PONDERING... (Money) Sources of Anxiety and The Meaning of Life

Disclaimer: This post will continue to address topics that distract us from what really matters. The writer acknowledges that this topic is HUGE, and his post is...small. He also would like to point out that he has no spare money...in case someone stumbled upon this post while searching "solve my money problem." For more information on the topic of money from a Biblical perspective check out these guys!

1. The Problem: Money

This one is fairly straight forward. We need it, and don't have it. Want want more, and cannot. We have it, and abuse it. Much of our capitalist culture (fear not--this is not an anti-capitalism tirade) is enslaved to money. Because of this, we worry. We worry about not having enough. We worry about what to do with what we have. Yet, the Bible is crystal clear on this point, and I will be brief.

2. The Bible

"24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." - Matthew 6:24 ESV

You cannot serve both. Period. You are either loving God and trusting in His provision or you are serving money and despising God. There is no middle ground. Money is not evil. God may bless you with much--use it. However, God may give you practically none--trust Him. At the end of the day, we all must ask: Am I seeking to honor God with my fiances or am I allowing my fiances to become my god. 

Ponder, pray, and propagate your perceptions.

Upchurch

(This was written a few years ago, but somehow I never clicked "publish"... :D)

PONDERING...(Fear) Sources of Anxiety and The Meaning of Life

Disclaimer: This series of posts reserves the right to impact the writer more than the reader.

In a previous post, I touched on the meaning of life as explained in the Bible (God's Holy Word). In the posts to follow, I want to consider what the Bible says about a few things that distract us from this center, and draw us into anxiety. 

1. The Problem: Fear

In general, fear can be defined as anticipation of known or possible harm. There are many things that cause us to be afraid. From startling noises to job security, fear comes in various forms, and, if allowed, can consume our lives.

2. The Bible

"7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." - 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

This was said in the context of Timothy encountering spiritual trials. He is admonished not to cower or be afraid, but to live according to his calling and use his spiritual gifts. All Christians face fear. Living out your faith (this precious gift of God) will result in persecution (John 15:16-27 and 16:33). Nonetheless, we are to stand strong--not because we have power, love and self-control, but because the Holy Spirit, who abides within us, is power, love, and self-control!

"25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:25-33 ESV

I mentioned in a previous post that I think about this passages a lot. I do not bring them up again to be redundant, but because I need reminded of them daily. So much fear & anxiety comes just from not knowing what to do next. However, God clearly teaches us to seek His face and let Him take care of the details. Letting go is not as easy and immediately liberating as Princess Elsa would like us to believe. It can be terrifying. Yet, who is more capable of handling your life--limited you or sovereign God?

"26 "So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." - Matthew 10:26-31 ESV

This passage is addressing spiritual persecution that leads to fear for one's life. This would seem to be a circumstance worthy of fear. Truly, this is terrifying. The passage does not make light of that. Nevertheless, Jesus puts even this situation into perspective. Even losing your life is nothing compared to Hell. Death, to a Christian, is to be with God. It is not to be feared. In context, this passage also alludes to the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf.


Fear causes much anxiety. Nonetheless, consider the words of Christ to His disciples: "33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."" - John 16:33 NIV

Ponder, pray, and propagate your perceptions.

Upchurch

PONDERING... Freedom (Shocking... I know)

Disclaimer: The writer reserves the right not to be even remotely original...ever. Oh, and there is a terrifying story in this post.

As we celebrate the 4th of July, Independence Day, Freedom, Justice, and the American Way... I am reminded of the following truth from Scripture.

John 8:31-36  So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,  32  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  33  They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?"  34  Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.  35  The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.  36  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

As we celebrate freedom, let's not forget the ultimate freedom given to us by Christ, and that any not freed by Him are still slaves to sin. It is easy to forget, as Jonathan Edwards put it so well, "How dreadful is the state of those that are daily and hourly in danger of this great wrath and infinite misery!" We so often overlook the gravity of our situation. Some even like to deny that we are slaves. However, like Paul, we cannot escape this captivity.

Romans 7:15-24 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  16  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.  17  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  18  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  19  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.  20  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  21  So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.  22  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,  23  but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.  24  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

As I thought about this today, it reminded me of something that happened to me yesterday. I was doing some yard work and went to set up a bird bath that had been tipped over. While doing so, I bumped into one of the many bird feeders that the previous owners of our house have posted throughout our yard. To my great delight, the post was lose. So, I shook it a bit, and then, abandoning the bird bath altogether, began to pull it out of the ground. It came out fairly easily, so I balanced the feeder portion on my hip and walked across our yard to dispose of it. As I was walking, Melissa sent me a text. Promptly, I set the feeder down to check my phone. When I did this, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. In the bird feeder that I had been shaking, and pulling, and balancing on my hip was a swarming yellow-jacket nest!

I was blissfully ignorant of the danger. In fact, I was enjoying a good audio sermon at the time. I was unaware, but I was not free.

We, by nature, are slaves to our own sins.

James 1:14-15 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

But Jesus, by His sacrifice, has paid the price to set us free from a captor we could never escape. That's freedom!

Ponder, pray, and propagate your perceptions.

Happy 4th!

Upchurch

ENJOY SOME CLASSIC NEWSBOYS: I AM FREE

Reference:

Edwards, Jonathan. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." N.p., n.d. Web. 4 July 2014.

PONDERING... Clouds and Fire

In Numbers 9:15-23, the Israelites followed God's movements directly. Now, the Israelites were not always perfect subjects of obedience. Here, however, we see a good example. Day and night... when He moved, they moved. When He stayed, they stayed. There wasn't room for the question, "Where will I go today?" It was all about, "Where will God lead us today?" We could learn a lot from this attitude.

Ponder, pray, and propagate your perceptions.

Upchurch

"15 On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. 18 At the command of the LORD the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the LORD they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the LORD they remained in camp; then according to the command of the LORD they set out. 21 And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. 22 Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. 23 At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out. They kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by Moses." - Numbers 9:15-23 ESV