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How 6 Doctors and Scientists Apply Faith on the Front Lines

By
Christianity Today
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faith

In the past few months, scientists and doctors across the globe became public figures as people have sought the latest knowledge gained in the fight against COVID-19, and many of them are Christians.

In the US, this is particularly true of those in the medical field. Sociologists Elaine Howard Ecklund and Christopher Scheitle reported in a 2017 book that when you look at those working at scientific jobs in the United States, such as doctors or nurses (and others), 65 percent identify as Christians, and 24 percent as evangelicals. While the percentage of Christian scientists at elite research institutions is smaller, they are an active bunch and many apply their research out of a sense of service.

CT reached out to a handful of these scientists and doctors to ask them how they’re staying grounded. We contacted people doing research on treatments or vaccines, improving patient care, or contributing to public health responses, some of whom are also working in hospital wards. While we could not include all of the responses we received, we talked to scientists in the US, the UK, Italy, Singapore, and Australia. We asked them how they’re coping and how they’re praying amid this crisis. Many shared anecdotes, Scripture, or prayer requests.

They practice faith in a variety of ways, and though they practice medicine in labs and hospitals against different geographic and cultural landscapes, they’re united both in purpose and in spirit.

1. Francis Collins

Career field: physician and geneticist

Works in: Washington, DC, as director of the US National Institutes of Health.

Focused on: Collins oversees biomedical research in the United States, which is now aiming to develop treatments and a vaccine to control the coronavirus. …

Continue reading…

40 Things You Can Do in 2020 to Have a Better Marriage

By
Kim Brightness
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better marriage

Cleavers! While we’re making plans and setting those goals for an amazing 2020 and beyond, have you set any marriage goals for the year? How can we have a better marriage – one that’s stronger, greater, more fulfilling, more loving, sexier, fun, peaceful, exciting, solid as a rock?

Think that’s a tall order? Not for our “exceeding, abundantly, above all” we can ask or think God! This list just scratches the surface of the abundance Jesus came to give His followers (John 10:10).

Now. Of course, a more financially stable, healthy eating, re-dedicated to Lord spouse is on his or her way to a better marriage. However, I want us married folks to remember that a great marriage requires focus and attention on the marriage and your spouse – not just attention on Self. “New me” goals are great, but the changes or betterment we want to see in our marriages are not just fasted and prayed into existence – they take intentional, consistent work.

Put some work where your love is.

future husbandsAfter 25 years of marriage, I get it. It’s easy to grow complacent and retreat to your marriage comfort zone. You may feel like, “I got her now”, “We’re good!”, or “He’s not going anywhere.” Cleavers, we have to be careful with letting our guard down and going to sleep in our unions.

If there’s one place that the enemy can sow discord and discontent, and reap the negative benefits in countless other places – it’s in our marriages.

The family is typically a soft target, but let’s start at the top and seal every small crack that could turn into a larger problem. Ready?

40 Tips for a Better Marriage for Every Spouse

Let’s begin with this truth: There’s no 50/50 in marriage.

Everyone’s in the game to give 100% – even if your spouse is at 20%, 50% or holding out at 95%. So this list is not meant to be divided – 20 for me, 20 for you LOL! All 40 efforts are for the husband and the wife (in no particular order). Let’s go!

