BEING CONFUSED

I Was Just Thinking About – BEING CONFUSED.

If one consulted a Counsellor about his/her personal confusion, the Biblical Counsellor would eventually come to a bottom line resolve for a person: (1) Get Re-focused. Plug into Hebrews 12:2 and “Keep on looking to Jesus, the Author and Completer of your faith.” (2) Make A Commitment to the Author and Completer of your faith. At the very least two areas of this commitment are (a) Luke 10:27, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and (b) Acts 20:24, “But I consider my life of no value to myself, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” (3) The Commitment will also include something similar to John Wesley’s: “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”

One of the great fellowship opportunities is to communicate with or to read the thoughts of those who are transparent. In some instances, it can bring one to agony of soul and cause tears to flow. I just recently came across a communication of one who described his plight in life with these words: “Yes, I’m confused about life just like everyone else. I get depressed, I struggle and I feel lost too, more often than you probably would imagine. In fact,…I had a bit of a breakdown. That might be an understatement. It was actually quite a significant breakdown. Despite having been traveling for 15 years…nothing made sense to me. I was placing intense personal pressure on myself, I had no answers to anything and every day I woke up with a ‘…I-have-no-idea-what-I’m-doing’ kind of confusion.”

Despite this transparency, his conclusion regarding his personal confusion would not ordinarily be the desired resolve. “Let me say this….don’t worry about the confusion you are feeling. Don’t worry about feeling lost and having no idea what to do in life… Maybe you wanted to quit your job and head in a new direction but you weren’t sure what to do…Perhaps you just don’t know how to take the first step towards your goals and you’re worried that you’ll never achieve what you really want to achieve in the end. Again, don’t worry about these things. Worry about who you are right now instead. That’s where it starts. Understand what kind of person you want to be as you move through this world, what you believe in, how you want to treat others and what is important to you. Once you figure this out, the rest will come and you’ll be able to handle any periods of confusion, fear, uncertainty or whatever you must face along the way…” Obviously, he has missed the intent and purpose of Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT), “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.” It would also be invaluable to remember the words of both Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28.

Prayerfully – consider these things with me.

SORROWING

I Was Just Thinking About – SORROWING.

One of the more difficult times in one’s life is coping with the death of a loved one or friend. Even though we can agree that a Biblical Christian is far better off after death as compared with challenges and struggles in life, there is that sense of loss and an emptiness over the loved one who is no longer with us.

Horatio G. Spafford experience two major traumas in his life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a wealthy businessman). Shortly after, while crossing the Atlantic, all four of Spafford’s daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford’s wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” In 1873, as he sailed to join his sorrowing wife, when he passed near the spot where his daughters had perished, he penned words that became a Hymn – It Is Well With My Soul. The first stanza expresses some of the inner conflict one can experience at such times. On the one hand, he wrote: “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way…” It references the inner peace that the Lord has made available for His people to embrace throughout the peaks and valleys of their lives. The next phrase expresses the sense of grief he and his wife experienced, when he wrote: “When sorrows like sea billows roll…” The next two lines express a reality one can know throughout life: “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.”

A verse that expresses the range of human emotions is Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Paul echoed this thought when he gave this word of encouragement in I Thessalonians 4:13-14, “We do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.”

My sister and I were sharing recently that throughout our lives this is the first year that our older brother is no longer with us. We also noted that other family members died in the latter part of years past: our father was buried on Christmas Eve 75 years ago; our maternal Grandmother (who lived with us) was buried in October 68 years ago; our Mother was buried before Thanksgiving 30 years ago – and now – our older brother this year.

Somehow – in the midst of one’s own personal journey in life – there has to be an embrace and practice of the concept given in Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” The Amplified Bible expresses it: “Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief].” May the Lord be with you who are sorrowing this day!

Prayerfully – consider these things with me!

IE (Introspective Evaluation)

I Was Just Thinking About – IE.

The “IE” refers to Introspective Evaluation. Different ones in Scripture had such a moment when the Lord was calling and leading them to do a particular task for Him. Consider Moses when God wanted him to lead His people away from Egypt to The Promised Land. Moses responded by rehearsing that which he considered inadequacies for the task – slow to speak; non-acceptance by the people; others are better suited to do this task. Exodus 4 (NLT) details the discussion and debate between The Lord and Moses. A critical juncture is reached in verses 10-11 when Moses states: “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled. Then the Lord asked Moses, Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

Jeremiah believed he was too young and not ready for “prime time”. The Lord had a word for him – Jeremiah 1:6-9 (NLT) when he tried to resist God’s call: “Don’t say, I’m too young, for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken! Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, Look, I have put my words in your mouth!”

