Are We Too Busy for The Spiritual Disciplines?

It is a common excuse - I've used it myself many times: "I'm just too busy right now to spend time reading the Bible, meditating on the Bible, or praying." While we are busy, and some weeks are busier than others, we know that excuse is weak. 

We know it is an excuse because people eventually make time for what they see as a priority. You might be busy for a season while rearranging priorities, but, eventually, you make time for what you see as a priority. Eating might not be at the top of the list today, but it will be soon . . . because you can't live without food. We know this, so we know that our excuses about a lack of time are mostly empty. 

I say "mostly" because we do encounter times of greater busyness, and faithfulness to God might require less time devoted to the Word or prayer for a brief period of time. However, if we really see God's Word as spiritual food and prayer as access to our Heavenly Father's ear, then we will find a way to engage in the spiritual disciplines in some capacity and begin making adjustments to allow for more time for them soon. 

So, if busyness is a real problem, but it's not a good excuse, where can I trim time so that I can add time for the spiritual disciplines? Here is a paraphrased quote from William Bridge that points us in the right direction.

"Oh," you say, "I would spend time thinking about God with all my heart, but that is a work that takes time, it will cost time, and I have no time; my hands are so full of business . . . I have no time for this work." If that is you, mark what [the psalmist] says in Psalm 119, "Lord incline my heart unto Thy testimonies," how so? "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity." The way to have one's heart inclined to the testimonies of God, is to turn away one's eyes from vanities.1 

"Vanities" refers to empty things or things that are short-lived. So sinful wastes of time would be the first place to cut in order to free up time for meditating. But, what if that doesn't free up enough time? Then, you might also look to other things that are not wrong in and of themselves, but that are short-lived pleasures and escapes. Television, social media, and other media would be a good place to start. But maybe you have done that, and you are still "too busy." If that is you, I suggest talking to a mature Christian brother or sister who can help you evaluate things. This is a great way to have others build you up in the faith. Don't be too busy for that. 

1 Found in Don Whitney's book  Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (page 61-62). I paraphrased it into modern English.

Materialism Can't Plausibly Explain The Existence Rational Thought

Materialism, the worldview that claims that only material things exist [i.e., atoms and the physical things they compose], is common in our Western culture. However, we should be ready to point out that it does not offer as plausible an explanation for human consciousness and rational thought as the Christian worldview. 

Below are two quotes from CS Lewis from a book entitled  C. S. Lewis and the Christian Worldview by Michael Petereson:

If minds are wholly dependent on brains and brains on biochemistry, and biochemistry (in the long run) on the meaningless flux of the atoms, I cannot understand how the thought of those minds should have any more significance than the sound of the wind in the trees. 

Thus, a strict materialism refutes itself for the reason given long ago by Professor Haldane: 'If my mental processes are determined wholly by the motions of atoms in my brain, I have no reason to suppose that my beliefs are true . . . and hence I have no reason for supposing my brain to be composed of atoms" (Possible Worlds, p. 209). . . . [Naturalism] discredits our processes of reasoning or at least reduces their credit to such a humble level that it can no longer support Naturalism itself."

A Helpful Article on the Choices of the 2020 Election by Dr. Mohler

 Albert Mohler wrote a long article on the issues at stake in the upcoming election ("Christians, Conscience, and the Looming 2020 Election"). In the article, Dr. Mohler explains how he went from opposing Donald Trump's 2016 bid to voting for President Trump this year. This is not because he is now "pro-Trump" or is ignoring the significant moral issues in President Trump's life.  The whole article is worth reading, but below are some excerpts: 

I agree that there are many other issues that press on the Christian conscience—questions of economic policy and foreign affairs and energy and the stewardship of the earth. The searing pain of racial injustice and the unraveling of our social fabric demand Christian response and urgency. Christians must be concerned about questions of immigration policy and refugees—and these issues defy the simplifications of the sound-bite and tweet culture.

But human dignity and the sanctity of human life are even more basic truths, and I believe there is no hope for defending human dignity for all if it is denied in the womb. To be intellectually responsible is to recognize the array of issues confronting us, but the same intellectual responsibility demands that we know which questions are prior to others and on which truths the entire superstructure of human dignity and human rights depend.

...

I cannot accept the argument that a calm man who affirms the dismembering of babies in the womb has a superior character to a man who rants like Genghis Khan but acts to preserve that life. In my ideal world, I would vote for a candidate in whom the personal, the principled, and the practical earn my admiration. I do not live in that world. I live in this world, and I must act accordingly.

