 A simple thought for the day... It's often far easier to lower our concept of God than it is to raise the intensity of the faith that lies within us. We can jump to judgement and try to predetermine what we think God will or will not do or who He may or may not be. And, if we're not careful, those same thoughts may lead us to a disbelief as to whether God even has the power to intervene in our lives at all.
Diminishing our conception of God diminishes our perception of God, and so, from there, the dominos inevitably begin to fall. From there, the soul can become twisted, diluted and loses its way in a world that would try very hard to convince us that God is restricted to being only who we think Him to be on our worst days. Don't fall for it. I'm so thankful that God is who He is, regardless of my often skewed conception of Him! Stay connected to God through His Word and feed your mind and heart with who He really is by the defining standard and truth of Scripture. He is and will always remain bigger, more powerful, more sovereign, more compassionate, more merciful and more loving than we can grasp with the human mind. Don't let Satan, the author of lies, use the circumstances in your life to divide your attention between situation and sovereignty.
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 Just a quick thought from my personal time with God today... But now thus says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. ____________________________________ Isaiah 43:1-3 (ESV) How much of Jesus do you really want?
Moreover, what are you willing to faithfully endure for the honor of sitting beside Him, learning from the Master, wherever He may lead? We often seek out Jesus as the panacea for all of our issues, as long as the remedy He brings to the table is palatable to our very refined and personally prejudiced tastes. If we are only looking for Jesus at the receiving end of a long checklist of personal preferences and greedy desires, we may want to keep looking. The depth and authenticity of our walk with Christ is not forged in the relative ease of calm waters and satiated personal agendas. More often than not, I have found that my walk with Christ grows exponentially when my level of comfort is challenged and the path I’m walking becomes steep and treacherous. It’s in those moments that God has my full attention. The promises that God made to Israel in the verse above are beautiful. Just as God promised to be with Israel through the waters and the rivers and the fires, so God is also with us. Child of God, we don’t have to look forward to adversity, but when adversity arrives, and it will, we should identify it as an opportunity to learn more about our God who will meet us there – in the fire. Don’t always default to prayers to simply be delivered from all adversity; instead, pray to find God within the adversity itself, because adversity will certainly come, and it arrives with purpose. God has allowed it for purpose. Adversity will teach you more than ease ever could. Don’t miss the purpose and the opportunity to learn more about the goodness, provision and love of God which is often disguised as something less than a superficial view of “blessing."  My personal takeaway from the display seen at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, and know it’s not what many of the self-righteous Christians among us may expect… First off, this is the primary verse that comes to my mind Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Do we wonder why the world is in turmoil, full of hatred and corruption?
The world has lost their fear of God, but that fact is much easier to absorb than the inverse—because today, many who would claim the name of Jesus are, in reality, only followers of the “religion of Christianity,” for they also have lost their fear of God. They practice a form of religion that is devoid of relationship. It too is a dramatic form of mockery toward God, and it factors in to what we saw at the Olympics, as well as what is observable in the culture all around us. A little about mocking God… The idea of mocking God is displayed in showing Him dishonor, disrespect, or simply ignoring Him altogether, as if He can be made little—into an afterthought that trails far behind our own personal desires and agendas to become gods in our own right. At its core, mocking God is grounded in a defiance, insolence and contempt for Him. It is certainly reflected in a spiritually deteriorating culture. We should know that mockery is dangerous. Scripture is succinct in addressing mockery and those who would practice it. Right out of the gate, Psalm 1:1 identifies those who practice mockery/scoffing as being wicked, and they are like chaff which will be blown away by the wind, because their way will perish. Psalm 74:10 calls them enemies and foes of God. Psalm 74:22 and 119:51 refers to them as fools and those who lack respect for God (prideful). It’s a fitting definition, because most fools are saturated with insolence and pride. They are always the loudest voices. Proverbs 1:22 tells us that mockers hate knowledge, and Proverbs 15:12 and 31:1 reveals that they are unteachable creatures who detest their words, actions and behaviors being called out (rebuke). This mockery has been easy to spot for a long time now, but know that it’s been building for decade upon decade, and sadly, in 2024, it’s reached a level of tolerance where it’s now celebrated during the open ceremony of the Olympic Games. But there’s a greater underlying cause for that tolerance, and it should be called out for what it is. Mocking God is a choice made in ignorance (and note that word “ignorance," for I’ll return to it soon). Mocking is a conscious decision to pursue and practice evil. Mockers of God, as defined in Scripture, are people without a spirit of obedience, teachability, discernment, wisdom, worship, or faith. They’re easy to spot, they play the victimization card well, and they can be hard to deal