The Race of Your Life

If you pass by athletic fields in the early morning of a hot and humid August day, you may hear a shrill whistle, sergeant-like instructions being barked, and grunts of agony from athletes doing sprints. Welcome to the dreaded preseason conditioning drills!

     Walking past a stadium early one morning last week I observed such a spectacle. My memory immediately flashed back to former days when conditioning was a possibility. Now to attempt such a feat would require a well-stocked emergency vehicle and lots of oxygen! As I watched the athletes go through their paces in the early morning mist, I seemed to be breathing faster, sweating more, craving water, and feeling my muscles cramp. Not all the memories of sport’s competition are pleasant!

     Why do these athletes voluntarily sign-up for such rigorous activities when they could join their contemporaries still lying in bed, dreaming about their morning Starbucks cappuccino, and looking forward to a relaxing day doing whatever they wanted? Why indeed? Very likely they are looking beyond the rigors of conditioning and anticipating the future days of competition in the sport they love. It is a dream of the future that propels them to endure the rigors of the present discomfort. I remember one coach telling a team, “You are not suffering for nothing. There is a game ahead that demands this preparation!” I also remember that I needed more than a pep talk on those August mornings – I needed water! The projection of the future did not diminish my present agonies.

     Much of life can be like this. Do you remember the pep talk from your mom, “Eat the broccoli; it will give you strong bones.” I would have loved to have been able to say to Mom, “George H. W. Bush never liked broccoli and still became the 41^st president of the United States. It didn’t look like he had bone problems either!” Or how about Dad’s, “The parttime job you have now will build character and will also look good on a future resume.” Do you really think skillful scooping skills at the ice cream shop will impress a patient that is about to have brain surgery at your hands? Or how about when your Algebra II teacher says, “Getting these principles down now will help you when you get into advanced math.” Seriously, did she consider my grades in Math? How likely was I to ever crack open a Math-related book after I finish this required course? You have the picture, don’t you? Granted, all life experience has some value. However, sometimes the prospects simply don’t placate the pain of present realities.

     The Apostle Paul frequently used sports analogies (at least 12 times) when he spoke about spiritual matters. One such passage is found in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Here he speaks about future success that requires present investments. He states that an athlete competes to win a prize. He also indicates that such a desire requires preparation now for future accomplishments. There are at least five requirements he mentions. The person must be motivated – “run all.” So much in life can be lost because we do not follow-through on our initial desire and quit. He also highlights that a person must be engaged – “run in such a way that you may obtain it.” Effort in life propels a person past dreams and into reality. Recently many Olympic athletes have talked about the sacrifices they have made not just to be in the games but to win. They wanted to do more than participate. They were there for the gold.

     Paul adds that a key requirement in successful competition is to do so unhindered – “he is temperate (self-controlled) in all things.” This carries the idea of a willingness to put off anything that could hurt the chance of success – even if that thing is a strong desire. How many wrestlers forego the Thanksgiving gorge-fest so they can make weight as the season starts in a few days? Another requirement is to be focused – “run not with uncertainty… beating the air.” During a season an athlete can easily get sidetracked from their goal if they are not careful. How many athletes allow trash talk from an opponent to get into their heads and become an annoying distraction? Paul lastly talks about being disciplined – “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection.” This carries the ideas of enduring hardships and annoyances even in our physical life so that one does not become disqualified in the athletic competition they seek to win. How tragic it is to hear of a Olympic competitor who is forced to drop out of their sport due to a failure to adhere to the rules.  

     It is true that life is bigger than athletic accomplishments. But there are some lessons we can learn from the athletic competition that can caution us in our daily lives. So how is your preparation for the race of your life? You may want to consider the advice the Apostle Paul shares.

Fractured Forgiveness

Have you ever suffered a painful and unjust experience at the hand of another that causes you sorrow, anger, resentment, and other emotional responses? Perhaps we all have and feel that those responses are justified considering the impact the event has had in our lives. It is possible we have uttered statements like, “I can never forgive them.” Or if we are feeling somewhat magnanimous, we might say, “I will forgive them, but I will never forget what they have done to me.” Perhaps when those statements are challenged by someone, we may justify ourselves by saying, “What do you expect? I’m only human!”