  1. Increase your listening skills. Become an active listener, even if you think you know what your spouse is going to say.
  2. Become more self-aware. When we’re on marriage cruise control, we’re less aware of our actions and behaviors. Re-center.
  3. See more good in the little things. Appreciate the small or little acts of kindness you receive from your spouse. They’ll give you more.
  4. Be more courteous. It’s still appropriate to say please, thank you, you’re welcome and “yield the right of way” no matter how long you have been together.
  5. Spend less time on social media. Social media can be a time-drain to any area of life, including our marriage.
  6. Tell your spouse exactly what you need. No more “read between the lines” or dropping hints – be clear and honest about what you need. Say it, in love.
  7. Have date nights more often. Whether you go out or stay in – have some “us time” together – away from work, the kids… date again.
  8. Compliment your spouse. Your husband or wife likes compliments – let them hear it from you first.
  9. Compromise for your spouse. Marriage is sacrificial – put your wants and your way on the back burner for your spouse (Ephesians 5:22-28).
  10. Ask what your spouse is thinking or feeling. Lay down assumptions and claims of “you think…” or “you feel like…” Ask them what and how they feel.
  11. Agree to disagree. Allow your spouse to have a different opinion. Non-essential issues don’t have to be WWIII.
  12. Seek counseling. Purpose and plans can rise and fall with or without counsel. It’s wise to seek help when all else hasn’t worked.
  13. Keep your word. Marriage is not intended to be the graveyard of broken promises. Do what you said you would do and re-negotiate when needed.
  14. Set budget/money goals. Sit down and go over your house budget, set spending limits, note who’s paying for what, which bank accounts, set savings goals…
  15. Set a time limit for speaking during and for the duration of arguments. Fights happen. Fight fairer with a stopwatch for equal speaking time and cap on fight duration.
  16. Send more “just because” texts. Text “i love you” or something surprising to your wife or husband.
  17. Respect your spouse. Know how your spouse defines respect for themselves and give them all you got and then some.
  18. Rest, vacation together. Burnout can make emotions flair and cause confusion – where the real issue is you need a break.
  19. Have more sex and/or negotiate. Turn up the heat more often. Make time. Time for new lingerie? Be spontaneous. And when you can’t, communicate why and how long – that’s Bible lol (1 Corinthians 7:5).
  20. Spend time apart. Give your spouse a chance to miss you, keeps your love fresh.
  21. Increase non-sexual intimacy. Touch, hold, caress your spouse and simply enjoy their presence – without intercourse. What does your spouse’s heartbeat sound like? Their breath?
  22. Give a just-because gift. You don’t have to break the bank to let your spouse know you were thinking about them.
  23. Show your spouse that you have his/her back. When opposition comes against your spouse (spiritually or naturally), be his or her safe place when they’re up against trying times.
  24. Say no or yes when you really mean it. Communicate honestly. Don’t say yes when you want to say no, or that you like something when you really don’t.
  25. Create a marriage or family mission statement. What were you and your spouse joined together to accomplish? Write it down and make it a focus.
  26. Give your spouse space to voice complaints. Are you holding your spouse hostage to only communicate the good and pray about the bad? Let your husband or wife voice issues they may have.
  27. Add a solution to every complaint. When you complain, also offer a remedy. What will make things better, or make you whole?
  28. Protect each other’s peace. Don’t push your spouse’s nuclear buttons, or allow others to do so either. Be their DE-escalator.
  29. Speak the truth in love. It’s not always what you said, it’s how you said it. Be honest – without the brutality. Practice empathy and kindness.
  30. Give credit where it’s earned. Never hold back acknowledgment when your spouse does something you want, something good, etc. – even if you think it’s their reasonable service.
  31. Let past issues stay in the past. Unless you’re giving God thanks for where He has brought you two, keep past issues in the past. Never weaponize past offenses or hold them as leverage.
  32. Compare your relationship with no one else’s. What works in the marriage of your close friends or on social media may not work for you. Marriage is personal, do the personal work together.
  33. Keep emotionally unstable friends out of your arguments. If you know your boys or your girlfriends aren’t clear and balanced thinkers with resolve and peace in mind, don’t share the latest hot argument between you and your spouse.
  34. Stay on each other’s team. It’s you and your spouse against the world – forsaking all others. Show them that they’re the priority in your life.
  35. Make room in your spouse’s life for others. Celebrate and create space for your spouse to fellowship with others.
  36. Admit when you’re wrong. Crucify pride. If you did it, own it, fix it.
  37. Laugh more. Lighten up the marriage. Be silly, let your hair down. Life is filled with funny, silly moments to enjoy together.
  38. Discern when advice is welcomed. Everything your spouse shares is not an opportunity for you to solve his or her problem. Save the advice-giving when solicited.
  39. Add extreme change to every apology. An apology is most effective when accompanied by changed behavior. Don’t scream “I’m sorry”, scream behavior that’s different with new boundaries, tools, or resources.
  40. Give your spouse over to God. We can’t fix what we didn’t make. Don’t try to fix your spouse and end up doing more damage – take them before the throne of God.

