We Haven’t Been Given a Spirit of Fear

The other day I felt myself becoming anxious. I guess it was brought about by the constant barrage of news: the latest state of the pandemic; conflicts between the vaccine vs. no-vaccine, mask or don’t-mask camps in our society; reports of shenanigans going on in the federal government that mainstream media choose to ignore; global turmoil and the ever-present threat of terrorism; escalating violence; unsettled and sometimes severe weather; the ongoing immigration crisis, and rapidly rising prices in the grocery stores. Is that enough to feel somewhat fearful?

Imagine being a little kid with a mean parent constantly telling you, “The bogey man’s going to get you! There’s a monster under your bed!” At first you might shrug off the warnings, but after hearing them over and over, it would be hard not to believe something foul is afoot.

For more than a year-and-a-half, we’ve been subjected to the equivalent of Chicken Little’s “the sky is falling!” shrieks in the old nursery tale. It seems every day we’re hearing about terrible new developments. It gives a different slant to the saying, “No news is good news.” Because good news seems in extremely short supply these days.

 

Whether browsing social media or just walking through a retail store, we can sense the anxiety, the fear that seems to pervade everyday life. It didn’t used to be this way. I remember good old days when relative calm ruled, when worried looks were the exception rather than the rule. So, what’s the solution? How do we “immunize” ourselves from anxiety attacks?

 

What’s needed, I believe, is a return to the basics, recapturing the fundamental values that have sustained many of us through the years. For those of us who are people of faith, it means remembering our confidence is not in the government and elected officials. It’s not in the ominous words of network and cable news anchors and commentators who claim to possess the truth. It’s returning to a commitment to ”Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

 

One recent morning after a restless night of sleep, I found my mind racing through some of the concerns listed above. Being a “fixer” by nature, I kept wondering what could be done, how these pressing problems could be solved and dispelled. But I knew I had no answers, and there’s little evidence that our “leaders” at the national level have any either. So who does have the answers?

 

That’s when I remembered a very important admonition about fear and anxiety: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). What does this mean? A theologian could write an entire book dissecting and analyzing this single verse, but here are a few of my own conclusions.

 

For one thing, it tells us not to fear. But I think most of us would agree that’s easier said than done. Then why does it say we don’t have “a spirit of fear”? Because God has given us to power to overcome the fears bombarding us from the world around us. We can concentrate on His love for us, and His promises that He’s interested in giving us His very best. Our “sound minds” should concentrate on truths revealed in the Scriptures.

 

In one of the major prophetic books we read the assurance, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). We find a similar promise from the writings of another prophet: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

 

I’m reminded of the account in Matthew 14:25-32, when Jesus’ disciples were in a boat at sea on a stormy night. In the wee hours, they saw Jesus walking on the sea toward them. After Jesus told them, “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid,” Peter asked, “command me to come to You on the water.” When Jesus said, “Come,” the impetuous disciple stepped out of the boat. 

 

However, when he looked around and encountered the strength of the wind, Peter took his eyes off Christ. As he began to sink, he cried out, “Lord save me!” Reaching out His hand and grabbing hold of Peter’s hand, Jesus uttered words we all should take to heart: “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

 

There are times we feel as if we’re at sea, too, buffeted relentlessly by waves and winds way beyond our control. Desperate and dismayed, we cry out, “Lord, save me!” With His power and a love that exceeds anything we can comprehend, He promises to reach out and, with a knowing look, to ask, “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?” 

Who Says Walking by Faith Isn’t Fun?

Some years ago, action was taken by pro football officials to eliminate excessive celebrations in the end zone after touchdowns. Players were going overboard in their revelry. As a result, some critics said the NFL suddenly stood for “No Fun League.” 

 

What brings this to mind is there’s a similar opinion some hold that if people commit their lives to following Jesus Christ, they can’t have any fun anymore – that in becoming part of God’s family, they’d also be joining a “no fun league.”

