The Next American Idol

March 10, 2010 in Sin | Leave a comment

Typically, when I think of idols, I immediately picture a golden calf or a carved statue. An idol is something silly people way back in the Old Testament foolishly invested in, mistaking a man-made god for the real deal. But as I watched Simon unapologetically shred several semi-talented young women tonight, the show’s title smacked me against the head. American “Idol”.

I think what we all know deep down, but routinely forget, is that idols are alive and well here in present day. It could be your job. It could be your hopes and dreams. It could be your favorite transgression. It could be the winner of a reality TV competition. A person, place, thing, or even idea. It’s whatever we place in the space intended for God. So, what’s your idol? And what are you going to do about it? Shred it like Simon, or continue to let it entertain and distract you? Phone lines are open America. Time to vote.

As for me, I need to take inventory and then action, because I’m afraid I have several idols at the moment.  Bet you do as well.

Changing Your Filter

March 8, 2010 in Purpose, Relationship | Leave a comment

There is a pile of mail on my counter. There are 655 emails in my spam folder (since this time yesterday). There are 5 voicemails waiting on my office phone. There are 27 unanswered emails in my work inbox. I missed two meetings today. I attended 8 others.

Depending on which research report you reference, the average consumer will see or hear 800 to 3,000, maybe even up to 5,000 marketing messages per day.

I don’t know anyone who can process that much information. And since we are physically and mentally unable to take in and evaluate that volume of data, we develop the ability to tune out, to automatically filter the noise. At some point, we stop seeing the billboards on our daily commute, we fast forward broadcast commercials (thank you DVR!), we channel hop on radio breaks, we can even make newspaper ads disappear through tunnel vision while we read a breaking story.  Our brain develops the ability to only focus on things that might be of interest. It’s a survival tactic. It keeps us from a hard drive failure.

We do the same thing with non-marketing situations as well. Think about the chaos of a regular day. For those of you without small children in the house, take whatever chaos you have in your life and use somewhere between 800 and 5,000 as a multiplier.

Where are my keys? Where is my wallet? What time is my first meeting? Who was I supposed to meet for lunch? Don’t forget to send that email, or to pick up the dry cleaning, or to call about getting that home repair scheduled. This doesn’t even factor in all the crisis situations we might be dealing with, such as stress at work, stress about losing work, health problems, deaths in the family, etc., etc., and so on.

The point is that we live filtered lives. Twice last week during a two-day team building this truth was revealed to me. One of our speakers was talking about our ability to filter marketing messages. The second was talking about how quickly we get lost in the day at hand and lose the ability to “just be” because of multitasking on overdrive. We can’t gain perspective, because we are just trying to make our way down a mental checklist.

This is exactly why we find it so hard to hear from God. We have lost the ability to listen.  We are too busy filtering out potential opportunities to walk more closely with Him because they just don’t fit into what we’ve programmed ourselves to accomplish day in and day out. We can’t listen because we are multitasking like crazy, and crashing as many things into our schedule as we can possibly fit. We get so consumed in our daily lives that our daily walks just don’t happen. They get screened right out.

The upstairs air filter in my house is hopelessly overdue for a change. I honestly don’t know how any air is even getting through at this point. I will get to it tonight, so no worries. But that is exactly what my mental filter looks like. It’s crammed with fuzz and static. Until I change it out, I won’t have the space I need to truly listen. My filter also unintentionally tags a lot of things as noise that might actually be something I need to hear or see.  So, when I put in a clean one, I also need to put in a different kind, one that frees up space for unexpected messages and insights.

Finally, I need to take it off autopilot. Leaning on the filter to do all the work for me is what gets me in trouble in the first place. I need to slow down, stop even if that is what it takes. And listen. And look. And just be.  Maybe even catch a billboard or two.

The Next Step: What I Got from a Weekend of Women’s Wellness

March 3, 2010 in Faith, Purpose | Leave a comment

Your center is fixed. It doesn’t move around. I mentally highlighted those words as I read them. It’s not a foreign concept for me. The core is important in exercise. You first must strengthen it before you can expect the rest of your body to follow form. An anchor holds a ship tight, keeping it from drifting aimlessly into unfamiliar waters.  We all know the story about a house built on solid ground versus sinking sand. Foundation is critical.

I’m back to an earlier struggle, the one where I seek a focus for my efforts, something I can lock in and devote myself to, a purpose if you will. A core. A foundation. A center. Without it, I feel like my path will resemble urban sprawl. Not well planned, just haphazard and random. Inconvenient and cumbersome. Splintered in a hundred directions. 