**Bonus! Don’t try to solve spiritual problems by physical, earthly means. If your spouse is dealing with spiritual issues/warfare, no amount of sex, fun, vacations, money, laughter, or date nights will deliver them from the issue. Some issues require prayer and fasting, worship together, repenting together… even prayer alone. Know that God is able.

So, What’s the Play Call?

Remember, no two marriages are alike! So, take this list and get together with your spouse – define what these tips look like for you and create the path that leads to success in your marriage. Do so, of course, in submission to God as the loving head of both of you (Genesis 1:28, 1 John 4:8)

Here’s to richer, greater, better, abundant CLEAVING in 2020 and beyond!

God bless!

 

Every Joint Supplies: 3 Reasons Why We Need Each Other

By
Charlene Evans
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every joint supplies

Family.

Let’s be honest, Team… We love our families with an “unconditional” kind of love, but family can be difficult to deal with at times. And, despite how difficult it can be to show love, we try to find a way to move beyond our issues.

Our connection with our blood-related family is how God looks at His children: A family of believers who make up His Body… The Body of Christ.

So for fun, let’s say you are the “hand” on the body. You cannot move without the arm. If you have no arm, you have no hand and vice versa. They are dependent on each other to move, but they also have their own functionality that is associated with the body.

Without each other working together yet performing their individual functions, the body does not operate in its full capability.

The Body is Diverse but Unified 

body of christThis illustration is what Paul spoke of in the 4th Chapter of Ephesians – dealing with unity and maturity in the Body of Christ. We must be in unity with both “families” in the same way – our immediate families and our Christian family.

People will easily argue that some family members refuse to work together. We all have relatives that continue to hold “grudges”, making it difficult to love them.

Well, here goes a perfect example as a Christian on how difficult it is to love like Jesus, and what He has to say about it. Let’s apply Christ’s words to our immediate and Christian families:

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” (1John 4:20-21).

Let me tell you something about the love of God that I know to be true – it’s difficult to resist love that is shown unconditionally because love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8)  Yet, it’s so hard to practice because it’s difficult to continue to try to love someone who doesn’t love us back or treat us right.

The repercussion of not having unity in our families affects how we love and care for others in the world. How are we going to reach lost souls who feel disconnected if we are disjointed as well?

If there is no unity in the Body of Christ, why will someone believe that God’s power can truly change a person for the better? The world needs to see an example of God in the earth and what better way than to make it a priority to connect with one another like the physical joints of a body.

We perform our individual functions in order to be totally effective for reconnecting the body with disjointed parts!

Every Joint Supplies What the Body Needs as a Whole

So, in the words of National Gospel Recording Artist, Hezekiah Walker, “I need you to survive!” Consider the lyrics:

I need you, you need me,
We’re all a part of God’s body.
Stand with me, agree with me,
We’re all a part of God’s body.
It is his will that every need be supplied.
You are important to me, I need you to survive.
You are important to me, I need you to survive.

So, What’s the Play Call?

The 3 play calls to remind us of the importance of Family are:

  1. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:16)
  2. God didn’t create mankind to live as if we are alone on an island. Having healthy connections are a part of our spiritual and emotional growth on earth. When two or more touch and agree, there is a power in agreement that can’t be experienced alone (Matthew 18:19).
  3. There is great power in sharing and encouraging our families through assembling together and sharing testimonies and encouragement. Our love shown through words and deeds is a lifeline through the journey of life.

Family.

Let’s be honest… we can’t live without them.