 

It probably starts with how one defines “fun.” It’s true that after a life-changing encounter with Jesus, sometimes things that captivated us and commanded our attention lose their appeal. That’s why 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

 

For instance, before I became a follower of Jesus, I avidly read horror novels. The thrills, twists and turns of the stories fascinated me. But over time I realized those story lines and plots were detrimental, pointing me away from Christ, rather than toward Him. I determined that if I were to succeed in following the admonition of Acts 17:28, “For in him we live and move and have our being,” that treasured pastime was one of the “old things” that needed to pass away.

 

My reasoning: Why focus on evil – there’s so much of it in the world already – when I can concentrate on “renewing my mind,” as Romans 12:2-3 puts it, by thinking and meditating on what’s good, being “able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” 

 

It’s been said many times, “if sin wasn’t fun, we wouldn’t want to do it.” We’re never tempted to eat food we don’t like. But if you’re on a diet, a juicy cheeseburger or thick milkshake can seem almost irresistible. The “original sin” in the Bible was like that. God had given Adam and Eve freedom to partake of anything in the garden of Eden, except for one thing – the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Rather than trusting the Lord’s one restriction and abiding by it, they were enticed to sample from it anyway. This goes down as perhaps the worst decision in history.

 

Similarly, I’ve known men who found themselves consumed with pornography. They knew it was wrong, that it was not only unhealthy emotionally and spiritually, but also detrimental to their relationships with their wives. But because of the “fun,” their struggles continued.

 

Addressing this, the Bible tells how sin, so very enticing, can lead to disastrous consequences we never imagined. "For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword" (Proverbs 15:3-4).

 

There are no simple answers or solutions for what are often called “besetting sins.” But a good place to start would be to follow an admonition from Israel’s King David, learned through experience: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word…. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalms 119:9-11). If God’s truth is stored in our hearts, we have a powerful weapon to ward off temptation.

 

Equally important is recognizing that God is not a divine spoilsport, making rules to keep us from having fun. Being our Creator, our Father who knows best, His commands and statutes were established for our good. This is why Jesus could boldly tell His followers, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly (to the full)” (John 10:10).

 

“Abundant life,” if we believe the messages TV shows and movies, commercials and advertising provide, is very different from what we see in the Scriptures. Much of what the media present to us appeals to our egos, sensuality and self-gratification, but that is not God’s way. 

 

The real path to a full, abundant, rewarding life is not by receiving and consuming, but by giving of ourselves. Jesus explained, “If anyone would come after me, he must take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it” (Luke 9:23-24). He also said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), another principle we rarely hear from our secularized world.

 

I can attest that for more than 40 years, after Jesus invaded my life and began His lifelong process of transforming me into that “new creation” referred to above, it’s surpassed fun – an adventure filled with more surprises and more joy than I could have ever imagined. I never would have even hoped for the opportunities the Lord has presented to me. 

 

And it’s the same for anyone genuinely committed to serving Him. That’s why Jim Elliot, a missionary who died at the hands of the primitive Aucas in Ecuador in 1956, could write with great conviction, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

 

When we give our hearts and lives to Jesus, it may mean that our personal definitions of “fun” changes, perhaps drastically. But if we had the choice of returning to the life we had before Christ, most of us would shout, “No way!” Because time has taught us that indeed, the Lord is “able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask of imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). And that’s where the fun is!

Trust: Something Even Toddlers and Puppies Understand

When was the last time you saw a toddler obviously worrying about what mom or dad was going to do? Or a puppy sitting in its bed, stewing over what decisions its owner might make? Probably never, because trust is something that comes naturally to children and little pets – at least until that trust is broken, and even then it usually has to happen multiple times.

So why do we have so much trouble trusting in God, putting our faith into action? We can argue that toddlers and puppies have very simplistic thinking. They don’t know how the trust placed in people can be betrayed, how lofty illusions can be shattered. And having learned that through difficult life experiences, we transfer our acquired skepticism to the Lord.

 

And yet, trusting God regardless of the circumstances is one of the hallmarks of a walk of faith. My life verse (actually two verses) is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” I can’t tell you how many times I clung to that passage, desperately trusting in the Lord and His direction, especially when the outcome of what I was struggling with at the time was very much in doubt.

