Publicity We are a society of exabitionists. What I mean is that we are people who are consistently putting our lives on display. We see this in the proliferation of “reality” TV shows that give us a glimpse into the lives of other people. This is also on display in the many social media platforms that allow anyone to publish their thoughts, views, and criticisms to the world. Even this blog post is somewhat an example of what I am referring to. Even the way people dress is a product of our exhibitionist culture. However, today’s post is not about modesty but rather the craving in our hearts around this kind of showmanship. I am not arguing that posting updates about your life and interacting with people through these public means is bad. But I do want to point out that some people get offended when they get exactly what they are requesting. It is somewhat ironic that while we are the most self promotional and connected people who have ever lived, we also desire to define the limits of our privacy. Privacy Privacy is an interesting concept because it is made necessary because we are communal beings. God made us to need one another. After all, it was not good for Adam to be alone (Genesis 2:18). God has also constructed His covenant relationships with us corporately, not just individually. Even in dealing with Abraham God was building and promising a people (Genesis 15:5-6). Since we are created to be social and to be in relationships, this means that boundaries for those relationships are also necessary. In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul reminds them that we live in symbiotic relationships with everyone else and in a completely dependent relationship with the Lord. Our need for privacy is a result of our fallen condition. Remember in the garden Adam and Eve were both naked and unashamed (Genesis 2:25). I think that we often read this as being because they were husband and wife, but the introduction of clothing did not come when other human beings were introduced to the equation but when sin came in and required a temporary covering (Genesis 3:21). Before the fall, mankind had nothing to hide either from one another or from God but after the fall, shame and guilt required a level of privacy. This ought to also cause us to consider the freedom that we have been given in Christ. Within the body of Christ we are free to confess our sin because Christ is faithful and just, He forgives our sin and cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). This means that we need not hide our sin in shame and guilt, but rather expose it to the cleansing and purifying Light of the glory of God. So as we believers look forward to our eternal home, we will not be back in the nakedness of pre fall innocence nor will we be shrouded in the filthy garments of our wickedness and sin (Isaiah 64:6), but we will be clothed in the glorious righteousness of Christ (Revelation 22:14). When we reach that city and our faith has truly become sight and there is no more sin and no more need for the protections that privacy affords us, we will all be able to rest sweetly in the glorious freedom of the kingdom where only righteousness dwells both in us and in all of our brothers and sisters, who are our fellow citizens of this fair and happy land.
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Burdens In the book Pilgrim's Progress, the main character, Pilgrim, is suffering under a heavy load that represents his sin. This shouldn’t be a spoiler, because the book is hundreds of years old. It is not only true that our own sin can feel like a great burden, but also that the sin of our culture can be a great torment. It is also true that we can be weighed down by struggles and cares that are not sinful. The point is that stress and struggle can come from many places. These burdens can have many problematic effects on us. These effects extend to both the inner and outer life. In this post I would like to think about the causes and effects of these burdens and what we should do about them. Paralysis of Analysis The title of this little blurb is “Paralysis” because I was thinking about how often I am overwhelmed by many needs and tasks. In this state, where of course logically one should be engaging the mountain of troubles, I tend to find that I become less productive. This kind of procrastination is called paralysis of analysis. The sheer volume seems overwhelming and it becomes easier to escape into some busy task than the urgent and important work. There is more to the cause than just the size of this mountain. Many times the need not only seems to be beyond our abilities, but it actually is beyond our abilities (1 Corinthians 10:11-13). The problems are truly something we can’t solve. The brokenness is something we truly cannot fix. The transformation needed is truly something that we cannot produce, but God can! I believe that the Lord allows us to experience this weight so that we are reminded of our need for His strength and so that we can exercise our faith through pleading prayer and resilient rest. Pleading Prayer I am reminded of the story when Jesus along with Peter, James, and John return to the company of the other disciples after Jesus' glorious meeting with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-29). In this passage, the other disciples were trying to cast a mute spirit out of a young boy at the request of his weary and worn out father. The disciples could not cast it out, despite the power that Jesus had given them earlier. Jesus remarks about the lack of faith in the whole situation and the father of the boy both confesses his faith and admits his lack of faith. Jesus then honors the man’s desire to believe by casting out that dumb devil. It is interesting that Jesus calls the man out for doubting the power of God after the disciples failed to cast out the demon, but rewards his honest plea not only for his son’s healing but for greater faith. In dealing with the most overwhelming problems the first thing we must do is run Christ through pleading prayer. Resilient Rest It might seem strange to speak of rest as a way to deal with overwhelming problems that have produced procrastination and a lack of productivity. But these things are not the same as peaceful rest. Jesus bids believers to come to Him for relief in the midst of our stress and struggles. