Jesus' Cure for Frustration Over Other People's Business

Have you ever worried about how God is handling other people’s business? Sometimes out of love and sometimes out of more negative emotions - resentment, frustration - you find yourself unsettled because of what’s happening in someone else’s life.

Even one of Jesus’ apostles was not immune from being stirred up about somebody else’s business. (Of course the apostle was Peter, so maybe we shouldn’t be surprised.)

Peter had had a very public melt-down the night of Jesus’ betrayal. After  the resurrection Christ challenged and restored Peter. There on the shore of the Sea of Galilee Jesus patiently and gently put Peter back where he needed to be. The Savior’s thrice repeated question to Peter - “Do you love Me?” - was followed by a threefold commission:  “Feed my lambs…tend my sheep…feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17).

Too Wonderful For Me

The other day I was composing an email to try to send some comforting words to a friend who had just suffered a devastating loss. As I typed, Psalm 131 flashed into my mind. This short psalm has been such a comfort to me over the years. Written by King David, it is only three verses. 

¹ O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. ² But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. ³ O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.

“I don’t involve myself in great matters,” David says in v. 1. “Great matters”- the Hebrew adjective is repeated: “great great.” As if someone were walking through life with a loud voice, acting important.

Nor does he involve himself in things that are “too marvelous” for him. The NIV say “too wonderful.” In Hebrew “wonderful” often refers to God’s miracles. A form of the word is used in Isaiah 9:6 - His Name is wonderful.

The Secret of Walking Close to Christ

How shall we who say we follow Christ keep from wandering away from Him? How do we stay close to the One who is our only hope and truth and comfort?

Well, that’s a big question, and godly people have a lot to say to answer it. I found one great answer in the letters of John Newton. You probably know Newton as the slave trader (and onetime slave himself) who was gloriously converted to Christ, and who wrote the most beloved hymn in the English language, Amazing Grace.

A Family Physician’s Prescription for Peace

Recently Jay Downey, one of the elders in our church, shared a devotional about anxiety, and how God’s peace is available to us in Christ. Jay's perspective is unique in that he is a family practice doctor who notes that the majority of his patients come to see him because of issues related to stress and anxiety. I thought his “prescription” was especially helpful, and with his permission, wanted to share it with you.

Are you feeling worried or anxious about things happening in the world or in your life? Do you get stressed by events or find yourself losing sleep thinking about the “what if's" of the future? If so, you're in good company. As a physician, I can tell you that the majority of doctor visits are, in fact, related to stress and anxiety. And statistics indicate that the incidence of anxiety, worry, and even depression are increasing in the population as a whole.

Why is this? What does the Bible have to say about this?

Well, actually, the Bible has a lot to say about it. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus speaks directly to the issues of anxiety.

The Day of Trouble

A couple weeks ago we spent six hours in the emergency room. I was having some unusual tightness in my chest, and to be on the safe side, we went to get it checked out. The blood tests, EKG, and chest x-rays were all normal, and later I had a stress (treadmill) test that was also normal. I’m fine and my heart is healthy.

But that doesn't mean it wasn't a difficult evening. Dionne and I have been in the ER too many times over the years not to feel a certain dread at going there again. If stress was the cause of my chest discomfort, hours spent in the waiting room doesn't help much.

We didn't get home till close to midnight. Before we went to bed, I read Psalm 86. Verse 7 seemed to be just for me: In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.

The day of trouble will come to all of us. Jesus warned us: in the world you will have tribulation (John 16:33). The day of trouble may come from many directions - from the stress of life, from the infirmities of our frail bodies, from bad choices we or others make.

But our God watches over us, knows when the day of trouble is coming, and promises to get us through. And soon the day of trouble will be over forever, and the day of joy and peace and eternal fellowship with our Savior will begin.

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! Psalm 20:1

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble: he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5

"...call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." Psalm 50:15

In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. Psalm 86:7

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7

Mighty Fortress

My fears, my sins, my pride

Rage and foam and crash,

Broken against Your eternal shore.

I recede, spent and fading,

Until I run again

But gentled against the smooth warm sand.

You stand serene and steady,

A mountain in the frantic sea,

Mighty fortress.

I finally slip and sigh

And feel Your granite, forged eternal

Above and below me.

