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Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12
It seems like it is getting harder and harder to really take a stand for Jesus. There are so many voices in society that tell us that the Bible isn’t relevant or that there are lots of ways to get to heaven. Truth, along with right and wrong, have become subject to one’s own interpretation. What’s right for you may not be right for me.
The voices of tolerance tell us that we need to be sensitive to those who have different beliefs because ‘we are all God’s children and he reaches out to us in many ways. To preach one way is right and one way is wrong is simply spreading hate.
We shouldn’t be surprised at the attacks leveled at our faith in Jesus. These attacks have been going on since Jesus walked on earth and they will continue until He comes again to take those of us who are His follower’s home.
When Paul wrote to Timothy is was as a loving father or teacher would write to a much loved son or student. He knew his time was short. He also knew that as Timothy grew older and more experienced in ministry he would encounter more and more resistance to the message of love and forgiveness through Jesus.
He tells Timothy that he must ‘Fight the good fight of faith’. The actual wording for this admonition in the original languages is to “Agonize the good agony.” In other words, the Christian life will be full of agony! For some of us this agony is an internal struggle. We may look squeaky clean and spiritual on the outside. We do all the right things, go to church, sing the songs and say the right words. But inside we struggle with addictions, fear, worry or thoughts we know are not pleasing to God. We can hide our struggles from others by ‘doing all the right things’ even though we still lose the inner battles of our hearts.
For others of us, following Christ can be an external struggle. Maybe you smoke and want to quit but can’t. Maybe it’s an addiction to chemicals. Maybe it’s anger and rage. It could be overeating. There is a whole list of things that we struggle with that are evident because try as we might, we can’t hide them.
Paul says to fight! Don’t give up. Know that God understands your weakness. He knows your heart and that you are trying to follow Him. He is more than willing to come along side you and help you have the strength to endure the battle. He doesn’t want you to give up on yourself. He can’t help you if you give up on Him.
Don’t give up on yourself. Don’t give up on God. Jesus is THE way to truth and to life. He alone can help you with whatever fight is ahead of you.
PRAYER: Holy God, you know the battle the rages in my life right now. I struggle with some things that I’m able to hide (so far) from others. I struggle with other things that are very evident to everyone I meet. Some days I don’t like me and I doubt you. I feel the battle is too much for me. Please help me to remember that you are by my side and understand my weakness. Help me to fight the good fight with you by my side. Empower me with your Holy Spirit to live free from the things that try to hinder me. Amen.
David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:6
Imagine what it would be like to come home to find your home nothing more than a pile of smoldering rubble. Upon questioning neighbors you learn that your family has been kidnapped as well! In those few short moments you have lost everything that was once near and dear to you. Then, as though part of a horrible nightmare, people around you accuse you of being at fault for all of this tragedy!
This was the situation that King David faced in 1 Samuel 30:6. This was a time in David’s career when he was very popular among the people. He was just returning with his men from helping a neighboring King fight a battle. As the warriors came over the final hill they saw what was left of their city. It was nothing more than a pile of smoldering rubble.
The good news, if you can call it that, is that no one was killed. But where were the wives, the sons, the daughters? How many enemies had taken them? Then there was the sheer fatigue and anguish. The Bible says that the men cried until they could cry no more. In the midst of their anguish the men started to murmur against their leader. IF he hadn’t taken all of them off to battle this wouldn’t have happened. IF he’d left some men behind to guard the city they’d be sitting down to supper with their little boys and girls and getting a good night sleep in their own beds with the women they loved.
Their murmuring grew into threats and David soon heard that they were about to stone him! It’s hard to imagine what made David feel worse. Was it the fact that his own two wives were among the missing? Was it the fact that his own life was still in danger from Saul? Was it seeing these men, whom he loved in such anguish? Was it the ruins of his city? Perhaps it was the fact that these men, whom he loved dearly and whom he’d done so much for had now turned on him. All his training and protection and provision for them didn’t matter. In this time of crisis they turned their backs on the one that had done so much for them.
There are times in each of our lives when we may feel like David. We pour ourselves into the lives of others. We try to help them through times of need and struggle. It could be a friend, a child, a parent, or even a total stranger. But then something goes wrong and all of the sudden we are the ones to be blamed.
In the midst of his personal despair, at a time when he’d lost everything of physical value and now his closest friends had turned against him, David did what each of us must do when we are attacked. David turned to God. He got alone in a quiet place and asked God what he should do. He didn’t lash out at his attackers. He didn’t defend himself. He didn’t try to place the blame on God, the men themselves, or even the enemy. He met with God and formulated a plan to rescue the women, children and material possessions that had been taken.
When things go horribly wrong in your life, follow David’s example. First of all, don’t give up. Don’t let yourself get sucked into the ‘poor little old me’ mindset. Then, like David, pick yourself up and go to the one that will never leave you, never forsake you and always be a loyal, trusted friend. God allows adversity and tragedy in our lives in order to teach us to trust him and not men. He alone can bring you through whatever you are facing today. You may be betrayed by your closest friends, but God will never ever forsake you.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you for the story of David. Thank you for the reminder that when those I thought were my closest allies fail me; I can always turn to you. Show me how I can trust you to resolve conflicts. Give me strength to pick myself up and move on. Empower me with your Holy Spirit to trust you in all things. Amen.
