Grow Barefoot: Worry

Showing posts with label Worry. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Floods in the Desert: Praying for a messed up world

I began my last article with a list of some of the concerns in our world right now. As I typed the list, I thought, “Jimmy doesn’t even know about much of this as he’s virtually separated from world news in such a remote location.”

Jimmy didn’t need access to world news, however, to know people are in danger and hurting. He flew into his own situation right there.

First, let me catch you up on his location. After finishing the current solar panel installation, he flew to the village where he led a previous solar install two years ago. The following is a description of what he found there – some written by me from a compilation of his text messages, most written by Chica (the wife of the family with whom he’s staying.)

Yikes, did it flood.

The rainy season had been off and on. However, the night before Jimmy flew here – literally hours before the plane took off from his solar project – the rainy season turned on.

A flash flood came through; the pressure of the water blew four culverts out of the road. The road is made of hard red clay. A few sections have culverts made of concrete and large causeways built under them to allow water to flow north to south to the millet fields. The water was so much and so fast – plus engineering didn't take water pressure into account – that it washed away these causeways.

So now the area is completely flooded. The floods extend for miles and miles and miles; the causeways are huge drop off cliffs. They cannot fix the road until all the water covering it completely subsides and dries up. That won't be until after rainy season and some strong African sun. Rainy season ends in October; then, the roads have to dry up and work vehicles have to get here. It may easily be November before they begin to fix the roads.

The broken culverts happened right outside of town. The truck stop and outlying neighborhoods are under water. I keep thinking, “Don't drink this water! We don't need typhoid and cholera.”

But, I know others are thinking, “Free and convenient water.”

It's all perspective, I suppose.

We visited neighbors today. Everyone is talking about what the floods mean for our community –

The flood wiped out fields that farmers planted only a couple of weeks ago. All that work, all that seed, and all that future harvest – gone.
Food and fuel prices will be high and then higher as the harvest will not be brought in. Prices have already increased by 25% in one day.
Our village is cut off from the road to the north, the country to the east, and the capital city. All of our goods come from those locations. We are literally an island right now.

Folks are scared. What does this mean? They don't know. Will there be enough food? Will the mills still run to grind the grain if the gasoline runs out for the generators? What about medicines for the hospital? People are thinking about the villages that weren’t flooded, but are cut off by the flood. Those people have no way to the market, no way to the hospital.

Some people are driving large market trucks to a certain point in the road; they then use dug out canoes to bring goods into our town. So some things are arriving. That is good. If they can keep essential supplies arriving, that is great.

Kap and Jimmy wanted to see if they could offer some aid. They went to the governor’s office but he had left on travels. His offices are chest deep in water. So, with no local leader, figuring out how to get to people who know what is happening is difficult to chaotic right now. The folks are worried about the river – which is on the other side of town – overflowing its banks.

So, the overall feeling right now is fear. And helplessness. So then more fear.

Please pray for us - that we can help with the immediate crisis and that we can bold in our faith. Pray that we can work past the fear and helplessness of being cut off from the surrounding communities as we try to reach a people who are cut off from the grace of our living Savior.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Be Flexible: God has a plan

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… (Ephesians 1:3).

This was the main point of my pastor's sermon. His sub-points came from the continuing verses but those points aren't my point so I'll stay quiet on those for today.

At the end of the service he asked us to share why we will bless the Lord. “I will bless the Lord because...”

I answered, “I bless Him because He is sovereign. He is absolutely in control of every detail.” At the time, Jimmy was flying somewhere over the Mediterranean Sea.

I received a text from him a few hours later, “Just landed. No bags. Did not make the flight in. Tuesday maybe.”

Neither his nor Big Daddy R’s luggage had made it onto their plane. Many of us have had this happen; we all know it’s an annoyance more than a catastrophe.

