The Great Disappointment

There is a reason we are called to follow Christ. Religious people will let you down continually. If I wasn’t following Christ, I would have left the church by now – especially this year. Never in my life have I been so disappointed in the church. We had the perfect opportunity to show the world what heaven looks like, and we failed. We decided it was more important to be some political affiliation or some race or some bastardized form of nationalist.

Who cares if you’re republican or democrat, if you don’t love one another? What difference does it make if you’re a person of color or not, if you can’t support equality for all? What good is it if you wear a mask or not, if you belittle those who think differently than you? The church, in America anyway, looks just like the world. There is no peculiarity; there is no salt and light. There is only saltiness, bitterness and hypocrisy. Religion has made a mockery of us all.

If it appears that I’ve become distant, I have. If you think I’m becoming disconnected, I am. If you’re wondering what is going on with me, don’t. I’ve got my eyes on Jesus, and that’s the only way to live peaceably with all. Imitating Jesus Christ is what I was called to do, and I don’t want to know anything about you but Christ, and Him crucified. Can you imagine what an impact the church could have on the world, if we all imitated Christ instead of our preferred political platform? Religion is being used and abused as some standard of truth, rather than Jesus Christ being the only standard. Bottom line, I’m over it.

Ephesians 5:1-2 NASB – Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Romans 12:18 NASB – If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

I Corinthians 2:2 NASB – For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

He's Got You

Philippians 4:19 (NASB) And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

I have started and erased this blog post so many times, it’s crazy. Finding words that are adequate to describe what’s going on in the world right now just isn’t working. We are in the midst of a pandemic, there are race riots and calls for social justice all over the world, and there is political mayhem in this country like nothing I’ve seen before in my lifetime. People are losing jobs and livelihoods by the thousands. Hopelessness and despair are rampant, as mental health issues consume many in the world’s population. With all the death and destruction occurring, combined with the lack of meaningful human interaction, people are struggling. Whatever normal was has been shattered and replaced with sterile knock-off versions.

Yet, my God will supply. I have been blessed to have a job that allowed me to work from home for the past 3 months. That was the longest 3 months of my life, since I hate working from home, but it was still a blessing. God continues to provide – whether financial, physical, mental or emotional needs – God is able to supply ALL of them. It may not look like what you expect, and it may not be in the timing that you want, but God will not fail His children. Ever. There is ultimate peace in knowing that you are safe in His arms. We do what we can in our own strength, but then we’ve got to recognize that it’s all in God’s hands.

Once we accept the fact that we are not in control, we can let go of the frustration and disappointment. It has been extremely difficult adjusting to life after COVID-19 (the pandemic of a highly infectious virus), but it isn’t anything that caught God by surprise. He was prepared to supply our needs through any and everything we will face on this earth. The amazing thing about a sovereign God is that nothing is out of his purview. He can do anything with whatever and whenever He chooses. Everything about you is important to Him, from the number of hairs on your head to your anxiety about whether your job will lay you off. He cares for you, and He wants you to release all your cares to Him. No matter what you’re facing today, He’s got you.

Surrender

Human nature is inherently opposed to submission. We think we’re strongest when we are in control. Like the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley, we want to be the master of our own destiny. The problem with our human nature is that if we are in control, God cannot be God. Until we submit ourselves under His authority, we are denying His sovereignty.

 

As believers in the one true God, we don’t have any other option but to surrender our will to God’s. We cannot expect all the promises of God to be fulfilled in our lives while we are doing whatever we want rather than what God has commanded. Doing what is right in our own eyes will not put us in right-standing with God anyway.

 

If we don’t allow God to be the captain of our souls, we are doomed to a life of disappointment and hopelessness. Things will never work out for our good the way they do when God is given His rightful place at the head and center of our lives. The world will mock you for entrusting your life to a higher power, but we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). We know who the higher power is, and we know what He can do.