"What is God's Promise?" - Casting Your Burdens on the Lord, Part 3

When we cast our burdens on the Lord, what happens? What does He promise to do about our distress and pain? Cast your burden on the LORD is His command, in Psalm 55:22. And His promise follows: and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

God’s promise in Psalm 55:22 is in two parts. He makes a promise for right now, while we’re struggling with our burdens, and He also makes a promise for forever, for any and all burdens we might experience in the course of our lives.

Casting Your Burden on the Lord - Part 2: "What are Your Options?"

Everybody has burdens, and Psalm 55:22 tells us what to do with them. Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Last time I asked “what is your burden?” Burdens may seem heavy, wearisome, painful, unfair, and destructive. But they are also given to us by our wise, kind, loving, and all-powerful Heavenly Father. 

So in this post I want to focus on how we’re supposed to deal with our burdens.

What are your options?

As in most things, there are only a limited number of possibilities to deal with the burdens of life.

1. Resent them. Sometimes people express their resentment at the burdens they carry by bitterness and blaming. But resentment only increases the weight of the burden. Not to mention that ultimately the resentment is aimed at the God of the universe. Not a good option.
   

Casting Your Burdens on the Lord - Part One: "What is Your Burden?"

When I became a Christian many years ago, one of the first verses I ever “hid in my heart” was Psalm 55:22: Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

At the time, those words seemed almost too good to be true. They helped me deal with my problems and encouraged my growth in grace. I read them over and over, memorizing them without even trying. Now, four decades later, Psalm 55:22 is even more precious to me. Its truth and comfort and promise remain constant, even though my life circumstances (and burdens) are much different.

I thought it might be a blessing to share the verse that has been such a blessing to me. My plan is to focus on asking and answering three questions: for this post, what is your burden? Next time, what are your options? And for a final post on the verse, what is God’s promise?

Politics, Broken Promises, and Trust

“If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.”

Well, as everybody knows, the President broke his promise – millions of times. As the number of individual policy cancellations escalates, so does the outrage. The President was re-elected  based on a trust factor that is slipping away.

                                                 

The word of God warns about this: 

Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Psalm 146:3-5

My day planner has a pithy quote on each planning page. A couple days ago it was a Spanish writer, Baltasar Gracian y Morales, from the 17th century, who said, The sole advantage of power is that you can do more good. I had never heard of Senor Morales before, but he could have been an apologist for the Affordable Care Act. I wrote in my planner under this absurd statement, But you won’t want to, dummy.  

People on the political left trust that a big, centralized government will help more people, and do more good. As attractive as this idea apparently is, in the real world it has been disproven over and over, throughout history.

Give a few people power over the lives of others, and the “good” they do ends up being defined by their own selfish interests.

Did You Lack Anything?

I have written before about how the Lord has always provided for me and my family, sometimes in unusual ways, during our journey as missionary church planters. (See Take No Staff for the Journey).

Jesus does that for His people. And it’s not just that He bails us out when we get into trouble. Often He leads us into situations where we’re forced to trust Him, and to experience just how dependable and kind and powerful He really is. 

This was one of the first lessons He taught the twelve apostles. When He sent them out, He said, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics" (Luke 9:3). By the way, the bag He referred to was often used in those days by “holy men” to beg for money. Jesus was not only telling them to take only the clothes on their backs, but also not to beg.

Was Jesus trying to make it hard for His apostles? Well, yes. He was demonstrating that He would provide for them, that He could be trusted to take care of them even when there was no visible means for doing so. A year and a half later, right before He went to the cross, He asked them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” Luke 22:35.

Not that Christ is against suitcases or pantries or savings accounts. His point is that we can, and must, depend upon Him. Sometimes we may need to relearn that lesson. When we are tempted to put our  trust in our abundance rather than in Him, He just might send us out for a while with no staff, or bag, or bread, or money.

But in those times, watch and pray with expectation. He will provide for His own. And one day your story of His generosity and provision will bring Him glory and point to Him as the only One worth trusting. Not just for a staff or a bag or money, but for your whole life.

Why We Have Doubts

Do you ever have have doubts about the Christian faith? Doubts concerning what you say you believe about Jesus? Honestly, I think most Christians have moments of doubt.