     Sadly, the world around us seems to prize resentment and nods approval when we harbor fractured forgiveness. Years ago, I was attacked and stabbed in the back during the racial tensions of 1967. At the time, I was doing a good thing as I escorted three coeds back to a college campus. I did nothing to insight or merit the attack. The comments screamed at me clearly reflected racial prejudice. It was a near death experience that left me not only wounded physically but traumatized emotionally – a trauma that lasted for years and even has some laten impacts now decades later. Well-meaning friends affirmed my emotional responses where I clearly was not only resentful but developed a hate-filled attitude toward those who had attacked me. I said the appropriate words, “I forgive them.” Deeply embedded in my heart however was a seed of hatred that I watered at times with resentment, anger, and wishing I could somehow get back at those who had wronged me. The events of that October night replayed over and over in my mind as I rehearsed the attack and imagined a different outcome. I wanted the offenders to pay a price for my pain that I remembered, embraced, and nurtured over the years. I was not healing; I was harboring what I needed to let go.

     While I practiced fractured forgiveness that damaged me, those who caused my pain where not impacted. I had, as Chuck Swindoll observed, “erected a monument of spite” in my mind. That monument only stoked resentment and acted as an anchor that kept my emotions submerged in a dark place where the light of healthy forgiveness was unable to shine. God graciously caused me to realize decades later the folly of that fractured forgiveness. One night after a reoccurring nightmare again woke me with a racing heart and cold sweats, I began walking the floor of our darkened house and cried out to God for release. In that darkness a rush of clarity brought the words of Scripture to mind, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). I then asked myself a question, “How has the Lord forgiven me?” To that question another verse came to mind that recorded the words of Jesus as he hung on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). If I was to be healed from fractured forgiveness, I needed to forgive like Jesus. A commentator reminds me that on the cross “the silence is broken, not by the cry of anguish or sigh of passionate complaint, but by words of tenderest pity and intercession” (Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers). Jesus chose not to focus upon the pain and injustice he was enduring. He focused his love on the ones who inflicted the offenses. My prayer for release and emotional healing began that night.

     There have been many other times I have been metaphorically “stabbed in the back.” Now my response is not to “erect a monument of spite” toward the offender. I desire to manifest the words of One who forgiveness perfectly, “Father forgive them.” I do not develop some mental amnesia that ignores, denies, or casually dismisses a hurtful event. I aim to nurture a proper attitude that promotes emotional healing for me in the hard times. In doing so, hopefully, this creates an environment where one who is an adversary can be transformed by a loving response. 

     I am reminded of the words of Amy Carmichael, “If I say, ‘Yes, I forgive, but cannot forget,’ as though the God, who twice a day washes all the sands on the shores of all the world, could not wash such memories from my mind, then I know nothing of Calvary love.” Forgiveness must not just be approached naturally; it must be approached supernaturally. We must not harbor hurt and hatred. We must be healed and restored by the gracious work of God in our lives.        

      

Society in Stress

The American culture seems to be one that is stressed by trying to cope with stress. Some might conclude that the Covid crisis has created the stressed state in which our nation writhes. Perhaps it would be better to conclude that the crisis has simply revealed the stress in which our culture already existed. Our world has faced pandemics before but the response from the historical records indicates perhaps that the reaction was a bit different than that of our present day. Maybe their coping reservoir was fuller because the stresses of everyday life were addressed differently and they had not depleted their coping reserves.

     What is stress anyway? Henry Warren provides a simple definition saying, “Stress can be defined as events or situations that put pressure on you – and your reaction to being placed under that pressure” Richard S. Lazarus adds this helpful insight, “Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that ‘demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.’ In less formal terms, we feel stressed when we feel that ‘things are out of control’” (Mind Tools). The symptoms of stress are numerous including insomnia, drowsiness, anxiety, depression, anger, indecisiveness, inability to focus, sense of gloom and worry. Stress levels are often measured using observing physical symptoms or measuring the number of “stressors” that surround our lives. There are a plethora of testing tools (like the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale) that help people assess how stressed they may be. Most individuals, however, do not need a tool to tell them they are stressed – they already know they are and just want it to go away.  