with. Because of this, their behavior often goes unchecked by Christians who are intimidated, fearful and content to stand in silence. What is truly unfortunate, and what exacerbates the problem even further is that Christians who do speak up, often speak only from a standpoint of condemnation and hatred instead of from a standpoint of loving discipleship. In a world so desperately seeking inclusion, so many Christians are quick to exclude—step up and only condemn— when we should be stepping up to love, disciple and “be Jesus.” Is it possible that the behavior of the world is a symptom of the lack of obedience of Christians who are also mocking God with their silence or their hatefulness? One is a bad as the other, my friends. A lot of the world may live in ignorance of God simply because those who claim the name of Jesus fail to live for Christ or act as Jesus did among those who needed to see His love and passion for their life, even through their sinfulness. I thank God that Christ saw through all of the sinful rebellion in me and found a place of love and compassion for my soul. It is easy for us as believers to point the finger at those outside the church who mock God. But the most subtle mockery of God, and the most dangerous, comes from those of us sitting in church. We are guilty of mockery when we behave with an outward show of spirituality or godliness without an inward engagement or change of heart. Charles G. Finny (1792-1875) wrote about the effects of mocking God: "To mock God is to pretend to love and serve him when we do not; to act in a false manner, to be insincere and hypocritical in our professions, pretending to obey him, love, serve, and worship him, when we do not. . . . Mocking God grieves the Holy Spirit, and sears the conscience; and thus the bands of sin become stronger and stronger. The heart becomes gradually hardened by such a process." God warns that mockery of what is holy will be punished. We should think on that as we live. We should think on that as we act. We should think on that as we speak and post on social media. Proverbs 3:34 says, “Toward the scorners He is scornful, but to the humble He gives favor.” We live in a world that is full to the very brim with self, pride, violence, hatred and open Godlessness. It’s a world with little space for humility, and among those who suffer from a lack of humility are condemning Christians who are quicker to point the finger at another and accuse than they are to take the hand of the same and love and lead. For those of us who are appalled by what we saw at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, our distaste for that vile scene is understandable, yet, for the student of Scripture, it shouldn’t come with a large degree of shock—for these things are promised, and those people who participated in that ceremony are the very ones that God has placed on this earth for us to love and disciple. Christ died for all so salvation would be available to all. Our individual call to evangelism on this earth consists of the performers at the Olympic ceremony as well as those who sit beside us in church. We all need Jesus, for Jesus loves all. Think on that fact before we burn our influence and testimony to ground calling out someone who only sins differently that us. Our response should include a thorough examination of our own mockery towards God in things that we consider “much smaller” than a world stage—again, things like our words, actions, and behaviors. Our influence on the world begins at home and in our own circles. It begins at work, at school, at church, at ballgames and on social media. Simply being appalled by the obvious Godlessness is picking the low-hanging fruit, for we need to examine the entire tree from the root up.  Palm Sunday! I can't be with my wonderful church family today because I'm healing from surgery. It's probably the first Palm Sunday in 20+ years that I haven't been behind a piano leading worship. It's hurting my heart, but I know it must be this way. Anyway, I'm celebrating with them at home. I even stole a graphic I created for their powerpoint to use here. I love my church, and I love the God of that church! Today Jesus entered Jerusalem knowing full well what was coming, yet He chose to go anyway. And as he entered the city, the people cried out "Hosanna!" But what does the word Hosanna mean? The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament was originally written in Greek. I’ll skip a bunch of information about translation and simply say it this way: The word we use for Hosanna (in English) is taken from a Greek translation of a Hebrew phrase, “hoshiya na.” This phrase is only found in one location in the Old Testament--Psalm 118:25. In that phrase it is the cry for help of “Save, please!” Years passed by, and for reasons that I won’t discuss in this post, the phrase “hoshiya na” stopped being an impassioned cry for help and transformed into an impassioned shout of hope and exultation for the Jews. What used to mean “Save, please!” gradually turned into “Salvation! Salvation! Salvation has come!” John Piper said, “The word moved from pleas to praise; from cry to confidence.” I would add that it went from a cry for help to a cry of happiness." In John 12:12, Scripture tells us, “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” I personally believe that these excited Jews were screaming out a cry of confidence and praise that Jesus had come and His entrance into the city was going to bring about victory. There’s so much to discuss in this passage, because some misunderstood his mission and thought that it would be to overcome Rome and free Israel. But, regardless, I assure you that Jesus entered Jerusalem to victoriously win a war. He came on a journey to face death by crucifixion and rise from a grave that could not hold Him. Christ is our victory, and hearts cry when trouble comes should be to Jesus—“Hosanna! Hosanna! Regardless of the circumstances, I know that Christ has come and brought in Him my salvation!” So, know that “Hosanna” is a cry of victory. It’s a cry of assurance, and it’s a cry that can only be made to a Christ who has defeat our sin, and He has defeated death itself. He’s alive today, and He’s already won the victory! What a glorious Savior we have!  