 

Surrender isn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of trust. God knows us completely and knew us from before the foundation of the world. When there is trouble with the car, we take it to a mechanic. When there is trouble with the computer, we call the technology people. When there is a problem in our body, we take it to a doctor. We trust the experts with what they’re trained to do. Our soul is no different; we need to give (surrender, yield, submit) it to the One who specializes in the eternal soul.

Chapter 46

I haven’t blogged in quite a while. Since today is my birthday, I decided to get some thoughts down for posterity. It’s good to remember and reflect. It is now my 46^th year, and God has been faithful. Every year hasn’t been great, I don’t have everything I’ve ever wanted, and there are things I could have done differently. Still, I can look over my life and see how God worked all things together for my good – just like He promised He would.

Lamentations 3:20-23 (NASB)

            Surely my soul remembers

            And is bowed down within me.
            This I recall to my mind,
            Therefore I have hope.
            The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
            For His compassions never fail.
            They are new every morning;
            Great is Your faithfulness.

I can’t help but be thankful when I am thoughtful. I remember all the times God delivered me from evil, even when I invited evil into my life. I think of all the possible ways my life could have and should have ended but didn’t. I consider all the time and resources I wasted on foolish pursuits. God is indeed faithful. I’m still here, I am in good health, and I have what I need. My story encourages me in my faith.

My perspective changes from what God can do to who God is. I no longer worry about if He can. God is definitely able! I have history with Him that tells me He can; the question becomes ‘Is it His will for my life at this time?’ I remember a particularly dark time in my life when the only comfort I had was knowing that God is sovereign. Nothing happens without His approval. He sees my end from the beginning. He exists outside of my timeline, and He knows how my life fits into His divine plan.

Every morning I wake up, I know that my life still has purpose. God doesn’t waste a single moment. He uses everything for His glory. No matter how badly I think I’ve botched something, He can use it. No matter how painful something may have been, He can use it. As a matter of fact, He has used it – all of it. The person I have become because of these experiences is who He wanted me to be at this time of my life. I have found that accepting what God allows builds greater character than any class on earth you could take. No, it isn’t always easy. No, it isn’t always pleasant. But you know what? It always comes with peace.

I have learned that surrendering and submitting to God’s will always come with peace. You will know that God is using it to develop you. You will embrace it as God’s way of making all things work for your good. People won’t understand how you have that peace in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, but your life will lead someone to the Gospel of Christ. The way you consider it joy when you are going through all kinds of adversity will encourage someone else in his/her faith.

 
Don’t despise what God has allowed in your life. That’s what I’ve learned. His compassions never fail. His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.

Expecting God to be God

Throughout the Old Testament, there were prophets who just expected God to do what He said He would do. We are so afraid of getting it wrong, that we appear not to even trust God for what He has already declared He will do. Our logic and rationale just will not let us have the faith that is necessary to receive the assurance that God will fulfill all of His promises.

How many times has something turned around for you that made absolutely no sense when you recalled it? Things worked out in a way that you would have never foreseen. Why is it so hard to expect God to move in His infinite power that make no sense to our finite minds? We blame human nature for our lack of faith instead of rebuking our fears and doubt. Our human nature tells us that fire is hot, so we avoid touching it with our bare hands. Why? Experience. Human nature should do the opposite of what we blame it for. All the times God has come through, turned something around, provided for us, and healed us should cause even our human nature to believe that He is able and will do it. Why? Experience.

We live in a fallen world, and things are not perfect. Our plans sometimes have to be scrapped or reworked. That does not mean that God is not God. Bad things happen, innocent people get hurt, babies die. We cannot wrap our minds around a God who allows such suffering, but we aren’t Him. We don’t get to judge Him. Sure, we will have times when we blame Him, reject Him perhaps, are angry with Him, and even do not trust Him. Those times don’t make Him any less God. He still loves us through those times. He still heals us through those times. He still provides for us through those times. And He is still God through those times. Believing in Him doesn’t cause Him to be, just like not believing in Him doesn’t cause Him to cease being.