6 Ways to Shepherd When You Can’t See the Sheep

By
Christianity Today
-
shepherding

The work of pastoral ministry is biblically described as the assignment of under-shepherding. Implicit in the biblical metaphor is that shepherds care for the sheep, protect the sheep, and lead the sheep to nutritious pasturelands.

All of this seemingly necessitates physical presence as we lead under the authority of the Great Shepherd. The very language associated with shepherding connotes a proximity that keeps us smelling like sheep—we are intimately aware of their needs and constantly seeking out their best interest.

The incarnational presence of the shepherd lies at the heart of Jesus’ famous illustration in John 10.

“Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. -John 10:1-3 (CSB)

Jesus is the Good Shepherd for His sheep because He was among them—calling them by name and even sacrificing His life so that the sheep could be safe.

So, it’s difficult to imagine shepherding apart from proximity. Paul’s apostolic example of dictating instructions of what was best for the sheep, and then continuing to travel on his way, included the assumption of resident shepherds directing the tactical process. Shepherds had to live among the sheep, so that they could, at the moment, offer situational guidance.

But in the wake of our pandemic, many godly shepherds are now faced with the daunting challenge of shepherding from a distance. We can’t be with the sheep, at least not in the ways that were once understood. Zoom calls feel like an awkward substitute …

Continue reading…

Gates of Heaven: Got Your Ticket to the Ultimate Celebration?

By
Keiston France
-
heaven

You’ve cheered for your favorite football team through the good times and the bad. You’ve faithfully supported them with t-shirts, bumper stickers, and a flag. The year finally comes when they make it to the Super Bowl! With your face painted and team colors on, you drive the distance to the game.

Overwhelmed with emotions, you arrive at the stadium anticipating the ultimate experience. But, when you get to the gate, the attendant asks for your ticket.

“Ticket? Isn’t my support good enough? Won’t my cheering get me in? I know the players and coach by name! Why do I still need a ticket?”

Out of the crowd, a stranger approaches and hands you his ticket. He paid the ticket price so that you could enter. You gratefully accept it and go in.

This is Our Guaranteed Access to Heaven.

I don’t stand a chance of getting into Heaven on my own efforts, and neither do you. We can know every major player on Team Jesus, connect ourselves with prominent Christian faith leaders, but it still won’t be enough to put us in right standing in the eyes of God.

That’s why God sent a Savior to pay our price so that we could enter His gates. That’s good news!

Acts 10:43 says that all who believe in Jesus will be forgiven of their sins through Jesus’ name. The price has been paid for you; all you need to do is believe in Jesus and let Him be your Savior. Then, follow Him as your Lord until you meet in eternity.

So, What’s The Play Call?

Think about it:

  1. What’s the nicest gift someone ever bought for you?
  2. Do you believe that Jesus paid the price for your sins so you could be with Him forever?
  3. Have you told others about this gift?

 

“Father, thank You for sending Jesus to pay the price for me. I don’t deserve to be with You in Heaven, but I accept the entrance gratefully. Help live a life worthy of You and to share Your good news with others. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”

 

MAGA Hat, Stay at Home Protestors: Compassion or Contempt?

By
Christianity Today
-
compassion
ALBANY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - APRIL 22, 2020: Protesters hold placards as they take part during the demonstration. People gather outside the New York State Capitol advocating that New York State's regulations shutting down parts of the economy because of the Coronavirus should be repealed.

Compassion is an odd thing. When we think we don’t have enough of it, it can emerge from seemingly nowhere. When we are certain we are filled with it, we find we respond in ways we ought not. And often, our compassion meters are put on display when it comes to how we respond to those who seem least like us.

We are seeing a lot of scorn and anger targeted at protestors wanting to open the economy— often MAGA-hat wearing pro-Trump supporters. “They must just be ignorant hicks,” some say. “They are going to get sick—and get us sick.” “What a bunch of idiots.”

It’s important, however, that before we judge, we consider. That before we condemn, we pray. All of those who act in ways we disagree with are made in God’s image. We may believe our thoughts and opinions are the correct ones, but we must never forget that there are two sides of each story and many lenses through which to see the world.