But here’s the deal…

Jimmy and Big Daddy R had to leave their city of arrival in less than 24 hours – a small plane waited to fly them to their remote work site. The bags wouldn’t arrive for a minimum of two days. They couldn’t stay in the city until the bags arrived; the bags wouldn’t have a way to get to them when they did arrive.

Here’s the other deal…

The two men came to do a job – a job they only have a few days to accomplish. Their tools and supplies are in those bags. They can’t complete the job until they have those items.

To be continued…

Remember, nothing random happens in God’s kingdom. If you wonder, read God’s declarations in Job 38-41 to which Job replies, “I know that You can do anything and no plan of Yours can be thwarted (Job 42:2). Experience has taught us that He has a plan in all that He does. I’m reminded of when I led a group to do a project in Haiti and our luggage also didn’t arrive. By the end of the week God had blessed us to see His mighty work through our divine inconvenience.

So this article will have to be continued. As of right now, we don’t know why Jimmy and Big Daddy R are in Africa to do a job while their tools and supplies sit in Europe somewhere. But we know God has a plan in it – a reason for the annoyance.

As Jimmy stated in a later text, “Be flexible.” The plan was to go, work, and get the job done. God apparently has a different plan. So Jimmy and Big Daddy R will flex with the situation as they seek to accomplish God’s plan – not their own.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Choose to Enjoy Life

"Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses .... into something a little different from what it was before." -C.S. Lewis

We’re right in the middle of a Busy Life series.

After we stop glorifying our busy schedules and making excuses for how busy we are, we begin to see our choices. We make a choice to not let stress rule in our life; not let it control us.

We make a choice to enjoy life.

“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 8:15).

In the midst of a chapter on

obeying the government, even when we don’t want to
our lack of control over the day of our death
people are going to do bad things
bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people

In the midst of this ancient list of modern-day problems, the wisest man who ever lived wrote, “So I commend the enjoyment of life.”

Life is hard. Bad stuff is going to happen. We can’t control every situation. We can’t manipulate away every negative outcome.

But, we can choose not to gripe. We can choose to work hard in whatever area God has called us and gifted us. We can choose to enjoy that work. We can choose to trust God. We can choose to recognize He is in control. We can choose to find joy.

Be sure to check back soon. We’re going to look at a couple more choices we can make

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Be Still and Know...A Post That's Not Really About Syria

The Syrian conflict…there is no good solution.

So that’s not entirely what this article is about.

Grow Barefoot’s focus for the month of August has been the nations - all nations - including Syria, Egypt, and all the other places that are volatile right now. Some of the posts were…

But this is the post that really got me to thinking…

As I reread this familiar verse, “Be still and know…,” it reminded me of the popular quote “Keep calm and….” Sometimes the quote ends in something funny like “Keep calm and pass the chocolate.” I’ve seen t-shirts that said, “Keep calm and play volleyball.” A great friend sent me one a few days after I originally posted this article... Love it!

As I saw a similarity between “Be still” and “Keep calm,” I wondered where the “Keep calm” expression came from. As it turns out, the original was a motivational poster made by England around 1939 just as World War II was breaking out across Europe. This is my own adaptation of the solid red original...

The government produced the poster to increase morale among British civilians in the event of a massive attack. The highest fear was the release of poison gas in major cities. Sound familiar?

But here’s the deal…Even the trendiest poster can’t really help us keep calm in the midst of national attack – whether the attack is from chemical agents, natural disaster, economic collapse, corrupt government offices, or terrorist organizations. In those times, the only way to keep calm – or be still – is to know the one true God of Israel. He reigns over the nations, He blesses those nations who follow Him, He is the source of hope and salvation for all nations, and yet He will bring judgment on all nations. I choose to be on His side.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Divided by Worry

Remember Bobby McFerrin’s famous old song about worry? He’d sing in his Jamaican style, “Don’t worry, be happy now.” If you grew up in that era like me, you can probably hardly hear the expression “Don’t worry” without adding your own mental Jamaican accent. And the song will be stuck in your head for hours. You can thank me later.

