Month: November 2021

A Day of Thanksgiving–or Anxiety?

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4–9)

There can be no doubt that anxiety floods this world. These are chaotic, anxious, and uncertain times. One never knows what’s going to happen from day to day, and things seem to always be changing. Beyond that, the world is once again divided–and that division extends into countries, including America. There is hope in the midst of the uncertainty, though. Here in this passage, the Apostle Paul tells us how we can move past the anxiety and into the peace our souls seek. 

Anxiety: The Symptom of a Larger Problem

What is anxiety? Oxford Languages defines anxiety as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” Most would agree with that definition. Anxiety, then, comes from worrying about outcomes or events. Why do we worry about them? We only worry about them when we think they are a direct threat to our own goals. Let’s look at another passage that sheds light on this, one that’s familiar to many of us:

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:25–33)

Jesus tells us here that we do often worry about our physical needs. Why are we anxious about them? 

Because the flesh and the fallen nature desire to obtain these things apart from God.

That is the root cause of anxiety and worry. Anxiety comes from us wanting to do things our way, but being uncertain that we can achieve the goals we set. This is as true about personal needs (security and significance) as it is about physical needs (food, shelter, etc.). 

It’s not enough to say “Just don’t be anxious.” Neither Paul nor Jesus did that. They got to the root cause. What’s the root cause? Control. Who am I going to let control my life? Me or God? If I control my life, then the goals I set for myself will always be able to be blocked or thwarted. In simple terms, I cannot guarantee my own success. If, however, I allow the Lord to dictate my life, knowing that He is good and has promised to meet all my needs, then the goal He sets for me (knowing Him and being conformed to His image) is absolutely attainable.

The Solution to Anxiety: Dependence

The solution to anxiety is not to focus on the anxiety. It does no good to just tell an anxious person “Don’t be anxious.” Look back at Paul’s words:  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

Instead of being anxious, we are to be dependent. 

We are to ask God for the things we need, and then thank Him. Why thank Him? Because He is good and will always give us what we need (even if it’s not what we thought we needed).True biblical dependence involves acknowledging both God’s ability to provide (His power) and His willingness to provide (His character).

We, on the other hand, are simply not able to provide for ourselves apart from God. We are by nature dependent beings, having been created. 

Peace: The Result of Dependence

When we move into dependence on God (including trusting His heart), look what happens–we receive peace. Some people teach that peace is the solution to anxiety, and we are to pray for peace. Peace, however, is the result of our obedient dependence and trust in the Lord. Why? Because when I know I am safe and secure in Him, I can have peace. We can’t just conjure up peace, it is a fruit (see Gal. 5:22-23). Fruit is the result of things.

Maintaining this fruit (peace) requires that we live in a state of dependence. By consistently turning away from the flesh’s attempt to live life apart from God. Notice that Paul describes this “peace of God” in two ways. First, it surpasses all understanding (see also John 14:26-27). In the midst of the hardest storms, we can have peace. I’ve known people and known of people who had utter peace in the midst of a cancer diagnosis.  And it was not understandable in the human perspective.

Second, this peace that surpasses understanding is said to “guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” It is this peace that keeps us steady in our faith in the hard and uncertain times.

Maintaining this peace also requires that we change the focus of our thinking. Paul’s final instruction in this passage tells us to think in certain ways. He writes,

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

What do all of those things add up to? God. We are to think on the things of God (or in Jesus’ terms, seek first God and His righteousness). We are to think like Him. We are to develop a knowledge of His character and deepen our trust in that character. The more we know these things (by constantly thinking on them) and put them into practice, the more we will sense God’s presence in the midst of our lives (“the God of peace will be with you”). 

This Thanksgiving season is a perfect time to begin to turn to God in dependence and trust. The more we trust Him, the more faithful He shows Himself, and thus the more thankful we will truly be. And the less anxiety we will see in us and those around us.

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God’s Path or Man’s Party

Posted on by VoiceShepherd

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!” (Isaiah 30:21–22)

There is a lot of talk today about the Republicans, the Democrats, the Independents (well, not so much about them). Such talk is even dominating conversations within parts of the church. Now, don’t worry, this is not a post about politics or political parties or who’s right or wrong. This is a post about walking the narrow path that Jesus defined.

For followers of Christ, our authority is (or should be) the Bible. We accept the Bible as God’s written Word and our authority on belief, faith, and practice. Having established that, the question must be asked, “Why do we see so many Christians violating the fundamental spirit and implications of this passage?” Before we answer that question, though, we need to look at the passage itself.