 

We live in perilous, unprecedented times. For those of us who had become nestled in our cozy little comfort zones, the uncertainty of the current chaos has been more than unsettling. Those things we did place our trust in – our routines, resources and everyday rhythms – have been turned upside-down, leaving us frustrated at best, fearful and filled with foreboding at worst.

 

But the good news is, what a wonderful time for trusting in the One that is unchanging, always faithful and never failing: the Lord, Jehovah God, Yahweh. The Scriptures repeatedly exhort us to do this, to trust Him when circumstances seem dark, uncertain and discouraging. 

 

A good friend used to tell men he was mentoring when they came to him with tales of woe, “You’re in a great position!” By this he meant that once they had exhausted every option they could think of, when their own efforts to solve their problems had fallen short, they were finally at a point when they had no alternative but to trust God. 

 

Another favorite passage affirms the importance – the utter necessity – of trusting God, even when He doesn’t respond according to our timetable and often in ways different than we had expected or hoped: “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:2-7).

 

Of course, developing such trust isn’t automatic; it’s certainly not easy. Even if we reflect on wonderful things the Lord has done for us in the past, it’s not uncommon to take an attitude of, “Yeah, but what have You done for me lately?”

 

But experience – trusting God in small things, then bigger ones, seeing how incredibly He worked in and through our circumstances, often in ways we could never have envisioned – can serve as a great asset as we seek to trust Him in new and unfamiliar developments and dilemmas.

 

Later in the psalm, the writer King David observes, “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; although he stumbles, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (Psalm 37:23-25). What an incredible assertion, particularly when external forces cause us to doubt.

 

What has you anxious today? What keeps you awake at night? You might be thinking, “Don’t get me started!” Yes, from the unrelenting cries of “the sky is falling” we receive daily from the media to the inevitable challenges we face in our families and our homes, we have many worrisome things from which to choose. But this is why we need to rest in the promises we find in the Scriptures, trusting that out of the chaos God will create something beautiful and blessed.

 

As He was concluding His earthly ministry, Jesus gave His followers this assurance: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). In the Scriptures we find, so many times that it’s impossible to overlook, God’s central promise: “Trust Me.” I don’t know about you, but I need this reminder today.

Avoiding Becoming a Spiritual ‘Dead Sea’

Beautiful water around Italy's island of Capri.

One of the pleasures of travel is being able to see spectacular locales firsthand that you’ve only read about or seen in pictures. Having been to the Grand Canyon, the Colosseum in Rome, the island of Capri, the Statue of Liberty, and standing among the skyscrapers of New York City, I can attest to how photographic images can’t begin to capture their wonder and grandeur.

I’ve never seen the Dead Sea in person, however, so I must rely on descriptions of this unusual body of water. Bordered on the east by the Jordan River and on the west by Israel and the West Bank, it’s an endorheic lake, which means it retains water because it has no outlet streams to other bodies of water. It’s also hypersaline, meaning it retains salt levels much higher than ocean water. As a result, it hosts virtually no aquatic life, other than bacteria and microbial fungi. 

 

Lacking an inflow of fresh water and outflow to a river or ocean, the Dead Sea is basically stagnated. So what? I think it’s significant because it provides a metaphor for the spiritual life of some who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ.

 

Addressing a crowd that had gathered, Jesus Christ said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37-38). And yet, have you noticed that sometimes when we encounter people who claim to be Christians, we don’t sense any “living water” flowing from them?

 

In his devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers alluded to this: “We are to be fountains through which Jesus can flow as ‘rivers of living water’ – irrepressible life in blessing to everyone. Yet some of us are like the Dead Sea, always receiving but never giving, because our relationship is not right with the Lord Jesus…whenever the blessings are not being poured out in the same measure they are received, there is a defect in our relationship with Him.”

 

Most of us have been to oceans, seas or lakes that were teeming with life – fish, plants and birds. One characteristic they have in common is the continual inflow and outflow of water. But when this reciprocal inflow/outflow does not occur, as with the Dead Sea, life and growth become impossible.