Doubt can be a refusal to believe, no matter what the evidence. I remember a Christian speaker once describing a long conversation he had with a skeptic. "If I answer all your questions, will you become a Christian?" "No," the doubter replied. "That would mean I would have to change." Doubt like that has hardened into sinful pride.

But I mean the kind of doubt that those of us who love, admire, and try to obey Jesus have from time to time. We’re used to thinking of “Doubting Thomas” (I wrote about him here), but he’s not the only follower of Jesus who doubted. I’ve been studying John the Baptist recently, and Luke records a very public expression of his doubt.

He sent two of his followers to ask Jesus: Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? (Luke 2:19). This was after a lifetime of knowing Jesus was the One; after baptizing Jesus and witnessing the Spirit's descent upon Him and the Father's endorsement of Him; after telling his own followers Jesus was the One!

I conclude that if John the Baptist, whom Jesus called the greatest of men (Luke 7:28), struggled with doubt, any of us who love Jesus could, too. But why? What triggers doubt? I thought of four answers.

Passive Voice

It hit me the other night that even in dying, Jesus shows us how to live.

I was reading Jesus' words in Luke 9:22: The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

We mustn’t miss the way Jesus said these things. Because they signal His willingness to submit, to cede control of His life and death to others. The “action words” in the sentence—rejected…killed…raised—are spoken in passive voice.

Active voice means that the subject of the sentence performs the action.  Like “John threw the ball.” But passive voice means that the subject is “passive” – it is acted upon. “The ball was thrown.” The actions – rejecting, killing, raising—were done to Jesus.

You and I have a hard time giving up control. Even when we know in our hearts that we are powerless to control anything, still we try to maneuver and manage the process, direct and ordain the outcome, of just about everything.

Imagine what it must have been like for Jesus. He was in control.  …by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  Colossians 1:16-17.

Yet He was rejected, killed, and raised. Total submission by Someone totally in control. Total submission comes from total trust. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! Luke 23:46.

Living as a Christian means living before God in passive voice—trusting and obeying, but ceding control to Him. That’s how Jesus lived and died and rose again.

From the Pain Clinic Waiting Room

I starting writing this in the pain clinic waiting room at the VA hospital. My son was having a procedure to try to diagnose the source of his constant back pain. I’m pretty sure that lugging 80 pound packs around Afghanistan for over a year has something to do with it.

But explaining it doesn’t fix it. And so I sat there, feeling anxious and unsettled. It seems unfair that a young man should be dealing with chronic back problems, while his old man is in pretty good shape. I wish I could trade places with him.

What helps me is to know that Jesus is Lord of my son’s life, and of mine. Our Jesus said, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). A yoke, of course, is a wooden frame that enables draught animals to pull a load together.

The way you train a young animal to pull a burden is by yoking him with an older, stronger, more experienced animal. The reason Jesus’ yoke is easy and the burden light is that He’s carrying the weight while He teaches us how to walk the right way.

Another thing. Wooden yokes were shaped to the necks of the oxen that bore them. The Greek word translated "easy" can mean "well-fitted." My son's yoke is different from mine, but both were shaped for us by our Savior. The Christian life is about trusting Him to bear the weight and lead the way.

Safe Passage Through the Storm

Jesus’ calming the sea is one of my favorite stories. I’ve written about aspects of it before: Storm at Sea, and Rescue Mission.

But I was reading it again in Luke 8, and I found more to admire about the Savior.

I don't blame the disciples for being terrified when the storm raged around them. But the truth is, they were as safe and secure as if they had already arrived.

Why? Because Jesus told them, Let us go across to the other side (Luke 8:22). When Christ determines a destination, He assures safe passage and certain arrival.

Jesus didn’t say, “Hold on and pray hard—a storm’s coming! Let's hope we make it.” He was so confident they would make it that He took a nap! …as they sailed he fell asleep (v. 23). 

Of course the disciples’ growing panic got worse when the Lord fell asleep. He seemed to be ignoring--or unaware of--the danger they were in. “Master, Master, we are perishing!” they cried. And after all, who sleeps during a storm? Answer: Somebody who is at peace within Himself and completely unafraid of the harshest forces of nature.

Sometimes, in the middle of the storm, it feels like the Lord is asleep, unconcerned about our circumstances. But despite appearances or feelings, He is completely in control and absolutely committed to His good plan for His children.

