Going Against the Flow Not a Popular Route to Take

Videos of salmon swimming upstream to spawn or reproduce have always intrigued me. I’ve never witnessed this phenomenon firsthand, but the images of these fish going against the current, sometimes leaping into the air along their journey, are captivating. Here are animals intentionally going against the flow, driven by natural instinct. They’re following a familiar scent that leads back to where they were born.

 

Humans sometimes go against the flow too, but it’s not an instinctive response and has nothing to do with our places of birth. This might be motivated by a desire to be non-conformists. We saw a lot of that in the 1960s, when hippies took a stand for non-conformity with their long hair, flowers, tie-dye shirts and bell-bottomed trousers. Ironically, their non-conformity became conformity to the established hippie culture.

 

The 'Against the Current' T-shirt produced
by "The Chosen" aptly represents
the course Christ asks us to take.

Countering the culture is a genuine reason for swimming upstream or going against the flow. A great verse in the Bible is Roman 12:2, which says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” One paraphrase from years ago put it this way: “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.”

This always has been, and probably always will be, a challenge for the people of God. The Scriptures provide us with many examples, but one in particular comes to mind.

 

First, let me ask a question: How many of the Israelite “spies,” sent into the Promised Land to check things out, can you name? I suspect at most you can name only two: Joshua and Caleb. Have you ever heard of Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, or Geuel? Probably not.

 

There’s a good reason for this, and it’s not just because they had unusual names. All of these men are listed in Numbers 13:3-15, and it says each was a leader, so they apparently had some notable qualities. But among them, only two – Joshua and Caleb – were willing to go against the current. After exploring the lush and beautiful land God had promised them, the other 10 returned and said, “the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large…. We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are” (Numbers 13:28-29,31).

 

The givers of the first “minority report,” Joshua and Caleb, insisted, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it” (Numbers 13:30), but the majority’s appraisal was adopted. As a result, the Israelites were consigned to wander in the wilderness for 40 years; the only ones from the spy expedition who actually found homes in the Promised Land were – Joshua and Caleb.

We could cite many other examples: Joseph, Daniel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others in the Old Testament. Most of Jesus' original disciples, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, Stephen, Paul and others in the New.

 

If you catch any of the episodes of the unique video series, “The Chosen” – which I highly recommend – you’ll notice an animated “logo” of a school of fish swimming in one direction, and then one by one, individual fish reversing course and starting to go the other way. This imagery represents Jesus’ calling of His followers and how they, like salmon swimming against the current, bravely chose to follow Him rather than their traditions and the prevailing culture.

 

Even though some of His disciples came from fishing backgrounds, Jesus used another metaphor to represent the difficult and sacrificial route they would have to take. He said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

 

Today, not much has changed. Our nation, once anchored in a Judeo-Christian culture, now seems bent on taking a totally different course, one that in many ways contradicts and even rebels against the time-honored, time-tested teachings of the Bible. Which brings – or will bring – each of us to an important point of decision.

 

Will we, like the determined salmon, undertake the hard work of going against the current? Or will we “go with the flow,” the path of least resistance, because it seems easier that way? There’s a “wide gate and narrow road” that most folks seem eager to take. The “small gate and narrow road” Jesus talked about, however, is the only one that lead to life – the “abundant life” He promised in John 10:10.

 

We each need to ask the honest and tough question, “Which way am I going?” And even if we’re presently following the path Jesus suggested, are we determined to stay on it – no matter what? 

Recognizing We’re Engaged in a War for Our Minds

During this tumultuous year, has your mind felt like a wrung-out washcloth at times? Evening broadcasts no longer report bad news – they’re now reporting even worse news. Between COVID-19, shutdowns, endless political wrangling, hurricanes, social unrest, shortages of stuff like toilet paper, deli meats and even canned foods, we’ve been stressed to the max.

I’ve kept expecting a recall notice on 2020, but apparently that won’t be happening. So as we limp toward the end of the year, we cling to hope that 2021 will be a marked improvement over its predecessor.

 

What’s a person to do? How can we cope with such a barrage of bad tidings? I’m glad you asked.

 

Tim Kight’s a popular speaker, consultant and leadership trainer. I’ve never met him or communicated with him directly, but have appreciated his concise, thoughtful posts on social media. He caught my attention when he started consulting with the Ohio State football team, and I've admired many of his insights on leadership and life.

 

Now Mr. Kight is putting his own advice into use in a crucial way. Recently he posted on Twitter, “Here is something very powerful I have learned from having cancer and going through chemo: I cannot stop it from affecting my body, but I must not allow it to affect my mind. The mindset I bring to this battle is enormously important.”

I had no idea Mr. Kight is dealing with cancer in some form, but our family understands what that’s like. He has my prayers, and we can all benefit from his wisdom – even if our challenges differ from his.

 

Some years ago, he offered a simple equation that applies to work and everyday life, as well as sports: 

E + R = O. 