This blog post is taken from one of my Facebook posts on this day last year. My precious father would live only 25 more days. The world around me was cast into a time of dissension and unrest, driven by the evil of politics and those who would espouse the latest flavor of an eroding culture suffering from self-compromised character. One year later, I find myself in the same place, literally in the same room, but dad is gone. God's present though. He's always here. I can recall the many times that I would sit with my father in the early morning hours. I would listen to him breathe while I studied Scripture. Those moments were precious, and I'm thankful that I realized just how precious those memories would be in my future. I engrained those moments into my mind. God spoke to me during those times. I would often feel like it was just God, my dad and me in the room. I was right. I still find it important to get away to a quiet place and talk to Jesus. I would encourage you to do the same, and I would encourage you to do it often. My Facebook post is below. Some thoughts today about our personal time with God… The world is loud around us, and it’s getting louder—much, much louder. Our culture screams content into our minds daily. We’re fed a constant stream of news reports and social media threads that try desperately to convince us to ally within the confines of our own race, and our own political ideology, challenging us to take our seat at a table that others have preordained appropriate for us. We’re expected to shut-up, sit down and assume a role that we may not agree with and possibly don’t even really understand. We’ll follow like sheep, if we succumb to the rants of a culture that is more “woke” with self-indulgent insanity than it is with Godliness. Our emotional separation from the ridiculous direction that our entire world seems to be headed could never be more important than it is today. If we have any marginal degree of intelligence, or any fear of God, we simply cannot follow the journey our world is trying desperately to undertake, for that journey will devour us all. We have already ventured too far, for too long. Jesus separated Himself from the world, and He did so by spending time alone with God. Note, I am not referring to time in church. Again, it’s time alone. Before I irreversibly offend those with a thinly-veiled faith, shallow enough to not think about God beyond the confines of a worship service, let me say that church is important, because church is a command of God. So polish up your Bible, iron your church clothes, and get to church, but, know this—churches are packed full of sinful people, many who show little to no personal differentiation from the evil world around them. Don’t expect to always find Jesus at church. His own parents lost Him there, and if we’re not prepared to find Him in private places, we should never have an expectation of finding Him in the middle of a bunch of sinners. Luke 5:16 says, “But He would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” Jesus took moments to distance Himself from the world and from the crowds of people who were all vying for His time and attention. He left them to spend private and intimate time with God, the Father. He knew He needed it, and He knew He needed it often. Why would we ever assume that we could get by without spending some of our time in the same manner? When we forsake personal time with God, it’s a simple process for the world to infiltrate and saturate our mind. When our personal time with God is not the foundation of our life, we empower other forces to create and shape our worldview. It is then that politicians, news commentators, and even our own friends and family can tell us who we should and should not hate. It is then that we mentally begin to assimilate ourselves into a decaying culture that is openly rotting around us. It is then that our empty void of personal relationship with God can turn our hearts and minds into a sewer of activism for whatever brand of unholy garbage is trending on social media that particular day. We should be better, but being better is an impossibility when our time with God is negligible. If we won’t let God teach us, the world will. If we don't let God refine us, the world will define us. If we don't let God heal us, the world will destroy us. Withdraw from the world, my friends, and withdraw often. Find time to connect with God, for it is only Him who will show you things more beautiful than your mind can comprehend. Find personal time with a God who will show a million reasons to love your fellow man, serve your brother and live fearless in a world defined by the propagation and controlling power of great fear. God will show you real hope, defined not by political legislation, but by the sovereignty embodied in who He is. And, He will place compassion into your life, because you cannot spend real time alone with God and miss the compassion and mercy extended to us all—everyone, every race, every nation—by the blood of Christ. The most important part of our life is our time connecting with the God who gave us that very life. If we miss Him—if we neglect Him—then our life is defined by everything in the world that is not Him. Stop allowing the whims of the world define the narrative of your life and opinions. For your own sake, for the sake of your children, for the sake of your fellow man, for the sake of our world, and for the sake of the Gospel of Christ—separate yourself and get alone with a God who deserves to be heard on a personal level. Jesus knew this was important.  This post came up on my Facebook memories today, and I thought I would share it here, one year later....
