Slow Down, Feed Your Spirit

A young child came to her mother one day complaining her stomach was hurting. Knowing the time of day was approaching for a good lunch for an active little girl the mother explained, “Oh honey, your stomach is probably empty. You just need to get something in it and you’ll be fine.” About a week later the little girl overheard the preacher speaking to her mother and mentioning he had a headache. “Oh preacher,” the girl blurted out, “Your head is probably just empty. You just need to get something in it and you’ll be fine.” It takes age and experience to discern life’s lessons and apply them with wisdom. We are living in an age that, it seems, everything is accelerating at an ever greater speed and in our pursuit to “keep up” our spirit is being neglected and becoming angry and belligerent. Our spirit’s are hurting and crying out because their empty. It’s the sign of its starvation on our part for not feeding our spirit with the Word of God. Simply observe all the anger in the world and you’ll find the total lack of reverence for the Creator of everything. The only thing you get to keep in this life is your spirit – feed it!

[Psalm 46:10] “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Notice the comma after “be still.” It means to stop, slow down, chill out. It is pretty obvious that the majority of us have allowed our culture to draw us into living extremely busy lives to the point where it is nearly impossible to focus our attention on what is really important. Consider the following: (1) Studies have shown that when we do two tasks at the same time we take about thirty percent of our attention off the primary task. (2) Whenever two people meet in our society, the odds say that one or the other will mention how busy they are. (3) In 1950 we had on average ten activities to choose from as to what we were going to do next in any given day, while today that number can be over one thousand, depending on the size of your income. Things become even more complicated because most of these activities are either fun or deemed worthy of our time. (4) The culture has convinced us that activity is all that counts and anything else is nothing more than laziness. (5) God created both activity and rest. In fact, He commands both of them (Ecclesiastes 3:9-13; Matthew 11:28-29). So, to live within the bounds of his will requires a balance of both. The Bedouin shepherds live in shabby box tents that dot the hillsides throughout Israel. When compared to our lives saturated with modern conveniences it appears they live a very difficult life. However, an interesting fact is that their average lifespan is more than 100 years. While their diets are made up of natural foods which contain no preservatives, that is not the secret of their longevity. The secret lies in their relatively stress-free lives. Stress makes us sick; drives us crazy; and kills us some three decades before the majority of these shepherds. The Bedouins rise from their tents slightly before sunrise and go about the work of their day. As the sun begins to set they gather as families in their tent for dinner. Then they will typically sit around telling stories and singing. Each evening involves three to four hours of family time. Their work is very physical and tiring but their lives are relatively free from the “noise” of life. They typically go to bed at the same time every night and enjoy deep restful and renewing sleep. As the Bedouins lie down all is quiet as they stare up at the clear star-filled sky. Their minds are able to focus on the majesty of God and that is the last thing on their mind as they fall asleep. Slow down. Revere the God of all things.

Jesus Promised Rest

I was out shopping the other day for two items my wife wanted, both of which were eluding me. One of the items, Sprite-0, seems to be on the endangered list because it’s getting harder and harder to find. Knowing my success in one grocery store I went there in hopes of finding the refrigerator 12 pack still being stocked and going home a hero. I was scanning the isle full of sodas and was about to concede its extinction when I saw the spot, on the very bottom shelf of all places, where the 12 pack should be, but appeared to be vacant. Just by chance there might be one way in the back I got down on my knees to look and sure enough there was one. I got spread-eagle on the floor and reached way back for the soda whereupon I heard an eight-year-old proclaim, “Mister, you okay? Do you need some help?” How embarrassing! I looked up and thanked him, “No, I’m fine.”

[Matthew 11:28] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Weary people need rest. Jesus provides rest. Rest from the law. The people of Israel were weary from the burden of the law. The law of God given through Moses was good, but people are not good. Therefore, those under the law were always aware that they were not living up to the standard the law set. How wearisome! That is why “...God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law...” (Galatians 4:4-5). Amazingly, the first apostasy from the church was a move to return to salvation by law-keeping instead of faith in Jesus the redeemer. Paul encouraged, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). To this day, Christians are frequently tempted to link their salvation to law instead of to Jesus. When we fall prey to that temptation we quickly find ourselves worn out. Remember that Jesus promised rest. Rest from life’s burdens. People are fatigued by life when it is lived having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). When people experience hardship, pain, and death they often turn to despair, bitterness, and doom which sucks the life right out of them. Jesus makes possible and teaches us a perspective on life that is full of faith, hope, and love. Jesus provides a real and eternal victory over hardship, pain, and death that allows those burdened by life to be comforted by the words of Jesus: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me” (John 14:1). Jesus also declares: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10) Even when walking through the valley of the shadow of death, the sheep find peaceful and fearless rest with the Good Shepherd. Rest from sin. The lifestyle of sin wears us out physically and emotionally. When we use the phrase “that person has been living a hard life” we mean that that person has been living daily with unrepentant sin. It is not a coincidence that we can see that the “hard life” has taken a hard toll on that person’s body. Sin is physically destructive. As a matter-of-fact, sin is so physically destructive that its final outcome is death! It is also a great burden to carry around the emotional weight of true and heavy guilt. Jesus calls us out of the lifestyle of sin and gives true forgiveness from the guilt of sin “...so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:21). Sin, attractive at first, wearies the bones and the soul in the end. Jesus promises rest! Are you okay? Do you need some help? Go to Jesus. He’ll help.