My previous mental highlight from the same book: There has never been a time when nothing happened. The world never stops turning, time never stops ticking. We are in perpetual motion, whether we like it or not. We can’t actually stop. We can’t press pause. With every day, I am missing the chance to do something positive, to fulfill my purpose.

These were my thoughts on Thursday afternoon. I just couldn’t get to my computer to post because there was a lot going on this past week. Calie’s big event, the Women’s Wellness Weekend was Friday and Saturday, her family was in town, last-minute preparations were in play. And then, my time was dedicated to helping Calie pull off the event. I took out trash, I moved tables, I manned the registration booth, I worked with interns, I supported speakers, I catered to needs of exhibitors. And here and there I got to hear portions of the presentations.

On Sunday, after more than 24 hours straight with a bunch of women, the dust finally settled, allowing me time to get back to writing. As I was forced to get in touch with my feminine side over the weekend, I was granted with additional food for thought. The endearing message throughout Calie’s event was the idea of “the next step” meaning what small change will/can you make today that will help you lead a healthier life. One of Calie’s speakers was staying at our house, and she talked a lot about “the next step” and the spiritual basis it had for her. The fact that we are only required to take the next step, not figure out what it is. God will deliver instructions for that. And once we take that step, he’ll tee up the next one. Otherwise, there is no faith required. If I can map it out, chart the course, there is no need for me to trust, other than to trust that God will help me be successful.

Hearing Calie and her speaker friend talk about next steps, etc. all weekend helped me get my head back on straight. It helped me trace back the earlier understanding I had, with help from a counselor, that my purpose for being here is to enjoy relationship with God. That’s the calling. That is the core. That is the center which doesn’t move. That is the anchor that prevents me from wandering. That is the master plan that ensures no urban sprawl.  I also said earlier that I felt God’s next step for me was to help others. Just to respond to those in need around me. I watched my wife do that with about a hundred women, all of them showing up with an unmet need related to their physical, emotion or spiritual health. I was proud of her. I was about to get disappointed that I hadn’t been helping anyone, despite my declaration to start doing just that. Since signing up for the call, I hadn’t experienced anyone in need. Frustrating!

And then, I realized that Calie had needed help to pull off this event, to help other women. In this case, my next step was to help her take hers. And I felt genuinely good about it, which shows progress on my part. A year ago, I would have slightly resented her for having a clear path and a purpose to pursue while I was floundering in sprawl. But watching her plan unfold is consistent with the next step concept. She didn’t map her current journey. She’s didn’t plan the course. It has taken her along for the ride, and she’s been obedient to the call.

Okay, I am dialed back in again. Sorry to have temporary lost my bearings, but it’s easy to do. And yes, it’s true that there has never been a time when nothing happened. Which means I can expect a next step again tomorrow and the next day. The key is to just keep walking.

p.s. I really hope that receiving deep insight from a women’s event doesn’t hurt my man club membership status.

Debating the Gray

February 28, 2010 in Relationship, Witness | Leave a comment

Why do Christians love to debate theology? Whey do we get so hung up on differences in philosophy, belief and approach? I feel safe saying that most Christians, and Christian institutions, have pretty much the same core set of beliefs and values. Instead of focusing on those core beliefs, we spend way too much time fighting battles on the fringes, debating in the gray areas, getting hung up on differences in opinion and interpretation.

I had the opportunity recently to spend some extended time with a group of highly passionate Christians. Over the course of two days, I witnessed debates on whether a poster was art or pornography and whether meditation was good or evil, among other things. It seemed that everyone had formed a deeply rooted system of beliefs and perspectives, and as a result, they had trouble keeping their minds open to other points of view. Unfortunately, I think we do that a lot as Christians. The challenge is that we can quickly slide into legalism and judgement and alienate people who aren’t ready or able to adhere to the same set of values that we have. The real problem is that in most cases, it’s not central theology at the heart of the debate. It’s on the fringes. I believe God provided us with a multitude of options in this world to do life and to be in relationship with Him.  I also believe that while the Bible is very clear on the core beliefs we are to have as Christians, it holds quite a bit of gray on a host of other topics. Just because we have settled on one of the translations for some of these gray matters doesn’t mean we are right and all others are wrong.

I recently stumbled upon an interesting book in the bargain bin at the bookstore.  Self-proclaimed agnostic author AJ Jacobs wrote  The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible a few years ago. In it, he journaled about his quest to follow each and every instruction in the Bible for a full year. I haven’t read the book, only the jacket. I’m sure parts are funny and parts are offensive.  I didn’t buy it to find out.