In the song – and in life for many who espouse a “don’t worry” lifestyle – they don’t offer an alternative. Just don’t do it; stop it. Don’t care, don’t be responsible, don’t pursue – just let it all go and don’t worry – be happy. The problem is we can’t all live on a beach in Jamaica sipping exotic drinks with little umbrellas on them.

Surprisingly, God is in favor of the “Don’t worry” lifestyle. He had Paul write in the Bible, “Don’t be anxious for anything, but…” He then provided a follow-up option different than nonchalant irresponsibility. Before I tell you what it is, though, why is worry – or anxiousness – such a bad thing?

The Greek word for anxious comes from another word which means to be divided or distracted. Worry divides our attention and distracts us from the truth of the situation. Three familiar stories from the Bible help us understand the division.

Matthew 6:25-34

Jesus taught us not to worry by using the example of birds and lilies. God provides food for the birds and clothes the lilies in splendor. God provides so extravagantly for the birds and flowers; He’ll provide so much more for us! He’s teaching truth – trust God to meet your needs. Our sinful response to His truth, however, is to let worry step in and take over. Worry divides the truth. The division leaves an empty platitude to “trust God” on one part and no provider of our needs on the other part. So we step in and think we have to do it all on our own.

Matthew 10:17-20

Us Christians worry a lot about sharing our faith. In this passage, God promises to give us the words to say, especially in times of persecution. Trust God to speak. Again, though, worry steps in and divides that truth. The division again leaves the empty platitude “trust God” alone on the top and we are left to try and speak in our own power.

Luke 10:38-42

Jesus visited His close friends, Mary and Martha. These two sisters had different responses to His visit. Mary chose to sit with Jesus and listen to Him teach; Martha worried about getting the work done for His visit. Verse forty even says that the work “distracted” Martha. When Martha complained, Jesus gently shared with her it is better to spend time with Him than worry about all the work. His truth is “Spend time with Me.” Worry divided Martha from that opportunity; the division left how she spent her time with no focus, separated from Christ.

God’s Solution

Earlier I hinted that God provides a solution for how to not worry. The answer is in the rest of the verse. “Don’t be anxious for anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Prayer takes the focus off of our own attempts and restores our focus on God. Prayer recognizes He is the Provider of our needs, the Speaker of our truth, and the Friend for which we long. Prayer closes the circle back up again; it removes the division. Prayer recognizes we can’t do anything on our own but rely solely on Him. With that balance restored, we then bring our requests before Him. As we make our petitions, we’re already thankful for the promised provision, the unchanging word, and the loving relationship.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The God of Peace

I learned a new name for God this week. Although God is one and none other exists beside Him, He goes by many names – Almighty God, Heavenly Father, King of Kings, the Alpha and the Omega. Each name signifies a different aspect of His character or His divinity.

I came across this new name while reading verses on peace for the Grow Barefoot thought of the day on Facebook. I repeatedly found God referred to by the name God of Peace.

What is significant about the Holy Creator also being the God of Peace? Let’s look at the context of each usage and see what we find.

Romans 15:33

“The God of peace be with you all.”

The One who controls peace is with you; He’s with everyone. His peace is available for any who choose to accept it. Paul repeats this again in Philippians 4:9.

Romans 16:20

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

The One who controls peace has the power to trample on Satan. The God of peace will conquer the evil one, shattering his strength.

1 Corinthians 14:33

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace”

The One who controls peace doesn’t leave a trail of instability, disorder, or confusion. The work that God does has order and steadiness. He’s never chaotic.

2 Corinthians 13:11

“And the God of love and peace will be with you.”

The One who controls peace also controls love. Not only is He the God of love but He is love itself. He is both the definition and the expression of love.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.”

The One who controls peace has the power to sanctify you. Sanctify is a church-y kind of word; it just means to grow closer to the things of God and in so doing to grow further away from the things of the world. The more we grow closer to Him – the more we learn to live and think like His Word teaches – the more we experience peace.