Wisdom Will Guide You

If asked what is the worst shipwreck of all time, what would you reply? There are some monumental and legendary ones: the Lusitania (1915); the Andrea Doria (1956); the Edmund Fitzgerald (1975). Perhaps you would readily say, “The Titanic.” While certainly one of the most well-known, the sinking of the Titanic (1912) was not the world’s worst shipwreck. On April 27, 1865, the steamship, Sultana (with the capacity of only a few hundred people) was transporting 2500 Union prisoners-of-war home at the end of the Civil War. The ship’s boiler exploded, killing 1500 men, just as their ordeal of battle was about to end. In 225 B.C. off the coast of Camarina, Sicily, a Roman fleet of 264 ships was caught in a violent storm. Of those, 184 ships were driven onto rocks and sank. The death toll from this disaster is thought to have been 80,000 to 100,000 souls. However, even these (labeled the worst shipwrecks in America and world history respectively) were not the worst shipwrecks to occur throughout the history of mankind.

[Psalm 40] Sadly, the worst shipwreck has happened countless times and is sure to happen again and again. Paul spoke of it to Timothy: “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you might fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith” (1 Timothy 1:18-19). There is no greater disaster than a shipwrecked faith. Many things can bring about this cause. Jesus spoke of those who are choked by the cares and riches of this world (Parable of the Sower: Matthew 13:22). Demas forsook Paul, “...because he loved this world, has deserted me...” (2 Timothy 4:10a). “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10). Conformation to the world (Romans 12:2) and the love for the same (1 John 2:15-17) have likewise caused the way to be littered with the carcasses of once strong souls navigating life. What about you? Is your “ship” faithfully sailing? Or, is it headed for the dangerous rocky shoreline? The book of Proverbs contains great insight for navigating life and avoiding faith shipwreck. Proverbs is divided into 31 chapters, just enough to average one chapter a day each month. The proverbs have been written to give us wisdom and understanding with which anyone can safely navigate life and reach the safe harbor. Perhaps you’re already headed for an unsafe landing. It’s not too late to find the safe sailing lanes again. Determine to set your sails and turn your helm toward faithfulness. Avoid the worst shipwreck of all. “...Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10c).

“The road is too rough, Dear Lord,” I cried; “There are stones that hurt me so.” And He said, “I understand; I walked it long ago.” “But there is a cool green path,” I said, “let me walk there for a time.” “No,” He answered me, “the green road does not climb.” “My burden is too great,” I said, “How can I bear it so?” “I remember its weight,” He said, “I carried my cross, you know.” “I wish there were friends with me, who would make my way their own.” “Ah, yes,” He said, “Gethsemane was hard to bear alone.” And so I climbed the stony path, content at last to know, that where my Master had not gone I would not have to go. And, strangely, I found new friends; the burden grew less sore, as I remembered long ago He went that way before. Wisdom gives safe passage (Proverbs 2).

It's Your Choice

Three men met at the end of a pier on a New Jersey beach. One is an average guy, fishing off the end of the pier. One is a homeless alcoholic, just wandering around. The third is an honorable man, well respected in the community. Suddenly, the alcoholic runs and jumps off the pier landing five feet out into the water. The fisherman yells, “What are you trying to do?” The alcoholic yells back, “I’m trying to jump across the Atlantic Ocean!” The fisherman sets his pole down and says, “Watch me! I can do better than that!” He runs, jumps, and lands ten feet out into the water; twice as far as the alcoholic. The healthy and wealthy third man says, “That’s nothing! Watch this!” He backs up the length of the pier fifty feet, makes a mad dash to the end of the pier, jumps, and lands twenty feet out into the water, four times as far as the first man. If we witnessed such an exhibition we would think these men were fools for attempting the impossible – jumping across the Atlantic Ocean! But people trying to earn their own salvation are even more foolish. God cannot be approached by man on the basis of man’s own moral goodness. I’ve heard it said many times, “I’m a good person. God will accept me into heaven.” That statement shows a lack of understanding of the grave nature of sin and the absolute holiness of God. If we could be so good to deserve heaven, salvation would be owed as a debt rather than be received as a gift (Romans 11:2-6). Isaiah wrote: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” A person may look moral, when compared to others, but when compared with Christ, all fall perilously short, “...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...” (Romans 3:23). We all need grace. The next verse reads, “...and are justified by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). Many do good things for others and demonstrate a high level of morality; however, there is a big difference between morality and righteousness. Righteousness is defined and revealed by a righteous God and seen in His Son (John 17:25; 1 John 2:1; Hebrews 4:14-16). To be righteous means that we are innocent or faultless in God’s sight. On our own, this is not possible (Romans 3:10). The only way to stand innocent in the presence of a righteous God is to be forgiven and declared righteous by faith in God (Philippians 3:7-9).We are only accepted because we trust in the righteous work He did and submit to what He requires (Ephesians 1:4-10; Hebrews 5:8-9).When one realizes this, he is on his way to receiving the free gift of God, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). We have all been given the choice of being in comfort and peace with Jesus in heaven throughout eternity, or being with Satan and his angels in torment, separated from God for eternity after our life on earth has ended. Given that choice right now of spending eternity in Heaven or Hell, which are you choosing? It is very easy to say we want to go to heaven to be with Jesus, but the very things that enable us to get there are choices we do not make in life. Our eternal destiny will not be decided by a “once-and-for-all decision” made at the judgment seat of Christ. That choice is made day after day by the decisions we make throughout life. As a baptized believer I have clothed myself with Christ (Galatians 3:27) and I must do my best to present myself in a Christ-like manner (Philippians 1:27-28). Then, God will see me as His righteous adopted son.