But it did get me thinking. Is that what most people view it to be like? You receive a Bible, and then you have to try to literally abide by all the rules within it? That isn’t very inviting, and it’s not very realistic either. It’s not attractive or attainable. Or appropriate if you ask me.  I would encourage us all to open our minds a bit and to be more accepting of differing opinions and approaches to issues that are outside the core. Baskin Robins serves 31 flavors of ice cream. But it’s all ice cream, with a consistent core. Most of them are deliciously different from one another. That’s how we should look at living a holy life.  There is a base, a common set of elements that make you a Christian. And then there’s the rest of it. I’m just not so sure it’s smart for us to deeply form opinions on the fringes and allow that to dictate both the way we live as well as the way we view other people.

Isaiah Part Eight: Don’t Be Mad

February 23, 2010 in Sin | Leave a comment

I must confess that I am writing this only because I have to, only because I promised to be diligent and committed to feeding the lake. I am in a bad mood, in a funk, just not happy. Work was stressful, our family dinner out was stressful, and then shortly following dinner, the kids came unhinged, grew that second head and turned into deviant little beings that screech and howl and destroy anything within their wake. Ok, so tonight it was more of a second head that cries at anything that moves, full-scale meltdowns at a moment’s notice, basket cases in the blink of an eye.

Not. Happy.

So, after pouting around for a bit, and even getting into a slight altercation with a cd holder, I forced myself to sit down and write. I yanked my Bible off the shelf to complete my journaling from the book of Isaiah. I referenced my jumbled notes from the last section I had read (the last section by the way…yep, finally made it all the way through) and there was the scribble “64:9 – Don’t be angry.” Well, now that sounds like something I needed to hear. I flipped back to the passage.

The passage reads, “Do not be angry beyond measure, O Lord; do not remember our sins forever.”

What do I have to be angry about? If the Lord chooses not to be angry at all we’ve done, how do we justify being angry at our circumstances? Especially when I can’t even put my finger on exactly what created the anger I am feeling right now. Whatever it is, there is no doubt it is trivial in comparison with the sins of the world, with all that God has forgiven me for to date. I can’t imagine how mad I’d be if someone had done to me what I’ve done to God over the course of my lifetime.

So, am I still angry? Yes, indeed I am. I still want to throw something. But at least I have perspective. I know I’m being irrational. I know I need a chill pill. I know that I’m not helping my situation. So here’s a post, written while slightly punishing the keyboard. Somewhat cathartic. I’m just trying to be obedient. Next, I’ll try a few deep breaths and maybe an episode or two of The Office.  Thank God for Michael Scott.

Checking Baggage

February 21, 2010 in Relationship | Leave a comment

Whenever you get ready to board a plane and fly to a new destination, you typically check baggage. Well, those of us who fly Southwest still check baggage. The rest of you probably try to carry on as much as possible. Anyway, we lighten our load before we head through security and to our gate. It makes traveling easier and more convenient. It frees us.

We have to do the same when seeking a deeper relationship with God. Two days ago, I was providing advice to a co-worker who was in the midst of a difficult situation with another colleague. She was trying to figure out how to handle an upcoming meeting that was going to be critical to the long-term success of the project she was working on, and the relationship with the project leader was on the rocks and sinking fast. My advice was for her to wipe the slate clean, to press reset and enter into the meeting with no biases, no hurt feelings or grudges, no baggage. As soon as the words spilled from my mouth, I knew I needed to hear them as well for an entirely different purpose.

We all have baggage. Some of it is heaped upon us by other people in our life, and some we pick up on our own. Both kinds of baggage are equally damaging when we try to make progress toward God.

The small Baptist church I attended growing up was fundamental, legalistic and oppressive. It was an overly strict, suffocating church experience. Well intentioned. Missed the mark horribly.  There was a business meeting where two of the deacons spent 40 minutes arguing over whether we should spend some of the church’s budget to pave the parking lot. One contended that we have been fine for the last 40 years without a paved lot, to which the other deacon pointed out that 40 years ago we didn’t have indoor plumbing in the church and everyone should agree we need it. That was really and truly the most important issue to be solved, according to church leadership.

In another instance, we had a pastor who resigned because the church refused to let him get a second job, despite the fact that he needed the supplemental income. I think he was going to do something overly taxing and distracting like paint houses in his spare time. And my least favorite. We had a youth pastor who was reprimanded and chastised after he brought an African-American teen to church with him. The reasoning was that he didn’t really know the kid, and the kid could have been dangerous.

