Do not worry

This week I feel thankful for God's care. I have recently been thinking about this a lot. It is amazing that the God of the universe cares about our tiny worries and gives us the answers to them. God's care is one of the basic facts of the Christian faith, and yet often I fail to grasp the wonder and reality of it.

Matthew 12 was one of the passages in my Bible reading plan recently. I was blessed as I read these familiar verses. God tells us that we should not worry about anything, because God cares even for the lilies and the birds and he will also provide for us.

25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

God cares about our anxious minds, and he gives us the answer to them. Trust me, he reminds us! God has commanded us not to allow the heaviness of cares to oppress us, because he carries our cares for us. The burdens he gives us are light. If we are carrying heavy burdens they are not from him. They are usually a result of our sinful lack of trut in him.

Trusting in God and forsaking anxiety is part of being humble. C.J. Mahaney points out in Humility: True Greatness that in 1 Peter 5:6-7, God first tells us to be humble and then teaches us how: "casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." C.J. argues that if we are truly humble we will be "genuinely care free" even in the midst of our responsibilities.

"Where there's worry, where there's anxiousness, pride is at the root of it. When I am experiencing anxiety, the root issue is that I'm trying to be self-sufficient."

I am deeply grateful to serve a God who cares. He cares to address the damage to our lives that worry brings. I am happy that he teaches us that while worry is both useless and sinful, there is something effective we can do instead. We can pray. The Bible repeats many times that God loves to answer prayer. When I worry instead of praying, I am expressing distrust in God through my actions. It is a blessing to be reminded through God's word that I can trust him.

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Practising thankfulness

This post was written to be included in Lydia's Thursdays of Thankfulness.

Today I have exciting events to be thankful for! Yesterday my twin nephews Jeriah and Caleb were born. My two most pressing questions have been answered. I now know the answer to "is there two boys, two girls, or a boy and a girl": two boys! I also know their names, which I have been anticipating a lot. I know that these names will be precious to me for the rest of my life, as I enjoy my nephews and pray for them in the years ahead.

Some of our prayers were answered with regard to the birth, as Janelle did not have to be induced or have a caesarean. We expected the twins to be born on Tuesday, as Janelle was due to be induced that day, but the hospital was too busy and she could not go until Wednesday. Then she did not need an induction done, because after the doctor broke the waters she went into labour. It is wonderful that she was able to have as natural a birth as possible. The twins are very healthy, and I look forward to meeting them tonight or tomorrow.

On the theme of thankfulness, I also want to share from C.J. Mahaney's book Humility: True Greatness. This book has been a great blessing to me this year. I am now reading it for the third time. Like most people, I learn the lessons of humility slowly and I need frequent reminders.

C.J. Mahaney recommends several practices that he believes can assist us in our quest to be humble. One of these is gratefulness. I enjoyed this quote that he used to illustrate the benefits of thankfulness:

"Thankfulness is a soil on which pride does not easily grow." Michael Ramsey.

C.J. emphasises that it is not only right and beneficial to be grateful, it is also wrong not to be grateful. "An ungrateful person is a proud person. If I'm ungrateful, I'm arrogant. And if I'm arrogant, I need to remember God doesn't sympathize with me in that arrogance; He is opposed to the proud."

C.J. recommends that we begin each day expressing gratefulness to God. He says, "I want to greet my Saviour with gratitude, not grumbling."

I was also inspired at this quote C.J. used about Matthew Henry: "he was an alert and thankful observer of answered prayer." This was always "sweetening his spirit, and he would often invite others to join him in giving thanks."

I would love to be a person who exibits this kind of sweet, thankful attitude toward God. As C.J. says, each day we can observe "countless indications of His provision, His presence, His kindness, His grace?" Complaining characterises my attitude more often than thankfulness does, and I often ask God to change this and to help me to be more thankful.

C.J. points out the central reason why we should be grateful: "whatever grace we receive from God is so much more than we're worthy of, and indescribably better than the hell we all deserve."

Recently I was reading Luke 6:35, and I was deeply touched that we serve a Most High God who is "kind to the unthankful and evil". I am included in that category, as I am often unthankful and my human nature is evil. Yet in the midst of this I can rely upon the kindness of God, and trust that he is transforming me into a person who praises him in every circumstance.

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Humility

"Little do my enemies think what service they do me.
If they did, one would think, out of spite
they would desist from opposing me."
George Whitefield

In his book Forgotten Founding Father: The Heroic Legacy of George Whitefield, Stephen Mansfield documented many of the great evangelist's character traits. He wrote that "George Whitefield was the most famous man of his day . . . and among the most hated. In a crude and spiteful age, the barrage against him was particularly venomous. He was accused of all the usual misdeeds with money, women and fame. But there was so much more. The strange squinting of the eyes that childhood measles left him caused the hostile press to call him "Dr Squintum." There was even a play by that name, written to expose him to a jeering public. If he gained weight, he was a glutton. If he bought property for an orphanage, he was selfishly building an estate for himself." Attacks came from Christians as well as opponents of the gospel. Mansfield wrote that "For some believers, a man cannot simply be wrong about a few things; he must be evil, possibly even controlled by a spirit."

