Why pray when you can worry?

Why pray when you can worry?

Ebola!  It’s on our minds. The slide in the stock market worries some. ISIS makes war look more likely all the time.  And, then there is the stuff closer to home- sickness, troubled kids, job stress. So, are you feeling anxious?  

Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, had many reasons to be stressed. He headed an organization that was on college campuses nationwide. Vision always was bigger than funding. But, Dr. Bright was consistently a man of cheerful temperament, relaxed, and apparently beyond worry.  His son reports on the moment when he came to understand why his Dad was this way, even under pressure. It was an interview with a reporter from a Christian magazine.

"Dr. Bright," the reporter asked, "share with us a problem from your life that the average Christian could relate to."
"I don't have any problems" Bright replied.
The reporter pressed, "Don't over-spiritualize this. We all have problems."
"Young man," Bright replied, "you need to understand that I understand that I am a slave of Jesus. A slave doesn't have any problems. The only thing a slave has to do is what his master tells him to do. He doesn't have to be successful. When you really understand that, all the of the sudden, you don't have any problems anymore. All you have are opportunities to see God work."

The true antidote to anxiety is a radical choice of faith!  Again and again in the Bible, when God showed up to do something great, the first challenge He spoke was- “Fear not!”  It’s His invitation for us to get past our initial reaction centered around safety and security.  “Trust Me,” He says, “Don’t let fear take over.” 

The kind of faith that allowed Dr. Bright to live with serenity started before he made decisions. He chose to put God in charge - from the beginning.

Are you in a mess of your own making?  You can trust God for the wisdom you need to sort it out and get it right. He loves us even when we're dumb or sinful. James tells us "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind." (James 1:5-6, NLT)

Give yourself anew to the Lord. Say this out loud - "Lord God, I am your servant. I exist to do Your will, to fulfill your expectations, to carry out your purposes." Sum up the things that are making you impatient, that are keeping you awake at night, that make you weary from worry - write the list down.  Now, take it to the Lord and pray - "Lord, these are my concerns. I want to meet them in the way that You desire, for You know all my tomorrows, and You know what is best for me in the light of eternity." And then, leave them there. You can find peace - no matter the situation.

Here's a word from the Word to take with you today. ". . . serve each other in humility, for "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation." (1 Peter 5:5-10, NLT)

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Saint in Babylon

Our nation is less friendly to true Christianity with each passing year.  Our culture is defined by Self, sensuality, and materialism. God, though sometimes given a polite nod, is dismissed from education, public policy, and social debate.  We are not officially an atheistic society, but in terms of how we live our everyday lives, it is clear that a personal God, as taught in the Holy Scripture, is no longer foremost in our minds.

Some Christians are angry. Others are fearful. A few are ready to take to the streets or retreat to a ranch in Idaho.  Daniel’s story points in a different direction.  When he was taken to become a servant in the pagan palace, a real effort was made to change him – a new name, a new diet, new literature, stories, and gods; as well as a new language!  Yet, this godly man represented the Lord in Babylon, a city who very name symbolized rebellion against God.  He did so without anger, without threatening or complaining.  He was a ‘saint in Babylon!’  For 70 years, under four different regimes, his integrity, excellence in character, wisdom, and godliness was unmistakably having an effect on the powerful people of that society.

How did he do it?

He believed that the Lord was here, near, and directing both his life and history! When he was carried off from Jerusalem to Babylon while still a teenage boy, he did not see himself as a victim. He trusted that God was working out His plans.  In the opening lines of his book, he says, "The Lord gave him (the king of Babylon) victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God." (Daniel 1:2, NLT)

He remained committed to the Lord, without compromise. "Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way." (Daniel 1:8, NIV)  He was principled, not willing to excuse himself from the difficulties created by his faith in God.

He understood the wisdom of dialogue.  Daniel did not rail on the king, hurl threats that created animosity, or stir up rebellion. He asked for a test! He put his faith on the line in a defensible way.  “Test me,” he said with holy boldness!

He knew that it was God in him that was his real source of strength.  "God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and life. In addition, Daniel was gifted in understanding all sorts of visions and dreams." (Daniel 1:17, The Message)

God needs ‘saints in Babylon’ in 21^st century America!  Let’s commit ourselves to living like Daniel.  Instead of big mouths, let’s be known for having big hearts. Instead of being seen as angry people whose way of life is threatened, let’s be known for the love of Christ that keeps us secure when all the world is going to Hell around us. Instead of condemning the sins of the world from some imagined perch of superiority, let’s be the hands of Jesus that are extended to the broken, the lost, the hopeless.

Jesus did not call us into His Body so that we could live fat and happy lives in a perfect world. He called us to His Kingdom and commissions us to go and tell, to make disciples, to extend His grace and love to many – even at the cost of rejection, hostility, and a lion’s den, if necessary!  Here’s the word from the Word.  Remind yourself that you’re a saint in Babylon and that this is the Lord’s desire.  

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!

Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16, The Message)

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Shine Jesus Shine

Shine, Jesus, shine;

Fill this land

With the Father's glory.

Blaze, Spirit, blaze;

Set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, flow;

Flood the nations

With grace and mercy.

Send forth Your word, Lord,

And let there be light!

Lord the light of Your love is shining,

In the midst of the darkness shining.

Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us,

Set us free by the truth You now bring us,

Shine on me, shine on me!

