; it surpasses understanding (John 14:27; Philippians 4:6-7).

He will walk with us through the “valley of the shadow of death” so that we need not fear evil (Psalm 23).

When we fall, we shall not be utterly cast down for the Father upholds us with His hand (Psalm 37:23-24)

Of course, as we read of God’s promises, we also find in scripture that there is an attitude we must have in order to experience these promises of God to the fullest–

We must keep our mind stayed on God (Isaiah 26:3)

We must trust in the Lord (Psalm 112:7)

We must choose not to worry or to be anxious (Matthew 6:34; Philippians 4:6-7)

We must cast our burden on the Lord (Psalm 55:22)

We must draw near to Him in truth (Psalm 145:18)

We must forsake the world and purify our lives (James 4:1-10)

And, then, after all of this, there is one important thing to remember that helps us to keep all of this in biblical perspective: The true believer knows that their best life isn’t now. It is the one to come!

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:1-4)

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

 

The verses I’ve shared above are just a small sampling of the promises, the hope, and even the instruction that we find in God’s Word for those who have repented and trusted in Christ alone for their salvation. We can experience peace in the midst of the greatest storm. It has been a great joy reading of Ukrainian Christians testifying to this very thing!

I don’t think there are any Ukrainians turning to God’s Word to find out how they can be rich this morning. They are trusting in God to see them through the next day, the next hour…perhaps just the next few minutes.

What kind of Christianity are you hearing about on Sunday mornings? What is your preacher preaching? Is he pointing you to God’s Word as the final authority for the Christian life? Is he interpreting the Bible historically, grammatically, and literally, rather than allegorizing great chunks of it and casting doubts on its authenticity?

These are important questions we need to ask ourselves as the world grows darker. If we aren’t being fed true, biblical Christianity we are at much risk for having shallow roots that will not hold in life’s storms, much less in the chaos and confusion that threatens to consume us in the days ahead. We must be in the Word, both personally and in our churches. If our church is not preaching biblical Christianity, then we should not stay.

I don’t know how I ended up on challenging you all on your churches, but I believe that it is probably a challenge that we all need to hear. So many sit under and are influenced by ungodly preaching these days. May we not be numbered among them.

 

 

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