Pushing Fear out of the Picture

When Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to the Presidency of the United States in 1932, his first inaugural address included these well-known words -  “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”  It was great rhetoric becoming part of our history, but was it true?  Not really! 

There were very real reasons for people to feel fearful – a broken economy, the growing threat of Nazism in Europe, the conflicts in Asia between Japan and China – for starters.  In reading the text of his speech, we hear him acknowledge the real troubles of the nation and the world, however  …  the President knew that he needed to inspire hope, to stir people from their helplessness, to turn the country around - and he did. Whatever you may think of his policies and programs, Roosevelt’s ability to lead and inspire is unquestionably legendary. 

Are you fearful?  Fear is rampant in these United States in 2023. We are afraid of each other, of violence, most mistrust our government. Church leaders do not fare much better with nearly a third of Americans, especially those under the age of 30, convinced of corruption and/or hypocrisy.  The constant drone of the news channels makes us feel powerless, turning every challenge into a potential apocalypse. With the rapid social change that is reshaping our society, many of us have allowed ourselves to be disconnected from larger social groups – church, extended family, community organizations -  that could offer stability. This makes us even more vulnerable to anxiety and the resulting reactionary choices that are so destructive in the long-term.

It does little good to tell a person “Don’t be afraid!”  Ah, right.
Fear is not simply erased. It is replaced, pushed out of our thoughts by truth, by faith, by reason, and by hope.

David, the writer of the Psalm, declares: "The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord protects me from danger— so why should I tremble? … Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." (Psalm 27:1,14, NLT)  See the refocus, the change of perspective in his song? 

Jesus asks us to think with faith so we can defeat fear. “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill the body; they cannot do any more to you. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill people and then throw them into hell. “What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows." (Luke 12:4-7, NLT)  His words are stark, arresting my attention – Fear God!  Yet … and then He reminds us of the heart of our Father – Who knows the plight of the sparrow and counts the hairs of our head.

The way to push fear away is to build faith, to ask the Spirit of God for eyes to see the hand of the Father that holds us securely.  We must not try to minimize the reality in which we live nor should ourselves to slip into the false peace of denial of the truth. There are very real issues to deal with - in your life and mine.  I am still wrestling with some physical things that are as yet unknown in their impact, but I choose to renew my hope in the fact that God has my life in His hands – now and for eternity – so I can know peace. What are you struggling with? What robs you of sleep in the small hours of the morning when you awaken in the darkness?  Take it to the Lord in prayer! Pray for faith to replace fear.

The word from the Word this day is a great Psalm, one I suggest you commit to memory. 
"Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes." (Psalm 37:3-7, NLT)

That, dear friend, is God’s prescription for peace. Let’s live it!

(Video of this blog at this link)

____________________

I Speak Jesus

I just want to speak the Name of Jesus

Over ev'ry heart and ev'ry mind

'Cause I know there is peace within Your presence

I speak Jesus

 

I just want to speak the Name of Jesus

'Til ev'ry dark addiction starts to break

Declaring there is hope and there is freedom

I speak Jesus

 

('Cause) Your Name is power

Your Name is healing

Your Name is life

Break ev'ry stronghold

Shine through the shadows

Burn like a fire

I just want to speak the Name of Jesus

Over fear and all anxiety

To ev'ry soul held captive by depression

I speak Jesus

 

Shout Jesus from the mountains

Jesus in the streets

Jesus in the darkness over ev'ry enemy

Jesus for my fam'ly

I speak the holy Name Jesus

 

Abby Benton | Carlene Prince | Dustin Smith | Jesse Reeves | Kristen Dutton | Raina Pratt

© 2019 Here Be Lions Publishing; Integrity's Praise! Music; BEC Worship; Raina Pratt publishing designee; Worship Coalition Songs; WriterWrong Music

CCLI License # 810055

Father!

This CoffeeBreak is one from the archives, but I felt impressed in my heart to remind you of God’s care today. Whatever you are going through, wherever you are, you need not feel alone, because you have a Good, Good Father. Read on …

I love the way my son, Sean, prioritizes family time, providing quality experiences and emotional for his children.  His faithful work in ‘fathering’ is giving his children real advantages in shaping whole and healthy lives. (PS- Moms are wonderful and I equally recognize applaud those women who love and care for kids heroically.) It is a fact that children who have a loving, involved Dad are doubly blessed. We know that children without an engaged, supportive father are more likely to live in poverty, to become involved with bad behavior, to abuse drugs and alcohol, and to drop out of school. We need to strengthen families, to help parents make their relationship strong so that children can reap the benefits.