 

I’m reminded of a friend years ago who told about a man he met who made a point of attending every Christian seminar, workshop and just about every other gathering he heard about, yet never shared his faith with others. When my friend asked why, the man responded, “Oh, I just don’t know enough yet.”

 

Repeatedly in the Scriptures we learn about the importance of not only receiving but also giving out from what we’ve received. In Luke 16:10-11, Jesus was teaching about stewardship: 

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”

 

Although the context concerns financial and material possessions, this principle also can be applied to spiritual truth God entrusts to us. Years ago, I came across a verse in one of the earlier NIV translations that offers a simple yet profound message: “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ” (Philemon 6).

 

“Sharing our faith” means more than presenting the gospel message to nonbelievers. It also includes sharing with fellow followers of Jesus who He has been teaching us, both through His Word and our life experiences – how He uses them for our good, as well as how He works through us in ministering to other people. And living out our faith for the benefit of others.

 

How we use spiritual truth and understanding the Lord gives to us is a true issue of stewardship. We can hold onto it, selfishly keeping it to ourselves like a prized possession, or pass it along to others, enriching their lives and then allowing God to pour more into us.

 

We can either become a spiritual “Dead Sea,” or perhaps a spiritual equivalent of the Adriatic Sea, known for its crystal clear, blue waters that remain vibrant because of its constant inflow and outflow. To gain a fuller understanding of all Christ has to offer us, we need to share what we already possess. 

If ‘Cancel Culture’ Is Right, We All Should Be Canceled

Cancel. It used to be when we canceled things, it was postage stamps, or reservations, or subscriptions, or appointments, or TV shows. But now we can cancel…people. Who knew?

 

I’m not sure when the “cancel culture” mania began, but it stood up, front and center, during the confirmation hearings for then-U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Adversarial members of the Senate committee kept bringing up allegations from Kavanaugh’s past, hoping those could “cancel” his appointment to the nation’s highest court. But since then, canceling people has turned into a virtual national pastime.

Seems like almost every day we’re hearing about notables becoming discredited for things they have done or said, whether recently or in the past, sometimes distant past.  Entertainers, politicians, business leaders, pro athletes and folks from many other walks of life can suddenly be “canceled” because of some seemingly offensive behaviors in their past.

 

I find this troublesome on several levels, but I’ll look at only two. First of all, the unvarnished truth is that everyone of us deserves to be “canceled.” As Romans 3:10-12 unequivocally declares, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God…there is no one who does good, not even one.” And just verses later the writer, the apostle Paul, perhaps for emphasis, asserts, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

 

We might not be guilty of the same sins as another person, but each one of us – if we’re honest enough to admit it – has done enough wrong to disqualify us from assessing what others have done or said. In reformed theology, it’s called “total depravity,” meaning even our best efforts are tainted by sin.

 

In his little devotional book, Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen, Charles Ringma observes, “We all have blind spots…we often see quite clearly what others are doing wrong, but fail to acknowledge our own struggles or our own complicity. We talk about ‘them’ failing to do this or wrongly doing ‘that’…. But we fail to acknowledge what lurks in our own hearts and fail to see how we often contribute to the problem…. So much of what is wrong with our world, church, and workplace is what is also wrong with us.”

 

It's like looking in a mirror and accusing others of the flaws we see in ourselves. In fact, the Scriptures offer a similar description: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his fact in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he sees” (James 1:22-24).

 

Would you be willing, as Israel’s King David was, to invite God to “Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High” (Psalm 7:8)? How do you think you’d measure up?

 

Apparently throughout history, humankind has demonstrated a proclivity for passing judgment on others, “canceling” them, we might say. Because many times the Bible warns against appointing ourselves as judge and jury over others. In James 4:12, for instance, we’re told, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, he one who is able to save and destroy. But you – who are you to judge your neighbor?” 

 

During His “sermon on the mount,” Jesus Christ gave perhaps the clearest reason for avoiding our tendency to quickly pass judgment on others. He said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?... You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).