There are a lot of frightened people out there, many of whom were already having financial strains. Now, too many of these people are unemployed or underemployed because of the impact of COVID-19.

So, if you are sitting at home, working from home because your job allows it, have a little compassion for people who are watching their future dissolve, are fearful for their children’s future, and who just want to work.

Compassion or contempt?

Hard truth, friends: we have got to listen a bit more to one another right now.

A lot of people are afraid and frustrated. And, there are some groups who are being disproportionately affected. Among them, economically, are working-class white people.

Jenn Thomas, a single mother with two children, is worried about the economic impact of government …

Continue reading…

When One Muslim Son of the Arabian Gulf Met the Son of God

By
Christianity Today
-

My story begins in the Arabian Gulf region, where my tribe raised me as a devout Muslim. When I was a child, my father would wake me up at 5 a.m. so we could attend morning prayer at the mosque. Each day, I would sit with my uncles to read and study the Qur’an. By age 10, I had memorized the majority of the book, since family members would award me $100 for each chapter I could recite.

Growing up, I performed my mandatory prayers in the mosque and even woke up each night to pray for an extra hour. I was proud to be zealous in my faith. I wanted to obtain the blessings and favor of God, as well as the esteem of my family.

The first major turning point in my life occurred when my family moved to an English-speaking country. I hated it there. We went from being wealthy to dividing a two-room apartment among six family members. Barely anyone shared our faith or culture. I had a conversation with my grandmother, who warned me, “Watch out for the infidels, and don’t befriend or associate with them; they are a disease on society.”

At school, I formed an Islamic group that worked aggressively to make everyone around us conform to our religion. We demanded that the school serve halal food exclusively. During Ramadan, we would walk around forcing other students to pray with us. On one occasion, when another student criticized our behavior, a Muslim friend head-butted him violently, breaking his nose. We were all awestruck that someone had taken it upon himself to punish this infidel for his disrespect.

Meanwhile, I prayed for the death and destruction of Jews and Christians, the “atheists” who were unclean, equal to pigs and dogs, and not to be touched. At this point, I had never met a Christian, but …

Continue reading…

Faithful Over Little: 3 Things That Keep Us From Ruling Much

By
Kim Brightness
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faithful over little

Go BIG for Jesus?

Have you noticed the present-day ambitions of the body of Christ? The Team wants to GO BIG for Jesus – do greater works, redeem the “wealth of the wicked” for the kingdom, take authority and prepare to judge the world (1 Corinthians 6:2) and so forth. So many of us are praying for God to give us a deep, “freshhhh” Word – when we haven’t come close to mastering the fundamentals.

Basically, many of us are begging for meat while we’re spitting up milk.

Interesting.

As I pondered this “BIG” phenomenon during my study time, you’ll never guess who I ran into…

Peter.

And, oddly enough, Peter gave me a glimpse of this very issue that plagues some of us – the disregard for little while pursuing or boasting of big, weighty things.

Jesus Has Something Important to Tell Us

When you look at the Last Supper account in John 13 or Luke 22, Jesus had a lot going on.  The fulfillment of His purpose, the end of His earthly days was near. Yet all the while, the disciples quarreled over which of them was the greatest, the devil and Judas teamed up to betray Jesus, and Peter asked inappropriate questions all night.

Knowing His death was imminent, Jesus drops some final knowledge on His disciples in John 13:30-35 (read), ending with the new commandment to love one another. Love would ultimately be the sign of true discipleship.

But, what was Peter’s first response after that whole dialogue:

Where are you going, Jesus? Why can’t I go?
You know… I would lay down my life for you.

Thank you for the example, Peter.

Have You Been Faithful Over Little… the First Works? 

little thingsHow many of us are like Peter? We skip right over the simplicity of love and begin to boast about the BIG things we’d do for God.

How many of us are so focused on the BIG works of Christ – conferences filled with thousands, service projects where we feed the masses, the number of zeroes behind our annual offering – that we overlook the simple gesture of love and kindness towards our neighbor?

