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fear

Wanna get away?

Posted on December 13, 2011 by jon in choices, culture, fear, life, random thoughts | Leave a comment

I love these commercials:

And truthfully, there have been countless times in my life where I’ve just wanted to get away. Away from the hustle and bustle. Away from the circumstances. Away from… everything.

It’s a fact that human tendency is to withdraw from tough situations. I mean, no one wants to be in the middle of chaos, and I’m guilty of wanting to take the easiest possible way out, which means running quickly in the opposite direction.

Know what I mean?

But inevitably, when we run away from something, we run to something. We may not know it or do it intentionally, but there is ultimately something. Someone. Some habit. Some addiction. When we shift our focus from the tough situations in life, the focus doesn’t just hang out in limbo – it goes somewhere else.

Make sense?

Here’s what I make of this, and in this comes a challenge for us. The things we’re running from vary from person to person. Likewise, the things we run to are different. The Sunday School Solution (or “SSS”) here would be to just “run away to God!” I’ve heard or read several people say, in some version, that you have to be very careful about what you run to. This is how marriages begin to fail, addictions begin, etc. I don’t disagree with that, and I think it’s a valid argument. I mean, can anybody say “Psalm 46?”

God is indeed our refuge from the storm. He is our strength. I wrote a whole song about it.

BUT…

What if we could figure out a way to stop running in the first place?

What if we looked our situations in their proverbial eyes, just as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did?

…just as Joshua did?

…just as Jesus did?

If Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had run, they would have renounced their allegiance and, truth be told, probably had been burned up anyway. If Joshua had run, he would never have led the Israelites to the Promised Land. If Jesus had run… I don’t want to think about where I’d be right now.

Friends, we’re not called to live lives of withdrawal and escape. We’re called to face adversity. Face our trials. Face our fears. Jesus did.

I want to challenge you today to live not looking for an outlet to run in the opposite direction, but to realize that there may be a greater meaning to your trials than you may know or realize.

SPOILER ALERT! There is.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

There is beauty in all of this. Because in fact, when we run away from God, I believe God can draw us that much nearer to Himself.

Triumph over tragedy

Posted on July 10, 2011 by jon in culture, fear, life, random thoughts | 1 Comment

This is a post that has been weighing heavily on me over the past few days, so much so that I’ve started and stopped writing on several occasions. This will not be an easy post to digest for some, but I’ve realized that this is a message that is needed, and I pray that as you read this, you will find hope within.

Let’s get real here. If we’re being honest, everyone experiences tragedy. Now before I get into this any deeper, let me talk about the kind of tragedy I’m talking about. I’m not talking about the time you got an “F” on that test in World History class (guilty). I’m not talking about the time your fish died and you mourned for about 8 seconds. I’m talking about the kind of tragedy that completely and totally rocks you to the core, shaking the foundation of your life and leaving you battered and bruised with seemingly no hope for tomorrow. You suddenly lose a child. Your marriage abruptly ends. You’re involved in a tragic accident that forever changes your life. The list goes on and on. In this post, I want to take a few minutes to share with you a few of my reflections on tragedy: why it happens, how to come to terms with it, and how to triumph over it.

First off, you don’t plan for tragedy. When something happens that completely turns your world upside down, chances are you never planned for it. Since you never planned for it, you didn’t expect it. I mean, when you experience a death of a loved one, you expected it eventually, but even if you say, “This was bound to happen,” that’s not expecting, that’s suspecting – and chances are, that’s not the type of tragedy we’re talking about here. Tragedy is not planned. Tragedy is unexpected. Tragedy not only comes unplanned, but it completely alters the plans you already have in place. No one stands at the altar and boldly proclaims, “…from this day forward, until about 3 years from now.” No, tragedy is not planned.

When tragedy happens, our plans must change. Part of the reason I believe people have such a difficult time dealing with tragedy is because of the havoc wreaked on their plans. They immediately look to the future and the uncertainty produced by tragedy. But check this out: you are not guaranteed tomorrow. And, if history tells us anything, it’s that your long-term plans probably wouldn’t have come to fruition anyway! A wise man once told me, “If you ever want to make God laugh, show Him your 10-year plan.” Isn’t that the truth? Look back on your life 10 years ago. What are the odds that you’d be where you are right now? Not necessarily physically, but emotionally, spiritually, socially, personally, economically, etc. Trust me – God’s plan for you is MUCH BIGGER than the plans you have for yourself, regardless of how grand they may be. That isn’t meant to scare you, that’s meant to give you HOPE!

Next, tragedy is unavoidable. You may be reading this post and saying, “Well I’ve never really experienced any real tragedy. I mean, I’ve had a few hangups along the way in my life, but for the most part things have been pretty much smooth sailing. I’ve got a good job, good family, I’m good with God, etc.” I’ve got three words for you today: TRAGEDY IS COMING. Why? Because it’s unavoidable. Everyone experiences it. Chances are, some of the most “picture perfect” people around you have experienced or are experiencing a genuine, life-altering tragedy. It’s unplanned, and it’s unavoidable.

