Exchanging Fear For Faith

Zechariah displayed a classic case of doubt when he first heard he was going to be a father.  It makes sense from a human perspective.  I mean, what are the odds?  Both he and his wife were long past child bearing years, yet this was a man of God, a priest no less.  Still, he was human.  His doubt of the words from the Angel caused him an unusual punishment.  He would be unable to speak until his child was born.  I’m sure there were times Zechariah wished he hadn’t spoken those infamous words.  “How can I be sure of this?  I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”  (Luke 1:18)

            I admit I am a chatter!  A lively conversation (not with any hostility—in “hostile mode” I tend to go silent!) that is interesting, engaging, filled with pleasant and even disagreeing opinions, along with a hot cup of coffee or cool glass of tea is a wonderful way to spend several hours.  Conversation is a relationship builder!

            Sometimes children choose to say more than they should, when annoyed with a parent or even another sibling. They have to learn there are times to share their feelings, and times when it is totally inappropriate.  

 Other times we are just misunderstood due to dialect or expressions unique to a given area.  In Wisconsin, a water fountain is known as a “bubbler.” Some areas of the mid-west call a “hair-tie” a “hair-binder."  In Tennessee words like “clean / plumb” can mean completely; and “right smart” can mean a large amount; and the word “buggy” is used instead of shopping cart! 

It is suggested it only takes five to seven spoken words to identify a person’s honesty, intelligence, and other important characteristics; perhaps even our level of faith. However, the dialect we use need not necessarily define us. A dialect does not deem the person inferior in any way; it simply makes his language usage different.  Yet a person’s idiom’s can imply ignorance, laziness or other stereotype, which is far from the truth. 

            However, there are times in our lives when we all say things we wish we hadn’t; but once spoken, cannot be taken back.  These are words spoken in anger, when we are hurt and sometimes even excited or surprised, perhaps like Zechariah!  

Often, without conscious effort we vocalize the questions in our minds, even if only to ourselves.  We may lament our circumstance of whether we will get the “cold that’s going around,” lose a job, have a bad day, run into someone we’d rather not see and all sorts of negative things that play in our mind.  Our minds react to what our ears hear even more than when we just “think” the thoughts.  

            When we think to the point of vocalizing negative thoughts, our fears can override our faith.  We predict negatively and our “prediction” turns into what happens.  We’ve opened the door so Satan can make our “doubts” come true.  

            If Zechariah had not doubted, perhaps he would not have had his speech taken.  If we choose to rebuke doubt and think more positively, perhaps some of the negative things that could/do happen, won’t. Instead of allowing fear to trump faith, we need to replace our fear with godly confidence.  When we place our Christian assurance in front of our uncertainty, we open the door so God can make good things happen.

            I encourage you to reflect on your “self-talk.”  Do you express personal doubts that feed the seeds of fear?  Do the words that come from your mouth demonstrate your faith in Christ or do your ears hear doubt in the Savior’s ability to work in your life?

In Just Three Years

            

            Some years ago, the book “Christy” became a television series.  It was captivating.  I read the book when I was young, watched the series and finally had the opportunity to visit Del Rio, TN to see the area where “Christy” taught school!  

Leonora Whitaker, (Christy, in the book) the mother of Catherine Marshall, author, volunteered at the Ebenezer Mission after attending a missionary conference in Montreat, North Carolina.  Her courage to teach for the Society of Soul Winners, despite remarkable odds, is an inspiration to all of us to do those things we are called to do by God.  We all have abilities which often are buried deep within our beings because we are afraid to leave the little cubicle in which we have locked ourselves.  We are certain we are under educated, unable to carry the responsibility, sure we don’t have the funds to support whatever it is we’d like to do, and convinced we’d be ridiculed for our efforts, since they seem out of the norm.  

            Leonora’s (Christy) life as a teacher in Cutter Gap, among other lessons, gave her insight to how people feel, learn, live, help each other and honor God.  The children she taught, taught her as much and influenced her life beyond what she ever imagined, even though she taught at the mission for just under three years.

            Someone else came into the lives of others and ministered for three years and had an impact that continues today.  Jesus Christ. He came at a time of unrest.  People wanted a Messiah, someone who would come as king to rule the people. He didn’t.  He came as a baby, grew into a young man, lived a sinless life and had a ministry among the people for a mere three years.  

Yet his impact has had nothing less than a miraculous impact.  People worldwide still worship him! He taught love and kindness, peace and good will. He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, raised the dead, made the lame walk again, rebuked demons, fed the thousands with a few fish and a couple of small loaves of bread, walked on water, calmed the seas and changed water into wine, and ultimately gave his life for the salvation of anyone who would accept him as Lord; and this is just a sampling.

His effect on people continues to dramatically change lives.  With encouragement, any one of us has the ability to alter the lives of another through kindness, generosity or other act of warm sincerity.  When we rely on Christ for guidance in ways we can make a difference, we can be certain His light will shine through us, onto those around us.

I love it when I see a bumper sticker or a billboard that says, “Wise men, still seek him!”  He literally changed the world….and we have His Word to study and learn from!

            Do you ever think about the impact you have on people?  We are all here for such a short time and it’s amazing how even a brief encounter with the right person can change a life!  

I Am Helpless Without God

           

          A friend was sharing recently about changes they’d like to make in their life. Changes often affect more than just the person making the decision. Depending on the situation, it can affect an entire family and sometimes even several!  It can be a hard decision when it involves more than one person.  

            After the conversation, I was left with prayerful thoughts about options and listening to God’s voice. It is He who created us to be productive, yet wants us to remain aligned with His will.  We are told in His word “the sheep know the Shepherd’s voice.”  It’s important to separate emotion and self-will, to be quiet and still, to enable us to hear God’s voice through all the other thoughts pounding and clamoring for space in our head and hearts.

            Most of us want to be productive in whatever we are doing.  That’s been the mind set since time began.  In times long past, the pioneers and farmers produced the items they used.  They fashioned farm tools, spinning wheels, leather goods, hunted and grew food, built furniture and created supplies from the lumber retrieved from the forest.  Later, iron and lead production of nails, cast iron cook ware, among other newly formed tools and ultimately inventions changed the entire landscape we now call America.

            Creating each of these items took a fair amount of training and experience; (and perhaps a little luck-- or a mistake!)  People relied on each other for the goods they could not produce.  They realized if they didn't rely on each other, they may perish.  The same concept can be said about our spiritual life. When we don’t rely on God we are, in reality, helpless and can perish!  

            When we don’t stay in The Word and prayer, we find ourselves filled with doubts and fears about what we can and cannot do.  We shrink from “what might be” and “what if?”  But God doesn’t want us to be like that.  We were created to hear his voice from the depths of our beings.  He wants to guide us to new heights.  Our new adventures can’t happen or at least be successful, if we don’t put our trust in him.

            God has given us gifts to share, with which to be productive.  Each person’s skill is unique to him, given his personality and how he chooses to use it.  This is true when we minister or when we are in the midst of a giant change of direction. Often we look at the practical side of things and say, “that just can’t be done!”  But if God is molding us and transforming us to make such a change, we must rely on God to work out the details, even if in our finite minds, it doesn’t seem possible!

            When we see with the “eyes of God” into these situations, we can see God working on us and “growing us” into the persons we are meant to be.  We are made stronger when we recognize we must move forward, but stay aligned with him; and that we are not in control.  It is God.  He can make us fruitful and productive in ways we couldn’t have imagined.