Misplaced Messages

“You must give them my messages whether they listen or not.” (Ezekiel 2:7 NLT)

At the entrance of our rural neighborhood is a long row of old-fashioned mailboxes nailed to wooden posts. Our mailman often gets the mail mixed up. Almost every week, we get an envelope in our box that is addressed to one of our neighbors. This happens so often that most of us just sort through our mail while standing next to the row of mailboxes, so that we can put any misplaced mail in the correct boxes.

I can identify with our mailman. I, too, often get confused about the messages I am to deliver. I often have random thoughts that I sense may be significant. I wonder if this directive is solely for my own sake or meant to be shared. I am never sure to whom, when, or how to express what is placed in my heart. Unlike the mailman, I don’t have names and addresses printed on envelopes that I can use. Thus, I often repeat whatever pops into my mind to whomever I meet--in case it is meant for them. I speak it, write about it, and incorporate it into my day. Sometimes I hear back from someone that a certain message was relevant to them. This brings me great relief; I feel like I did something right. However, I must remember that it is not up to me whether a message is used. I only have to be willing to obey, even when it looks silly. I may not get every message to the right person at the right time, but I know that God will use others to sort through the messages and pass on what is misplaced.

The Anxiety Barrier

“The Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. But I had no peace of mind...” (2 Corinthians 2:13 NLT)

St. Paul recognized that God had opened a door of opportunity for him, but, because he was worried, he passed up this chance. How often does this happen to each of us--where a door of opportunity opens up, but anxiety prevents us from entering?

Anxiety results from fearing the unknown. For example, I don’t like checking luggage in when going on a trip, so I always pack all essentials in carry-on bags. Vacations can be ruined if luggage is delayed. I also don’t expect flights to run on schedule. If I have to be somewhere at a certain time, I allow lots of extra time for possible delays. I don’t have much faith in airlines to manage scheduling or baggage handling. However, I have a certain amount of trust in  pilots, or I wouldn’t get on a plane at all. This is based on my personal experience. I have dealt with lost luggage and flight delays, but I haven’t been in a plane crash...yet. Instinctively, we trust or withhold trust based on prior experience. Even animals do this: a dog who is always fed on time, trusts his owner to continue feeding him. This is not faith.

Faith is more than an assurance in what we deem reliable based on previous experience. Faith is based on confidence in things unseen. Faith stands on the threshold of fear, looks out into the unknown, and sees the opportunity to learn supernatural trust. Faith is a deliberate commitment, a turning over of everything we value to God.

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT)

Proving Bread

“Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.” (Zechariah 2:13 NIV)

I enjoy making bread--even though it is a messy, time-consuming process.  First I mix the ingredients. Then I let it prove or rest for a few hours. I cover it with a damp towel and place it in a warm corner of the kitchen. This first proving allows the yeast to ferment. The gluten in the flour swells to form a network of fine strands. This makes the dough extensible and gives it structure. After this first resting period, I knead the dough again and shape it into loaves. Then I let the dough prove again. In the next hour, the shaped loaves double in size. The dough is fully formed and ready to be baked in the oven.

A large part of bread making is waiting for the dough to prove. It is in the resting period that the bread enlarges. Similarly, it is in the stillness, in the proving stages, that we grow. Study can be a form of worship. Reflection and mindfulness make us extensible, integrating the physical and the metaphysical. Contemplation allows God’s Spirit within us to rise, forming unseen connections between our neural networks. This results in deeper communion, expansive awareness, and clarity of purpose.  As we wait in reverence and silence, God completes his work in us.

Pursuing Distractions

“It wasn't so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder...” (Titus 3:3 MSG)

I have a closet under the stairs in my basement. There are no windows,  light bulbs, or even electric outlets in that space, so it is difficult to see anything. Over the years, I have used it as a catch-all space for things I don’t want to deal with--stuff that I don’t use regularly, but I am not ready to part with either. I have thought about taking time to clean up this space, but I always find ten other things I would rather be doing. There are places to go, people to meet, and passions to pursue. To be honest, I am avoiding this space. I bet there are spiders in there--not to mention, old stuff that will bring back uncomfortable memories. I don’t want to sort through this mess, so I distract myself with other activities. One of my cousins turned the space under her stairs into a prayer chamber. She cleaned out all the old junk. She brought in a lamp for light and a fan to improve air flow. She and her family use it regularly as a quiet place for prayer and contemplation.