2 Thessalonians 3:16

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.”

The One who controls peace is able to pour it into your life at any time and in any situation. That’s some amazing comfort as this world becomes more and more messed up.

Hebrews 13:20-21

“Now may the God of peace… equip you with everything good for doing his will”

The One who controls peace can and will give you everything you need to live the life to which He’s called you. He’s not going to call you and then abandon you on your own without a clue. Knowing that He will equip you gives you peace to be able to do the job.

I don't know about you but I want to let go. Let go of the stress, the control, and the chaos while I let the God of Peace reign in all of these areas.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Mobilization: Four Steps to Come Together

The election has come and gone. On Monday, before the voting started, I posted my thoughts regarding this election. Regardless of the outcome, God is sovereign over the leaders of all nations. Regardless of the outcome, the man chosen by God will lead this nation through the next four years.

Now it is three days later; we counted the votes and we made a decision as a people. Yet, the results shock many, leaving them scared of the implications of this choice.

Many followers of Christ have a sense about the implications of this election. It is only a sense, an internal prodding if you will, but it is real nonetheless. As my friend, Torry Martin, posted on Facebook, “Can’t help thinking that if Obama wins, America will go on, but not the way you know it…and not for long.” And if what we sense is true, then we need to be ready. Those within the American church need to get over themselves and step up to the plate. God called us to this moment; He will guide us through it. However, He does expect a few things on our part; things we should have been doing all along and yet many of us have failed at one, two, or all.

We have to pray.

We have to be “faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12). Perhaps I list this first as it is my highest area of conviction right now. A few months ago, Grow Barefoot’s monthly theme on Facebook was prayer. By the end of the month I learned three things about prayer.

1. All believers need to pray.
2. Believers need to pray about everything and for everyone.
3. Believers need to pray all the time.

The conviction of that month led to a new study on prayer. I’m barely into it but I hope to have more to share in the next few months.

Know the Word.

Do you know what God’s Word actually says about persecution? Do you know what it really says about how God will provide for all our needs? God wants us to know these truths and others. Yet many never study His Word even though “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us” (2 Peter 1:3).

A few years ago, this point led me to start studying twelve truths God wants us to all know. Today, I am finishing up a book on these truths and I’m praying for God’s direction in either electronic or traditional publishing. Again, I hope to have that available to you soon.

(Update 01/07/14 - It's now available! Learn more here: Everything We Need: God's Path to Know Him Better)

Serve others.

When all is said and done, God will not consider what we did to take care of ourselves. Since the time Jesus walked on earth, God’s call is to put others first. Our example is Christ who “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:6-7).

No fear.

Jesus knew things wouldn’t be easy. He left us with many comforting words. Among them, during His last hours before His crucifixion, He said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give 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).

I have complete faith that President Obama won the election because God chose Him for this moment. I’m not sure what that means for the future of our nation as many of his policies are contrary to God’s Word and conventional wisdom. I do sense it’s going to get worse before it gets better and these four things will be critical.

As part of his concession speech, Romney said, “Paul and I have left everything on the field.” In other words, they gave the election all they had and held nothing back. It’s a great expression, whether used in athletics or politics. For me, I’ve decided to apply it spiritually. I don’t want to look back at some point and think I could have done more, given more, said more, or written more. I plan to look back and say I left everything on the field.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Through the Eyes of a Child: Growing up in a Post 9/11 World

On September 11, 2001, my second daughter was only four days away from her first birthday.

This coming Saturday she will celebrate her twelfth birthday. This tragic event has shaped reality her entire life.

In honor of the anniversary, I decided to ask her some questions about the event.

Q: What do you know about the 9/11 attacks?

A: I know the south tower was hit first and later the north. The first plane hit the top and the second hit around the middle. The Pentagon was also hit. That plane went through the first three rings of it. When the first tower fell, even though they were hit within minutes of each other, the second tower stayed up twice as long. I know Building 7 fell because of debris from the other buildings.