This passage is a promise originally given to Israel. As we know, Israel consistently failed to keep the covenant that God gave them. Though the Lord was very patient with Israel and continually called them to return to Him, eventually Israel was sent into exile. This promise is part of a larger promise to bring Israel back to the land God gave them. It must have seemed at this time in history that God had hidden His face completely from Israel and rejected His people. Yet, He promised to no longer hide His face. In fact, He promised to hear their cry and be gracious to them, and more. He promised to speak to them and guide them.

What does this passage, spoken to Israel, have to say to us today? There are several things we can take from this passage.

God Still Speaks

As the church, we are also God’s people. Because we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, we can be assured that God desires to speak to us and in fact does speak to us. There are many avenues through which He speaks to us in addition to the Holy Spirit: the Bible (His written word), circumstance, and others, to name a few. To deny that God speaks to His people is to deny the very desire of His heart and the nature of His relationship with His people.

God Has His Own Way

Notice in the passage above God tells Israel, “This is the way, walk in it.” God has decreed a specific way for us to walk. Isaiah 55:9 tells us, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God’s ways are not like man’s ways. His ways are spiritual; man’s way is worldly, carnal. As ones called to follow Jesus, we are to walk in His ways and shed (and shun) worldly ways of acting and thinking. 

Not only is God’s way higher than man’s way, but God’s way is straight, meaning in line with His will and decrees. Notice in the passage above that God says, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” We can’t miss the implication that we are not to walk either on the left or the right, but walk in God’s path. To take that a step further, walking in God’s path means one does not bow to worldly agendas on the left or the right.

The Heart of the Matter

If you’ve read much of this blog, you know I try to stay away from directly engaging in political discussions, with limited exceptions. And even here, this post is not about any particular political issues. It is, as I said at the beginning, about the gospel and our commitment to it. So, let’s talk about this whole right/left thing. Is this not essentially the same party spirit we see Paul denouncing to the church of Corinth? They were lining up behind their favorite teachers, preachers, and apostles (and many parts of the church continue to be plagued with that).

At least in Corinth, they were lining up behind people who, for the most part, were committed to the gospel. It is often said (or at least asked) in Christian circles how one can be a Christian and vote for or support such-and-such party or so-and-so candidate. The truth is–and this may be a hard truth for many of you to swallow–political parties by and large could care less about advancing the gospel. Yet, the advancement of the gospel–seeing men and women come to Christ and seeing the resulting change in society–is precisely what the Christian is called to.

Former atheist David Brooks defines politics by saying “politics is usually a competition between partial truths.” So, the questions must be asked: Why would a Christian blindly follow a political party that, instead of promoting the gospel, has largely been silent and even sympathetic towards people who committed violent acts toward the government? The Bible has one word for that: rebellion. Now, I know the number one answer most many evangelicals will give–because said political party is supposedly “pro-life.” But can a person or group truly be said to be pro-life (meaning “life-affirming”) in the face of that silence and sympathy as well as other policies that ar far from life-affirming? On the other hand, why would a Christian blindly follow a party that, though they often have commendable compassion for the hurting, needy, and poor (classes of people the Lord cares deeply about), they show outright hostility to the message of the gospel, especially when it comes to certain issues? 

The truth is, as I said above, that political parties have no interest in promoting gospel change–because that requires the gospel. And that requires submitting to God and His authority of their lives. And that is something that fallen man refuses to do apart from an intervention by the Spirit. This, then, is the heart of the matter–a stubborn refusal to life life on God’s terms and instead seek our significance and security apart from Him. The Bible has a word for that also:  idolatry. But notice one final thing in our passage above. God says, “Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, ‘Be gone!’” When is “then”? When we are walking God’s path, not the path of a man or worldly group–including but not limited to political parties.

Let’s face it, every political party has an agenda–a vision, if you will. And that agenda has nothing to do with the message of Jesus Christ. Am I advocating that Christians get out of politics and political discussions entirely? Of course not–at least not yet. There will come a time, as I’ve said, when the Christian voice will be silenced in the nation. It’s coming sooner than many of us would wish. What I am advocating for, however, is that the church be the church, instead of a political arm. We as disciples are called to walk the path of Jesus, neither turning (bowing) to the right or the left. We are called to be disciples of Christ, not disciples of any worldly organization. We can live the two-handedness of the gospel (proclaiming the message as well as living it out) without swerving to one side or the other.

We have the answers that the world needs, church. Why would we embrace worldly thinking, ways, and methods? The answer is in Christ. Not politics.

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