In Judges 6, Gideon was called upon to deliver God’s people out of the oppression of the Midianites. Among his responses was that he felt abandoned by the Lord; his family wasn’t prestigious, and he was very young. The angel said to Gideon: The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” Gideon’s response: “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord is patient and longsuffering. Verse 14-16: “The Lord looked at him and said, Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?  Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.” 

Do you seek to excuse yourself from doing God’s work because of your personal “IE” – Introspective Evaluation? Moses began his task for the Lord at age 80 and served Him for another 40 years; Caleb (Joshua 14) began taking possession of his inheritance at age 85; Jeremiah was called by God while in his Mother’s womb; David was the 11^th child of Jacob when he was anointed to be king one day. Be encouraged by the words to Asher – Deuteronomy 33:25-27, “as your days, so shall your strength be…The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

Prayerfully – consider these things with me!

GETTING

I Was Just Thinking About – GETTING.

From Halloween through the end of the year, the prevailing emphasis is upon “getting.” At Halloween, children are costumed and their appeal to residents in a community is upon “getting” by using a simple phrase – “Trick or Treat.” Lost in the midst of the Halloween tradition is the historical fact of the nailing of 95 Theses on the Church Door in Wittenberg, Germany by Martin Luther in 1517 that gave rise to the Protestant Reformation.

We so quickly move into a brief recognition of a Thanksgiving Day. We so seldom remember the historic celebration by the Pilgrims in the autumn of 1621 as they celebrated the colony's first successful harvest. These were days of prayer and praise - not feasting. How many homes will have priority time to implement just one passage from God’s Word – Colossians 3:12-17? Verses 12 through 14 address the virtues by which one is directed to “clothe yourselves” – a commitment to a transformed lifestyle that is to be present in one’s life. Verse 15 closes with a very succinct and direct admonition – “And be THANKFUL! Verses 16-17 provides one with a formulation on how the THANKFUL spirit can be developed and expressed – “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs WITH GRATITUDE in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, GIVING THANKS TO GOD the Father through Him.”

This past week I was in the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, AL. It occurred to me that in the center of that large facility was a display for and with a Santa Claus representation. The person seated there hardly gave the image of a “jolly old Saint Nicholas.” This person was very thin and bespeckled. He seemed friendly enough and was doing an expected job at this time of year. The “Santa” routine is well known – “Have you been a good little girl or boy? What would you like Santa to bring you for Christmas?” The child is deceived into believing that he/she will “get” something asked for if only they can convince a fictional representation they have been good enough and deserving enough to receive it.

What is too often forgotten is the true meaning of an event that occurred and is celebrated on one day in the year that on a calendar day called “Christmas Day. ”If only there would be the rehearsal of the true meaning of Jesus Christ being born by the reading (perhaps memorizing) Luke 2:1-20. If only there was the reference to John 3:16 that emphasizes, “God so loved the world that HE GAVE us His only begotten Son…” If only there was an emphasis upon Galatians 4:4, that “In the fullness of time, God sent His Son to redeem…” a people for Himself. What will you GIVE to your Lord and God this season of the year? He would be pleased if you surrendered your life to Him.

Prayerfully – consider these things with me!

DAYS OF INFAMY

I Was Just Thinking About – DAYS OF INFAMY.

Most people are familiar with the historic references to events – Remember The Alamo; Remember Pearl Harbor. There are also Biblical references of what one should remember – Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy; Remember your Creator in the days of your youth; and at the Passover meal as Jesus symbolized with bread and wine the death he would die, He said: Do this in remembrance of me! The Apostle Paul emphasizes these words – for as often as you do this, you do show the Lord’s death until he comes again.

Today represents another day that should be remembered. It was on November 22, 1963 that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX. The speech he had prepared to deliver was never given. Even though it was lengthy, his concluding point would’ve been: “We in this country, in this generation, are - by destiny rather than choice – the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of ‘peace on earth, good will toward men.’ That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: ‘except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain’.”

One summary observes these thoughts: “Neither the fanatics nor the faint-hearted are needed. And our duty as a Party is not to our Party alone, but to the nation, and, indeed, to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power but the preservation of peace and freedom. So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation’s future is at stake. Let us stand together with renewed confidence in our cause — united in our heritage of the past and our hopes for the future — and determined that this land we love shall lead all mankind into new frontiers of peace and abundance.”

There are obvious spiritual applications that can be made from this speech. One is the role of the watchman and the urgency of his vigilance, Ezekiel 3:16-19, “The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person: You will surely die, and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.  But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.” Do you sense this urgency and responsibility today or are you known by your complacency and indifference?

Prayerfully – consider these things with me.