My point is one I’ve brought up before. Institutions will let you down. They will create baggage. It’s no wonder that I encounter more and more people who tell me they are spiritual but aren’t interested in being a part of a church family. They claim to believe in God, but are so burned and jaded by church as an institution that they declare organized religion  a dead practice and not for them. Organized religion would be wise to listen closely to those complaints and adjust accordingly. There are endless opportunities to get Christians back engaged and together in community, helping each other heal. Sometimes it feels like the obstacles preventing more of that are endless as well. And I’m not talking about packing the seats on Sunday morning. Attendance comes up dramatically short as a measurement of what I’m describing.  But this isn’t a post about what makes a powerful church experience and what does not. So, I’ll save a deeper discussion on that for later.

As I was growing up, my mother would drag me to church. I would go, sometimes willingly and sometimes kicking and screaming. Meanwhile, my dad would be in the garage or mowing the back lawn or hunting. I’ve never asked him why he didn’t go with us. To this day, we’ve never had a conversation about God, salvation, relationships, any of that. I’ve wanted to, but we’ve never really had that type of relationship. Don’t get me wrong, my father would do pretty much anything to help me and Calie and the kids. He’s always been there when I needed him. But talking about feelings and deep philosophical issues has never been on our agenda. So, I’m not sure what his baggage is. I believe that he believes in God, but something about the church turned him off a long time ago. And it’s been heavy enough to weigh on him for a very long time. Bags just get heavier. You know this if you’ve traveled recently. The suitcase that zipped just fine on your way there, won’t even get close when you try to pack up to head home. It’s a great mystery, like why I never seem to have a matching pair of socks after doing laundry.

I’ve noticed in my journey that baggage has really been holding me back. I should be a more experienced traveler and hand over my bags at the gate. Even better, when I arrive at my next destination, I should leave them on the carousel to circle endlessly, waiting on me to return.

Once you check your spiritual baggage, there’s no need to claim it again. That’s the beauty.

Gotta Have Faith

February 18, 2010 in Faith | Leave a comment

Fear is the most common thing preventing us from moving forward in God’s will. That, we have established. But now I want to take that back. Well,sort of. Because fear, actually is a symptom. A signal of something missing. At its core, fear is a reflection of  a lack of faith. It’s natural to fear, and it’s natural to struggle with faith. But without faith, there is no peace. Isaiah 57:20 says, “Peace, peace, to those far and near, and I will heal them. But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. There is no peace…for the wicked.”

Maybe branding those without faith as “wicked” is a bit harsh on my part, but it’s not all that inaccurate. Without faith, we are sitting prey. One step away from wicked.

So, how to grow faith…that is the question. I did some digging and came up with some strategies for growing my faith, which I plan to implement moving forward. I just hope it goes better than the time I tried to grow my own lawn. After several hundred dollars and hours of back-taxing labor, I had two sprigs and a pile of dirt. We ended up going with the sod afterall. I don’t think there’s a sod option for faith.

1. You must set your mind, and then fortify your heart.

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. And then, Isaiah 51:7 – Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts.

You have to get your mind around what God is saying. Obviously you have to make the transfer to your heart, or you’ll approach it as an academic exercise. But the mind is important. Too often we think about faith coming from the heart. It’s a combo deal.

2. Approach trials as opportunities to sharpen your blade.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, the Lord tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul continues, “I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Listen, I never said this was going to be easy. (Talking to myself right now).

3. Trust in small doses.

My oldest son loves the pool. We go quite a bit when it’s warm out. He also loves to jump from the side and have me catch him. That wasn’t always the case. When we first started going to the pool, he would wade into the kiddie end very cautiously. After a while, I convinced him to jump from the side, but at first he insisted on hanging on to my fingers as he jumped. After a few successful attempts, he drummed up additional bravery. A little while later, I had to start worrying about him jumping when I wasn’t looking! But it started with very small steps. A long time ago I wrote about surrendering a bit at a time, that it didn’t have to be an all at once or not at all proposition. I think the same goes for faith.

4. Forsake sin.

Remember, if you resist Satan, he will flee from you. To forsake sin, strengthens faith.  Easier said than done.

5. Spend time with God.

Here’s the “well, duh, hello Sunday School” one. But it’s true. Talk to God. Pray. Read. Think. Inquire. And then you will grow.