 

The other day, a college football coach made a derogatory comment about his team in jest, but many who heard it took immediate offense. If it were up to them, this well-known coach would already be “canceled.” But if we’re honest, we can all look back over the course of our lives and remember things we did and things we said that, if they were to come to light today, would make us “cancel culture” targets.

 

One time, recounted in John 8:3-9, self-righteous Jewish leaders – “teachers of the law and Pharisees” – brought to Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery. (Curiously, they did not also bring the man.) They demanded that He tell them what should be done with her, since the Old Testament law called for stoning. Jesus’ response was to bend down and write something on the ground with His finger. No one knows what it was. Perhaps He was jotting down some of the sins the leaders had committed. 

 

But when He was done, Jesus stood up and said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Their reaction was priceless – one by one they went away, without saying another word.

 

Perhaps there’s an important lesson here for all of us. While we’re not told to overlook, ignore – or even condone – the wrongdoing of others, neither are we authorized to “cancel” others, especially when we’re probably guilty of similar misdeeds, or even worse. As the adage goes, “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” 

A Practical Template for Undertaking Critical Projects

We spend much of our everyday lives going through the motions: Waking up, making breakfast, getting cleaned up, fixing the bed. Going to work, whether that means riding in the car (or a bus or a train) or just moving to the next room and the computer for another day at the home office. Driving to the grocery store and collecting what’s on the shopping list. Turning on the TV and seeing if there’s anything worth watching.

 

Sometimes, however, important tasks or projects arise, ones that can’t be carried out without some intentionality. It might be the need for a major, unexpected purchase; the necessity to “reset” plans that have been in place for a while, or the realization that an important project can’t be delayed any longer. Something must be done, but where do you start?

 

I enjoy reading the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, which tells about the trusted cupbearer for King Artaxerxes of Persia. A brother had told Nehemiah about the sorry state of once-proud Jerusalem, its wall broken down and gates burned. Even though he had spent most or all of his life in Persia as an Israelite exile, Nehemiah still viewed the ancient city as his homeland. 

 

Grieving over its devastation, he resolved something had to be done. How Nehemiah proceeded can serve as a template for any complex endeavors we need to undertake. Piggybacking on some points made recently by radio pastor Alistair Begg, here’s a synopsis of the process Nehemiah followed:

 

Prayerful preparation. It’s often said, “When all else fails…pray.” However, Nehemiah resorted to prayer beforehand, to ensure that he wouldn’t fail. “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4). The passage then recaps the cupbearer’s eloquent prayer, including corporate confession of the Israelites’ rebellious sins and a request for success when he approached the Persian king with his concerns.

 

Common sense. Even though he desperately wanted to leave ASAP for Jerusalem, Nehemiah knew such an impulsive move wouldn’t sit well with King “Art.” Instead, he elected to just go about his duties, providing wine for the king as usual, and waited for his highness to make the first move. “I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.’” 

 

Given an opening, Nehemiah explained, “…Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” To which Artaxerxes responded, “What is it you want?” (Nehemiah 2:1-3). Even then, before blurting out what he desired to do, Nehemiah returned momentarily to step 1 and prayed for God’s direction and blessing on his request.

 

Wise man. Too often we make our move and then think, “Oops, forgot to pray first. All right, um, God, please bless my decision?” And we wonder why sometimes our best-laid plans go awry.

 

Careful thought. Once Nehemiah had told the king about his intent to return to Jerusalem to see about doing an extreme makeover, and received the king’s go-ahead, the valued cupbearer already had a clear plan of action in mind, including where to obtain the necessary materials and resources. It wasn’t just a pipedream – Nehemiah had even considered the kinds of pipes he would need. (Okay, what he needed was a supply of timbers, not pipes, along with official documents to ensure his safe travel.)

 

Sensible action. Once he arrived at Jerusalem, Nehemiah discovered the city’s condition was not as bad as he had thought – it was worse. Initially, he revisited steps 1-3, prayerfully assessing the extent of the damage and then formulating a specific strategy before presenting his ideas to the city officials who had remained there. “Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem….’ I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’ So they began this good work” (Nehemiah 2:17-18).

