Some Thoughts On Fear & Safety…
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We often run toward safety…but usually it is AWAY from where God wants us to be, away from His mission/purpose for our lives. There seems to be a distinct spiritual parallel to the “fight or flight” syndrome…
We often run toward safety…but usually it is AWAY from where God wants us to be, away from His mission/purpose for our lives. There seems to be a distinct spiritual parallel to the “fight or flight” syndrome…
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Jesus marched TOWARD the Cross…That was the safest place for Him because it was EXACTLY what God the Father wanted for Jesus. The most dangerous place for Jonah–when he got swallowed by a great fish!–was when he fled toward Tarshish and AWAY from God’s mission/purpose for him in NInevah!
Jesus marched TOWARD the Cross…That was the safest place for Him because it was EXACTLY what God the Father wanted for Jesus. The most dangerous place for Jonah–when he got swallowed by a great fish!–was when he fled toward Tarshish and AWAY from God’s mission/purpose for him in NInevah!
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There is a safety for us on the other side of danger–that is why David says in Psalm 23 that God prepares a table for him “in the presence of my enemies.” God wants us to be safe in the long-run (HEAVEN!), but in the short run that often means being in dangerous situations of continuing to love and bless those who hurt us, who refuse to change, who refuse to apologize, who refuse to take responsibility for their hurtful actions. There is a safety from God that is often on the other side of the danger that we face, the danger of loving God and others, the danger of doing what God sent us to earth to do and to be who God sent us to earth to be. The safest place for a football player is in the opposing team’s endzone–that’s where they can truly celebrate with their teammates and coaches and fans…but they have to go through the other team to get there!
There is a safety for us on the other side of danger–that is why David says in Psalm 23 that God prepares a table for him “in the presence of my enemies.” God wants us to be safe in the long-run (HEAVEN!), but in the short run that often means being in dangerous situations of continuing to love and bless those who hurt us, who refuse to change, who refuse to apologize, who refuse to take responsibility for their hurtful actions. There is a safety from God that is often on the other side of the danger that we face, the danger of loving God and others, the danger of doing what God sent us to earth to do and to be who God sent us to earth to be. The safest place for a football player is in the opposing team’s endzone–that’s where they can truly celebrate with their teammates and coaches and fans…but they have to go through the other team to get there!
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Thats why Jesus says to take up our cross and follow Him…it’s definitely not the safest thing to do–carry a heavy cross–but if doing so helps us to more closely follow Jesus and be with Him as our True Friend, then it is definitely the best thing for us!
Thats why Jesus says to take up our cross and follow Him…it’s definitely not the safest thing to do–carry a heavy cross–but if doing so helps us to more closely follow Jesus and be with Him as our True Friend, then it is definitely the best thing for us!
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It is dangerous–often un-safe–to truly love others as God wants us to.
It is dangerous–often un-safe–to truly love others as God wants us to.
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For example, sometimes when we love people, when we actively strive to put their needs ahead of our own in sacrificial and practical ways, sometimes they will oppose us, will make it more difficult for us to love them, will not respond with gratitude but with (trying to cause us) grief. This shouldn’t surprise us, because Jesus says that when we love others in return for the pain they cause us, we are actually heaping hot/burning coals on their heads! Jesus’ love can be painful initially for those unused to experiencing it: A friendly gesture toward a mistreated animal can appear threatening to the animal because of their past abuse, the first dash of cleansing alcohol on a wound stings as it begins to heal. Furthermore, some who hurt us often WANT us to mistreat them back
For example, sometimes when we love people, when we actively strive to put their needs ahead of our own in sacrificial and practical ways, sometimes they will oppose us, will make it more difficult for us to love them, will not respond with gratitude but with (trying to cause us) grief. This shouldn’t surprise us, because Jesus says that when we love others in return for the pain they cause us, we are actually heaping hot/burning coals on their heads! Jesus’ love can be painful initially for those unused to experiencing it: A friendly gesture toward a mistreated animal can appear threatening to the animal because of their past abuse, the first dash of cleansing alcohol on a wound stings as it begins to heal. Furthermore, some who hurt us often WANT us to mistreat them back
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-so they have a justified (in their minds) reason for mistreating us
-so they have a justified (in their minds) reason for mistreating us
-so they can continue in their false belief that all Christians are intentional hypocrites
-so they can continue in their false belief that “this is just how the world is–dog-eat-dog, gotta look out for #1,” etc.
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But as we imperfectly love them back unconditionally, when they don’t deserve it, we are giving them a taste of Jesus’ perfect grace and unconditional love.