Jesus in His model prayer begins, “Our Father in Heaven…”  Oh, that we would shape our prayers similarly.  More than God, or Lord, or Great One – He is relational; our Father! What a profound revelation. Of all the names and titles of God, Jesus reveals Him first as Father. In Matthew 7, that is expanded in meaning.  Jesus says  “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." (Matthew 7:9-11, NLT) I hope you feel His care, that you are able to lean on Him without wondering if He will show up or care!

Isaiah also teaches us about our Father. "O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." (Isaiah 64:8, NIV) 

When you pray does your heart open to a caring Father, or do you respectfully feel distance because you think of Him as King? Do you primarily think of Him as the “Boss,” fear Him as Judge, or beg Him because He is more like an ATM dispensing favors if the right code is entered?  

The wonder of our faith is that God knows us, cares for us.  With the faith to accept Him as our Father, we are ready to spiritually grow into maturity, able to trust Him, and we find a place of secure rest in our turbulent world.  Many who worship the Lord call Him “Father” but they do not love Him as such. Perhaps this is related to being ‘fathered’ poorly or not having an earthly father. Perhaps it is because of an abusive father. Or perhaps we just fail to understand what it means to trust His Fathering love. 

I often use the word, “Abba” when I pray, a word that Paul uses for God. Less formal, indicating a close relationship, it’s like calling God, “Dad.”  Here is the passage-  "You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children." (Romans 8:15-16, NLT)  I grew up with a strong father who I naturally called, “Dad.” But, I grew into another relationship with my father-in-law over time. In time it became natural to call him, “Dad,” too. Similarly, we can grow from God, our Father;  to God, our Abba.

There is one more part of fathering that I want us to think about for a moment before we go today . In a solid parental relationship, it is not all ‘bless you, wonderful child.’ Parents show love by providing appropriate boundaries and discipline. Earthly Dads don’t always get it right. I know that some of the ‘discipline’ of my children happened less for their correction and more because they frustrated me or because I was fatigued and/or impatient. 

Our Abba never acts because He is in a bad mood.  He will discipline us, sometimes sternly when needed, but always for our best.  Here is the truth -  "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" (Hebrews 12:7-9, NIV)

When you read of the Father-heart of God in the Holy Scripture, ask the Spirit to reveal the depth of Abba’s love to you.  That is one of the most healing truths in all of the Word.  Know this – God is not the dreaded Authority Figure who is watching for your failure so He can punish you.  He is the Waiting Father, (see Luke 15)  whose grace is amazing, whose mercy is deep and wide, and who acts always for your ultimate good. When that is settled into your heart and mind, you will pray with faith, live with peace, and find richer relationships in this world that rest in the security of your intimate love of the Father.

Our word from the Word is the prayer that Jesus taught us-

“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us today the food we need, and
forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:9-13, NLT)

__________________

Good, Good Father  

(a worshipful presentation of this song by HouseFires)

 

I've heard a thousand stories

Of what they think You’re like

But I've heard the tender whisper

Of love in the dead of night

You tell me that You’re pleased

And that I'm never alone

 

You're a Good Good Father

It's who You are

It's who You are

It's who You are

And I'm loved by You

It's who I am

It's who I am

It's who I am

 

I've seen many searching for answers

Far and wide

But I know we're all searching for answers

Only You provide

Because You know just what we need

Before we say a word

 

You are perfect in all of Your ways

You are perfect in all of Your ways

You are perfect in all of Your ways to us

 

Love so undeniable I can hardly speak

Peace so unexplainable I can hardly think

As You call me deeper still

As You call me deeper still

As You call me deeper still

Into love love love

 

You're a Good Good Father

It's who You are

It's who You are

It's who You are

And I'm loved by You

It's who I am

It's who I am

It's who I am

 

Anthony Brown | Pat Barrett

© 2014 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Common Hymnal Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Worthless, Discarded?