Sovereignty is what it is. God does whatsoever He chooses to do, but what He WILL NEVER do is break a promise to you, my friend. If He promised never to leave you, He is right there with you – through it all. If He promised to provide for you, that is what He is doing – in His way and His timing. Stop expecting God to do what you would do, and expect Him to be God.

From Weak to Strong

Father, please. Two words. Sometimes the only prayer we can mutter when the weight of our circumstances pushes us to the floor in tears. God, help! Two words. Sometimes we feel as though we are drowning in an ocean of disappointment and despair. The verbose, eloquent public prayers that we pray in our churches are reduced to stammering, barely audible, broken gasps of petition when our need is greatest. When life knocks the wind out of our lungs, all we have is the breath of God to draw upon for survival. When facing a life-threatening illness, not all the words in the world can do more than “Lord, heal.” Two words.

The cry of our heart can be as simple as two words, three words, or maybe even no words. Maybe our souls can only groan what the Holy Spirit interprets for us. The crushing defeat that life can bring is a reminder that we need a Savior. Our hope is in Jesus Christ alone. Our humanity, no matter how grand in our own eyes, will fail. We do not have the ability to save ourselves. We need help, infinite help. As long as mortality exists for us, we will have moments of severe weakness.

The apostle Paul said it best in II Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul understood that Christ shines brightest when our flesh is broken down and burned up at the altar. All of our big words, fancy speeches, grandiose titles and mighty positions mean nothing when we can barely raise our voices above a whisper to say, “Lord, have mercy!” Our weakness is our greatest strength because that is when God can work best in our lives. After we have gotten out of the way with all of our brilliant yet unsuccessful solutions, God can step in with miracles.

It's a Miserable Trap!

Wisdom may not come with age, but it certainly should come with experience. That’s a nice way of saying that I’ve learned a few things over the years. One of the biggest lessons I think I’ve learned in my lifetime is to never compare yourself to anyone else. Never compare what you’ve got with what someone else has. By never, I mean NEVER!

Comparing leads to coveting, and coveting leads to misery. It’s a trap! The enemy wants to keep you focused on what you don’t look like, what you don’t have, and what you aren’t getting. He wants to make you feel ‘less than.’ Satan has no vested interest in you being content. He can’t tempt you with angry outbursts, body shame, or depressed episodes of defeat if he can’t make you miserable. What I have found is that we tend to help him out by focusing on what this world offers instead of what God offers.

In Philippians 4:8, Paul admonishes us to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about how much money your coworker makes? Are you thinking about that luxury car your neighbor has in the driveway? Are you looking at the model on the magazine cover wondering why you can’t get your clothes to fit like that? STOP. Those things aren’t excellent and worthy of praise. Those things are someone else’s blessings or problems.

You have plenty to be grateful for. You have no idea what someone else has gone through to get what they have. Even if they haven’t gone through anything, it’s still not yours. Be content with what you have. The best tool to fight misery is gratefulness. Start thanking God for the oxygen you inhale and carbon dioxide you exhale. Start thanking God for the ability to blink your eyes and keep them from drying out. Start thanking God for literacy (because you’re reading this). I’m not saying you have to be satisfied with where you are. You can always do and be better, but you can be content on the way to your next level of God’s blessings. Contentment will keep you from comparing and coveting, and therefore keep you out of the miserable trap.

Lord, I thank you for the Holy Spirit that lives in me to help me treasure your Word above everything this world has to offer. I believe what your Word says about me and the promises that You have for me. I know that I don’t have to compare myself to anyone else or covet what anyone else has because You love me just as I am. You know better than I ever could what’s best for me at what time in my life, and I am so grateful that You are God. You created me with my purpose in mind. No one can have better plans for me than You do, and I give You all the praise, honor, and glory in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Philippians 4:6-8 New Living Translation (NLT)

⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ 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.

⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.