One Way Easter Preaches to Men

As we celebrate our risen Savior on Easter Sunday, I also have the joy of celebrating another year of marriage to my beautiful wife.

As I worship Christ today and meditate on His sacrifice and glorious victory over to death, I cannot help but to also think about the gift of Amy.  The distance we've come, and the covenant of love that we share and also represent between Christ and His church.

I am not ashamed to admit the failures I have had in trying to love my wife well.  I am not ashamed because it always points me to the better Husband that I am to model.  It also gives me great hope to know that because Christ is the perfect groom to His bride, I too can love my wife well, and can see the evidence of that in the progressive sanctification in our marriage because of God's grace!

As I thought about these things on Good Friday, I was reminded of the song "The Church's One Foundation," and particularly of this verse:

The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord; she is his new creation by water and the Word. From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride; with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.

Men, if we would meditate on the sacrificial love and headship of Christ over His Bride, and love our wives truly, though we are flawed, as Christ loved the church, how many fights and problems would immediately be resolved? How much glory would God receive!

Lets take the rest of this Easter week to love our wives as Christ loved the church, in the strength that He provides and to the glory of the Father! Let us never forget that it is while we were still sinners that Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)!
He is risen indeed!

Afterthoughts on Anxiety

I just want to follow up briefly on my post yesterday on anxiety. 

I have friends that are going through incredibly difficult circumstances right now.  After thinking about them this morning, I realized that what I wrote yesterday may come across as harsh. 

Life in a sinful world can be intensely cruel and difficult.  Grief and sorrow will continue to persist this side of heaven. 

Jesus redeemed His bride so that she would be a witness to Himself in this world (we do such a poor job in so many ways).  Part of that witness is to extend the love, gentleness, and comfort to each other that He has extended to us.  Allowing anxiousness to persist will drive us to try to walk in our own strength, instead of in Christs by faith, and it will tempt us to desire that our will be done, and not His.

If we are committed to the joy and delight of our brothers in Christ, then we must be committed to striving for that end in the truth.  But we can't smash them over the head with it.  While what I said in yesterdays post, I believe is biblical, how those truths are communicated is just as important.

We are instructed to weep with those who weep, and to bear one anothers burdens.  We counsel with each other in gentleness and understanding.  We speak the truth in love.  We do all these things, and are able to do all these things,  because that is how Jesus is with us.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing (1Cor 13.1-3).
 

Anxiety

Anxiety is something that all of us can relate to on at least some level.  In some of us it is just an adverse feeling.  In others it is much more.  It can keep you awake at night, cause you to make poor decisions, cause panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder etc.  It seems that anxiety is never alone, it tends to be accompanied by things like fear, worry, anger, guilt, and/or depression.  While the process of getting there and its intensity varies, I think it something that all of us have probably experienced. 

I think there are three things that can cause anxiety.

The first is a difficult life circumstance such as illness or the death of a loved one. 

Second, is the result of another persons sin that effects your life, such as a rebellious child. 

Third, would be the result of personal sin in your own life left unreconciled at some level, such as abusiveness or adultery. 

While anxiousness can seem to be the most natural, and even loving response at times, the bottom line is that it is a sinful response, whatever the cause.  It is something that I have to fight against and confess fairly often, usually because of life circumstances.

The world and secular psychology would have us believe that we are victims.  It would have us deny our responsibility before a Sovereign God, and say that we are not held accountable for our responses to life or for the consequences of personal sin.  While that may sound harsh, it is true, and the only way for us to be set free is through the Truth.  Would we rather cope with our anxiety or experience the peace, hope and joy that only Christ can offer?

So how do we fight it? 

First we must recognize that it is sinful.  Phillipians 4 commands us to "be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  At its core, anxiety says that we do not believe that God is Sovereign, loving, or powerful enough to do anything about it. 

Secondly, we must loosen the death grip we are trying to have on life by controlling it, and grasp on to Gods great and precious promises which give us everything we need for life and godliness (2Peter 1.3-4). 

Third, keep up the good fight.  Continue to wage war on your sin, refusing to give into fear or believing that you are a victim.    "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control" 2 Timothy 1:7.  This third step means surrounding yourself with other believers, worship, prayer, reading scripture, and taking hold of the Truth by faith.

Life can be very hard, and the suffering we experience can be extremely difficult and real.  Christ was called the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.  He is the God of all comfort, and before He was crucified He told His disciples "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).  

Whatever has brought us to the place of being anxious, Christ is enough.  Holding on to our anxiousness tells God that He is both impotent and insufficient for us.  It is prideful to think that our life is too big and important for God to sort out, and idolatrous to make anything bigger and more important than Him.  But He remembers our frame and that we are but dust.  He extends to us through Christ love, grace, mercy, and immeasurable power "...take heart; I have overcome the world."  We must remember, that like so many others before us, He often delivers us through the flames and not from them.

I know some people may have experienced counsel like this before and come to the conclusion of trashing their medication.  That is a bad idea, coming off medication should only be done under a Doctors supervision. 

Rory, O Rory, will we see you again?