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus calls us to rest by taking up His yoke which is easy and His burden which is light. Jesus is telling us that our rest is found in our union and connection to Him. In Christ we can lay down our striving to earn righteousness through the law. This frees us to walk in obedience not as a legalistic burden but as a gracious blessing. Jesus bears the burden so that we can rest even in His service. Heavy Laden Do you ever feel like you are an old pack mule loaded down with a great burden? Maybe you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. What can be done about this cumbersome load? I’m sure that there are many strategies for dealing with chronic stress that can certainly be helpful for getting through difficult moments or seasons. But in this post I want to address some spiritual and biblical ways to unload our burden and enjoy rest and freedom in our Lord Jesus Christ! Promises It may sound like a cop out to say trust in the Lord, but that is what the Bible teaches (Proverbs 3:5). If we think that our burdens will be less heavy simply because we learn a coping technique, the problem is that we are still relying only on our own selves and not on the strength and power of God. Rather we need to remind ourselves about the many great precious promises of God in the Scripture. Then we must build our view of the world and reality based on the truth of those things that God has promised. God has promised us His presence. He has said that He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5) and that He will remain with us to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20). The Lord has promised to not lose us (John 6:37-39). God also promised that He would publish the good news of the gospel to the world (Acts 13:32-39). The Lord Jesus promised to return for His disciples (John 14:1-3). And He promised us eternal life (1 John 2:24-25). Of course, I cannot document every promise of God from scripture in this short blog, but I hope you can glean the point from this short list that the promises of God, if believed and relied upon, are sufficient for our seasons or struggle and hardship. Partnership Next, we must remember that we are not made for isolation. Humans are social creatures. We are made in the image of the triune God (Genesis 1:26-28). While God is able to enjoy perfect communion and love in His own being and essence, we are not! This means that we need other people. The Lord has made it so that we are born into families. Unfortunately, sin has damaged many families to the point that little fellowship or communion still exists. However, within the Christian faith the Lord has given us the precious gift of the local church. In the local church, we should find the kind of love and support that we need in our times of struggle. We are called to love one another in a way that requires deep investment but promises steadfast commitment and care (1 Peter 4:8-11). In Christ, we have been adopted into a family to which we now belong (Galatians 4:4-7). In Christ, we have received a household of faith with real responsibilities to our siblings (Galatians 6:10). In Christ, we have gained a connection with other believers through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us both (Galatians 5). Prayer One of the great ways that God has provided for us to be able to unload is to talk to Him. God let’s have access to His throne of grace and His heart of mercy and His ear of compassion (Hebrews 4:14-16). I know that all of us have benefitted from venting from time to time. God is ready to hear us not only come to ask for His intervention in our situations and circumstance but for us to come for the purpose of just emptying our soul out to Him (1 Peter 5:6-7). Therefore, as believers we must not see our great God as just our safety net or last resort, but as our true confidant that we can go to with our greatest needs and struggles. And we should go to Him often to unload our great burden for the Lord Himself has promised us that His load is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). Praise The Lord! Help Everyone needs help sometimes. I know there are those people who seem to have everything together to such a degree that they never need a hand. But in reality we all need help in one way or another. We were not created to operate as independent islands and entities but rather as a real community. But a real community must also include some real loyalty and tangible investment. Most if not all work is easier when everyone helps do a part of the job. This means that instead of looking for a reason not to lend a hand, we are eagerly looking for ways to serve one another (1 Peter 4:10-11). This can be seen in cultures, societies, and civilizations even outside of the influence of Christianity. But this is because it is a part of the basic nature of how we are created in the image of God. Even in Eden, God concluded that Adam needed a companion to accomplish the God glorifying tasks that He had been assigned (Genesis 2:20-25). Physical Often support means that there are tangible physical needs that can be met by other people. This can come in the form of financial support, such as the Macedonian churches taking up funds to