One month and four days from this post, my father would surrender his life on this earth for something much greater. I have wonderful friends who, even today, buried a precious mother. Loss is real, and the pain around the death of a loved one cuts much deeper than you can prepare for. But through it all, God brings peace. For those going through similar things, know that you are not alone. Others have traveled the same road, and more importantly, God walks that road with you. Be encouraged as you remember the good times with those you loved who have departed this world. Embrace those memories, and know that they will bring both sorrow and joy. God was good in giving us a season on this earth to share a common journey with precious parents or friends who have passed away. The greater truth is that eternity for the children of God will be far sweeter than the joys of this life, and we’ll share it together, reunited with those we love who knew Him. Death is only a pause in our relationship. God has defeated death. The pain of earthly separation will one day melt into perfect peace, as God will redeem, restore and perfect that which has been lost. I can’t wait... _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ My Facebook post from 03.23.2022 is below: Comforting messages from strangers, and an update on my father. I’ve received an abundance of positive communication regarding the posts documenting my father’s journey—it’s a journey that our entire family is undertaking, and I felt led to share it. Almost daily, God is showing me why He has led me to open up and share these very personal things. It’s hard for me to be transparent where pain is involved. Frankly, it’s hard for me to open up "to the public” about anything; I’m fiercely private by nature. I make absolutely no apologies for being that way, but my heart views this situation differently. It needs to be shared in the light of its brutality and beauty, because it contains both. My father is slowly embracing a departure from this life, and though the pain for me is great, I’ve learned that God is still good. Not only is He good, He can be trusted with our weak emotions and the fragility of our very moody faith. Others need to hear that message. They need to see and read about the struggle of one of His children to find footing in the midst of severe emotion. And, they need to understand that God often allows things in our life to fracture our faith. These things are purposed—purposed pain. But, He’s a God who will fill in those fractures with an abundance of love and grace, and just like a fractured bone, our faith will heal back stronger and more resilient. For me, in this situation, the path to that healing is like casually strolling though sheer torment. God knows the journey; Christ traveled through something much worse, so His understanding is greater than our circumstances. We have a Savior who can relate. Thank you for your many kind messages, and thank you for reaching out to me personally. Knowing that these posts have made some kind of difference is encouraging. For the individual who messaged me today, thank you for sharing about your own journey. It runs somewhat parallel to my own. I don’t know this person. I’ve never met them, but God is doing something similar in their own life, and He’s doing it using the same tools of trial and grief—a dying parent. He’s growing them through their sorrow, and He’s teaching them of the great power inherent in submitting to a simple trust in God’s will, regardless of the painful emotions that often swell and hide our recognition of the gentle traces of God’s finger in our life. God works globally in the lives of people, and so many of us are sharing a similar journey. It’s wonderful to connect with someone over 5 states away who informs you that God has comforted them using my own thoughts about my dad. Their words comforted me. God’s love circles around every situation to incorporate strangers into friends, mourning into gladness, and grief into hope—bringing people together to shine a bright lamp upon His never-ending grace and mercy for all of His children. There is nothing that God leads us through barren of worth. Whether it’s the birth of a baby or the death of an elderly parent, everything comes with an ingrained worth of wisdom that must be discovered and examined to be understood and appreciated. I continue to learn much from God through this situation. I’m learning more about myself, my family, my friendships, my faith and my God than I ever have before, and it’s refreshing. My father’s situation brings me great sadness, but His destination brings me great joy! The ground between the two is a place of refining for me, and I’m trying desperately to pay attention. Update on dad… Dad has had a good last couple of days. He’s talking a lot, and he’s certainly aware of everything going on around him. Pain is always an issue, but dad is exercising his right to be tough, as he takes very little pain medication. His legs are showing the wear of their war with the delicate pressure of pillows, and he has some wounds from that battle. We help him fight that war everyday. His caregivers, including his family, are attentive to his every need, and, given the circumstances, he’s doing pretty well. Cognitively, we often ride a rollercoaster. There are days that God allows a very clear mind, and there are days that don’t offer demonstrable clarity. There are days with stronger spoken clear speech, and there are days where speech is weak and limited. So, every single word on every single day is of utmost importance. Thank you again for your prayers, visits and messages. They are all important to me and my family. God continues to be overwhelmingly merciful to us all. Dad’s life continues to grace our own with a beauty that I will never be able to fully describe.  One year ago, I posted the words in the blog post below to my Facebook page. My father was suffering the final effects of multiple strokes, and he would only linger on this earth for about 5 weeks from this posting. This morning (03.16.2023), less than 1 year later, I took my precious mother to her first chemotherapy treatment. Her prognosis is encouraging, but it's cancer, and it weighs heavily on the mind. Never underestimate life, because it can be menacing. When trouble comes, it can overwhelm you with a force that can stagger even the greatest of faith. It's so important to never lose sight of God's sovereignty over every situation, even the situations that stab violently at our heart. And, it's important to never lose sight of God's love. God loved my father, and He took him home. God loves my mother, and He's allowing her a new journey that promises some great difficulty along the way. However, there's opportunity in that journey to find new ways of trusting a God who knows the path that we must walk in order to enter into the beauty and perfection of His will. While we walk through our journey, whether the road is flat or steep, whether the situation is joyous or heartbreaking, understand that the time we have with those dear to our heart is precious. God has allowed every moment for specific purposes, and we should embrace every moment with a passion. Once those moments pass, they cannot be retrieved. Time is precious, my friends. Don't waste it. My Facebook post from 03.16.2022...