The world is full of diversions. We can spend our entire lives chasing distractions and avoid facing our inner selves. We can continue being ‘stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder’--or we can deal with the scary mess in the dark chambers of our mind. Cleaning out the deep recesses of our psyche takes intentional focus, self-discipline, time, patience, and detachment from a world that values diversion. Once purified, we cannot go back to the old ways of doing things; otherwise, it is just a matter of time before our inner selves get filled with different junk. Just as there are plenty of people who can show us how to constantly seek amusement and approval, there are also role models who exemplify godly lives. Let us use the latter as inspiration, bringing in light and truth, sorting through the mess, clearing anything that is useless and impure, and dedicating our lives to honoring God.

“We're being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now.”  (Titus 2:11-12 MSG)

Spiritual Illness

“I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4 NLT)

Before the scientific revolution, humans often relied on religious beliefs and superstitions to make sense of suffering. We tried to figure out ways to avoid pain by appeasing God. We blamed everything on the supernatural. These days, the pendulum has swung to the other extreme. While science is useful to diagnose and treat physical and mental illnesses, it has its limits. There will always be some things that are beyond human comprehension.  

Spiritual illness is hard to explain. It cannot be diagnosed by screening tests or imaging. Symptoms are vague--perhaps a general feeling of fatigue, hopelessness, or apathy. Since these symptoms are also common in mental illness, patients are often misdiagnosed and medicated. Unfortunately, medications cannot reach deeply enough to treat soul sickness. Only the breath of God can revive a comatose spirit. We must call on the Lord to heal those who are demoralized, those who find life meaningless, those who are desperate, and those who have given up hope.

“The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:17-18 NLT)

The Long Way

“God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land.” (Exodus 13:17 NLT)

My husband and I were going to see a new piece of land that our family friends had purchased. They drove ahead of us, and we followed behind in our own car. We didn’t know exactly where this land was, and there was no address for us to enter into the GPS. As we drove out on unfamiliar, gravel roads, we stuck close. We trusted that they knew where they were going, although we had no clue.  We turned when they turned. We slowed down when they slowed down. We sped up when they sped up. The drive was longer than we anticipated, but we finally got where we were going.

When God led the Israelites out of bondage into a new way of living, He led them the long way. He did not take the main road--the popular, well-traveled path with access to many conveniences. Instead, He took them through the deserted wilderness. This didn’t make any sense to the Israelites, but God had His reasons.

As followers of Christ, we are often led through pathways that make no sense to us. When the journey takes longer than anticipated, it is natural to lose patience and feel discouraged. Yet, it is imperative to keep up, precisely because we don’t know where we are going! Neither our wits, experience, nor worldly tools are of any use. It is wise to slow down when He slows down, speed up when He speeds up, and turn when He turns. We have to trust the One who leads us. We can count on Him to guide us along the best paths.

"The LORD says, I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. (Psalm 32:8 NLT)

Virtuous Character

“And endurance develops strength of character,” (Romans 5:4 ESV)

A person of virtuous character does what is right even when it is unpopular, inconvenient, or unprofitable. There was a time when these traits were considered noble. Nowadays, a person like this would be deemed foolish and unlikely to succeed. Endurance, honor, integrity, and kindness are no longer valued commodities; instead, greed, self-promotion, immorality, and indulgence are prized, promoted, and elected. We justify pursuing our agenda by any means, even if it means hitching our wagon to indecency, injustice, and indifference.

Societal values, slowly but surely, seep into our psyche. It’s like living near a contaminated water source. The toxins permeate the soil, well water, pipes, appliances, clothes, dishes, and utensils--poisoning our families, pets, livestock, and crops. The consequences may not manifest themselves immediately. Like malignancies, they are often undetectable in the initial stages.

While it may be comforting to indulge in nostalgic memories of the ‘good old days’, when we white-washed prejudice and ignored inequality, these regressive beliefs do not lead to growth. The development of virtuous character takes intentional movement away from habits, attitudes, and individuals who embrace standards of depravity. It takes perseverance to move forward rather than backward. This endurance leads to strength of  character--the fortitude to do what is right and good, no matter what the circumstances.