 

The rest of the book tells of the opposition Nehemiah and the builders faced, and how they took courage and stayed on task, amazingly completing the reconstruction in 52 days. During the entire time, his and others’ prayers continued to seek God’s strength, wisdom and blessing on their labors.

Are you confronting a major challenge at work – or in your home? Are you facing a critical decision that could have a huge impact on your future? You might consider following Nehemiah’s process of prayerful preparation, common sense, careful thought and then, sensible action. It’s one that has been utilized countless times to great success. 

Another Day That Continues to Live in Infamy

Sept. 11, 2001 – a day that all of us who are old enough to remember will never forget. It’s one of those “where were you when?…” events that mark and mar human and social history.

Nearly 3,000 lives were lost. More than 6,000 others were injured that day, and over the years since, many other lives have been lost, mostly first responders who courageously rushed into the devastation despite great danger.

 

Four jet airliners commandeered that morning by terrorists, two of them flown into the iconic Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, New York, one into the Pentagon, and a fourth forced into the ground in rural Pennsylvania before it could reach another terror target.

 

Not long ago, a congresswoman described the murderous acts of 9/11 as “somebody did something.” But for many of us, that “something” was akin to the Dec. 7, 1971 attack by Japanese naval and air forces on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing more than 2,400 military and civilian personnel and injuring more than 1,000. The following day President Franklin D. Roosevelt labeled it, “a date which will live in infamy.”

 

As the mournful anniversary of what is commonly known as “9/11” reaches its 20^th year, it’s a time for reflection. Like many people, I was at work. One of our staff came to tell me one of the towers had been struck. Several of us gathered in front of a conference room TV to watch the news coverage. 

 

Some felt led to pray for the victims; while we were praying, we heard the report that the second tower had been hit by another airliner. This confirmed to all that this was an intentional, planned event. Our eyes remained riveted on the TV screen as first one smoke-spewing tower, then the other, collapsed in an enormous heap.

 

After the reality of what has just happened started to settle in, I thought of my friend Jerry, who lived in Bayonne, N.J., across the river from Manhattan, and worked in the North Tower. A few years earlier, I had enjoyed lunch with him and another friend in the famed Windows of the World restaurant, located on the tower’s 107^th floor. Could he have been in the tower?

 

Providentially, Jerry was not. After staying up to watch a Monday Night Football game, he had failed to properly set the high-tech clock radio he had received the previous Christmas, and the alarm never went off. Being sole proprietor of his Manhattan business, Jerry had decided not to make his usual commute into the city. Instead, he was sitting at his kitchen table, drinking coffee and reading the morning newspaper when one of his daughters called, frantically hoping he was safe.

 

Jerry immediately turned on his TV and saw the destruction of the iconic towers unfold. Unlike most viewers, he personally knew dozens of people trapped in the North Tower, the final minutes of their lives caught up in the chaos. Had he awakened on time and ridden the subway to the station under 1 World Trade Center, Jerry likely would have been on the 77^th floor visiting with friends when the building was rammed. To this day, my friend grieves their loss – and still marvels at how God spared his own life because an alarm clock didn’t wake him up.

 

Twenty years later, grim memories remain. From a spiritual perspective, what can we glean from this heinous terrorist plot? Of many possible lessons we could draw from, I’ll suggest only a few:

 

First, the senseless acts of 9/11 gave us indelible evidence of the prevalence of evil in our world. In one of the Bible’s most powerful prophetic books we read, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Many years later Jesus said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him” (Matthew 12:35). If there was any doubt about this, watching commercial passenger jets crash into the glistening towers dispelled it.

 

Second, virtually all of us go through life planning for tomorrow, next week, next year. The tragedies of 9/11 were a grim reminder that we’re not guaranteed five minutes from now, let alone tomorrow or some later time. Using a parable about a rich fool, Jesus taught about life’s brevity and the importance of establishing and keeping proper priorities. In the story, a rich man had accumulated so many goods and such an abundant crop that he resolved to tear down his existing barns and build larger ones. “…But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:13-21).