Anne L. de Stael once said that, "We understand death only after it has placed its hand on someone we love." I think that's true. My father continues to do fairly well, and he has made some cognitive improvements over the past couple of days. The journey continues to be almost overwhelmingly hard at times, but my parents built our family on a very solid foundation of faith and trust in God. My father's great efforts at the aforementioned are culminating now in my own life, and everything that he has ever taught me about having a faithful trusting of God's plan is bearing fruit. As God continues to gently guide my father home, He is also proving, time and time again, that our hope and trust in Him is not misplaced. God is also showing me more and more about the great worth of my relationship with my earthly father, the wisdom in his words, the lessons of his actions and the priceless gift to our family that he continues to be—if only for a little while longer. In over 20+ years of ministry, singing or playing at 100+ funerals, losing friends and family—through all of that, I don't think I've ever fully understood death. I don’t claim to completely understand it now, but I have a much deeper and more grounded understanding of it today, as God has brought it to our very doorstep. It's an unwanted visitor, but death will eventually demand entry into all of our lives. It's painful; it's horrific, and the process of watching a loved one die seems to drain every ounce of strength and emotion from your soul. It leaves you totally exposed, and, often, it will make you feel inconsolable. Watching death, when it finally arrives, requires an abundance of things you may find scarcely provisioned in your life. Be ready, although I find it hard to believe you can really be prepared. It’s harder than you might imagine. No sermon prepares you for dealing with the death of a loved one, because no pastor has that kind of gifting. God's Word speaks of death and comfort, but simply reading Scripture alone will not bring peace. To understand death, and have a peace regarding the same, one must simply wade into it, much like you tolerate walking into a cold ocean, holding tightly to the hand of Jesus, as He guides you through a process that you don’t desire, don’t understand and one that causes for you a tremendous amount of grief and pain. It's a pain that can't be "preached" or "read" out of you; it's a pain that must be experienced to be understood. Moreover, we will most likely never understand the journey, and the pain will never fully depart our consciousness. Any words to the contrary are simple foolishness. But then there’s God… As hard as this is proving to be, God continually shows up… God shows up in short conversations with my father, conversations composed of very few words but literally drenched in an abundance of love. He shows up in a brief smile from my dad, as we reminisce about times gone by. He shows up where no words are spoken at all, and there is only the force applied by the clinching of his aged hand in mine. He shows up when that same aged hand refuses to let go of mine. He shows up as I listen intently to my father’s breathing in times of peaceful sleep. God shows up when my mother prays. He shows up when my wife prays. God is there, in the ever-abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, who comforts those who were previously inconsolable. John 14:26 says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” This verse reminds me that God, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit in my father’s own life, used my earthly father to teach me about faithfully trusting the God he loved. My dad prepared me for this very journey throughout his entire life, by pouring his own faith into me and living out that very example. And here, today, God, though the Holy Spirit, reminds me of His promises through the spoken words of my dad in years gone by. It’s as if the Spirit of God sits beside me whispering peace into my mind daily, reminding me of my earthly father’s words—reminding me that those are the very words and the very promises of God. The Holy Spirit does this, and it’s beautiful. An understanding of the death of a loved one cannot be taught. It can only be understood when Jesus, through the comforting of the Holy Spirit, stands beside you guiding you through it. I will tell you, it can be messy. Thankfully, God understands messy; He understands our grief and sorrow; He understands every pain; He allows grace for sleepless nights on a couch; He provides for us when mental exhaustion takes more than its fair share, and He is always beside us, through the presence of a Holy Spirit who never tires of holding the hand of a grieving son who, in many ways, already misses his dad.  Pastor, evangelist and author, Alan Redpath, once said, “There is no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with great purpose.” You know, life can deal us out a lot. More often than not the available space on our plate is already at a very sparse minimum, and we are already convinced of our inability to coordinate even one more small task. And then God allows more, and the allowance isn’t always tolerably small. The little phrase “but God…” is often used in the context of God sweeping in with abundant grace, mercy and provision to “fix” a bad situation. However, it may be less utilized in a sentence like this: “My plate was already full, my emotions were already tattered, my faith was already shaken, and I could not bear another load--but God unexpectedly added ______________.” It’s important to know that a loving God will absolutely test our tolerances. We like for God to rush in mightily with the supernatural help and resources needed to bring resolution and peace to formidable situations in our life, but we like it much less when God sweeps in and heaps unexpected challenges and difficulties into a life and schedule that may be, by our own