     Many resources suggest coping techniques or medications that are available to address stress. People, it appears prefer not to cope with stress; they just want it to go away. Thus, they lean toward a quick fix if they can find it. In fact, Market Watch (05.26.20) reported that as the Covid pandemic unfolded, anti-anxiety medication prescriptions spiked 34%.  Express Scripts analyzed prescription claims and concluded, “This analysis, showing that many Americans are turning to medications for relief, demonstrates the serious impact COVID-19 may be having on our nation’s mental health.” Stress clearly has serious impacts and consequences in our culture.

     Stress is not new, and it is a burden we would rather not endure. We see people coping with stress in biblical times. The Apostle Paul writing to the church of Corinth describes the stress he felt at the time, “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8). The word “affliction” as one linguist notes means “pressure (what constricts or rubs together), used of a narrow place that ‘hems someone in’; tribulation, especially internal pressure that causes someone to feel confined (restricted, ‘without options’) (source - HELPS Word-studies). What a good description of stress! This word describes how many feel in our society.

     What caused Paul’s stress? Perhaps physical hardships (2 Cor. 11:23-27), emotional pressures (11:28), fleshly maladies (12:7), or spiritual discouragements weighed heavily on his life. Whatever it was, he was afflicted, stressed, pressured, and at the end of his rope. It was then he discovered a supernatural resource that carried him through this time. He focused not upon his stresses, but upon his Savior who showed up as his Deliverer – “He has delivered us… he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us” (1:10). He also discovered that God was his Comforter – “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (1:3-4). How did Paul cope with His stress? He did so by looking at his God who delivers and comforts.

     Paul admitted he may have felt alone in his stresses, but he also acknowledged that not only was God his supernatural resource, but he also had flesh and blood friends praying for him. Paul acknowledged, “And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety” (1:11). How encouraging in the times of our stress to hear the encouraging words, “I am praying for you.” Many have been energized in the stresses of life with those five words. Be reminded as we pray for the stressed out as Max Lucado writes, “Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.”

     In a society of stress, be encouraged in the stresses of life. Paul wrote, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (4:8-9). J. B. Phillips paraphrased it this way “we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out.” Stressed? We probably all are at some level. It is in these times as Corrie Ten Boom says, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” The God we know is aware of our stresses, and more than that, can do something about it!

Let It Go

It is dangerous to hold on to some things. There is a story told by Pastor Chuck Swindoll about a mother with a large family who was surprised when she returned home from visiting a friend. The house seemed unusually and suspiciously quiet as she entered the front door. She saw her children huddled in a circle on their hands and knees in the living room. She came closer and looked to see what was holding them in rapt attention. She was shocked. In the middle of the circle of her children were five baby skunks!

She screamed to the children, “Quick children… run!” The children immediately reacted, grabbed a skunk, and ran! That was not the response she had in mind!

How often do we react in a similar fashion to somethings in our lives? Our response is just as inappropriate as the children’s. We hold onto something that could be dangerous or disgusting for us carrying the potential disaster with us. We do so unaware of the possible consequences of foolishly clutching onto something that we think we need or is harmless.

Frequently God urgently calls out to us in our foolishness and issues a warning through a variety of sources – His Word, wise friends, godly counsel, our sensitized conscious, etc. – and we respond in an inappropriate way and hold on to what God wants us to avoid. As a result, we do not avoid the disaster, we carry it with us.

David gives us a vivid example as he tires of being on the run from his arch nemesis, King Saul. This same David had faced a giant, Goliath, earlier with confidence that the Lord could handle an enemy. He responds to Goliath’s treats by saying, “I come to you in the name of the Lord… This day the Lord shall deliver you into my hand” (1 Samuel 17:45-46). He ran forward and defeated a mighty confident foe (17:48-50). Years later after constant attack by a lesser foe, Saul, he holds onto the “skunk” of fear and said in his heart, “I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines” (27:1). As a result, he aligns with the enemy of his nation, engages in deception (27:10-12), and destroys his reputation. He held onto the “skunk” of fear when he should have let it go.

Think about David later as he held onto the “skunk” of lust. David had been made king of Israel and successfully led his nation in conquest of the nation’s enemies. It is then we see the danger of not letting a appealing “skunk” go. David is at a time when he could sit back and enjoy his successes. Tragically he is confronted by the lust of desire for another man’s wife, Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). Ignoring God’s commands, he does not leave the temptation. He brings it with him and places it into his heart and life. He takes Bathsheba, commits adultery, engages in deception, and arranges for her husband’s murder. He just would not let it go and the consequences of his action impacted his family and kingdom for years.