The Bible says that we will all experience hardships. But listen to what we read in the book of James:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. – James 1:2-4

Huh? Consider it “pure joy?” How does that happen? The Bible says that it is because your faith is tested. This is very important: it is not bad to have your faith tested. In fact, what we just read tells us that it’s quite the opposite. Persevering through times of tragedy will produce completeness, and we will be lacking nothing, as unlikely as it may seem.

Finally, tragedy has a tendency to make us feel alone. This can come in a variety of forms, but I think the most two common ways are through feeling physically/emotionally alone, and feeling spiritually alone – like we’ve been abandoned by God. We feel like, “No one can understand what I’m going through.” Or maybe it’s, “Now that he’s gone, I don’t have anyone to turn to.” Let me offer this to you: You are not alone, in any sense of the word. Why? Because like we just said – EVERYONE experiences tragedy. Everyone hurts. Everyone cries. Because of human nature, we all feel alone at some point in the midst of tragedy. And guess what? The God who created you will NEVER leave you. In John 10, Jesus says:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. – John 10:11-14

Are you hearing Jesus say that you today? He is your shepherd. He cares for each of His sheep, including you. And even if you try to run in the other direction, He will be with you every step of the way. You’re not alone. Listen to me – YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Read Isaiah 43:1-13. The entire passage is a message of hope from God that says that He will never leave us. He has called each of us by name. He will walk through the fire with us, not watching from the sidelines, and the fire will not consume us. We are precious in the sight of God.

So why does tragedy happen? If I can use a cliche, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Here’s why: we live in a broken world. Ever since that day way back in the Garden of Eden, when the first two people on earth succumbed to temptation, sin entered the world and the world and everything in it was inherently broken. Today is no different. We live in a broken world where tragedy strikes, and we think, “I didn’t do anything to deserve this!” But again – we live in a broken world. A broken world yields tragedy. Unavoidable tragedy. Unplanned tragedy.

So what now? What do we do when the inevitable yet unplanned tragedy strikes? As loaded as that question can seem, the answer is only four words long.

Give it to God.

If you are not a believer in God, and you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, overcoming the kind of tragedy we’re talking about here will be nearly impossible, if not impossible altogether. But listen, if you profess to be a believer in Christ, there is NOTHING you can’t overcome. Why? Because you have on YOUR side the One who overcame the ultimate tragedy: betrayal, humiliation, and death on a cross! Jesus overcame the darkness! He defeated the enemy! The power of sin is broken! This is GOOD NEWS for us, especially when we’re in the middle of tragedy. In fact, God is IN the tragedy. He is IN the suffering. The problem is that we can get completely blindsided to the point that we remove God from the picture or even turn to putting the blame ON God instead of lifting the situation TO God. Nowhere in the Bible is it written that we will never suffer in this life – in fact, Jesus GUARANTEED that we would suffer! But here’s the catch: God never gives us more than we can handle. NEVER. Write this down: The only reason you would not be able to triumph over a tragedy is if you fail to rely on God to bring you through it. If you rely on your own strength, you will fail.

God will use your times of greatest weakness to demonstrate His great strength. There is NOTHING our God cannot do, and NO level of tragedy is too great for you to overcome through the power of God – that same power that overcame death.

Let me interject one quick thing here: the enemy preys on you during times of tragedy. He wants you to completely lose your faith in God. He wants to see you broken, disheartened, miserable, and alone. This is why trusting God is hard for so many people during these times. But let me offer the encouragement found in Romans 8:31: “If our God is for us, who can be against us?” Certainly not the enemy. We have GOD on our side!

As one of my favorite pastors, Perry Noble, said in a sermon several months ago, “Don’t let tragedy define you. Let triumph define you.” There is victory in Christ. I challenge you today to lay it all down at His feet, and He will renew you, make you whole, and provide the comfort and hope that only He can provide.

I can think of no better way to end this post than with the words of the Apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus:

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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-22

Amen. God bless you.

Being Passionate vs. Laying Low

Posted on April 27, 2011 by jon in church, culture, evangelism, fear, leadership, life, random thoughts, theology, youth ministry | Leave a comment

Let’s admit it. We all like to lay low from time to time when it comes to fulfilling the Great Commission. There are a lot of us who don’t want all the baggage that goes along with sharing Jesus with others. Sometimes it’s because we’re overwhelmed. Sometimes it’s because we’re afraid. Sometimes it’s because we feel foolish or, come on now, even ashamed.

This past Sunday morning, our lead pastor Mike P. started off his message by talking about how Vertical Church is seeking to fulfill our part of the Great Commission by “leading people to be passionate about Jesus so that they can lead others to Jesus.” Take a second with me here and think about the implication of the last part of that statement. What if we re-worded it “…so that they can BE PASSIONATE about leading others to Jesus.” That word: passionate – how do we actually become passionate about sharing Jesus with others? Let’s look today at a few hindrances we have to overcome if we are going to develop this passion that makes us want to share Jesus uncontrollably.