evaluation, already pressed to the limit. As of late, my own plate has been pretty full. My father passed away in April of 2022. Shortly after that, my wife and I packed up our house, sold it and moved. Then, almost immediately, God moved me to a new church. All the while, I’ve been battling with a very painful pinched nerve which has brought a halt to many things in life that I enjoy. It's been a tight schedule of P.T., chiropractor visits and now I have a second MRI scheduled this week—one that I pray will lead directly to the corrective surgery needed in this situation. Between my own doctor appointments, we now add that my precious mother is awaiting some test results. We’ve been busy, but it’s not as much physical busyness as it is mental busyness, and for me, constant nerve pain. It’s been draining. It continues to be draining, but God continues to be good. Recently, I’ve found that Scripture brings a much greater worth of comfort to me than it has in past years. I believe there are two reason behind that fact. The first is that I’m hopefully growing in my walk with Christ. The second is that I’m older, and God has had more years to “put me through some stuff.” How comforting it is to know that all of that “stuff” has been vetted by God Himself. The minute details of every difficulty has been thoroughly examined, weighed and measured by a God who has then allowed into my life for purpose. Let’s quickly look to Scripture… Psalm 119:71-72 says, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” Eugene Peterson translates this wonderfully in the Message.” He says, “My troubles turned out all for my best. They forced me to learn from Your textbook. Truth from Your mouth means more to me than striking it rich in a gold mine.” There’s a richness in the lessons of “affliction” and difficulty that money (or a gold mine) can not purchase. Understanding the fact that God uses everything in our life to focus us on Him, we should be encouraged when difficulty comes to fill our plates. That's a tough feeling to embrace when walls begin to close in around you, but when that happens, we should immediately begin looking for God's purpose. God always has a purpose, and in that purpose, we always have an opportunity. Pastor Rick Warren once wrote something like this: "Life is series of problem-solving opportunities which will either develop you or defeat you, depending on your response to them." He then went on to list 5 ways that God wants to use difficulties in your life. From my best memory they are as follows: God wants to use problems to DIRECT you, INSPECT you, CORRECT you, PROTECT you and PERFECT you. I’m sure you can search online to find his resources, but the information that I have recalled brings some positive light to situations that may often seem just a little too much at the moment. Isn’t it good to know that God has already looked through every situation that He allows to transpire in our life? The journey that those difficulties must take as they travel through God’s meticulous vetting and then on to us, being strategically implanted into our life at just the correct moment, should clarify that they hold a place of great importance in God’s ultimate plan. Difficulties are opportunities to find God and learn from Him. Friends, be encouraged that God has good plans for you, and I pray that you understand the sovereign authority that God wields in allowing the difficulties that interrupt our schedule and possibly even steal our peace. Nothing enters our life without sovereign permission. Don’t neglect to find the beauty of God’s goodness, often coming to us initially disguised as struggle. That struggle has made a great and long journey, and it arrives with even greater purpose.  Insecurity is painful, and insecurity can damage almost everything it touches. Unfortunately, it can be a common issue challenging many who walk among us, and thereby, it becomes an issue for those who don’t battle the personality trait themselves but must interact with those who do. However, let’s be sure to understand that we all most likely suffer from some form of insecurity, so don’t develop any high and mighty feelings of superiority over someone who is struggling. Insecurity in others has touched my life and the life of my family in more ways than I’m comfortable with in recent years. In some cases, I addressed it directly, and in other cases I didn’t address it at all, although I probably should have. However, some battle are just not worth fighting. For the sake of sanity, it’s often best to walk away. And, I did. But, those years have caused me to do some research on the subject of insecurity and the toxic traits that can often pour forth from the life and actions of an insecure person. Insecurity is characterized by feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem and a diminished view of their self-worth, although everyone suffering from insecurity doesn’t display those feelings in ways that we might think. Read on. Jennifer Guttman, Psy. D., says: “...it’s estimated that roughly 85% of people worldwide (adults and adolescents) have low self-esteem. Low self-esteem has been linked to violent behavior, school dropout rates, teenage pregnancy, suicide, and low academic achievement. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more deaths are caused by suicide every year than homicide or war.” (Jennifer Guttman, Psy. D, “The Relationship With Yourself,” Psychology Today, June 27, 2019) Insecurity drives damaging and even dangerous behavior. Common personality traits of insecure people can be negative self-talk or self-depreciation, but insecurity can also manifest itself outwardly and into the lives of others. It can reveal itself in jealousy, approval-seeking behaviors, bragging, flamboyant narcissism, competitiveness, obnoxious bullying, a negative mindset toward seemingly everything they encounter that is “not their idea” and outright aggression towards others. Insecurity can often bring about unnecessary drama and toxicity into the lives of those who must engage with those suffering from this increasingly damaging personality trait. But, how do we deal with this? Should we deal with this? First off, we must call it out for what it really is—a problem, and in most situations, I would say that we should confront it. The confrontation is hard, because it will most likely not be well received, and discussing it in a way that promotes peace, love and understanding can be difficult. I’m not an expert at anything here, but my own research in both Christian-based and mainstream psychological studies has led me to the following conclusions: We Must Hear Them Out Let the insecure among us talk, regardless of the conversation; give them space to breathe; and let them air their narrative. Dismissing an insecure person could possibly make the situation worse and add to their own insecurities. No one responds well to being “dismissed” from the conversation. Instead, include them, but regardless of whether they venture into self-deprecation or extreme narcissism (or anything in between), the insecure elements should then be identified, examined and prayed over, and a decision should be made whether their actions are detrimental to themselves or others to a degree that they need to be addressed. If they do, then address them. Looking the other way may only serve to empower and escalate the same behavior. Wait For The Right Time The correct time to confront an insecure person may not be in the middle of a display of insecurity. If emotions are running high, then it would almost always be more fruitful to wait to address your concerns with them. I would say a private conversation, at least initially, is not only more productive but also a display of Christ-likeness. Private conversations may lead them to open up and reveal some of the more relevant issues that are causing them to display a behavior that is damaging to themselves or others around them. Addressing it publicly could be viewed as an attack and cause a bad situation to spin out of control. The goal is to help, to heal and to unify. If you’re going to address damaging behavior, be sure that you’re doing it at a moment when your own mind is calm, collected and seeking to understand and help. Understand the Process Understand that you’re not their savior, and your confrontation of the situation may not be the counseling they necessarily need to hear. You may not be the person God has called to counsel them through this difficulty and truly help them, but God has someone who can. Point them in a direction toward people who can help. Never have the expectation that calling out bad behavior will change it immediately. There’s a process involved that is probably greater than your intervention. Pray diligently that God would lead them to people who will genuinely understand, care and engage them with love and grace. In turn, you show love and grace while the process takes place. Create Healthy Boundaries Each of us needs to examine our definition of healthy boundaries, for our own happiness and personal mental health. On the more docile side of insecurity—if an insecure person constantly seeks validation from you, this can distract you from things in your life that are more important. Frankly, it can also lead you to develop a little of your own personal brand of narcissism, so be careful. On the more damaging side—if insecurity is leading someone to be personally aggressive towards you, or if they develop into a bully or narcissist, then you must examine how much of that behavior you intend to tolerate, based on your boundaries. There’s a saying that “What you allow is what will continue.” I believe this to be true in every sense of the word. Don’t allow the insecurity of others to take command of your mind, your life, or your organization. If healthy boundaries can exist, then they need to exist. Determine your boundaries, and clearly communicate your boundaries and tolerances. Know When to Cut Ties If you’re reading my blog, you probably identify yourself to be a Christian, and I hope you do know Jesus. Scripture tells us to have love and compassion for others, even our enemies. It’s hard for a follower of Christ to eliminate another person from their life, because we feel it violates our call to be Jesus to our world. However, the sad truth is that there are people among us who are toxic, and they simply don’t want to be any other way. When this is the case, there is a time to cut ties with them. Even God, in Romans 1:28, gave some over to a depraved mind—those who thought the knowledge of God was not worthwhile. Don’t pursue a relationship that is grounded in toxicity. You don’t have to. Pray for them, love them, but understand that there may come a time for you to move on. Luke 6:27-28 tells us, “…Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
If all of the aforementioned fails to bring an understanding or change of behavior, then walk away. We can’t effectively fight every battle that rages inside of another person’s mind, even if their own battles spill over into our personal lives. And, do it all with a mindset of love, constantly looking for an opportunity to reconcile that relationship with the same grace that Christ has reconciled us unto God.  