There is an individual in the New Testament who was dealing with the “skunk” of power that he needed to let go. Simon the sorcerer was a man who was “Claiming that he was someone great” (Act 8:9). He convinced people in Samaria this was so, and they declared, “This man is the great power of God” (8:10). But when Philip came to town, Simon saw he had competition “seeing the miracles and signs which were done” by Philip (8:13). Simon was so impressed that he wanted the same kind of power that was obviously greater than his. When Peter and John came to Samaria to see what Philip was doing, he saw an opportunity to hold onto his power by asking them to give him the same power Philip had. He tried to buy the power and was rebuked by Peter, saying, “Your money perish with you because you thought that the gift of god could be purchased with money!” (8:20). Too often people are desperately trying to hold on to power when they need to let go and allow God to use them as He sees fit. As Baron Acton observes, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Simon needed to let go of that “skunk” of power rather than be its servant.

There are numerous individuals both in the Bible and our everyday life that need to let go of the little “skunks” that can stink up their lives. What things are hard to let go of in our lives? Perhaps it is time to listen to the God given warnings we have been provided. Maybe it is time that we listen to the warning that mother gave her children, “Quick children… run!” Let us not be so foolish that we run with the “skunks” that we should leave behind! After all, who wants to be a little stinker!

Priceless Treasure Vs. Thirty Pieces of Silver

Easter season brings various parts of the passion narrative into focus. The pinnacle of the narrative is of course the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But interwoven into the narratives are various threads of reality that focus upon the people that surrounded Jesus as well as the frailties of humanity. We applaud the sacrifice of Mary as she anoints Jesus (Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 12) with expensive ointment. Jesus was more valuable to her than her precious ointment. Jesus responds to her action with appreciation seeing her action as preparation for his burial which was imminent. Judas especially (John 12:4-6) lacked appreciation for her action. He concluded it was a wasteful extravagance because sale of the ointment would have been better used in caring for the poor.

     Peter’s confession of loyalty to Jesus threads itself though the passion period. After Jesus revealed that he was going to be betrayed and all would abandon him in the immediate future, Peter boldly states that he will be loyal to Jesus no matter what others do (Matthew 26:33, 35). Later his good intentions unraveled. He did as Jesus predicted, and betrayed Jesus three times (26:34). Pressure and danger often transform courage into meaningless platitudes. Too often people are quick to condemn Peter’s naivete and boastful arrogance, but upon further reflection see a similar propensity in our own lives – our security is treasured more highly than Jesus.

     Judas is another person who appears in the passion narrative that often disturbs us. He has been a close follower of Jesus as one of his disciples. He observed the life and ministry of Jesus for approximately three years. He had been so much a part of the discipleship team that when Jesus said he was going to be betrayed, all the other disciples wondered if they were the betrayer. Judas was not on the top of the list as a likely candidate to betray Jesus (26:20-25). Judas had even risen to a position as treasurer of the group (John 12:4-6). He was the money man with a character flaw, an embezzler, who John describes as, “A thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:6). His material greed was driving him. Ultimately, after seeing Jesus’ reaction to Mary’s anointing, he concluded that the hope of financial gain was slim with Jesus. Attempting to recover some benefit from following Jesus, he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16). How many good beginnings and intentions are warped by greed that places material benefits above all else? Judas perhaps bothers us the most because we wonder what it would take for us to sell out our principles and loyalties.

     Greed is a powerful force that can easily control and destroy our lives. Socrates wisely concludes, “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” Judas was possibly captured by the prospect of Jesus being a king and how that would benefit his closest followers. Did he become disenchanted when he began to surmise that his vision of what the kingdom would be like was not the same as Jesus.’ He feared he had “hitched his wagon” to the wrong kind of king. Pilot even needed Jesus’ kingdom clarified, and Jesus stated it clearly, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John18:36). Too often people want God’s kingdom to be just like the one they are in – just supersized. Such thinking must be adjusted to become God-sized – the kingdom Jesus was offering.