6. Get comfortable with uncertainty.

You are NOT going to have all the answers. Not even half of them. That’s something that’s been hard for me to accept. But it’s true. After all, in Isaiah 55:8 God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” God is foreign to us. There is uncertainty. Which can breed doubt. Which erodes faith. Which creates fear. Which holds us back. It’s cause and effect at its finest.

Isaiah Part Seven: How May I Help You?

February 16, 2010 in Obedience, Witness | Leave a comment

It’s a common picture. A young boy playing baseball. Stuck out in right field. Busy picking grass or watching bugs crawl while the game flies around him. Eventually, maybe even a ball comes his way, only to roll right by as he kicks dirt and blows bubbles with his gum. Oblivious. If his attitude and aptitude don’t change, he will find himself riding the ole pine come little league.

I wasn’t going to write a blog post today. I also wasn’t going to read my Bible today. But after I couldn’t find the book I was looking for, a search that ensued after my wife and I couldn’t find anything to watch on television, I ended up in Isaiah again. Insight was shared, even though I was looking to be distracted, not discipled.

54:2 – Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.

This was very exciting to read, because lately it feels as if every scripture I approach tells me of something else I need to combat or address, some obstacle I need to remove.  It was as if God was saying, “Ok, kid, get ready to go back  in the game.”  I love sports. What I love more is a good sports analogy. To carry this one forward, I have been on the bench for a long time. So long that I have splinters in places where splinters are extra painful. I was beginning to think I’d never get back on the field. I had even started to get fuzzy on the rules of the game, even the reason you play the game.

So, to hear Coach tell me, prepare yourself, enlarge your tent, get ready, I immediately got pumped. I almost ran out of the dugout and onto the field before realizing that He hadn’t given me specific instructions just yet. What position I was playing. So, I curbed my enthusiasm for a moment. And now will do so with the analogy. It’s worked hard enough. But it was a good one, right?

I continued reading in Isaiah, and a few chapters later, Coach was back. (sorry, I really will bench this analogy soon).

58:7 – 10 – Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when you see the naked to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn…Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I…your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 

I think I’ve been waiting for some big theme, a cause to rally around, some way of organizing my activity. But God is saying, “You could just start by opening your eyes to the immediate opportunities I present to you and go from there.”  Novel concept. I’ve been too busy looking deep inside to find some complicated purpose with blinders on to the world around me.  It may very well be that God has a cause for me, a theme, but I need to start by responding to the immediate needs He identifies, and He will reward my faithfulness by shining light where there once was only darkness.  Back to the analogy for just a bit longer, it’s just like being the visiting team in baseball. You have to catch what’s hit to you before you can step up to the plate to hit a home run. (Man, I’m even getting tired of it now.)  

The most significant part about this revelation for me is that it came from the very chapter that started it all. Way back when I began this journey, the first passage I read, the one that reminded me God is not a drive thru, was Isaiah 58: 1-6. If only I had kept reading for a few verses, I could have skipped right to the thick of things instead of circling the drain for 18 months. The funny thing is that at the time of reading the first part of this chapter, I was miles away from being able to appreciate the last half of it, despite the proximity of the verses. And despite the now glaringly simple message being delivered.

The tent is now open as wide as I can pull it. And I’m happy to be back in the game. I can’t wait for a ball to be hit my way now, because I’m ready. I’m in position. I’m alert. And I’m going to catch it.

Circling the Drain

February 14, 2010 in Relationship | Leave a comment

I know  the term  “circling the drain” historically has a negative connotation, but for this discussion, I’m going to use it in a positive sense, so try and stay with me.

As I’ve been on this journey and documenting it through this blog, I’ve noticed some patterns, some themes, some familiar stops if you will. It started to feel as if I was on the verge of repeating myself every 4th post. I started to wonder if I was making any progress at all, since I didn’t seem to be moving forward, but instead just going around in circles. Was I just chasing my own tail here?

But after giving it more thought, I realized that this journey actually is not a straight line, or even a curvy, windy road. The destination isn’t some far off place. That’s just the the perspective of my own default settings. It’s just the way we are wired. In Crime and Punishment, the main character, Marmeladov Dostoevsky (no, I can’t pronounce it) says,  “Do you understand what it means when there is absolutely nowhere to go? For every man must have somewhere to go.” We all need to have a destination, an end point. We need to be able to chart our progress.  We default to thinking the journey closer to God requires a trek from where we are to where we need to be.

But it’s not about mile markers or odometers or an annoying voice in your dashboard (always with a slight British accent) that says, “You have arrived.” In actuality we aren’t headed to some far off place. We’re headed deeper within ourselves. God lives IN us, remember? He’s not out there somewhere waiting FOR us.