Trust Training

My wife's excellent book is now on Amazon. Click here for the details.

Do Your Doubts Make You a Loser?

What do you know about the Apostle Thomas? Doubting Thomas, right? He’s the guy who refused to accept the word of the other apostles when they told him they had seen the risen Lord.

It’s obvious that Thomas was a glass-half-empty kind of guy. But I think he’s gotten a bad rap, labeled a loser among the apostles. Biggest loser: Judas Iscariot, of course. But Thomas would probably get the silver loser medal, at least according to popular perception.

But I’ve come to believe that being a pessimist, a doubter, is not Thomas’ whole story, not even the most important part of it. I think that what defines Thomas, far more than his “glass half empty” personality, is his deep love for Jesus.

At His Disposal

A few years ago I spent three weeks in another country as a Bible teacher. It was the most demanding trip I’ve ever taken. I spoke over 20 times in 17 days, taught a two-week graduate course, preached on Sundays, delivered a commencement address, and presided over a funeral. In the evening I tried to write a discipleship course for church back home.

The family I stayed with were very busy, too, so I didn’t see much of them. My emails to my wife didn’t go through (I found out later), and I was not receiving any she wrote to me. I hovered on the edge of illness most of the time. At night I had trouble getting to sleep and was beset with nightmares when I did. I became exhausted, lonely, and somewhat depressed.

I think my ministry was a blessing to people, but it became an ordeal for me personally. In only three weeks my perspective became skewed, and I honestly wondered if I was going to make it home.

In my private moments, when I struggled the most, I came up with a phrase that I prayed to the Lord over and over. “I’m at Your disposal.”

Take No Staff for Your Journey

For many years my wife and I were faith missionaries. Our salary was based upon the contributions of supporting churches and individuals. Because of the faithfulness of our support team, we were able to be "full-time" as church planters.

Being a faith missionary keeps you humble. Each month you trust God, and the generosity of His people, to meet your housing, food, health, and transportation expenses. We saw plenty of lean times, but God always showed up to provide.

One of our hardest months was right after the terrorist attacks in 2001. For whatever reason, our support account took a big hit in the weeks that followed 9-11. Apparently people were so shaken by the threat to our nation that many did not give the way they usually did.

We barely made our condo payment, and we weren’t sure how we would buy food for the month.

We didn’t communicate any of this to our supporters. But God told them anyway. One friend called us out of the blue and announced she was coming by to drop off some groceries. She had been at the store and felt the Lord telling her to buy double of everything. Other friends, also church planters, sent us an encouragement note with a check. It just seemed like we might need it, the Lord said to them.

That month was one of many where we saw quiet miracles from a faithful Lord.

It goes back to something Jesus told His first disciples: Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money, and do not have two tunics (Luke 9:3). That’s how He sent out the twelve, to train them not only to preach and heal, but also to trust.

I admire how Jesus takes care of His own.

Slow Learner

I admire Jesus' patience.

I seem to be a slow learner. The truth is, and I know this in my bones, Christ has always taken care of me and my family. Through lean economic times, health crises, and war, Jesus has always been there. He's always blessed and provided. I can look back on His proven faithfulness, kindness and wisdom over multiple decades.

But when a new challenge comes up, I am ashamed of how slow I am to trust Him. It's like I have to relearn the same lesson again and again. If I were the Teacher, I would flunk me.

I guess I'm not alone. Remember the Twelve? After Christ had performed many miracles, after He had twice multiplied tiny quantities of food to feed thousands of people, the disciples were all in a lather because they had only one loaf of bread (see Mark 8:14f).

Jesus spent extra time cautioning them against the insidious contagion of unbelief—the leaven of the Pharisees (v. 15). The Lord took them back to His feeding of the 5000, and then the 4000. He jogged their memories on the details—how many broken pieces were left over, guys?

Remembering those details revealed, conspicuously, that the overflow from both miracles was an abundant provision for the Twelve. Jesus not only cared for helpless crowds, but His disciples received more than enough just in what was left over. Time and again, He took care of them, never forgot about them, always had their best interests at heart.

“Do you not yet understand?” He asked (v. 21).

I admire Christ for not giving up on His spectacularly dense disciples. Including me.