 

Sadly, the past year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic also has pressed this point home, with people we know falling victim to the virus. Young or old, we need to be prepared for the day we will stand before the Lord. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). While this refers specifically to what is commonly known as “the end times,” it can also apply to our final moments on earth.

 

One last point: During His earthly ministry, Jesus made a habit of presenting unconventional teachings. One was His response to the commonly accepted view of retribution, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” During Jesus’ “sermon on the mount,” He gave an opposing perspective: 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?” (Matthew 5:43-47).

 

This is one of the most difficult of Jesus’ messages to grasp and apply. We don’t want to love our enemies. We want vengeance, to make those who hurt us pay a severe price. We certainly don’t want to forgive. This, however, is one of the precepts that separates the teaching of Jesus Christ and Christianity from any other religion or belief system. How can we love our enemies, those who persecute and seek to harm us, even kill us? This is only possible through the presence and power of God’s Spirit living in us.

 

Let’s hope and pray we don’t need another 9/11-type of calamity to remind us of these truths. 

The Most Critical Question We Need to Answer

Have you ever watched “Family Feud” on TV? The game show is currently hosted by Steve Harvey, a high-energy, multi-talented fellow who has as much fun as any of the contestants. But I can show my age by remembering the original host was a much more low-key, dapper gentleman named Richard Dawson. But the key to the show is its questions.

 

Two teams of people, often family members, vie to guess answers to questions that 100 members of the studio audience have been asked. They might inquire about things like, “What kind of setting would be your first choice for a vacation?” or “How would your spouse respond if you came home several hours later than expected?”

It's always interesting to see how the audience answers the variety of questions – their range of choices, as well as possible answers they did not choose.

 

The reason I bring this up is not to promote a game show, but to point out that Jesus Christ once asked His disciples a question that could have generated some interesting answers on “Family Feud.” Matthew 16:13-20 tells of a time when He and His followers were in Caesarea Philippi. Perhaps it was a quiet moment, a respite from the pressing throngs Jesus usually attracted. He asked them, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

 

I find that question particularly interesting because it’s one we could ask of people today – and get lots of different answers. Similar to on “Family Feud,” the disciples responded with a number of possibilities: “Some say [You are] John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Obviously, back then – as it is today – people had many opinions about who Jesus was.

 

Then Jesus asked another question, perhaps the most critical, most important question anyone could ever have to ponder: “‘But what about you?’ He asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’”

 

Almost sounds like one of those “gotcha” questions, but it really wasn’t because these 12 men – Jesus’ closest and most constant followers – had already been with Him for quite some time; maybe a couple of years or even longer. By that time, they should have arrived at some conclusions about who this person was for whom they had given up everything to follow.

 

It was Simon Peter, perhaps the most brash and impulsive of the 12, who spoke up. He responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” If this exchange had occurred on a game show, a gong or bell or even a siren might have sounded to indicate Peter had offered the correct answer.

 

The passage doesn’t tell us whether this brought a smile to Jesus’ face or some other kind of non-verbal reaction, but Jesus clearly indicated His one-time fisherman follower had won the grand prize. “Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven….’” Peter’s response was profound – and thrilling.

 

Today, we live in an increasingly secularized world, a society that has largely decided Jesus Christ and His claims are irrelevant. Kind of an attitude of, “We’re doing just fine without you, God.” Research would indicate that perhaps a majority of Americans share this view. However, we need to remember – the vast majority of passengers were convinced the Titanic was unsinkable. The prevailing opinion is not always the correct one.

 

So, what would be your reaction if Jesus were to approach you and ask, “Who do people say that I (the Son of Man) am?” Then, when He followed that with the question of all questions, “Who do YOU say that I am?” – what would be your answer?

 

It’s a question that no one can answer for you. And it’s not a harmless, no consequence question like, “What would you like for dinner tonight, hamburgers or pizza?” Yes, there are many possible responses to the question of who Jesus is – but there’s only one correct answer. No pressure, but for each of us, our eternal destiny depends on our genuine, sincere response. It’s definitely worthy of serious consideration before answering.