The criticism was extraordinary, but so was Whitefield's response. He "had acquired that condition of soul for which critism becomes an ennobling force. He had learned that criticism is like pain in the human body, giving needed information for a healthy change. One can receive it as a blow and angrily nurse the wound. Or, one can regard the words as an eagle does a gust of wind - as a force upon which to fly still higher." Whitefield wrote to one critic: "I thank you heartily. May God reward you for watching over my soul; and as to what my enemies say against me, I know worse things of myself than they can say concerning me!" Due to this attitude, the criticsm Whitefield received served him. He did not become crushed or bitter. He courageously faced his faults.

I was inspired to post these facts about Whitefield's life after reading Kimi Harris' post Avoiding the way of a fool: inviting correction. Kimi wrote: "I need to recognize that others are going to see sinful tendencies that I am unaware of. If I want to grow in grace, God will use those around to help me, if I encourage and cultivate feedback from them. It is only pride that makes me feel that I can see all of my sin and defeat it without the help of others." This is a challenge to me, and to most Christians. I cringe from hearing others address my faults. I need to keep asking God to help me to be open to receiving correction.

I was also impressed with what Kimi said about a church she visited: "they have created a culture of speaking into each other’s lives. They thank each other for every service rendered, and they speak up when they notice something amiss in each other. Their church culture made correction and feedback more of a daily occurrence, like it should be. This also seemed to help with the tendency to overact to another’s input." This is the opposite of many churches, where to question the church leaders is seen as a terrible thing to do. I was once a part of a pro-life organisation where questioning the leader (a Catholic priest) was seen as highly offensive. Questioning anything the organisation did, or advocating new activities, was seen as an attack on him. The lack of freedom to question and explore options was stifling the effectiveness of the organisation. Christians should never disrespect their leaders. However, as Mansfield notes in relation to Whitefield's attitude to marriage, those who seek to honour leaders do them no disservice by acknowledging their mistakes.

To avoid the stifling effects of avoiding correction, the best we can do is to follow Whitefield's example of humility. He often prayed for humility, and God answered his prayers. When he was on a dangerous sea voyage, the ship seemed about to sink. Some aboard questioned "What Jonah have we here on board?" A voice rang out saying "I am he". All turned toward the voice and saw George Whitefield, the preacher who had led thousands into God's Kingdom. Mansfield wrote that this "was no act . . . The reality is that Goerge Whitefield truly saw himself as small in his own eyes and this is perhaps the best explanation for the astonishing spiritual power that distinguished his life." Such an accurate perpective on ourselves can lead to humility before others, a desire to receive from what God is showing others, and even an ability to accept their correction with courage and thankfulness.


All quotes on Whitefield are taken from Mansfield's book, pages 143 - 145, 191 - 193, and 212. Forgotten Founding Father: The Heroic Legacy of George Whitefield is published by Highland Books as part of the Leaders in Action series.

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Remember the Gospel

For many people now, Easter is more about eggs and bunnies than about Jesus, the cross, and the ressurection. While most people know Easter has something to do with Jesus, most in Australia do not know the gospel message. As Christians, we need to be able to explain the gospel. Sadly, some Christians are more sure about their convictions in other areas than they are about explaining the gospel. Some are more sure about their views on dating or courtship than on whether or not it is essential to believe salvation is only "by grace, through faith" (Eph. 2:8). Others feel better able to explain their denominational or group distinctives than the gospel.

This lack of ability to explain the gospel is understandable, since Christians are often relating to other Christians. They end up assuming the gospel in these relationships, while other issues which are different between them are discussed and debated. While it is understandable, it is also dangerous. When I was first converted and baptized, I hardly undestood the cross. I knew God loved me, and that I wanted to follow him, but key gospel doctrines were hazy. Thankfully, God has blessed me with a godly mother who can exlain these truths. As well, over the years I have been blessed to attend a university ministry and a church where the gospel is emphasized. C. J. Mahaney has written a good post on the gospel. His daughter Nicole Whitacre has written about how the result of focusing on the gospel is A Happy Soul. Susan Garrison has posted a beautiful William Cowper hymn, There is a Fountain, which is a wonderful choice for Easter!

The gospel and the Bible do apply to all of life, as I wrote in Apply the Bible, and there is nothing wrong with studying and forming convictions on all kinds of issues. Too often, Christians dismiss thinking about how scripture applies, or good works they could do, because those things are "not the gospel". However, we must never loose sight of what is most important. C. J. Mahaney quotes J. C. Ryle on this: "You may spoil the gospel by disproportion. You have only to attach an exaggerated importance to the secondary things of Christianity, and a diminished importance to the first things, and the mischief is done."

A gospel focused life should result in humility. Some Christians who study the Bible and come to opinions about a wide variety of matters also become prideful toward others, and look down upon those who do not think the same way. They withdraw themselves from fellowship and cannot tolerate those who hold different views. However, if we keep our focus on Jesus and what God has sovereignly done for us this should never happen. If we do understand aspects of Scripture better than some of our brothers and sisters, this is only due to the grace of God. How twisted it is to feel superior for something that is a gift, and could never have come from ourselves. Kimi Harris has written a great post on humility, and looking for the signs of what God is doing in other believers. This Easter, and every day, think of what we would all be without God's grace. Then rejoice in him, and all that he has done.

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