What Message are we Sending?

Lately, I was sent an email saying it was a secret clip having to do with the Obama administration that had something to do with his stance regarding the Middle East.  I deliberately did not go to the link connected to this email right away; rather I waited.  For one thing, I have received so many bogus emails and forwards that after checking out snopes, I have learned not to trust such sensational-driven emails.  And in addition, they do absolutely nothing to add to my life.  In fact, what is detrimental is that they tend to stir fear rather than inspire faith.  I did finally check the link, and also other sources, and I discovered it was bogus.

 For individuals who promote such here-say and fear-mongering emails and forwards, I would caution them to first of all, check their sources to see if there is any validity to the message they are sending.  Secondly, if it is a valid piece of news, I'd strongly encourage them to pray about the situation before ever sending off such an email.  If the situation is true, then they should always pray for the individual/s involved. Then pray and ask God if sending the email/forward is part of His perfect will for their lives, and for the people receiving such emails/forwards.  I wonder if a person took these necessary steps, if such emails/forwards will be reduced or stopped altogether? 

We are to trust God for everything. We are not to look to man.  We are to trust that God is in control, and we are to worship Him and glorify Him. We are not to glorify ourselves, or abuse any form of media by sharing the negative news we hear.  By spreading it around, we are giving glory to the devil.  We are told to pray for all those in authority – not slander them, or spread vicious or fearful news about them. This includes bosses, companies, government heads, ministers/ministries, pastors, priests, teachers, well-known people, dignitaries, and so on.  What does Scripture say? 

1Ti 2:1    I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;1Ti 2:2    For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 

If a person is in a position of authority, wouldn't they covet all the prayer cover they could get?  Would criticism and spreading rumors about them benefit them or anyone under their authority? 

If someone has committed a crime, then that is a different story.  We leave that up to the police force and the army and the judicial system. Still, when someone has fallen, or done something contrary to God's Word, the first thing we must do is pray for them, and if necessary lovingly confront them, and if God so leads, we will encourage them to repent. 

Sending negative messages about people can and does create a stir when it comes to trusting people in general.  The media do it when it comes to politicians, for example (like the email that was sent to me).  It can also happen on a personal level, and you can end up not trusting anyone.  I had this happen to me, and it created a feeling of anxiety when it came to trusting people.  I didn't know if they would do what they said they would.  It seemed that some people would want something from me, but when I needed something from them, they wouldn’t comply, or they would come up with excuses.  What I really failed to see was faithfulness, and I began to doubt if some people were true to their word.  I felt at times that I had been duped, betrayed, told off, taken advantage of, treated poorly when I needed help, or even ignored altogether even when I was talking directly to someone.  Even though people had blessed my life, I felt that what I had sacrificially given to them was not really appreciated, so it was not reciprocal.  In fact, at one point, I didn't realize that I so much mistrusted people, that I was choosing to spend more time alone than I was with other people.  Instead of feeling blessed being with others, I just felt a lot anxiety.   I felt very much what the Psalmist David said: 

Psa 27:13    I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 

So somehow, through these negative experiences with certain people, I started to lose faith in God too.  I couldn't understand how He could allow some people to come into my life who would cause me so much trouble and pain.  I was sure I hadn't imagined it either, and I wasn't looking for trouble in relationships.  Then one day it crossed my mind how cynical I had become, and a verse came to mind: 

Pro 29:25    The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. 

Then another verse came to mind: 

Jer 17:5    Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 

Look at the result of trusting in man! 

Jer 17:6    For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 

The Lord showed me that I had actually cursed myself because instead of looking to God, the giver of all good things, I had been looking to people!  So it is no wonder I had become so cynical.  I had failed to see that the goodness of God works through people, and that in each case, it is a very individual thing.  It all depends on how I LOOK AT THINGS, whether I am trusting God to meet my needs, or trusting someone else, or even something else!  Look at the next two verses: 

Jer 17:7    Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.Jer 17:8    For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 

It suddenly dawned on me that I must begin to look for the goodness of the Lord everywhere I go rather than look to man, and to look for it in spite of the failings of people.  People will fail us at one time or another, but Jesus never will.  I began to see that everything that is good is from God. It says it in Scripture: 

Jas 1:17    Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

So when it comes to spreading gossip and putting people into a negative light, it really only contributes to creating a dark cloud of mistrust towards other people.  And this affects our faith in God as well.  One of the reasons it is so important to pray for others is that we will start to see God working, and this will INCREASE OUR OWN FAITH.  Prayer is to see God at work.  If God shows us something is wrong with someone, what is the first thing we should do?  Is it to criticize and point a finger?  Or is it to pray, really pray with the heart, and have compassion on a fellow human being who is also struggling?  In my case, I had to really humble myself and start praying for the people who had caused me trouble and pain.  I also had to forgive them, and move on. 

Also, rather than spread the negative news, Scripture tells us to do just the opposite! 

Psa 45:1   My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. 

Isa 52:7    How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 

Gal 4:18  But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. 

