Paralyzing Fear

 

In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President of the United States of America. He entered into the nation’s highest office during exceedingly difficult times. The country was in the midst of the Great Depression, and it was Roosevelt’s task to help the American people regain faith in themselves. It was during his induction speech that he relayed a message of hope by promising prompt and diligent action. He opened his address with these words: “I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our people impels. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honesty facing conditions in our country today. This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive, and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” Is fear paralyzing you today? Is fear freezing your efforts to live life?

"Depression" is a word often used and misused by modern Americans. True clinical depression (also known as "Major Depressive Disorder" or MDD) comes from biological root causes such as brain chemistry or hormone imbalance, bipolarism, etc. This type of depression needs treatment by a medical practitioner. Often, what is called "depression" by the average American is not MDD. It is an intense sadness. A common factor among those who have this intense sadness is that they lack hope and are discouraged, which can possibly be brought on by fear of the unknown. To pull out of this form of "depression," may I suggest the following steps. First, pray with faith: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have ask of him” (1 John 5:14-15). Second, focus on others: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). Third, do something nice for someone else. And this verse holds a promise to Godly people: "Whoever brings blessings will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered" (Proverbs 11:25). In reality, this intense sadness (often mislabeled as depression) comes from focusing on self. Whenever we focus on the good of others, we will find our feelings of sadness drifting away to be replaced by joy.

[Matthew 28:19-20] Fear is a de-motivator. It is a thief capable of stealing our zeal and conviction; it hampers our efforts, and it paralyzes the church. One of the primary hindrances to evangelism is fear. Fear of having a door slammed in our face, of severing a relationship that’s important to us. Fear of not being able to refute opposing arguments. Fear of rejection. Fear and success are incompatible when it comes to carrying out The Great Commission. When fear dominates one’s thinking, a person refuses to step out and do what God intends. We must be a person that, as Roosevelt asserted years ago, converts retreat to advance; overcoming that nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror that paralyzes needed efforts. It is time to speak the truth, the whole truth, boldly. We mustn’t allow fear to incapacitate us and cause us to shirk our responsibility of carrying the gospel into a lost world. As God’s children we have an awesome responsibility to be His voice, His hands, and His feet in the world. It is up to us to carry His message to a dying people. Every time a Christian succumbs to fear and plays it safe, that’s one less messenger available to get the Word out. We have not been given a spirit of timidity (2 Timothy 1:7).

Giving Thanks in All Things

 

A man whispered, “God, speak to me” and a meadowlark sang, but the man did not hear. So, the man yelled, “God – Speak to me!” and thunder with lightning rolled across the sky, but the man did not listen. The man looked toward the heavens then said, “God, let me see you” and a star twinkled and shined brightly, but the man did not see. Then the man shouted, “God, show me a miracle!” and a life was born, but the man did not notice. So, the man cried out in despair, “Touch me God, and let me know you are here!” whereupon, God reached down and touched the man, but the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on. I found this to be a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted. Give thanks he has never left us alone.

From an article, Giving Thanks in All Things by Brian Mitchell, Bulletin Digest 11/16. Most of you I am sure have heard of the novel, Moby Dick by Herman Melville. It tells the story of Captain Ahab’s relentless hunt for the great white whale Moby Dick, who had destroyed his ship and bitten off his leg. Ahab was obsessed with destroying the whale – his life revolved around his resentment, bitterness, and the desire for revenge, which tarnished everything he did. His bitterness had twisted him into a cruel and hateful person, and the saddest thing about the book, and bitterness in general, is the fact that the real victim of Ahab’s bitterness and hatred was Ahab himself. His obsession had made him a most unhappy man and that is what bitterness will do to you. Do you know any bitter people? Those who have been wronged in some way in life and have allowed such to turn them into negative and critical person? Bitterness is a terrible thing, for not only does it make us miserable, but it also makes those around us miserable. 

Webster’s dictionary defines bitterness as an attitude of unfriendliness, resentment, and animosity. If we fail to overcome our resentment and animosity, it will likely develop into bitterness. Bitterness is a malignant form of resentment and anger, and it is capable of spreading rapidly until it affects every area of one’s life. It causes one to become harsh, reproachful, unpleasant, and unfriendly. Do you know anyone that this describes? Bitterness can be the result of someone doing us wrong and getting away with it. It can be brought about by someone achieving a success that we feel we deserved and not having attained. It is often the result of feeling that life has somehow been unfair to us. Regardless of what causes it, bitterness can rob us of our joy for life and make us unbearable to be around. Bitterness can prevent us from practicing kindness and forgiveness (Ephesians 4:29-32). It can destroy relationships with our families, friends, and brethren (Hebrews 12:14-15). And bitterness can cause us to put all the focus in our life on oneself (James 3:13-18). In the end, bitterness causes us to grieve the Holy Spirit; possess a heart of ingratitude; lack kindness and compassion; and develop an unwillingness to forgive others (Colossians 3:12-13).

