Why Fear and Dread?

 From my Daily Journal, October 18, 2010

 “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.” Job 3:25

 How could a man like Job experience such deep fear and dread when having lived and experienced such a privileged existence. He enjoyed abundance, wealth and influence, a family portrayed as a close knit and generous bunch. Job is presented as a great man, solid in character and spiritual devotion. He was a man dedicated to honoring God. It is recorded that he would offer sacrifices for his children just in case they blasphemed God even if in their hearts (1:5). Job’s declaration, as I see it, shows that all humans are the same at the core. No matter how great or small, powerful or weak, religious or ungodly, no matter how deeply suppressed there is an undeniable, unshakeable “fear” at the core of every human.

 Just like a tea bag in hot water releases the flavor and aroma of its contents Job’s tragic circumstances caused fear and dread to seep out. You would have to read the rest of his story to discover that fear and dread were not the only feelings that became evident in Job while he experienced of one of the “worst nightmare come true” of all times.

 Job wrestled with his feelings, God’s silence and the useless and misdirected council of his best friends. What sustained Job through it all? If you stay with the story to the end you will discover it was an ever growing passion to know God that sustained Job from going insane. This deeply grounded resolve in Job’s heart overshadowed any sense of fear or dread that may have pestered his thought life.

 Did these feelings surfaced during his overwhelming crisis or was fear and dread the motivational force behind Job’s outstanding devotion? We might never know, but if the truth be told, we know we are susceptible to both situations. Sometimes you will experience feelings you didn’t know you had until a crisis strikes. For many, if their religious devotion was tested they may find fear or dread rather than faith and love at the source of their spirituality.

All humans have this fear as a result of the separation we suffered from our creator when Adam and Eve rejected God’s way and sinned. Apart of God’s comforting presence and the warmth of his love human’s fear and dread can be suppressed and ignored but never conquered or dissipated. This primal fear and dread can only be overcome with a restored relationship of love and trust with God the creator through the acceptance of Jesus, God’s way for salvation, as master of our life.

Even as a believer, I need to remember that no matter what I know or experience when bad things happen I will default to a survival mode, a reactionary stance, a primal sense of loneliness. There in my conceived abandonment and rejection, fear and dread may influence my perspective and response. It is there where I must resolve to stand firm on God’s word, his promises and the ways I know and have experienced of Him. As I keep still, trust and wait until the answer is made known my character is developed and my relationship with God is deepened.

By the end of the story we learn Job endured the trial by embracing his agony and by engaging God and his friends in open, unbarred dialogue about his condition. In the process, although he temporarily lost his friends, he gained a fresh perspective about himself and God. More significantly, he reached new depths in his devotion, and discovered uncharted grounds in his relationship with God (Job 42:1-6).

Perezpective: What is worse than being financially broke?

Perezpective: What is worse than being financially broke?: "From my Daily Journal October 14, 2010 Acts 3:1-8 1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in t..."

What is worse than being financially broke?

From my Daily Journal

October 14, 2010

^{Acts 3:1-8}

¹One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. ²Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" ⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. ⁶Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." ⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

Can you see Peter & John going about their daily routine in Jerusalem? It was apparently a day like any other. They were going to the temple to repeat their prayers; a beggar was being carried to the usual spot where he could collect donations from those attending the temple. The day was assembling together just like any other, but there was something different about Peter & John on that particular day. They broke away from the usual and expected, from whatever would prescribe another ordinary day. What was going on in the hearts and minds of these ordinary men from the Galilean countryside? They refused to coast through their morning in their customary way. Their usual tunnel vision was widened to include the peripheral details that they would have missed. What was influencing them to change their perspective? Why on this day were they willing to engage the world of a beggar in Jerusalem with such audacity and authority? I think their new experience of Pentecost and their growing relationship with the Holy Spirit made them different. These are some of the ways I believe the Holy Spirit empowered to transform them:

They looked straight at the beggar – empowered to see, to embrace the problem & assess the situation

They asked the beggar to look at them – empowered to engage and create a sense of expectation

They acknowledge their incapacity to deliver what the beggar sought but willingly shared what they did have “authority in the name of Jesus” – empowered to surpass the request for a monetary donation and deliver physical restoration

They took him by the hand and helped him up until he received strength in his feet – empowered to come near, touch, hold and assist the beggar to receive the powerful and miraculous ministry that had been released over him

They allowed him to join them in their way – empowered to celebrate with joy and praises to God and do life together

From this episode in the life of Peter and John we can learn that not having any money to contribute to a beggar is no excuse to look away and avoid the encounter. It may prove to be the threshold of a divine appointment waiting for our attention. There may not be too many things worse than being financially broke, but in this case spiritually broke is strongly suggested.

Are we able to list many things worse than being financially broke? If we can only list a few things worse than being financially broke, why do you think that is? Are we satisfied with how our lives play out day to day? How would our lives change if we were to yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit? What would come into view if our current tunnel vision would be widened? What frightens us about a Spirit led life? What is the alternative, and why does it appeal to us? How might the world be missing out if we avoid operating in the power of the Holy Spirit?

When Thankfulness is not enough

Missions Trips have a way of immediately generating a sense of gratitude and thankfulness in our hearts. Our needs & frustrations appear so insignificant against the daily realities of our brothers and sisters in places of dire need, chaos and danger. Traveling in low economically developed countries defies our self consumed, complaining, and spiritually stagnant Christian existence. If thankfulness for our lot in life is all that we feel when exposed to people in worse off conditions than ourselves, we may be missing the point.

My recent trip to Haiti challenged me in deeper ways than I expected. As I returned to my daily routine, the safety of my home, the warmth of my family, my comfortable church, and the orderly systems that usually represent my life, the feelings of thankfulness seemed insufficient. Having seen the greatest catastrophe that has taken place in our hemisphere in many years caused me to step outside myself to see that I am now responsible. Seeing the apathy, the confusion and lack of momentum in our response to the people of Haiti deeply concerns me. How does my response line up with what God considers good? Micah 6:8 puts it this way, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”

I am an immigrant. Canada is my country by choice not by birth. Every October our family counts the many blessings a journey out of Cuba, persecution and lack represents. I am not just thankful but grateful for the opportunities, the freedom and the prosperity that Canada represents. Those blessings for people of faith are accompanied by a responsibility to God’s purpose of being a blessing to all the families of the world.Can we do more than count our past blessings this Thanksgiving Weekend?

Can we also dream of ways we can move our gratitude to supplication for others, in service for those in need, and in support of those in the front lines of difficult places like Haiti? Being thankful is good, but not enough. This Thanksgiving consider how far your blessings could reach and how they can make an impact.