Joseph Medlicott Scriven (1819-1886) was born in Seapatrick, Ireland and died in Ontario, Canada. He was a man of some wealth and he had the sincere heart of a servant. Joseph was a selfless person by nature, always looking for ways to serve others. He could often be seen walking through the streets of Lake Rice, Canada carrying a saw and sawhorse. Some would attempt to hire him to cut wood, but he would only offer his services for free, to those who could not afford the work. He was born on September 10, 1819, in Ireland to a family of who possessed the financial means to send him to Trinity College in Dublin. He attended classes there before joining the military, training for service in India. Because of poor health, he resigned his military ambitions and returned to Trinity College where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1842. Early in life, Joseph Scriven fell in love. The relationship led to a marriage proposal, which was readily accepted. The preparations for the ceremony were made, and everything was ready. On the evening before the wedding, his fiancé was crossing a bridge over the River Bann. She fell from horse and accidentally drowned. Joseph was on the other side of the river and witnessed the accident; however, he could do nothing but helplessly observe the incident. Full of sorrow and grief, Joseph began to wander. Around the age of 25, he found himself in Woodstock, Canada West (Ontario). Around 1844, Joseph was tutoring students, preaching and working among the impoverished. He would often serve and refuse compensation for his efforts. He was a viewed as a valuable and cherished member of that community. In 1857, he relocated to Bewdley, where he met and fell in love with Elisa Catherine Roche. Their relationship deepened and a wedding was planned. Sadly, in 1860 Elisa died of pneumonia before they could be married. Joseph Scriven’s life was full of tragedy. He was familiar with both love and loss, but he had a relevant relationship with Jesus. At one point, Joseph become ill, and while visiting with him, one of his friends discovered a poem at his bedside. When the friend inquired who had written the poem, Joseph replied, “The Lord and I did it between us.” It was never Joseph’s intention for anyone to see the poem but his mother. He had written the poem out of the pain and grief of his past experiences, and he intended to send it to his mother, who still lived in Ireland, to comfort her in her own sorrows.  It’s uncertain how “What A Friend We Have in Jesus” (Pray Without Ceasing) first became published. For many years it was printed with authorship unknown, or incorrectly attributed to Dr. Horatius Bonar. Regardless, it did become known and it became popular. Samuel Caswell (1861-1938) published an early manuscript version that was signed by Scriven. Of the hymn, Caswell stated that it was “beyond question the best-known piece of Canadian literature.” (Macpherson, “Scriven,” n.d.). Stanza 1 is an establishment of the fact that Jesus is our friend, and that He can and will bear our burdens. Stanza 2 asks two rhetorical questions. The are rhetorical because all of us, all of humankind, suffers from “trials and temptations” and become witness to “trouble.” The second stanza then answers the questions in the short refrain, “Take it to the Lord in prayer.” There’s also a third rhetorical question asking, “Can we find a friend so faithful…?” It’s an intimate friendship with the One who indeed “knows our every weakness.” The refrain returns to give the solution, “Take it to the Lord in prayer.” Stanza 3 simply reframes the premise of the song using different questions, “Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?” And, “Do your friends despise, forsake you?” The answer to all the questions returns with the famous refrain, “Take it to the Lord in prayer.” The song ends with Jesus wrapping His arms around His friend—who is us. Hymnologist Fred Gealy found and additional stanza which was published in Hastings’ Songs of Pilgrimage: A Hymnal for the Churches of Christ (Boston, 1886; Second Ed. 1888) with a fourth stanza, which I will present below: Blessed Jesus, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear May we ever, Lord, be bringing All to Thee in earnest prayer Soon in glory, bright, unclouded There will be no need for prayer Rapture, praise, and endless worship Shall be our sweet portion there Jospeh Scriven died in October of 1886. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography describes all that we know about the circumstances of his death: His last days were clouded with ill-health and despondency. James Sackville, his friend and fellow-believer, found Scriven ill and brought him to his house. One hot night in 1886, Scriven left his bed without disturbing anyone, probably to drink at a nearby spring: some hours later, presumably having fainted or fallen, he was found dead in the spillway of Sackville's grist-mill, a few feet from the spring. He was buried in the Pengelly burial-ground in an unmarked grave between Eliza Roach and Commander Pengelly. (Macpherson, “Scriven,” n.d.). Only a few days before Scriven’s death, Sackville encountered Scriven thoroughly dejected. At this meeting, Scriven told his friend that, “I wish the Lord would take me home.” (Cleland, 1895, p.17) It was never fully determined if Scriven’s death was natural, accidental or a suicide.  Jesus was a friend to Joseph Scriven, and it was obvious that through a lifetime of service to God, Scriven experienced some deep tragedy. If the closing thoughts of his life are recorded correctly by Scriven’s friend, then Jesus did indeed come and take him home. Like many other disciples of Christ who have gone on before us, including my own father only a few months ago, Scriven now understands more deeply about the friendship of Jesus and the magnificent “Precious Savior” who is “our refuge.” And, as the mostly unpublished fourth stanza puts forth, they are all involved in “praise and endless worship,” which is “out sweet portion there.” Sources: Jay Macpherson, “Scriven, Joseph Medlicott,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography (Vol XI (1881–1890) James Cleland, What a Friend We Have in Jesus and Other Poems by Joseph Scriven with a Sketch of the Author (Port Hope: W. Williamson, Publishers, 1895) |
AuthorKeith Beatty is a Worship, Missions and Media Pastor living in North Alabama. He's excited and very humbled to be a follower of Jesus Christ! Archives
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