I know the people who did it are terrorists.

I know a lot of people were hurt in the towers and from debris falling from the towers. They continued to search for people for days afterwards. After three or four days they were looking for remains more than people who had survived.

I know heroes saved dozens of people but died in the process.

Q: How do you think the attacks changed our country?

A: The attacks changed us because now we are a lot more cautious in what we do government-wise. The government doesn’t want something like that to happen again so they are more careful.

We changed because now we know what people can and will do to get revenge and stuff like that. Even though we didn't know anyone in the attacks, we still have a lot of sorrow and pain for those who did. I'm very sensitive for people who have gone through death.

Q: How important are the 9/11 attacks in the world you are growing up in?

A: Well, to a child’s point of view they aren’t very significant. But as I get older and understand more things like that, I realize how much people were hurt from losing their friends and family.

I think we need to teach our children about things like this so they don't repeat these kinds of things in the future. We don't want kids to grow up and be seriously mad at something and choose to deal with it in these kinds of ways.

Q: How should we feel about the terrorists now – eleven years later?

A: It is still a big deal for those who did and didn’t lose people in the attacks. Sometimes I wonder how the people who planned the attack felt on 9/11. Did they feel proud? Or, maybe they regret what happened. Are they embarrassed now because it didn't destroy us? What do you think?

"Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation."
Joel 1:2-3

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Broken Toys: Letting go of the pain

Saturday. The day to clean the bedrooms. Although my girls usually clean their own rooms, sometimes I like to go in and help them do a more thorough cleaning. Together, we go through drawers, toy baskets, and shelves to get everything back in order again. Undoubtedly, we must always deal with broken toys. I used to keep the broken pieces, thinking I could repair or replace the broken part. If it was irreparable, I would still hold onto the toy; surely it could still be enjoyed without the missing pieces.

Awhile back my thinking changed. Now, if a toy is broken beyond repair or missing so many pieces it has been rendered useless, I throw it in the trash bag. I've used this method a few times and noticed their room is starting to be less cluttered and more fun. I even noticed my girls are less stressed taking care of their room as they have less stuff surrounding them. I also thought, after we finished cleaning their room, this method makes more room for new toys.

As I stuffed some torn dress-up fairy wings into the trash bag this past Saturday, I wondered how many broken pieces we are holding on to in our own lives.

Overlooked for a job promotion.

Criticized by a friend.

Can’t relate with your children.

Unable to make your house payment.

Diagnosed with cancer.

Argued with your spouse.

I don’t know what broken pieces you have in your life, but I know we all have them because we live in a broken world. We stuff our broken pieces on the shelves of our hearts and minds; we pretend that someday we will repair them or maybe we can still use them as they are.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7-8 NIV).

I threw the broken toys in the trash; likewise, we need to throw our broken emotional pieces. We don't throw them in the trash but at the feet of Jesus. Cast them on Him. We stop thinking we can fix them and trust that He can and will because He cares for us.

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:4-5 TNIV).

And besides, you never know, God might have something better, something new and fresh, waiting to fill that spot on your shelf once you throw away the broken pieces.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Trapped in Fear

We are in the midst of cold and flu season. A few weeks ago I bought a bottle of cold medicine for my daughters. When the old bottle ran out and one of my daughters needed another dose I started opening the new bottle. I removed a sealed cellophane wrapper from the outside of a box. I broke the glued seal keeping the box closed. I removed a second cellophane wrapper shrink-wrapped to the bottle. I pushed before turning so I could remove the child-proof cap. I peeled off a foil seal over the mouth of the bottle. Only then could I pour out the appropriate amount of medicine for my achy, stuffy-nosed, coughing little girl. I later analyzed the bottle's label and found 24 warnings on how you should or should not use the contained product. I didn't count the actual directions - the expected place to find how to use the product.