[Psalm 100] So, how does one overcome and rid one’s life of this extremely negative emotion? While there is much I could say, let me just suggest that one should stop often and count your many blessings. “…Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your many blessings; See what God hath done.” When it comes to the bitterness, anger, and resentment of the world, God has the solution; be thankful in all things. Let us never forget that regardless of what trial or difficulty we may experience, we will always have a great deal to be thankful for. It is like the man who said, “I was sad because I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet.” Whenever you start feeling bitter about your lot in life, how about you stop for a minute and think instead about all the blessings God has bestowed upon you, and with prayer, give thanks in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Shaping Us To Fit

 

“Be A Chickadee” by Caleb Smith (Country Magazine June/July 2018) The Red-tailed Hawk is the apex predator in the skies of north Georgia. But just the other day, as I was setting on my porch, I saw a small Chickadee attack one. Chickadees are tiny, weighing less than an ounce, and they lack the hawk’s talons or sharp beak. But here was this enormous hawk, beating its wings as hard as it could, trying to escape the aggressive ball of fluff chasing after it. Surely the chickadee knew it wouldn’t be able to leave a scratch on the hawk, right? Maybe the chickadee knew but didn’t care. Perhaps whatever the hawk threatened was so important in the chickadee’s mind that their actual sizes didn’t matter. In life we face troubles that sometimes seem so much bigger than we are. Some people run when this happens. Then sometimes, people find what the chickadee had; something bigger than their problems. That tiny bird was protecting its nest. And the courage the chickadee showed not only saved its family, but its own life, too. At the first sign of weakness, that hawk would have turned on the little bird. But with courage bold, the chickadee stood firm and faced its problems head on. So, when life rages, and it will, look to the example of the chickadee. Because the hawks of this world don’t care how big you are, they only care how big you act. Find that thing in your life that is bigger than anything the world can throw at you and hold on to it when hard times come. When hawks are at your door - be a chickadee.

During the Great Depression, a good man lost his job, exhausted his savings, and forfeited his home. His grief was multiplied with the death of his precious wife. The only thing he had left was his faith, and it was weakening. One day while looking for work he happened upon some men who were doing stonework on a church building. One of them was skillfully chiseling a triangular piece of rock. He asked, “Where are you going to put that stone?” The craftsman pointed toward the top of the building, “See that little opening up there near the spire? That’s where it goes. I’m shaping it down here so it will fit up there.” Tears filled the man’s eyes as he walked away. He felt God had talked to him through these words: “…shaping it down here so it will fit up there.” He found new meaning and courage through renewed faith to press forward in his difficult situation.

[James 1:1-2] During the last decade of the famous artist’s life, Renoir was confined to his home because of his crippling arthritis. His friend, Matisse, visited him daily. In spite of the torturous pain, Renoir kept painting. In fact, he did so almost to his dying day. On one occasion when Renoir was struggling with every brush stroke, Matisse said to him, “Aguste, why do you continue to paint when you are in such agony?” To which Renoir replied, “The beauty remains; the pain passes.” Some of you may be going through terrible troublesome times. You may be experiencing some heart-breaking sorrow. Or perhaps you are enduring some painful physical illness. Or it may be something else – maybe even too excruciating to talk to anyone about. The blows of the hammer and chisel hurt! But it’s the harsh blows to the body that often brings the greatest strength to the inner person. God is good, even when we don’t understand all the reasons for the things that happen to us. Let us place our trust in the one who sees and knows all. He will do what is best for us. Hold fast to your faith. Don’t let the difficulties of life get you down. They are only temporary. Glory is coming. Keep praying! Keep believing! Let us lay our soul, our heart, and our life into His hands, “…that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”  The Master has to do some shaping of us all down here, so we will fit up there.

One Percent Can Be A Big Deal

 

One percent doesn’t sound like much, but it really depends on the number that the one percent comes from. For example, what is one percent of one dollar? The answer is one little ole’ red penny. Now, that doesn’t sound too big does it, but how about one percent of ten thousand dollars? Well, that would be one hundred dollars and to me that number is growing substantially at only one percent. Every time you add a zero to the number being divided, the little one percent also gets a zero and after a while it’s not so little anymore. One percent can be a big deal. According to a comprehensive study released in 2006, for the first time ever in our nation’s history one out of every one hundred adults in America was sitting in prison. That’s one percent of our adult population. That one percent costs an estimated $49,000,000,000.00 to house, feed, guard, etc. according to the study. That doesn’t include the damages done to victims and their families and property. To beat it all, the crime rates are still rising. According to Wikipedia, at the end of 2016 one in thirty-eight American adults were under some sort of correctional supervision (probation, parole, jail, or prison). In 2018 it was estimated that there were 698 people incarcerated per 100,000 population. Prison, parole, and probation operations generated an $81 billion annual cost to American taxpayers, while police and court costs, bail bond fees, and prison phone fees generated another $100 billion in costs paid by individuals.

Some in our society, and throughout the world, call the Bible an outdated book. According to them mankind has become too sophisticated to believe in God. This is the same society that has over 5% of its adult population in prison! A society cannot get sophisticated enough to outgrow the works of the flesh that has plagued humanity here on Earth. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is…” (Ephesians 5:15-21). Our “sophisticated” society could use a huge dose of that so-called “outdated” book. No politician, no social program, no amount of money, no man-made laws and no form of government can fix a nation with no God.

[Galatians 6:7] Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. John Lennon said, “Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was okay, but his subjects were too simple. Today we (The Beatles - 1966) are more famous than Him.” Lennon was shot to death for unknown reasons. Tancredo Veves (President of Brazil) during his presidential campaign, said if he got 500 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from the Presidency. He got the votes, but he became ill one day before taking office as President and died. Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer, and poet) during a show, while smoking a cigarette, blew some smoke into the air and said, “God, that’s for you.” He died of AIDS in a horrible manner at the age of 32. The man who built the Titanic, Thomas Andrews, was asked, “How safe is the Titanic?” With an ironic tone Andrew’s answered, “Not even God can sink it!” I guess we all know how her maiden voyage concluded.

The absence of a three or four dollar copy of God’s Word (yes, one can actually find a Bible that cheap here in America) in our homes and hearts sure is costing folks a lot more than they ever expected to have to pay. The over one percent of our national debt is absolutely nothing compared to the debt our society, and the world, owes God for what He has given us (U.S.) through the generations. There are not enough zeros in math to express just one percent of that debt. Is one percent a big deal? The numbers don’t lie.