As we fall prey to the prideful pursuit of BIG things, we forego the opportunity to “rule much” because we won’t be faithful over little.

Here’s how we get tripped up – and how to regain our footing. Do you find yourself in any of these scenarios?

1. We have a misconception of what’s important to God.

Some of our hearts are in the right place, but with a misguided understanding. Take Martha, for instance, who wanted Jesus to tell Mary to help her with the preparations for Him and the disciples (Luke 10:38-42). True enough, Martha’s heart was in the right place – she wanted Jesus to have a comfortable stay in her home – but she lacked an understanding of God’s priority. Sitting at the feet of Jesus, consuming His teachings was more important than meal preparation.

The same principle applies when we pursue God’s great purpose for lives. Has God called you to be the CEO – by way of the mailroom? Are you resisting your mailroom experience because you “know what God called you to do”?  Welcome to an even longer stint in the mailroom *smile*!

Know that it’s important to God for us to have a solid foundation on which to build His greatness in us.  Seek first the kingdom of God, which includes His guidance, timing, and provision (Matthew 6:33).

2. Our ambition lacks focus on God’s glory.

While it’s noble to desire to do great things for God (He did say “greater works” we will do), we must be mindful of our motives.

What is your why? Why are you pursuing ____?  Will the achievement bring you accolades, while glory to God is a mere byproduct? God expects us to do all things in love, and as unto Him. And, we prove our readiness when we do so with the basic tasks God gives us. When selfish motives disappear, we’ll see clearer what’s important to God and pursue that with all our heart.

3. We equate BIG works with God’s biggest smile.

We all want God to be happy with us. We all seek that stamp of approval from our Father. But, we miss the mark when we equate God’s approval to the typical “big things” that impress man.

Sure, it’s a huge deal for us to empty our bank accounts for the poor or “give our bodies to be burned” (1 Corinthians 13:3), but if we don’t honor God’s simple play call to love, we’re wasting our time.

God will always be a quality over quantity type of God. He does not give brownie points for BIG sacrifice with little obedience. The reason God blesses us to “rule much” is because our obedience proves that He can trust us. God wants to know He can depend on us just like we can depend on Him.

So, What’s the Play Call?

In all of our great, wise pursuits for Christ, let’s get understanding (Proverbs 4:7).  Spend time with God to know His heart and how you should care for the little things placed in your hands.

Know that the source of God’s biggest smile is when we honor and obey the little things as unto the Lord.

Fuel Up: The Only Way Believers Can Run the Race With Endurance

By
Keiston France
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run the race

During the 2008 Olympics, NBC aired a special segment on the diet of record-breaking swimmer Michael Phelps. It was incredible! They said that he tries to eat 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day. That is as much as I eat in five days. But when Phelps is in heavy training and competition, his body needs all the fuel it can get.

Allow me to make a quick analogy. As Christians, we’re in a daily spiritual battle, facing tough temptations, situations, interactions, and decisions. It’s our own version of Olympic competition, yet there’s a lot more at stake than a sporting event. The eternity of souls is up for grabs, and God has called us to compete for them.

Run the Race with Endurance

successJust like Olympic athletes, we have to be properly prepared for competition. Would Michael Phelps choose to skip three meals before a race? No way! His body wouldn’t have enough energy to sustain him, and his competitors would smoke him.

So, why do we, as Christians, feel like we can face a single day without taking time to fuel ourselves spiritually? Is our competition not as fierce? Is the prize not as worthy?

There’s really no excuse. We either take the time to pray, read the Word, and fellowship with the Lord, or we do not. It’s that simple.

So, What’s The Play Call?

Today, search your heart and test yourself. Find out whether or not you value the spiritual battle enough to invest time in the proper preparation. If you fully believe in the cause you’re fighting for, then you will take the time to fuel yourself before entering the battle so you can run the race with endurance. Think about it.

  1. Do you spend time with the Lord every day? If not, how can you start now?
  2. Is your daily routine drawing you closer to God, or do you just go through the motions?