1. Realize that you don’t have to be a theological scholar to share Jesus with someone. In fact, check this out:

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to
confound the things which are mighty… – 1 Corinthians 1:27
(AKJV)

Isn’t that reassuring? Even if you feel foolish, even if you think God could never use anyone with your lack of biblical knowledge, God said through His Word that he would use the foolish to “CONFOUND” the wise! If we can come to terms with this, the passion can begin to form within us. Now this doesn’t mean that we should abstain from reading and studying Scripture, but how much you know or don’t know should not be the basis upon which we seek to share the Good News with someone. Why? Because you might not know where that other person is anyway with their own knowledge, and even so, it isn’t Scripture that saves people – it’s JESUS that saves people.

2. You can’t be ashamed of Jesus. Now, why would anyone be ashamed? For one, because of public perception. Think about it – if you have lifelong friends who are unchurched, unsaved, and openly living in sin with no desire for reconciliation and salvation, you might be a grade-A Christian, but talking about Jesus to these friends? Many of us would say, “forget about it.” This is usually the number one objection to teenage evangelism as I’ve found through years of trying to teach teens how to share their faith. Listen to what Paul wrote in the opening chapter of his letter to the Romans:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of
God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the
Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16 (NIV)

If you know anything about Paul, you probably know that Paul wasn’t ashamed of the Gospel. It kind of goes without saying. I mean, he was arrested for sharing the Gospel, and continued to share the Gospel from prison – he was eventually martyred for it! But why was he never ashamed? Because he recognized that it was synonymous with the power of God, which needs to be shared with everyone. Do you recognize that power? Have you ever read something in Scripture and thought – “WHOA!” The Word of God is powerful – insanely powerful.

3. We can’t be afraid of animosity, rejection, or even persecution. When we hear the word “persecution,” we don’t really think of that word applying to us, especially in the United States. But essentially, the word persecute means “to cause to suffer, to harass, or to systematically mistreat.” When we put it like that, chances are we’ve all been persecuted before. After Jesus ascended to be with the Father, and the church began to form in the book of Acts, the apostles faced constant persecution by the chief priests and government. They were even flogged due to their refusal to “lay low.” However:

The apostles left the [council], rejoicing because they had been
counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
Acts 5:41 (NIV)

What if we looked at persecution as a privilege? What if we rejoiced over something like this? In today’s culture, sharing the message of Jesus isn’t particularly easy or welcome on many accounts. But I’ve always heard that “nothing worth doing is ever easy.”

So, all that being said, are you laying low right now? Do you feel unworthy or not quite knowledgeable enough? Are you nervous about what others will think? Is it just really hard for you to share your faith? I want to encourage you – you’re not alone. In fact, if we believe what we read in Scripture, we are all unworthy and undeserving. But you know what? Jesus died for all of mankind, out of His unending, unconditional love for us, and God wants to use you to share that message. That, friends, is something we just can’t keep to ourselves. How can we not be passionate about leading others to Jesus?

I’m afraid of frogs

Posted on March 12, 2011 by jon in fear | Leave a comment

Hi, my name is Jon, and I’m a ranidaphobe. That’s right. I’m afraid of frogs.

This stems from one particular incident from my childhood. My family and I were swimming at my grandparents’ pool (and by “swimming,” I mean “standing around in the shallow end”). I got out of the pool for some reason, and while I was walking along the side, I slipped, and fell into the deep end. It was at this moment that my dad decided he’d jump in to rescue me.

I’m not sure how long I was under, but I remember the customary “pool water vomit” that ensued after I was pulled up. I was lying on my back on the cement. Just then, I turned my head for another heave, and there it was. About a foot from my face. The nastiest, ugliest, slimiest frog I’d ever seen. I screamed like a little girl.

It seems as though frogs just won’t leave me alone, either. When Nikki and I went to the Outer Banks of NC after we got married, our house had a hot tub. I relaxed for an hour or so the first night in the hot tub, then got out, put the cover on, and went in to bed. The next afternoon, I went back out and opened the tub again, finding around 15 frogs all swimming around in there. This told me that they had been in there the whole time I’d been in the night before. I got goose bumps just typing that just now.

I remember when we lived in our first apartment and I had gone out to grill dinner, and upon opening the grill, there was one in there. Nikki had to get it out before I would cook.

About 5 years or so ago, I hit a frog with my weed-eater. It did this crazy flip thing and landed on all fours, staring daggers at me, like it had a vendetta against me. I went to go get my wife, came back, and it was gone. I’m convinced that the frog is still in my yard somewhere, plotting my demise.

As a side note, this event also spawned a fear of water, which I held onto for most of my life, until my decision to learn to swim last year. I’m not sure how to overcome this one, though. When putting a picture with this post, even, I couldn’t use one of a real frog. I opted instead, for the less-scary (but still a bit scary), Kermit.

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