I’m all for safety. As a child, I remember the 1982 Tylenol crisis in which seven people died from taking Tylenol capsules that some sick, demented person had laced with cyanide. Tylenol then became the first company to begin using tamper-evident packaging for medicine, although at the time they called it tamper-resistant packaging. That term is now illegal. I don’t know the order that each layer was added, but I’m thinking that the foil seal was one of the first preventive measures. Over time, companies added more and more security to ensure the consumer’s safety.

My concern is not how many layers of tamper-evident packaging I have to peel away. Rather, my concern is how this increase in safety is a reflection of our society.

At what point will we be safe?

How many warning labels must we write before we are safe?

How much government legislation must we pass?

How many safety features do we have to add?

Each new safety level entraps us more into a life of fear.

We have become a society that lives in fear of what could happen. We live a life of nothingness out of fear of what might happen. We try to control every scenario and outcome for all situations. We pour so much energy into controlling our environments that we never realize one simple fact...

How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?

How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

Offer right sacrifices

And trust in the Lord.

Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”

Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

For you alone, O Lord,

Make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:2, 5-6, 8

Monday, November 1, 2010

God's Timing or Satan's Attack?

I was supposed to receive the first published copy of Seven Roles, One Woman in late September. The week came and went without a word from the publisher. I eventually received word they had a problem registering the ISBN number so printing would be delayed. A week passed. Then two. My contact at the publisher told me I should have already received it; she would check on the problem. Another week passed. Halfway through the following week I contacted the publisher again. I discovered my contact was no longer with the company and, although the printer had received the order, no one in their company had followed through on it. They promised to put a rush on the printing and shipping.

Why am I sharing this with you? During the first part of that series of delays I kept thinking, “This is God’s timing” or “I will receive the book when it is the right time. God has a plan in all of this.” About halfway through the month of September, though, I began to wonder if all the delays were an attack by Satan to stifle the spread of God’s Word and discourage me in my ministry. I increased my prayers for the situation, all the while unsure as to what was going on in the spiritual realm as problems persisted in the physical realm.

Last Wednesday I was supposed to begin teaching the study to a class at my church. As the time neared to begin, I knew it wasn’t going to be available on time. I had to make a different plan. I decided to teach on one Psalm per week until the study was ready. I knew I wouldn’t run out of Psalms before the book was published and I also knew I could stop any time when it did become available. I chose Psalm 23 for the first week and proceeded to prepare my lesson.

Psalm 23 is perhaps the most well-known passage of Scripture in the Bible. The only passage that might compete with it for popularity is the famous John 3:16. Despite its overwhelming familiarity, I learned so much preparing that lesson. Someday I’ll share those things here, but for now, that’s not the purpose of this article.

I went to church that night to teach. I like to get there early to set up the classroom and make a pot of coffee. While doing those things, my husband showed up at the church building with a video camera in one hand and a package in the other hand. He had found the study on the front porch. Unknown to us, the UPS guy had delivered it earlier in the day.

I still don’t know if it was God’s timing or Satan’s attack that led to the delays in finishing the book. However, I did learn something that night. If it was God’s timing, then it was a good thing. If it was Satan’s attack, then his plan backfired. Either way, my class had a wonderful time gaining some new and fresh insight into the beautiful 23rd Psalm. I believe God wants us to take every opportunity to trust Him and serve Him, even if things aren’t working out right. Even if Satan is trying to block us at every turn.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

We've Got Troubles

I stumbled across something that troubled me in John 13. In verse 21, I came across the phrase, “Jesus was troubled in spirit…” Jesus was troubled? He is the Rock. He is the Alpha and Omega. What could trouble Him?

I looked further and found three places where Jesus was troubled.

John 11:33 – Jesus was troubled as He talked to Mary regarding the death of her brother, Lazarus. Jesus then proceeded to raise Lazarus from the dead.
John 12:27 – Jesus said His soul was troubled as He faced His coming crucifixion.
John 13:21 – Jesus was troubled as Judas’ betrayal began to play out.