Yesterday we saw the completion  of yet another Masters.  The beauty, the classical interludes, and of course, the Cinderella story of a young man from South Africa....tears in his eyes I guess...you know what I'm talkin about.  We also saw the near breakthrough of a young rising star named Rory McIlroy, only to witness yet another cataclysmic collapse.
Looking at the psychology of sports, golf in particular, can give us amazing insight into life in general, when viewed through the lens of Scripture.  Yesterday, was a perfect example of this.  Have you ever hear a golf announcer say something along the lines of "what a courageous shot!" or on the flip side, if you ever listened to Johnny Miller for more than two minutes, you've heard "that's all nerves right there!"  Yesterday was no different.  On the one hand, you saw the monumental collapse of young Rory, contrasted by the continual "fearlessness" of Angel Cabrera.  What is the "psychology of fear" in golf?  I mean, this fear is so intense that it literally drives men to leave the game, sometimes forces them out by way of the dreaded "yips!"
Fear is so basic to man! Nothing to fear but fear itself.  Take your fear and use it.  Fight or flight.  It can increase intensity, but it can also paralyze you.  It is, to say the least, very complicated.  So for the sake of simplicity, I want to deal with it at a basic level.  By basic I mean, not healthy fear given by God to prolong our lives, but unhealthy fear that attempts to destroy us, that leads to things like the yips, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, sleeplessness, or an ability to function in normal life.
Ultimately, all unhealthy fear comes from one of two areas.  The first is a deep disturbance in our inner man that we are not God.  We desire a control over our life and circumstance that God simply does not allow, He has reserved Sovereign rule for Himself.  The second, is a deep and sinful perspective that another human wields a superhuman power to utterly destroy.  There again, is a level of control that God does not allow, He alone is Judge.  To say it another way, sinful desire to control (be God) = unhealthy fear (because we're not God) = unhealthy attempt to control (control freak, OCD, perfectionist, manipulative etc.) = potential disaster (from ulcers to complete loss of function).
How do we recover from such fear?  1. Confess and repent, you are a not a victim.  2. Acknowledge and meditate on Gods Sovereign control, as well as His power and love towards His children (Ps 23, 46.1-2, Jer 17.5-8, Rom 8.15,28) .  3. Fear God (Matt 10.28).  The bottom line is that if you are in Christ, the wrath of God, that which is most truly fearful, has been satisfied.  There is nothing left to fear, because there is no possibility of separation from the love of God.  In the face of a horrific death, Paul says he would rather go through it because to finally be rejoined to his beloved Savior is better.  Jesus sweat drops of blood over the anguish of enduring the wrath of the Father on our behalf.  Part of His blood bought redemption is that we no longer have a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind (Rom 8.15).  Scripture says to Rory McIlroy, repent (and be saved if you are not), and play your golf to the glory of a Sovereign and loving God!
*I do want to say that there are things we fear naturally and the fear is healthy.  A situation like war, where fear is natural and healthy, but must still be overcome is different than why Rory or most of us experience fear.  Also, things like PTSD are also real, and must be overcome differently.  Still by God, but differently, as it is not a result of personal sin.     

Is it Christmas yet!?!?

I LOVE Christmas time.  I love the chill in the air (especially in Florida), I love the time with family, the beautiful lights, the food, the gifts we get and give, the smell of Christmas trees and fires, the time off work, the football, candlelight services, and seeing so many others in good spirits.
On the flip side, I also can tend to get a little depressed around February.  Everything is over, nothing to watch until March Madness, Christmas is over, New Years is over, been back to work for a while, turkey leftovers are gone, I long for the warmth of the sun, Christmas can't come soon enough.  Life goes on.
Circumstances and sin are two things that can often produce depression, anxiety, and fear in our lives.  While my experience with Christmas is not extremely significant, and I, as well as others, have experienced much worse, it does illustrate a couple of things to consider when we are going through (or helping someone go through) depression and anxiety.
The first is the value of how we respond.  There was a time in my life when everything around me seemed broken and unrecognizable, at the same time, there was a tremendous amount of sin in my life.  I went to a licensed therapist, was diagnosed as being clinically depressed, and given medication.  I did feel better, but nothing actually improved.  By the grace of God, some friends intervened in my life and encouraged me to get up and fight.  Through the Holy Spirits power, that is what I did.  I got back to work, back to school, I got up in the morning on time, ate well, and most importantly focused on my relationship with Christ.  I quit worrying about the future, living in the past, and acknowledged that today is where God had me, and in His sovereignty that was enough (Php 4). 
Our response in the midst of it is of the utmost importance.  God has created us in His image and part of that image is to work.  Eph 4 tells us that God has saved us by grace, so that we can work, and that the work has called us to do has been created beforehand (ordained) for us.  What you may find yourself going through is part of the work that God created you for. Amazingly, He does not leave it up to you to accomplish it in your own strength, but it is His strength working in you to accomplish what He has set you out to do (Ps. 37:39).  You can get up because He not only calls you to, but enables you to. 
Secondly, is the importance of our perspective.  The Elect are promised by Christ to suffer.  Life and our work is going to be hard, and depression and anxiety and fear may come.  One of the most powerful and deceptive aspects of depression and anxiety is the all encompassing universality that can be felt in the midst of it.  It is not abnormal to experience despair, many great men and women of faith have found themselves in "the dark night of the soul."  This is why our response is so important, and that as part of our response we cry out to God that we may feel the anchor of our soul that reaches in behind the veil to our hope...Christ (Heb 6:19).  While I like my Christmas illustration, there is a better and more powerful truth offered to us in Scripture.  While we are redeemed by Christ, and created to walk in the ordained works God has given to us, an eternal day of rest is coming.  That is what I am truly longing for when Christmas has come and gone, that is what Sundays point us to as we worship and fellowship and eat fried chicken, that is what will get you out of bed and back to work, when the world comes crashing down. 
We are going through "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan in Sunday school.  The first chapter addresses the intimacy and awesomeness of God that we can experience specifically through prayer, when we consider the Almighty God we are about to approach.  We were asked to give testimonies of times we have experienced this in our prayer life.  Almost unanimously, the testimony involved prayer during an intense time of suffering, anxiety, and depression.  Just like David in Psalm 73, when we take our perspective off of our circumstances and turn to meditate on our Almighty God, our troubles are overwhelmed and we too can declare "When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.  Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand.  With Your counsel you will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but You?  And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."