 Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash A lot has changed in the last 6 months. A worldwide pandemic has paralyzed economies, confused doctors, collapsed systems, and most definitely infected humanity with fear. Fear of the unknown is what I believe is driving most people to react instead of respond. As a leader, I am fully aware of how difficult it is to lead well in the midst of uncertainties. We are living in a time where information and misinformation abound. Who’s lead do I follow? How do I lead? What if I get it wrong? What if my sources are not trustworthy? What if I had it right but chose to do what everyone else was doing? The implications of getting it right or getting it wrong are huge and honestly the pressure weights me down often. The implications of getting it right or getting it wrong are huge and honestly the pressure weights me down often. This is not the first time believers face challenges to express their faith, but it is definitely a time when expressing what you believe, especially if you believe in God, is just getting harder. Jesus knew very well we would face trouble (John 16:33), but I think we still don’t know what kind of troubles He meant. For the early disciples it meant they would have to die for their faith. They would have to endure persecution, preach even when they were told to remain silent, and not conform to the pattern of their world. I am afraid that in our kingdom of comfort our troubles are not even close, for the most part, to what the early church had to face and overcome. I believe our greatest fight in our day is a fight for truth. John 16:13 gives us a great promise from Jesus: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” My fear is that as believers we can become so “loving” that we lose our courage and boldness to stand for what we believe to be true. And even more concerning is the reality that too many “believers” are not even certain about the truth. The gospel has been diluted too much in the last years that our desire to get something from God has made us forget about our calling to be a living sacrifice for God (Romans 12:1). Could it be that we are not willing to stand up for what is true because our comfort would be immediately threatened? Could it be that we are not willing to stand up for what is true because our comfort would be immediately threatened? We like to have faith for the breakthrough, for the miracle, for the promotion, for the next “big thing” God has in store for us. But what if the kind of faith we need is faith to be courageous and bold in the midst of a confused world. That kind of faith that constantly reminds us of a higher calling and purpose in Him. There is only one way to make sure we don’t get it wrong; to draw close to Him and Hear His voice. The returning exiles in the time of Nehemiah knew that if they would endure the process of restoration, they would need to put God first. In chapter 8 they stood up from morning until noon to hear God’s word. The wanted to hear God’s word, and they also wanted understand God’s word. We are told that the Levites were there explaining and interpreting scripture for them. But what is even more compelling is that they responded to God’s word. We see in the story that they fell on the ground and wept. Nehemiah tells them that now is time to celebrate and be reminded of God’s goodness and mercy. In other words, there is nothing to be afraid of if God is by our side! There is only one way to make sure we don’t get it wrong; to draw close to Him and Hear His voice. We all have decisions ahead of us, why not trust His word to be the source of our strength and guiding light. It will not fail, it cannot fail. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Ps. 119:105 Let God’s word guide you and His spirit lead you into all truth.
^PJ |