     One of my favorite short stories was written by Leo Tolstoy, “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” The story is about a greedy peasant named Pahom. He is never satisfied with what he had and assumes if he has more land he would be. He goes through a series of land acquisitions and finally is confronted by a deal he feels is too good to be true or ignored. He goes to the neighboring country of the Bashkirs. The tribal leaders tell him that they will sell him as much land as he wants for a thousand rubles. There was one condition. He can only acquire the land he can walk around in one day, marking the corners, and making it back to the starting point by sundown. If not, the land and money are forfeited. He agrees to the terms. He begins his task of marking his territory at sunrise. He greedily continues making the dimensions larger and larger. As the sun sets, he is thoroughly exhausted and pushes hard in the waning moments of the day to return to the starting point. He reaches the end of his quest and dies. The Chief of the Bashkirs laughs as Pahom is buried concluding that in the end, the only land Pahom needed was six feet, from head to foot—for his grave.

     Greed blinded Pahom. Greed likely blinded Judas to abandon a priceless treasure, Jesus, and settle for thirty pieces of silver. That money was used to purchase the Potters Field where Judas was buried (Matthew 27:10). Jesus in a parable evaluates a rich, greedy man as a fool. “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21). Jesus asked on another occasion, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Mark 12:36-37). Great questions Judas should have answered earlier in life – as should each of us! 

For Such a Place as This

We do not like being in dangerous places, facing difficult circumstances, or anticipating the potential of destructive outcomes. The events of this past year have highlighted the discomfort such elements produce. The nation has faced a pandemic, political unrest, financial chaos, and the emotional fallout that has left people unsettled. One thing is certain. People do not like the place they are in currently. How many have fantasized about being in another place at in a time like this?

     Would a place like this fit with your fantasy? A five-acre rock island 26 miles off the coast of Maine. Former inhabitants had soil brought out in bushel baskets in the spring and summer to pack into the clefts of the rocks so a few flowers could be planted to give the desolate place a touch of garden color.  Storms that pound the area are so massive that waves sweep over the entire island, and even structures at times, with a force that can move 75-ton boulders – not to mention the tiny flower gardens packed into the rocky crevices! On top of this, residents living there were occasionally cut off from any physical contact with another human for as much as a month due to storms in the region.

     Since August 25, 1830, this place was home to numerous families. In later years the Coast Guard took over the role of manning the lighthouse because there was a need for such a place as this. From this place nautical interests were warned of danger, provided direction, and offered assistance. Coast Guard keepers were ultimately removed from the post when the station was automated in late 1977. The place is still needed, but technology has replaced the human presence.

     The human element, however, is needed in the storms entering people’s lives. The wisest of all men according to his contemporaries was Solomon. He made a keen observation about life when he wrote, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). Society has applauded rugged individualism but created a culture of loneliness. The CDC reports that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found “more than one-third of adults aged 45 and older feel lonely, and nearly one-fourth of adults aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated.” Often the individual one allows to enter their life is the “lighthouse” they need in their life’s journey.

     Perspective sometimes is lost as one faces life. It is sometimes restored when another person becomes the “lighthouse” in those dark times or a stormy environment. In the wisdom literature of the Bible we read, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). How often does one’s understanding become clouded, and another person shines a “beam of clarification” suggesting a reality that had been overlooked? Such is the case when Paul had to confront his fellow apostle and friend Peter with his hypocrisy. He had become fearful of other’s opinions of him. Paul testifies, “I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong” (Galatians 2:11). The “beam of light” in the form of a rebuke of a loving friend corrected Peter’s hypocritical distortion.

     Sometimes a person is a “lighthouse” of comfort and confirmation to a person who is unclear about life’s direction. The writer of Proverbs 27:9 concludes “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.” How many times has a person floundering in uncertainty and confusion been encouraged by an affirmation or direction from another’s insight?  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe issues a great reminder, “Instruction does much, but encouragement everything." Encourage more; preach less.

     Jesus made it clear to his disciples that they were to be “lighthouses” of sorts in Matthew 5:14-16 saying they were the “light of the world.” What is desperately needed in these days are “lighthouses” of hope. Remember that lighthouses are not placed in comfortable, safe places. They are placed where they can impact those whose lives are in real need. They are positioned for service not convenience.

     Off the coast of Massachusetts there is another impressive lighthouse. Minot's Ledge Light has for over 150 years fulfilled its mission. It beams out its flashing light in a 1-4-3 flashing pattern.  Soon observers noted the pattern contained the same numerical count as the words "I love you." Whereupon the lighthouse was popularly called the "I love you" light. That is a message that God beams out to our world in chaos. It is the same message that He expects His followers to signal to a world in need of hope. They are designed for such a place – right where they are – to shine their lights declaring this hopeful message.   