That’s why my blog is called the way to (t)here (although I couldn’t have articulated it as clearly even a few days ago). Where you are, how you got there and where you’re headed are all intertwined in who you are. The physical “where” isn’t really part of the equation.  It’s not the Old Testament, when God told Moses to meet him on top of a mountain (Exodus 24:12-18)  He is in us. We really don’t have to travel very far to get the conversation going. So it’s not a destination. It’s an ongoing dialogue, one that might never actually come to an end in our lifetime. It just gets deeper and deeper.

But first, before you can explore the depths, you have to circle the drain. You have to pass by and around all the obstacles, all the issues that slow you down and hold you back. You make laps in concentric circles that get tighter and tighter, like water going down a drain. You circle common ground, getting closer to the flow. That’s what I’ve been doing. Coming back around to a set of core issues, peeling the onion each time around, getting closer to fully understanding the complete picture, to entering the flow.

If we don’t reorient and understand it isn’t a straight line or a curvy road, we are going to get unnecessarily discouraged. If you’ve ever been lost in the woods, or in an unfamiliar place (and if not, you’ve surely seen it in movies and television), you know what happens. You’ll pass by the same building, or tree, or other landmark for the 5th time and realize you are going in circles, no closer to your destination than when you began. Possibly farther from it, since now you’re disoriented, turning in circles after all.  But realizing you are on the 5th lap around the same circle can be a very powerful thing when pursuing your walk with God. It means you are just that much closer to entering the flow.

I’m not sure how far I can stretch this analogy without breaking it, because obviously we don’t just head down the drain at some point with all our issues fixed and enjoy the ride to a better place and a deeper relationship. But I definitely feel it represents well what happens when you first commit to getting back in touch with God and working on your walk with Him. So hopefully, I’ve given you some comfort if you happen to be turning in circles at the moment. And helped you see that circling the drain can actually be a good thing. For me, it’s been very powerful. I’m excited to make another lap and get a little closer to the flow.

Isaiah Part Six: Fear Itself

February 13, 2010 in Faith, Purpose, Relationship | Leave a comment

In my opinion, the two most common obstacles preventing us from walking with God are self-interest and fear. Self interest is usually the driver of sin, as I have discussed before in some detail. Whether we are too confident, or insecure or unstable, our “self” presents ample opportunities for being unwound and undone. It’s hard to calibrate confidence to the right level. Fear, on the other hand, is most often the thing that prevents progress toward what God has for us. This I have mentioned previously as well.

As I’ve been reading Isaiah, I’ve picked up on a recurring message. It shows up almost every other verse it seems. Fear not. Be not afraid. Don’t be afraid. Have no fear. Etc. God keeps messaging, over and over and over, that we should not be afraid. Any guess why He feels it’s necessary to repeat that phrase so many times?

I’ve also been reading a book by Aleksandar Hemon (best author I’ve discovered in a while by the way) just for pleasure, but today, God sent me a note through it as well. I am absolutely pumped that no matter what I pick up and read lately, God has an insight waiting. The characters in my book were discussing a war-torn Sarajevo, specifically power outages. One says to the other,

“We dreamt of light, but hoped for darkness.”

That’s exactly what I do. I dream of light, of the great things God has in store, of the plans He has for me. And in the same breath, I hope for darkness, that all will just be safe and unseen, because who knows what the light might bring. In the book, the characters were referring to the fact that it was easier for the enemy to attack at night as well if the lights were on. For me, it is the fear of where God might shine the light. I’ve brought this up numerous times, because it’s a central theme for me. It’s a constant challenge. The fight with fear.

In Isaiah, He doesn’t just stop at saying don’t be afraid. God makes some promises to us. Among them are:

1. He will show us the way.

30:20 – Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

2. He will be with us and be there for us.

35:3 – Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give away; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

3. He will provide what is needed for us to make a difference.

42:6 – I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand, I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who stir in darkness.

We humans are built for self-preservation. We have instincts to protect ourselves, to survive and thrive, to recognize and flee from danger. Unfortunately, these survival skills, while very helpful in many circumstances, are horribly effective devices for derailing us from God’s will.

God is trying to tell us, just like a somewhat famous politician once said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”  Fear, at is core, is the face of a weak faith. It’s the fruit of a shallow-rooted tree. It is the result of trusting self over God. That takes us to a much bigger discussion that’s probably better handled one bite or blog post at a time.

In the meantime: No Fear.

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