Abiding – That Wonderful Feeling of Being Home

Even if we enjoy traveling, isn’t it nice at the conclusion of a trip to be able to fall into our own bed? There’s something comforting about being “home.” But after we’ve been home for a while, we lose that sense of “I’m home,” or “this is my bed.” Why is that? It’s because we’re abiding.

 

A dictionary definition of “abide” is to stay or remain, to live or continue in a place. Because of constancy and familiarity, we’re not always conscious of where we are abiding, or think about being home. I suspect fish don't think a lot about existing permanently in water; it’s their living environment. Now if someone pulls them out of the water, that's a different matter.

 

Think about breathing. We do it continually – we don’t have to remind ourselves every morning, “Okay, now start breathing.” We’re not aware of it unless we become short of breath, like after a run or vigorous exercise. If we’re chronically short of breath, we know that can be symptomatic of a serious health issue.

 

We also tend to take our joints for granted. They enable us to walk, we bend them, use them to grab or pick up things. We hardly notice them – until we injure them. Then we’re suddenly aware of our thumbs, or knees, shoulders or ankles.

 

I remember the time years ago when I was driving back into town after a trip to Atlanta. Traffic stopped suddenly for some reason. Glancing into my rear-view mirror, I noticed a vehicle approaching that didn’t seem to be slowing. Having nowhere to go, I instinctively laid on my car’s horn, hoping to get the other driver’s attention. It worked, and the vehicle came to a screeching halt just inches from my car’s rear bumper. But I managed to sprain my thumb in the frantic process.

 

Over the succeeding weeks, as my thumb slowly healed, I became very aware of how dependent I am on it – for turning a doorknob, tying shoes, holding onto things, other simple tasks I do without thinking about them. I had never realized what a gift it is to have what zoologists call an “opposable thumb.”

 

The experience was similar when I tore the meniscus – cushioning cartilage – in my left knee. Although I had been an avid power-walker, suddenly I couldn’t walk anywhere without feeling a stabbing pain in my knee. Before I had outpatient surgery to correct the injury, I told my surgeon, “If I had known I had a meniscus, I would have been more careful not to tear it!”

 

The point is, we spend much of our lives abiding – simply remaining or continuing in a certain state, often not even consciously aware of things so vital for us. I believe this is why Jesus Christ so emphatically explained why learning to abide is so important for our relationship with Him. 

 

Jesus and His followers might have been walking past a vineyard when He said:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit…. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-5).

 

This is something we don’t hear enough about – abiding in Christ. We talk about doing things for Him, serving Him, even “going to the Lord in prayer.” But we rarely ponder what it means to “abide in Christ,” so much that we’re not even conscious of it. What does that look like? I suspect the apostle Paul had this in mind when he explained to contemplative philosophers in ancient Athens, “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

 

In one of the daily meditations from My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers states, “If we will come to Him, asking Him to produce Christ-awareness in us, He will always do it, until we fully learn to abide in Him.” In another passage, Chambers says, “The one true sign of discipleship is oneness with Him – a knowledge of Jesus that nothing can shake.”

 

Years ago, the saying, “WWJD – What Would Jesus Do?” made its rounds, appearing on T-shirts and bracelets, and becoming the topic of countless books, articles and sermons. It seemed like a good idea, a reminder to filter our actions through that consideration. However, if we’re abiding in Christ as He urged us to do, should we always need to stop and think, “Now, um, what would Jesus do in this situation?”

 

If we’re living and moving and having our being in the Lord, as Acts 17:28 supposes, doing what Jesus does and thinking as He thinks shouldn’t always demand a conscious, intentional act, any more than breathing or making our hearts beat. That’s not saying it’s easy, but as we walk with Christ day after day, it should become less necessary to wrack our brains trying to figure out what He expects of us.

 

When Jesus was teaching His disciples about what it means to abide in Him, He included a statement that indicated even their prayers would be influenced by their growing intimacy with Him. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). If we’re truly abiding with Christ, it will shape the things we ask of Him. That’s not a bad arrangement.