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Monday, June 1, 2020
“Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.” —Isaiah 44:8
Fear is a tricky concept. Depending on exactly how you use it—especially the exact word you’re using (fear, afraid, fearful, etc.) or the context in which you use it (afraid of one’s own shadow as opposed to fear of God, for example)—it can have a very different meaning and a different valence.
Whatever else we say about fear, we all recognize that, for good and bad, fear is a reality for all of us. Part of being alive is being afraid, at least some of the time. There’s no such thing as a literally fearless life.
This is probably why there’s such a strong emphasis in both the Old Testament and the New Testament on courage. Throughout history, God has told those who follow him that a healthy fear of God (meaning respect, awe, honor, recognition of power and authority) is necessary for healthy life, but that fearfulness that questions God’s goodness and providence is something to be cast out, resisted, overcome.
God is supposed to rule over us. Fear is not.
It’s normal and natural to feel fear. But when fear gets in the way of the free, joyful, hopeful, generous lives we’ve been invited into, it must be overcome. Too many of us are controlled and guided by fear.
So what do we do? The primary answer throughout Scripture, and this is the point in Isaiah 44, is that we respond to fear by looking to God, who is greater and stronger and more authoritative than anything we fear. God is greater than unemployment. God is greater than sickness. God is greater than corruption and irresponsible, self-centered leadership. God is greater than climate change and pandemic and injustice. God is greater than our regret and shame. The call is to keep our eyes on God and root our lives in his goodness and faithfulness.
And what this leads to, often, is taking courageous steps even though we still feel afraid. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is behaving with virtue and character even though we are afraid. And the thing is, the more often we do this, the more often we find that, regardless of outcome, this feels like a better way to live. The more courageously we act, the less afraid we tend to feel.
So may we all acknowledge our fears this week. But rather than allowing them to control us, may we look to God, who makes and keeps promises. And may we step forward in character, virtue, strength, and courage, living as Jesus taught us to live.
Friday, May 29, 2020
My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long. —Psalm 35:28
When I look at this verse from Psalm 35, the word, “reflex” comes to mind. A tongue that tells of God’s righteousness all day long sounds to me a lot like lungs that inhale when they’re empty, eyelids that blink when they’re dry, and a stomach that starts digesting when it’s fed. It’s like flinching when we anticipate a threat. Without a whole lot of decision-making, these functions happen over and over, on and on. According to the psalmist, singing God’s praise is just what his tongue does in response to knowing God. A reflex.
And sometimes praising God feels like that, right? Sometimes we’re filled to overflowing with gratitude and awe, and we can’t help but express it in our attitudes, words, and actions. That’s the kind of praise reflex I think the psalmist is talking about.
Sometimes, however, my own praise reflex feels dulled. Sometimes I get bogged down by the mundane, I need to coax myself into expressing gratitude, I am too busy to experience awe. How about you?
Our bodily reflexes are good for us, and when they’re dulled, we suffer. So it is with our praise reflex. The truth is, I am created to praise God and my inclination to do so is important for my spiritual wellness.
This reflex is something I feel the need to sharpen in myself, especially right now when so many things feel dulled and fuzzy. In a conversation with my coach today, I figured out that I benefit from regular reminders of God’s presence. For me, revisiting Psalm 19:14 throughout my day is really important. When I do, my awareness of God’s presence becomes clearer. And with that clarity, praising God becomes more like blinking my eyes. More like a reflex.
If you feel this need to sharpen your reflex for praise, consider these questions…
- When has praising God felt more like a reflex than a conscious decision? What was that like?
- What would it look like for you to sharpen your praise reflex so that you might more readily and regularly praise God?
- What reminders about God do you need to keep at the forefront?
- What sins are blocking your natural inclination to praise the Lord? What would it look like to ask for God to help you repent of those?
- What attitudes, if shifted, would position you to stand in awe of your Creator?
- Who can help you?
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the last day of Jesus Christ. -Philippians 1:6
I keep hearing people call Memorial Day the unofficial start of summer.
I don’t know if that’s true, but with the warm weather this past weekend, there was a certain feeling of “lightness” that people seemed to have.
I saw it in people as they walked their dog, were out for a run, rollerblading, or playing this strange game that a group of teenagers were playing on Friday and Saturday night. One of them would leave their bike in the street, ring someone’s doorbell (no, not ours), and run (rather than ride) away.
Based on the fact that the second night this happened the homeowner came out looking annoyed before walking to the street, picking up the bike, and putting it in his garage…I’m not sure of the sustainability of this game without some major revisions to the rules.
Anyway, this lightness pointed out to me how not being able to see or gather with the people I care about and the excessive amount of time I’ve spent in front of screens has left me feeling like life is on hold. I’m just waiting around for life to get back to normal.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is likely written while he was unjustly imprisoned in Rome awaiting a trial where if he’s found guilty, could result in his execution. In the midst of all he’s experiencing, before Paul says anything about his own situation, Paul is encouraging the church at Philippi that when they came to accept the gospel, God began a process of transformation that will continue until God’s goal for each one of those individuals has been completed.
So, this leaves me with two questions…
If God’s “good work in [me] is carrying on” right now, should I feel like my life is on hold?
When I think about the promise God’s transformation that is taking place, is what I envision as “getting back to normal” where I want to go?