Lord, I come to Your awesome presence,

From the shadows into Your radiance,

By the blood I may enter Your brightness,

Search me, try me, consume all my darkness.

Shine on me, shine on me.

Verse 3

As we gaze on Your kingly brightness

So our faces display Your likeness

Ever changing from glory to glory

Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story

Shine on me shine on me

Graham Kendrick

© 1987 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

Laughing in the cemetery

I finished up the burial service and spent a few moments with the family. While I walked to my car, I started to smile, then to chuckle, and finally, to laugh. Yes, it was ridiculous, from one point of view, to be laughing in a cemetery. 

Who laughs in such a place of sorrow? 

The words I had read from the Scripture as I stood beside the coffin at the grave took hold in my heart. Those words overwhelm the sorrow of death with God’s declaration.  And, yes, I laughed with real joyful hope in a cemetery.

"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, NIV)

Lord in the sky, angels shouting commands, the trumpet of the Almighty summoning us home - it’s a grand scene defying human imagination! Paul tells us to share these words, not avoid them, to remember them often so we will stay encouraged.  Remembering our mortality and keeping the promise of the Resurrection always in the forefront of our minds will help us not to wander from the Way! We love life, and that is as it should be, but we can never forget we are destined to died. Our existence on this earth is limited. However, that fact need not be a terror to us. Why? Because heaven is waiting. At death we do not cease to exist, we begin to really live!  

Christian, we need to sing the songs of Heaven’s promise. We must not try to make what is temporary into our forever home.  If we do, we set ourselves up for awful sorrow and certain heartbreak.  Life will slip away.  Friends will die and grief will be too much to bear.  So we set our hearts on pilgrimage, we put our hope in Christ, and we live for our Home. 

Jesus says, “Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live." (John 14:1-3, The Message)

Here’s the word from the Word.  Let the wise call to living for eternity reshape your day and fill you with hope.  "You are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you- from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. 

Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives." (1 Peter 2:9-12, The Message)

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My Redeemer Lives

For I know my Redeemer lives,

And in the end He will stand on the earth!

For I know my Redeemer lives,

And in the end He will reign on the earth!

Though my flesh it be destroy'd

Yet, with my eyes I will see God.

For I know that my Redeemer lives

And I will stand with Him on that day!

Oh my heart it yearns within me,

For the day when Jesus returns.

Oh my heart it yearns within me,

For the day when Jesus shall reign.

Though my flesh it be destroy'd

Yet, with my eyes I will see God.

For I know that my Redeemer lives

And I will stand with Him on that day!

John Willison

© 1993 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Vineyard Music USA)

CCLI License # 810055

What can you do with 6 seconds?

If you're one of those people who think time is disposable, let me tell you about a football game that got my attention on Sunday. The Dolphins were leading the Packers and running out the clock. It looked like the game was over. With a couple of minutes left the Packers drove for the goal. At 30 seconds, the situation was looking grim, then there was a pass completion that created a first down. With just seconds left on the clock Aaron Rodgers found a receiver and, from the 4 yard line, with 6 seconds left to play, threw a pass that won the game.

What can you do with 6 seconds? 

You could say - "thank you," and make a harried clerk feel human.

You could breathe a prayer for a person whose sadness you took time to notice.

You could take a time-out to re-focus your attention on the Lord before you blow up in anger.

You could hug your child or your spouse.

You could make a decision that will shape the rest of this day.

Our 'wins and losses' are often shaped by choices made in a second's time! 

Rich and poor, young and old, we have an equal 24 hours in the day. What will we do with the gift of time?  God runs the clock of eternity, though. We don’t know if we're playing in the final seconds, do we? So making wise use of those minutes, hours, - yes, even those seconds - is an important choice. 

Solomon, "the Teacher," cynically writes of the life he lived in the book of Ecclesiastes. In one breath, he rants about the emptiness of life, 'meaningless, a chasing after the wind,' but then he turns to muse about the value of time. Read his words thoughtfully:
"There’s an opportune time to do things,
a right time for everything on the earth:
A right time for birth and another for death,

A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.
But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does?" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-9, The Message) 

His cynicism creeps into the end of even that thought!  Does it make a difference? Yes, it does!  Even Solomon acknowledges that making the right choice, that using 'just 6 seconds' wisely is important. In the final chapter of his book, he concludes:  "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, NKJV)

What are you choosing to do with the next 6 seconds?

Make it a wise choice, one that is focused on pleasing God and building an eternal treasure. If you're 'just killing time,' I pray that the Spirit's conviction will lead you to change your ways - NOW!
"Live wisely .... and make the most of every opportunity." (Colossians 4:5, NLT)

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My Life Is In Your Hands

My life is in Your hands,

My heart is in Your keeping,

I'm never without hope,

Not when my future is with You.

My life is in Your hands,

And though I may not see clearly,

I will lift my voice and sing,

'Cause Your love

Does amazing things.

Lord, I know my life

Is in Your hands!

Life can be so good!

Life can be so hard!

Never knowing what each day

Will bring to where You are.

Sometimes I forget

And sometimes I can't see

That whatever comes my way,

You'll be with me!

Bill Montvilo | Kathy Troccoli

© 1993, 1994 Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc. (Admin. by BMG Music Publishing)

Floating Note Music, Inc. (Admin. by Unaffiliated Admin (UA))

CCLI License # 810055