Eph 4:29    Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 

And finally, if we are a Bible-believing Christian, we must not forget our first priority. 

Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 

What are we preaching? What is the message we are sending, texting, emailing and forwarding?  Does it point to Jesus and His Gospel, and does it stir in us faith and draw us closer to God?  Or is it just some fake rumor designed to stir up fear?  Let's be very careful to overcome what is evil with what is good, and before we press "send," ask God if this news passes His test of exhortation, stirring up faith in Him, and drawing us and our readers closer to Jesus. 

 

 

 

Identity Crisis

Recently I read a blog by a popular blogger and he was talking about the problems of his generation, the millennials (ages 18-34).  Mainly, he was saying that there are millions of them still living at home, and seem to be not moving forward with their own lives.  Then he discussed several things they need to do to get moving, and actively pursuing their life careers and so on.  It was good advice, I thought, and yet something was missing.  I read the many comments following the post, and mainly people liked the blog, and then proceeded to share how they had to work hard for whatever they got, and they were not allowed to sit comfortable at home, and then expect life to hand them whatever they need -- they had to work hard for it whether they liked it or not.  I even added my own well-thought out comment.  I wrote what I thought was that "something missing" in the blog (although I never actually said in the comment that there was something missing).  After I sent my comment, I kept checking, but it was NOT accepted for publication, and this is one of the very few times my comments have NOT been posted.  So I would like to share the insights I had after reading this particular blog.  Please note that I did not quote any Scripture in my comment, but I will be doing so here.

 For one thing, I said that I thought when we start slotting people into generational categories, such as busters, boomers, millennials, etc., we are really putting a limit on people.  If people don't know who they are, and they are already having an identity crisis, and they read that they belong to a certain group with certain characteristics, they will most likely only reach the standards set out for them; usually they will go no further.  I know this from teaching.  Most students will rarely reach beyond the standard I set for them, unless there is a great personal reward for them (like winning a scholarship for bigger and better things, for instance).  I shared that when I became a Christian, all things became new for me. 

 2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 Gal 6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

 Isn't it interesting that after we receive Jesus, if we are not following His ways, we can so easily slip into the world's way of thinking?  No one really knows who they are until someone suggests something.  The beautiful thing about belonging to Jesus is that He defines who we are, and He gives us purpose and direction as well, which is something sadly lacking in so many young people's lives (as was mentioned in the blog).

 As a new creation in Christ Jesus, I no longer live by the ways of the world or my own self-centered ideas (and when I do I miserably fail).  I now live by faith in the Son of God.  I shared that my life is now driven by obedience to the Word, and a joyful willingness to serve The Lord.  I shared how I had always wanted to be a writer, and I received both college and university education to hone my skills (by paying for it myself and working full time).  Yet, I had to work as an office worker for most of my life even though I never really enjoyed that type of work.  During that time, God was teaching me patience, endurance, and to trust in Him.  I shared that God finally opened the door for me to write full-time, which is what I do now.

 Commenters talked a lot about how they had to work hard to survive, and some were seeming to wear their hard-earned accomplishments as personal badges of honor.  In my case, even though I had to work hard in college and to get two university degrees later on, God was truly directing my paths and giving me strength to work at the same time (for my college and first degree).  I am always so thankful that He provided me with a good government job that paid well.  When I finally got married, and was able to write-full time, I could never take personal credit for the way this came about.  It was a complete miracle. God literally put my husband and me together because we couldn't get past a friendship we had enjoyed for several years.  My husband wasn't even a Christian, and he had tried on his own for years to be a "good" person, but God had a perfect timing, and I could not marry him until he had become born-again as outlined in Scripture.  And as for my writing, God had laid it on my husband's heart so strongly that he was supposed to support me in my writing, and this was before we were in love and married, and before he was even a Christian!  Talk about a miracle of God!  So once we were married, I quit my office job, and began to write full time.  It hasn't always been easy either, but we both know in our heart that we are doing what God has called us each to do!  So you see, it isn't hard to find direction when you are a child of God, blood bought by Jesus, and He calls you His own.  It doesn't matter what age we are either; God has a plan for every one of us and He knows us, and HE knows the way in which we should go, even if we don't know.

Luk 12:7    But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

 Jer 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

 I ended my comment that, in reality, we all have to give an account of our life to God, and we have to do this regardless of our age, which generation we are from, and so on.  One day God will ask us what we did with our gifts, talents, resources, opportunities, and time, etc.  I was thinking of the following Scriptures:

 Rom 14:11    For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. Rom 14:12    So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

 So whatever age you are, and whether you are struggling through life having difficulty knowing which way to go, or knowing who you are in the great scheme of things, or perhaps you afraid to leave the comforts of your current situation, take courage and know that if you are a child of God, there is literally a purpose for everything that happens to you.  Ask God for help and direction, and He will lead you in the way that you should go.  And if you are reading this and you don't know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, then please go to this link on my web page, The Way of Salvation, to find out just how simple it is for you too to become a "new creation in Christ."  It's the most important thing you will ever agree to, and you will be so glad you did.