I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Psalm 34:1
I received a phone call one day from the wife of a friend of mine. ‘Jerry’ had gone into the hospital the day before for tests. He was already considered disabled as a result of an illness that kept him from working. He’d lost his job, was forced to sell all of his ‘toys’ and now his wife was back in the workplace. The doctor’s report wasn’t good. It was determined that the disease had progressed to the point where he wouldn’t be able to take care of the kids while his wife was at work.
After talking with Jerry’s wife for a bit I decided to make the trip down to the hospital. On the way down I was praying for Jerry and his family, wondering what it would be like to have lost everything, thinking of how lucky I was to not be in his position. I also prayed for wisdom to be able to say the right things to lift my dear friend’s spirits during this most trying of times.
The walk down the hallway to his room was excruciating. I looked inside and saw him still connected to all sorts of tubes and wires and my heart sank. “Lord, help me know what to say,” I whispered under my breath as I entered the room.
Everything changed once Jerry I entered that hospital room…everything in my attitude that is. We sat and talked for nearly 45 minutes. During that time Jerry did most of the talking. He talked about how fortunate he was to have Jesus in his life. He talked about how wonderful his wife was. He bragged about how well his kids were doing in school. With my help he showed me a verse he’d read the day before and how it had blessed him. There was little said about the doctors, the tubes, the disease or his future. None of that mattered to Jerry. Jesus would take care of that.
I left the room wondering what had just happened! I was supposed to be the one to encourage, yet I was encouraged by the very person who should have been down. I was spoken to in a real way that day. The passage Jerry had shown me was Psalm 34. Psalm 34 was written by someone else who was in dire circumstances: King David.
When David wrote this Psalm he was running for his life from King Saul. He’d taken refuge in enemy territory and acted insane to save his life. He was humiliated, homeless; he’d been betrayed and felt completely alone. Still, in the midst of his despair he was able to praise his God.
The reason David was able to sing praises in his despair is because he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that no matter where he was, no matter what had happened in his life, no matter what lay ahead of him, God was with him to guide, provide and protect.
What struggles are you facing today? Is your past haunting you? Have you been betrayed or rejected? Do you have health, relational or financial concerns? Remember what Jerry and David remembered. In our times of deepest need we need only look to Jesus for comfort and strength. Trusting in Jesus doesn’t take away the pain of life, but it does give us strength and wisdom to move on.
PRAYER: Holy God. I thank You for the promise that you will be with me in every situation. I praise you because you know better than anyone else my pain, sorrow, frustration and fears. I ask that you would strengthen me to move on in life. Help me to put life in perspective so that I can be an encouragement to others regardless of my own circumstances. Amen.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16
Some people think of confession and would rather have their toe nails pulled out with no pain killers or have surgery with a dull butter knife! The very word ‘confession’ conjures up visions of sitting in a dark room talking to a voice behind the wall or having all your secret thoughts, feelings and actions put up on the big screen for everyone to see. Following the confession you are led out and stoned by those around you.
The picture most of us have of confession is painful at best and terrifying at it’s worst. One of the reasons confession is hard is because confession is often seen as an attack on who we are as a person. If I have hatred in my heart I’m a bad person. If I have thoughts of lust I’m a bad person. If I get angry or struggle with an addiction or am hopelessly in debt I’m bad. I’m a failure and I’ll never amount to anything
Sad to say, the church (note the small ‘c’) has had a part in the negative press confession gets. Confession is really just agreeing with God (and other close friends) that we have faults, failures and struggles in our lives. Confession is not a statement of our worthiness. As Christ-followers our self-worth is wrapped up on the arms of Jesus. We will still struggle with sin. We will still fail. We will still make poor, even stupid decisions. We only need to take a look at some of the greatest Bible heroes like David, Paul, Peter, Abraham, Moses and a whole list of others who have made terrible mistakes either unintentionally or through rebellion.
James tells us that in order to be healthy spiritually, emotionally and even physically we need to live a lifestyle of confession. Prayer, confession and repentance are the three actions that lead to the forgiveness of sins committed by church members.
Earlier I referred to the church with a small ‘c’. The true Church, the body of Christ, operates in a way that makes confession personal and effective. It’s not a liturgical event, nor does it even need to be public. It should be an act of cleansing that says “I know I’m okay. I’m a child of God. But I have issues. I’ve failed and I need to make things right with God and others that I’ve hurt.’
Confession isn’t a trial. It’s to be done with close brothers and sisters in Christ. It doesn’t need to be in front of a pastor or priest or congregation. It’s an agreement with you and someone you trust to open yourself to the healing power of prayer. Some have even experienced physical healing by living a life of confession.
PRAYER: Father God. I thank you for Jesus and His love, forgiveness and understanding. I confess to you that the faults of my past and the mistakes I’ve made haunt me like ghosts. I’ve been abused by those in your church that claim to be helping but have ended up being judgmental and making my life miserable. I claim the freedom I have in you. Show me the areas of my life that need healing. Empower me to find trusted friends who will openly and honestly accept me with all my faults and pray with and for me. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 