But as we imperfectly love them back unconditionally, when they don’t deserve it, we are giving them a taste of Jesus’ perfect grace and unconditional love.
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As we strive, with God’s help, to run TOWARD the danger of loving them even though we may want to run AWAY from such a risky mission, we are employing a spiritual version of Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope: we protect our vital organs with God’s shield of faith, helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, and sandals of peace and allow them to mistreat us as we love them back…over time they, like George Foreman against Ali, can become exhausted from pouring out their venom on us, and when they finally stop punching, we are fresh and ready to use the sword of God’s Spirit–the Bible–not to hurt them but to love them even more! This helps them see EVEN MORE CLEARLY, through us, how amazing JESUS is, how beautiful and eternity-changing is Jesus’ love and grace.
As we strive, with God’s help, to run TOWARD the danger of loving them even though we may want to run AWAY from such a risky mission, we are employing a spiritual version of Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope: we protect our vital organs with God’s shield of faith, helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, and sandals of peace and allow them to mistreat us as we love them back…over time they, like George Foreman against Ali, can become exhausted from pouring out their venom on us, and when they finally stop punching, we are fresh and ready to use the sword of God’s Spirit–the Bible–not to hurt them but to love them even more! This helps them see EVEN MORE CLEARLY, through us, how amazing JESUS is, how beautiful and eternity-changing is Jesus’ love and grace.
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“You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take” (Wayne Gretzky).
“You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take” (Wayne Gretzky).
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God wants us to take shots of loving others, even though we might get checked in the process, even though we might have our shots deflected or blocked, even though we might whiff on our love and get laughed at by others and booed by friends…Eventually He will allow a shot to score a goal, to give those watching–and those opposing us!–a glimpse of His great unearnable love for ALL who call on Jesus in faith…
God wants us to take shots of loving others, even though we might get checked in the process, even though we might have our shots deflected or blocked, even though we might whiff on our love and get laughed at by others and booed by friends…Eventually He will allow a shot to score a goal, to give those watching–and those opposing us!–a glimpse of His great unearnable love for ALL who call on Jesus in faith…
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Many have said that “the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will.”
Many have said that “the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will.”
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God wants us to run for HIS safety, not our own version of it. God wants us to run through the danger of loving Him and others sacrificially, not away from it. God wants us to go toward His mission/purpose for our lives, not away from it.
God wants us to run for HIS safety, not our own version of it. God wants us to run through the danger of loving Him and others sacrificially, not away from it. God wants us to go toward His mission/purpose for our lives, not away from it.
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A soldier who runs off the battlefield doesn’t get shot at, but he/she also doesn’t get the joy of completing the mission, doesn’t have the privilege of protecting their fellow soldiers, doesn’t have the satisfaction of planting the flag at the top of a hard-won hill.
A soldier who runs off the battlefield doesn’t get shot at, but he/she also doesn’t get the joy of completing the mission, doesn’t have the privilege of protecting their fellow soldiers, doesn’t have the satisfaction of planting the flag at the top of a hard-won hill.
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Many soldiers have said that while they have fear over being shot/dying, they have a greater fear of letting down their fellow soldiers with whom they have trained, fought, sweated, and bled. Their fear helped them to do what they were trained to do…stay on the battlefield.
Many soldiers have said that while they have fear over being shot/dying, they have a greater fear of letting down their fellow soldiers with whom they have trained, fought, sweated, and bled. Their fear helped them to do what they were trained to do…stay on the battlefield.
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May God help us use our fear, not to run away from danger, but to wade into the danger of loving Him and loving others…May we be more afraid of someone missing out, even for one more day or moment, on experiencing Jesus’ love than we are afraid of what they will say/do when we use our words and actions to share Jesus’ love with them.
May God help us use our fear, not to run away from danger, but to wade into the danger of loving Him and loving others…May we be more afraid of someone missing out, even for one more day or moment, on experiencing Jesus’ love than we are afraid of what they will say/do when we use our words and actions to share Jesus’ love with them.
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Just as Jesus endured the Cross because of the joy set before Him, may we endure the danger of loving others–may we take up OUR cross and follow Jesus where HE leads us–because of the joy of someday hearing Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into your Master’s happiness!”, because of the joy of introducing others to Jesus, Who “died to be their Savior and lives to be their King” (Aaron Shust).
Just as Jesus endured the Cross because of the joy set before Him, may we endure the danger of loving others–may we take up OUR cross and follow Jesus where HE leads us–because of the joy of someday hearing Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into your Master’s happiness!”, because of the joy of introducing others to Jesus, Who “died to be their Savior and lives to be their King” (Aaron Shust).