Worry Doesn't Pay

It is not news to anyone reading these words that life is stressful. I won’t waste a bunch of words and your time listing the sources of stress. Each of us has some common sources of stress and we also have different sources of stress. Jesus talked about stress and worry. One day he pointed at the birds flying and the wildflowers in a field and reminded the group of the Father’s care for them. He asked them, “Aren’t you more valuable than the birds?” He also declared, “If God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers … He will certainly care for you.” Jesus instructed them, “Don’t worry about what you will eat, what you will drink, or what you will wear. … The Father already knows your needs.” Jesus’ instructions are easier to read than they are to do. We all know He’s right, and that worry doesn’t help us, but its hard to not worry. The Apostle Paul also instructed believers about worry. He wrote, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) If people got paid for worrying, most of us would have a bunch more money in our savings account, but worry doesn’t pay. As a matter of fact, worry costs us. It costs us lost sleep, loss of time thinking, loss of relationship peace and stability. Paul wrote “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.” He doesn’t direct people to pray because they need to convince the Father that the need is real. As Jesus said, “Your Father already knows all your needs.” We pray because praying reminds us He's in control and not us. We pray because it changes our heart, our focus, and eventually prayer changes our outlook. Whenever you start to worry, bow your heart and pray! “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand,” and “His peace will guard your hearts and minds.” Try it! You will experience a difference in your life.

Discernment in the Information Age

I have been giving a lot of thought to the practice of “discernment” the last while. We live in the “information age.” Each of us has at our fingertips more information in a day than our grandparents had in their entire life. The trouble with information is it isn’t always accurate. Information does not equal knowledge. People can have a wealth of information but, it is just a wealth of information. Information is easily confused with knowledge, expertise, or skill. Researchers at MIT studied 126,000 news stories tweeted 3 million times from 2006 – 2017. The researchers discovered that “false news” or misinformation traveled 6 times faster than truthful news or accurate information. Accurate news rarely reached more than 1,000 people. False news or misinformation regularly reached 1,000 to 100,000 people. One reason for the speed of misinformation is people’s desire to be “first” with novel information researchers concluded. People want to be “in the know” sooner than others and often are rewarded by people’s likes and retweets. “It’s easier to be novel and surprising when you’re not bound by reality,” commented Deb Roy of MIT. Frequently fake news and misinformation is “spicier” than accurate news and information. Unfortunately, unsensationalized news doesn’t spread very fast. Paul told the followers of Jesus that Satan is “the commander of the powers in the unseen world,” and “He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” Ephesians 2:2 (NLT) Jesus told his disciples that Satan “is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 (NLT) Knowing that Satan is the father and perpetrator of lies, the people of God should be the most cautious of all when swallowing information and passing it on. We are instructed to sift through everything, keeping what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable. Philippians 4:8 (NLT) Discernment is to be the believer’s way of life! “Be on guard.” “Test everything.” “Cling to what is good.” (1 Corinthians 16:13; 1Thessalonians 5:21; Romans 12:8) That includes what I just wrote!

Every Spiritual Blessing

As I’ve read over and over the first part of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in the Roman city and region of Ephesus, my heart and spirit have been filled with awe and wonder. Paul identifies, in vivid color, God’s rich blessing upon followers of Jesus. God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing,” and He “decided in advance to adopt us into his own family,” because “this is what he wanted to do,” and “it gave Him great pleasure.” (Ephesians 1:3-5 NLT) As the parent of adopted children (they are adults now) I understand what Paul wrote. When parents who have adopted a child meet other adoptive parents, there is a sense of camaraderie. A common response is “I have an adopted child too!” If you have adopted children, you know what I’m talking about. Think about it! God decided to adopt YOU into HIS own family, because it is what HE WANTED TO DO! And it gave him not just pleasure, but GREAT PLEASURE! And He has blessed you, his adopted child, with every spiritual blessing! Paul continues, God has poured out on his adopted children his “glorious grace!” Grace is the idea of undeserved help. God pours out his “glorious” help, even though we’ve done nothing to deserve it. Not only have we done nothing to deserve it, we’ve done plenty to motivate God to withhold His help from us - but he doesn’t! And there is more! Paul tells us that God is “so rich in His kindness and grace.” He has “showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.” If you are following Jesus, Paul’s words are a description of what God has done for you, and to you. He’s done all these things because “this is what he wanted to do!” He wanted to! He wanted to, for you! Doing all these glorious things “gave Him great pleasure.” How can you not want to love, praise, and serve Him? After all, He’s blessed you with every spiritual blessing! I encourage you to open your Bible to the letter from Paul to the Ephesians and read it over and over. Your spirit will be eventually overflowing with thanksgiving and joy.

How to Live in a "Cancel" Culture

“Affirm” and “Cancel” are two words used in the cultural lingo of the day. We’ve all witnessed the way these two ideas have played out. I’ve been chewing on the idea that neither of these words and what they represent in culture are in line with the life that Jesus asks His followers to live. Last week (9.24.2021) I addressed “affirm.” This week I’ll address “cancel.” Cancel or “Cancel Culture” refers to a form of shunning or boycotting. Someone thinks something, says something, or does something out of step, or disagreeable to another and they are “canceled.” They are silenced, their opinion, thinking, and words are deemed unimportant and meaningless. The person canceled has nothing of value to add, they are shamed into silence. The practice of “cancelling” goes directly against the commandment of Jesus to “Love your neighbor” and “Love one another.” Below is Paul’s description of love from 1 Corinthians 13. As you read through the description of love, do you see anything that even closely resembles “cancelling?” “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures. Love never ends.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NCV) Throughout Jesus’ three years of public ministry, the Jewish leaders continually attempted to cancel Jesus. Jesus challenged the Jewish leaders, sometimes forcefully, but he never cancelled them. They were often wrong in their views, opinions and practices and Jesus would confront them, but not cancel them. They were people he was going to hang on the cross and die for. Many of the Jewish leaders became followers of Jesus after his resurrection. He listened, he asked them questions in response to their questions and accusations, but cancelling was not Jesus’ way. His instructions were explicit. “Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you.” Matthew 5:44 (NCV) The Apostle Paul emphasized Jesus’ command. “Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.” (Romans 12:14 (NLT) Jesus instructs us to love those who “cancel” us and to bless those who use cancelling as a weapon against us. Loving our enemies and blessing those who want to silence us is hard work; but it is the Jesus way.