Father, I am Your servant. Please help me to prepare spiritually for battles that may lie ahead. Amen.

Small Predators: Is Fear Making a Fool of You?

By
Alecia M. White
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fear

So, I watched The Lion King, the real one, for the first time on Disney Plus. Have you seen it? One thing is for certain, watching Mufasa fall from that cliff as an actual lion and not an animation is far more devastating than I could have imagined. But, that’s not what this is about.

No, this is about those stampeding wildebeests that trampled the dear king of the jungle. Their panic cost Mufasa his life. Now, let’s back up a bit to the actual cause of the stampede.

Those three pesky hyenas caused an entire herd of animals to take off in terror. Yes, I get that hyenas are predators, but there were only 3 of them and like a billion (not quite) wildebeests. I know, I know, “It’s the circle of life, Alecia.” I get it, they’re supposed to be afraid, but couldn’t the wildebeests have trampled the hyenas and been done with it? Oh well.

Another thing, once those wildebeests got caught up in their stampede, nothing took their focus off the panic long enough to get them to calm down. In fact, I can probably bet that at least 87% of them didn’t even know what the threat was about! They only ran because the other 13% actually saw their attackers. It’s like the “run now, ask questions later” rule. Either way, they ran. I mean, where were they running to? Where was the safe house? And, which wildebeest was in charge of these details?

Is the Danger Worth the Fear?

fearAlright, here we are again after one of my movie binges. My focal point here today is fear. Yes, let’s talk about how fear gets way too much credit and power.

Fear, if we allow it, sends us on wild stampedes with no questions asked. It has been the cause of many deaths, and I’m not talking literal deaths. Just as Mufasa was the casualty of the wildebeest’s terror, so are some of your plans and dreams. Some of the things that we have written down, drawn blueprints for, and created a logo to represent have been trampled under the large hoofs of fear. And, just like those wildebeests, your predator is, in many cases, smaller than you.

But, due to the “circle of life”, or the thoughts and opinions of others, you have chosen to cower and allow yourself to succumb to their logic. The slinging of statistics and facts, declarations of a lack of resources, and whispers of lack of support are insignificant to the God who placed those plans in your head and desires in your heart.

One of the problems is that our human emotions kick in and we become afraid of the hyena that is much smaller than we are. We take off running, never look back, and by the time we stop, we are in a place so comfortable that we dare not leave. We even allow other people’s failures to stop us because they’ve tried what we are planning to do and failed.

In these times, what we forget is that with God by our side, covering us, and within us, that thing that we are so terrified of is outnumbered. And, you know what our playbook says about God being for us. If you don’t, no worries, here’s the scripture: “What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

So, What’s the Play Call?

One of the most effortless things to do in life is to be afraid. It is so easy to allow fear to take over and cause our nerves to stampede us to doom. Here are some things to remember when those hyenas show up to chase you from your green pastures:

  1. Don’t be afraid. Yes, I know, this is easier “read” than done, but remember that if God is for us then those against us cannot defeat us. And, I’m going to share a few more things to help work through this point… please read on. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 2 Kings 6:16 NLT
  2. It’s bigger than you. Mmmhmm, what God has for us is greater than what we’re anticipating. If it wasn’t, He would not have given us our amazingly crazy ideas. He wants you to possess that land, but you’ve got to let that fear go. The hyena can only chase you out of your success if you let it. “Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.” Deuteronomy 11:23
  3. Do not hide your talents. Please don’t be like the fearful servant who buried what his master gave him. Gifts and talents don’t grow like flowers – when you bury them, you only risk losing them. If God gave you something, please believe He will protect His investment. “Why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.” Matthew 25:27
  4. Only use what God gave you. If you stick to this, you won’t be tempted to let fear barge in. Why? Because of all the things that God has given you, fear is not one of them. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

I challenge you to stand firm and refuse the urge to stampede in fear. Have faith that your success is secure in the hands of God who gave you the gifts that you possess.

 

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