That stands for Event + Response = Outcome. In another social media post, Mr. Kight explained, “I do not control events. I do control my response.”

 

What profound observations, especially as we shake our heads in amazement at developments that have virtually turned 2020 into a B-rated horror movie. The many chaotic events – not to mention unique challenges in our own lives – have the potential to be devastating. The question is, how do we respond to them? Because, as Mr. Kight has pointed out, our responses shape the outcome.

 

Our minds hang in the balance. When hardships strike, we can have a meltdown, or we can strive to build upon the adverse circumstances to benefit from them. The Bible speaks about this in many ways.

 

For instance, in writing to believers in the ancient city of Philippi, the apostle Paul reminded them that inevitably, difficult times come. How were they to respond? “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). But wait. What? Always? How can we do that?

 

Paul quickly elaborated: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). When faced with adversity, we’re to turn to the Lord, entrusting those circumstances to Him. As we pass our burdens over to God, we can experience His peace, comfort and assurance – even beyond anything we can fully understand.

 

A key to doing this successfully, according to the apostle, is to determine to pursue right thinking even before bad times arrive. Then we can be confident that whatever the Event may be, our Response will be appropriate, assuring the best possible Outcome. He wrote:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

 

In a letter to a different group of believers, Paul gave an admonition to beware of allowing our minds to be improperly influenced by the world around us. He told them, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). Or as another translation puts it, "Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold."

 

When we go to the car for an important appointment and discover a tire is flat, how will we respond? If we turn on the evening news and – as they are wont to do – the commentators tell us once again that the sky is falling, all hope is gone, how will we respond? 

 

I’ve learned through experience that the best time to determine our response is not after something has occurred, but as the Scriptures tell us, long before the bad stuff happens. That way we can be proactive rather than reactive, thus ensuring the best possible outcome.

 

When an army goes to war, it has already undergone training and is properly armed for battle. We’re in a war for our minds. But it’s a war we can win – if we prepare our minds and “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11), which includes an unwavering faith, a close walk with the Lord, a strong grasp of His Word, and prayer.

Getting a Hollow Feeling from Halloween

Halloween has its tame, fun side, as with festive pumpkins, and
silly characters, but also a more sinister side.

Halloween is an interesting holiday of many faces – literally. On one hand, it’s a time for little kids to don silly costumes, go door to door visiting neighbors and collect a stash of candies and other treats. We see everything from fuzzy animals to cartoon characters to celebrities to the traditional ghosts and witches. Adults sometimes get into the act, attending their own grown-up, Halloween-themed costume parties.

It’s a time when we can revisit Washington Irving’s classic, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” with its “headless horseman.” (Spoiler alert: He wasn’t a very cerebral thinker.) Or watch Charlie Brown conduct his annual search for the Great Pumpkin.

Then there’s the other side of Halloween, featuring elements of the occult and macabre. Popular TV shows devote episodes to things that go bump in the night, replete with ghosts, goblins, and even darker aspects of the supernatural. Theaters often schedule releases of the latest, most gruesome movies for this frightful season. There was even a series of “Halloween” horror films – not to be confused with non-Halloween horror films.

As an avid reader growing up, I became well-acquainted with scary stories. Fittingly, since I grew up on Poe Avenue, I loved reading Edgar Allan Poe’s work, including tales like “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “The Telltale Heart.” Even into my early adult years, I maintained a great affinity for novels in the horror and occult genre. I embraced authors like H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, and Stephen King. Imagine converting blood and gore into multimillion-dollar incomes.

Then in the late ‘70s my fascination with the occult was challenged. My pastor gave a message on the subject, explaining how even dabbling with the so-called paranormal could result in bad spiritual consequences.

Convicted about that, I met with him soon after to explain my interest was solely for entertainment. He didn’t preach to me, but left me with a simple observation: “When you read those books, are they pointing you toward the Lord – or away from Him?”

I didn’t have to think deeply about the question, because I knew the answer. They certainly weren’t serving to enhance my spiritual growth, and I realized that even though I was reading fiction, I had already learned far more about the occult and its practices than anyone needed to know.

That moment I resolved to put aside my “fun” reading and slam the door on influences, some very subtle, that could draw me away from my faith, still in its infancy. In Romans 12:2 we’re told, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Even though the surrounding culture was telling me – and still proclaims today – that there’s nothing wrong with a little scare now and then, I knew it could be an obstacle to the transforming work God wanted to do in my life.

Another passage elaborates: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). It’s been decades since I gave up reading a scary book or viewed any horror movies that Hollywood is so fond of pumping out. But I still remember they contained little, if anything that was true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.

So, let me suggest: This Halloween, if you plan to take part in any festivities, I hope you’ll be doing as some of my children or grandchildren have done – dress as a banana, or a monkey, or even as a pancake syrup bottle. That way, you’ll have no ghostly idea how more sinister elements of the day could affect you.