My personal troubles grew when I noticed that in the very next chapter Jesus told us two times, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1, 27). Whoa. What? How’s that work? We’ve just seen three times where Jesus was troubled and then He told us not to be troubled?

After much note-taking and key-stroking, I found some answers for my dilemma.

In the first three passages, Jesus was troubled in His soul or spirit. The two words are similar in meaning; they refer to the part of us that has a relationship with God. In the last two passages, in John 14, Jesus said to not let our hearts be troubled. Beyond the literal meaning, the heart refers to the center of our understanding or our will. This is the part of our person which is conscious of ourselves and seeks to satisfy our own desires.

So, to sum up so far, troubled in spirit is OK, troubled in heart is not OK. Troubled in the part of us that relates to God is OK; troubled in the part that satisfies our own desires is not OK.

Does that seem backwards to our human way of thinking?

Why is it not OK for your heart to be troubled?

Our heart is the seat of our emotions, our will, and our understanding. Not only should those things not control us, we should submit them to the control of our loving God. Our emotions, will, and understanding are not to be troubled because we can trust God and have His abundance of peace.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give 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).

Why is it OK to be troubled in spirit?

When Jesus was troubled in His soul or spirit, all three situations involved death and separation from God.

Mary seemed to have lost hope for Lazarus because Jesus didn’t come sooner to heal him from his sickness. She didn’t realize that through Jesus we have life now, not at some future event.
Jesus took the sin of the world upon Himself at the time of His crucifixion. He was troubled as the time approached as He would spiritually separate from God. He would later cry out from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”
Jesus was troubled by Judas’ betrayal but not because it would lead to His death. That would happen regardless of Judas’ actions. Jesus was troubled because when Judas followed through with his plan he separated himself from relationship with Jesus.

All around us is a world of people whose deaths will lead to eternal separation from God. This fact troubled Jesus and it should trouble us as well.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Sister Time

Over the last two weeks I have had different opportunities to visit with several old friends. Oops! Did I say they were old? Well, I meant our friendship is old. To look at these beautiful spiritual sisters you would think that to go back nearly 20 years together, we must have been friends in the cradle, although that is far from the case.

Careers and callings have taken us apart from each other's daily lives but summer vacations brought each of them back into my life for a short season. They each have children the same age as mine; we joyously discovered time has brought us to a point where the little ones don't require constant supervision. They are more than happy to run and play uninterrupted. That left us with time to talk and reconnect on a more adult level than we knew decades ago.

My first sister and I sat at the kitchen table in the mornings, each with coffee in hand. Another sister and I shared across the front seat of a minivan while our husbands piloted another minivan behind us. (At least it started that way - you know men, they had to pass us at the first opportunity.) A third sister and I caught up with each other late into the night, curled up in the living room, her in an overstuffed chair and me at one end of a couch. A fourth sister and I even stood under the back hatch of her mini-van, in the middle of a rainstorm, while my daughter played softball in the mud a few yards away.

War - physical and spiritual. Drug lords. Violent crimes. Generational bondage. Societal deterioration. Corporate buy-outs. Job layoffs. Intercontinental job transfers. Childhood behavioral disorders. Alcoholism. Homosexuality.

As each shared her heart with me, I began to wonder if God was trying to teach me something by bringing each of these women into my life over such a short amount of time. I've never lived in a war-torn country or helped fight a battle of alcoholism. I've encountered the effects of a deteriorating society and coped with childhood behavioral problems but I'm not sure I was successful with either.

The thing about God, though, is His principles are timeless and boundless. Go beyond the cliché and listen to the truth of God's words -

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

“Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Proverbs 1:33

These and many other verses from Scripture remind us that God is powerful, eternal, constant, and gracious. Those are life-altering truths in this tumultuous, shifting world.

What promises of Scripture do you cling to when life gets hard? Please share your favorites in the comment section below!

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