Able to Deliver Us

About this time last year our nation and indeed the world was seeing the COVID cloud beginning to form on the horizon of history. As it loomed into our sight our curiosity was stimulated by a viral outbreak in China. Did we ever imagine what might be in store for our nation? Perhaps it was assumed there would likely be some sort of impact – hopefully slight. Did we wonder if this virus produces any unpleasant changes? People generally are not comfortable with change. Mark Twain correctly concluded, “The only one that likes change is a wet baby.” Yet this past year was all about change. It came rapidly, unpredictably, and in most cases inconveniently. Our nation has processed change but not always successfully as fears grew, annoyances blossomed, emotions frazzled, perspectives distorted, and uncertainty morphed into despair at times. As the last ticks of 2020 wound down people were heard saying, “Glad we are past that and can start getting back to normal.” As those aspirations were expressed, I began thinking, “Will we really get back to normal? Is normal really just uncertainty dressed in new kinds of challenges and adversity that must be faced?” Life as I have frequently defined it is a series of changes often interrupted by an occasional crisis.

     People are applauding progress in the battle against the COVID virus. They should. People have made extraordinary efforts and made countless sacrifices to address this horrendous pandemic. Yet the nagging question stands, “Have we taken a successful path, or will we come to the conclusion that there are multiple issues that demand our attention to arrest this viral scourge successfully?” Even at this date we are hearing that the virus has made some alterations to its structure that make the spread of the virus even more rapid. How many other discoveries will be made in the coming days that had not been considered regarding this nemesis? Does this mean we should cower in enclaves of supposed safety or placate our fears by denying the evidence that is being continually uncovered? Perhaps a better response would be to continue boldly, wisely, and intelligently to battle this formidable foe. Passivity does not defeat enemies; it only allows them to become more entrenched and powerful.

     What should our response be concerning this current reality? People are making their best educated guesses as to what should be done. Heeding their advice warrants consideration. Beyond this what might we do? First, do not become obsessed with what might happen in future days. Obsession can easily drive a person to an emotional paralysis where one is so overcome with “might be” thoughts so that “should be” thoughts are blocked. Then wise, necessary, and healthy actions are not pursued. Proverbs 26:13 pictures such a situation, “The slacker claims, ‘There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!’” The person becomes so obsessed with the “might be” of a lion that his “should be,” laboring for his needs, is ignored and he becomes a slacker.

     Also consider realities and resources beyond what we are even aware as we face the challenges of life. Too often people are limiting themselves to seeing only human solutions to problems. We have heard repeatedly, “We need to follow the science.” There is a level of truth to this. There must also be a consideration that science is expansive and occasionally makes unsuspected discoveries beyond what was being considered. For example, consider the discovery a Scottish biologist, Alexander Fleming, made while investigating staphylococci, known commonly as staph. After a brief vacation, he returned and found a strange fungus on a culture he had left unattended in his lab — a fungus that had killed off all surrounding bacteria in the culture. He providentially discovered penicillin. Such cases underscore a verse in Scripture where the Apostle Paul describes how God often works, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). Just because a human solution is not currently available does not mean that God cannot providentially intervene in situations we consider overwhelming.

     Lastly, maintain confidence in times when uncertainty could shake our faith. In the book of Daniel three young Jewish men faced certain death in a fiery furnace. They responded to a command to worship a king’s image which violated their faith by saying, “O king, we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up” (3:18). They did not flinch because they trusted the God they loved and served saying, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us.” They believed their destiny was in God’s hands not man’s. How many times do we assume the need to protect ourselves or rely solely upon human solutions rather than to trust God who is almighty to deliver? As a result of their actions and their deliverance, a king who wanted to be acknowledged as god, recognized their God by saying, “There is no other God that can deliver after this sort” (3:29).

     In these tough times may we not obsess but rely upon divine providence and maintain an unswerving faith in an Almighty deliverer. As Elizabeth Elliot said, “Whatever dark tunnel we may be called upon to travel through, God has been there.” I would simply add, “And He is still there with you; you are not alone.” Trust your steps to a reliable and faithful God.