Spiritual Tight Rope

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

    do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

    and he will show you which path to take.  Proverbs 3:5-6

There is a tight rope to walk when walking the path of worldly and Godly righteousness.  I struggle when there are two sides of seemingly the same godly coin.  For example, I was reading an article about protests having no place in Christianity.  It used the verses of James 5 to emphasize this stating, “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.  You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (James 5:7-8)  The emphasis was on patiently waiting for the Lord to exact justice on those who would be either oppressive or doing wrong.

This is stark comparison to that of the beliefs of civil rights leaders.  One in particular named Martin Luther King, Jr came to mind.  A famous quote of his says, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  Where might this be biblically prevalent?  There are many areas, but one that speaks directly to this is Proverbs 31 where is says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” (Proverbs 31:7-8)  So which is right?  The author of the article later noted that not all protests were wrong to push for justice, but he elaborated that some protests are not founded biblically.  I could see his point, but it led me to ask some very difficult questions.  How are we to know when to wait for God and when to act?  Are all peaceful protests right, and are all violent ones wrong?

The answer lies in the prayer of serenity.  It simply states:

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Serenity is defined as the state of being calm and unruffled.  The word is not used in the Bible, but is referred to in many ways (ex. “The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:26).  Another word that comes to mind is ‘humility.’  Why?  Because it opens one’s heart to God and removes all selfish motives as noted in James 4:7, which says, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Serenity and humility are crucial when navigating a righteous path.  Today’s verses are good fundamental marching orders, but they are only part of the story.  We want to trust in the Lord, but how sure are we that what we are doing is God’s will?  How are we to trust that which we do not understand?  Do we even know if we are seeking His will?  It is a complicated road and we can potentially either oversimplify or over complicate it.  Thus, it becomes crucial that we put ourselves in a state where we can best hear God.  That’s the serenity part.  Furthermore, we must ensure our hearts are focused on God and not ourselves.  That’s the humility part.  If we can merge the two together, we can have a full view on what next steps to take.  We march bravely if needed or stay patient and wait for further instruction.  Therefore, these two things together are crucial in ensuring our steps taken are the right ones.

God is with us each step of the way.  The world will continue to throw challenges.  Thus when we are dealing with a situation whether it be simple or complex, we must ensure that we are in the best position to hear God and with an open mind and heart that will speak to God in a way that pleases Him.  Then, we will have the best chance toward success.  What process can you take to ensure you have serenity when going to God?  How can you approach Him with a humble heart?  My prayer is we are holding on to God’s hand as we walk across the spiritual tight rope.  Amen.

Bad News & Good News

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

There’s good news, and then there’s bad news.  What’s bad news?  Remains of a twenty year old who disappeared in a small town community are found.  Ten different states report a mysterious virus that affects children, and they expect it to spread nationwide.  Football player is kicked off the team after video shows him striking his wife.  Children killed in their apartment home in what appears to be a gang related incident.  These are ‘bad’ news headlines from over the weekend.  Is there any wonder why people have grown so critical of the world we live in?  Why would anyone want to live in a world like this?  As Christians, one might wonder why would God put us here in such a place?  It is important that we remember that while the world we live in is not heaven, we are given this wonderful opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ to others in this broken world.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is still the overwhelming message in a fallen world.  There are plenty things to complain about, and there are numerous worries which occupy our thoughts.  They chip away at our spiritual goodness to attempt disconnecting us from God.  However, the message of Jesus Christ is one that is encouraging, life changing, and reinvigorating.  We follow Him for He has overcome death and everything that the world could dish out.  The Good News is a reminder of who we belong to, and assurance amidst the constant negative messages the world sends.

Knowing Jesus Christ means to have peace when all those about you have chaos and comfort even in the most trying circumstances.  This is not a secret to be kept to ourselves.  It is to be shared to give others hope when all seems lost.  It is to remind them that there is God who loves and protects them.  For all the troublesome things that occur, we are to take heart because Jesus Christ has overcome all of it; past, present, and future.  How can you allow Jesus Christ to give you peace?  My prayer is that when we are inundated with bad news, we take heart in the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

When To Say 'When'

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

All of us have heard the serenity prayer, but just in case you do not remember, it goes like this:

God grant me the serenity

             to accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom to know the difference.

Thinking about this, the struggle becomes where does the wisdom part kick in?  One of the toughest things that we must do as Christians is knowing when to let God take control.  There are relationships that I will fight tirelessly to fix or situations that I spend seemingly endless hours trying to get done.  In my early walk of faith, my belief was if I just willed myself enough, it would get done saying to myself Philippians 4:13 (I can do all this through him who gives me strength).  As my spiritual growth expanded, I learned some situations called on my leaning on God as Jesus in Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  But which one applies when?

One purpose of our journey of faith is learning exactly when to say ‘when.’  One of the great truths that I have learned from leadership is that there are some problems that can’t be solved, and some tensions that are never resolved.  They are situations that must be managed.  Serenity is exactly like this, and wisdom is our experiences that allow for us to know when to drive and when to let God handle it.  Everyone's ability to handle a situation varies.  One person might be better equipped to handle a financial crisis, and another could be more adept at dealing with emotional distress.  It does not matter where you are strong or weak.  It matters to know what your limit is and when to accept God’s handling of it.

God is all knowing, and His wisdom is far greater than our own understanding.  Knowledge of this allows for us to trust Him in all things.  Through prayer, we gain clarity of what God wants for us, and we are able to know when God will either give us strength or require our submittal to His will.  How will your level of serenity grow spiritually?  Which sides of the equation do you need greater understanding; strength or submittal?  My prayer is that we grow with experience to discern when to say ‘when.’  Amen.