The teacher broke the trust of the parents, the school, and the students in his choices. He was dismissed, faced charges, and was convicted. Discussing this with a friend, I observed that his very wrong decisions did not negate all the good he had done through the years. Should he face justice? Yes, because there are consequences for crime. Should his actions be recognized for what they were; wrong and abhorrent? Yes, again. Should he be tossed from memory, his good years erased?  As a Christian, I don’t think so.  I think we all struggle with how to relate to failure, don’t we?  How do we find justice, yet offer forgiveness? What is the ultimate aim of justice – vengeance or rehabilitation? 

Since the first decades of Christian faith, the balance between compassion and conviction, punishment and restoration, has proven to be difficult to find. It is even more difficult in this era of a ‘cancel culture.’ 

Are you wrestling with how to relate to someone who has sinned or failed, especially one who claims to be a follower of Christ? I hope these few words are helpful.

The church in the ancient city of Corinth at first erred on the side of compassion, failing to address grievous sexual sin in their congregation. Paul wrote to them demanding that the man be put out of the fellowship, reminding them that sin, if left uncorrected, spreads like yeast in bread dough!  Those Christians had mistakenly taken pride in their broad-minded tolerance, unable or unwilling to call the sin what it was. The apostle took them to task for that and they ultimately did put the man out of their church fellowship.  But that is not the end of the story! In his second letter to that church, Paul urges them to forgive the man, apparently because his excommunication had brought about repentance. "Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discouraged that he won’t be able to recover. Now show him that you still love him." (2 Corinthians 2:7-8, NLT)

In the little letter to Philemon, Paul demonstrates compassion. While he was under arrest in Rome, somehow a man named Onesimus (oh-ness-i-mus), whose name means ‘useful,’  found him. They developed a friendship and Onesimus became a Christian believer. Paul had known him when he was a slave in the household of Philemon a Christian convert in Colossae. Onesimus had stolen from the house and run away to Rome, but the life of a runaway slave was one of fear, living in the shadows. Paul counseled this new Christian to go back to Philemon and make things right to escape the endless fear and to clear his conscience.  Was that an easy choice? Not at all. His punishment could be severe. He could be beaten or reduced to the lowest place in the household or even sold to some other household. The apostle, however, pens a letter to Philemon that is one of the most personal in the New Testament.  He becomes an advocate for both men, asking them in the name of Christ to go against social norms! He asks Philemon to forgive the man and to accept him into the household, not as a slave but as a brother in Christ!  In a play on the name of Onesimus he says "Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me." (Philemon 11, NIV)  What a letter of conviction, compassion, and restoration.

People will fail, fall, and disappoint us. We will sin against others in big and small ways.

Do you want to be reduced to that most awful moment, that terrible decision you made, judged as worthless, erased from life? 

Will you cancel all the good of another thinking only of the blot on the page as they were writing the story of their life?

Living in grace is a choice that frees us from becoming the judges of the world, that allows us to reach out to the one who has fallen flat on his face.

Grace does not require that we ignore or minimize wrong.  It means that every action, even justice, is framed by love, seeking God’s best for the one who has sinned.

The word from the Word invites deep thought, a balance of compassion and conviction in us. May the wisdom of the Spirit help us find our way.

"Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin,
you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.
And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ."
(Galatians 6:1-2, NLT) 

Lord, fill us with wisdom, making us capable of being persons of both conviction and compassion equally, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

(Video of this blog at this link)

____________________

Graves Into Gardens

I searched the world but it couldn't fill me

Man's empty praise and treasures that fade

Are never enough

Then You came along and put me back together

And every desire is now satisfied here in Your love

 

Oh there's nothing better than You

There's nothing better than You

Lord there's nothing

Nothing is better than You

 

I'm not afraid to show You my weakness

My failures and flaws

Lord You've seen them all

And You still call me friend

'Cause the God of the mountain

Is the God of the valley

There's not a place

Your mercy and grace won't find me again

 

You turn mourning to dancing

You give beauty for ashes

You turn shame into glory

You're the only one who can

 

You turn graves into gardens

You turn bones into armies

You turn seas into highways

You're the only one who can

 

Brandon Lake | Chris Brown | Steven Furtick | Tiffany Hudson

© 2019 Brandon Lake Music; Maverick City Publishing Worldwide; Music by Elevation Worship Publishing; Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055