help the starving Jerusalem church in the first century (2 Corinthians 8-9). Today there are always more ways to give than we have resources to use but generosity should be at the heart of our desire to help. However, even beyond finances we can be a physical blessing to other believers through manual labor. Whether the need is caused by a disability or even just a lack of time we can work to help other brothers and sisters to clear the chore list. We could even see this in a large group getting together to help a friend or brother accomplish a task that one or two people could never do. The point is that we should be looking for tangible ways to bless other people. Emotional The fast pace of our modern society and the burden of our information economy means that most people are carrying around some significant stress. There may be all kinds of ways to cope with stress but at some point we need emotional support. The proverbial shoulder to cry on might not be so proverbial. We need people in whom we can confide knowing that we can trust them and that they care for us. Just knowing that we are not alone can be critical in giving us the necessary strength to make it through the trails that we are facing. However, if we are not cultivating real deep relationships ahead of time, then even in the church we may find ourselves lonely and abandoned even while surrounded by friends. This is not because those around us do not want to support us but usually it is because our relationships lack the bonding and building to promote deeper connections and investment. Spiritual This is the support that the world knows nothing about. They will claim to understand it. Even boasting about their spiritual rituals and practices. But without the peace with the Father through the provision of the Son giving us the presence of the Holy Spirit, the reality is that the world does not know true spirituality (1 John 5:5-11). So the true spiritual support that we need comes from the Lord Himself and through His people praying for our spiritual progress (Hebrews 13:18-21). The greatest spiritual support that anyone can ever receive is to hear the glorious good news that even while we were sinners, meaning vile, disgusting and evil, Christ died for the ungodly and made reconciliation and peace for everyone who trusts in Him..meaning in His perfect life and resurrection (Romans 5:1-11). Seasons We have all heard the question, “Are you working hard or hardly working?” The reality is that our modern lives are always busy even when not much profitable work is being accomplished. But most of us probably do go through seasons with both our employment and our home lives where the load ebbs and flows. For you it may correspond with certain times of the year or a specific stage of life, but even if you find yourself in one of those time periods that is overwhelming and exhausting it is important to remember that this will pass soon enough. FOMO Do you ever deal with a fear of missing out? Well, let me encourage you not to miss the blessing of your hectic and busy schedule. Consider the blessings that are making it so busy. If you are busy because of a demanding load at a job that you enjoy and that provides for you and your family then be glad you have the opportunity not only to work but to do so as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23). Of course, it is possible to sinfully put work in a priority that it doesn’t deserve but if we are simply working faithfully then we should be thankful for the strength and the work. If you are busy because of the needs of children, whether the needy hands of infants and toddlers or the energetic lives of teenagers, be glad for the blessing of God that those image bearers are. The Bible is replete with the reality of the blessing children are for their parents at every stage of life. Children are a blessing in our youth (Psalm 127:2-4) and even when we are old (Proverbs 17:6). If you are busy because of certain trails that God has allowed to enter your life through His loving and providential hands then I would urge you to recognize that He has a purpose. There are many purposes in this that you cannot now see, but that will ultimately be for your good and His glory (Romans 8:26-28). If you are busy because God is blessing your family or career or ministry with some success then praise God for this season of growth and success. We must remember with humility that the growth is from the Lord’s blessing and glory is the Lord’s glory. The labor of love in which we are engaged is not something we have to do but rather something that we get to do (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3)! Hard Things But what if your labors are the consequence of sin? First of all, it is possible that you are suffering some trials that are the natural and necessary consequences of your own sinful behavior, attitude, or lifestyle. If this is the case, even if you have repented you must remember that this trail is not punitive but redemptive. What I mean is that God is not punishing you for your sin. Jesus took all the punishment for believers' sins but He is disciplining you for your growth and maturity (Hebrews 12:3-14). It is also possible that you are bearing a burden because of how someone else has sinned against you. The reality is that there is no help in holding on to resentment or bitterness for this only makes the load harder to bear. Instead, we must cast these cares also on the Lord trusting His promise that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:6-11). So as we enter this labor day weekend let me encourage you to rest yourself in the Lord and enjoy the love, peace, and hope that only He can give (Hebrews 4:9-11)! |
AuthorEddie Ragsdale Archives
May 2024
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