...

In the protection of liberty, religious liberty is fundamental. President Trump has corrected many of the infringements on religious liberty caused by the policy mandates of previous administrations. He has made religious liberty an American priority at home and abroad.

...

On issues such as the transgender revolution, which will reshape the entire society, Biden went so far in a recent town hall appearance that he said he would support transgender demands all the way to supporting gender transition among 8 and 10 year old children. "There should be zero discrimination," Biden said. 

Dr. Mohler ends his article by acknowledging that some Christians will make different decisions as to what to do with their votes. Each of us is responsible to God for how we steward our vote. What is clear is that each of us must not compromise on the biblical teaching of the sanctity of life, the need to rescue those being led to slaughter, God's design for marriage, religious liberty, and the fact that humans cannot actually make themselves a different sex than they were created to be. We will not all be convinced that this means we should vote for President Trump, but let's not allow these issues which the Bible speaks clearly about to remain separate from our act of voting. 

Why You Shouldn't Vote for Biden

Ramesh Pannuru and Robert P. George published a helpful article at National Review explaining why the issue of abortion is enough to scuttle any desire to vote for Biden (see this video to hear Biden's whole-hearted commitment to abortion being the "law of the land."). 

Below are some quotes from Pannuru and George's piece, but the whole thing is really worth reading (or listening to). 

What the Church teaches is that every member of the human family — irrespective of race, sex, or creed, but also, and equally, irrespective of age, size, stage of development, location, or condition of dependence — is the bearer of inherent and equal dignity and, as such, is entitled to legal protection against violent assault.

For government to permit abortion, the Church teaches, is for government itself to commit an injustice against its victims—denying a disfavored class, the unborn, protection it affords to all others. To be responsible, or partially responsible, for the injustice of the law in exposing unborn children to legally authorized lethal violence is to be complicit in grave injustice.

though abortion and slavery differ in many respects, they are alike in not admitting of the option of the “personally opposed, but . . .” position. The reason to be against slavery — its radical denial of the equal dignity of the victim and thus its grave injustice — is the reason for prohibiting it. It is precisely the same with abortion.

while citizens have other responsibilities, too, the injustice of abortion has a gravity that means it must be weighed more heavily than ordinary political issues, even important ones

Biden has expressly pledged to deny appointment to the Court for anyone who does not support what amounts to an unlimited right to abortion.

If one acknowledges the gravity, scale, and scope of the injustice of abortion, and of a legal regime that denies to an entire class of human beings the most basic of human rights, thus exposing them to lethal violence, then it is hard to imagine what proportionate reasons there could be for joining one’s will to the desire of a supporter of it

They do not argue that a Christian (or person concerned with ethics) must vote for Trump. That is more of a prudential issue.  

You might also find this article from John Piper on why we are all "one issue" voters helpful (written 25 years ago).

Facing Fear Biblically Part 2- Trusting God’s Faithful Care

Click here to see the last post in this series, “Facing Fear Biblically Part 1 – Our best life isn’t now”

Click here to see the post prior to that: “Returning to Church During COVID – Understanding Fear”

While walking with my boys yesterday, I heard the birds singing in a grand chorus. Their unrehearsed song testified to the caring provision of God. Though I could not listen to their testimony undisturbed (my four boys were with me, and rarely did a second go by in which no one was talking), I couldn’t help but remember God’s faithful care. This is exactly what Jesus wants us to reflect on when we listen to the birds, but we must have ears to hear it.

My goal in this post is to help us develop such ears – the ears of faith. I want to encourage us to trust God because he cares for us. We need to see God’s loving and sovereign care and deal with our own weak faith if we would face fear biblically. To help us with this, I’ll look at the principles found in Matthew 6:19-34.

In verse 25, Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life.” He tells them not to be anxious about things that are central to sustaining their lives – food, drink, and clothing. We might think that isn’t a big deal because the grocery store is usually stocked (except for toilet paper and handsanitizer). But we must recognize we are dependent when it comes to our basic needs too. Furthermore, the principle applies to our modern concerns like the Corona Virus. “Do not be anxious about your life, how you will avoid getting sick.”

God’s Sovereign Love and Wisdom

We trust a person because of his or her character and our knowledge of that character. If my neighbor is a thief, I won’t trust him in my house. If the person I pass in a grocery store aisle is honest, but I don’t know her, I won’t ask her to house sit for me. A person’s character and our knowledge of that person is the foundation for trust.

God is trustworthy because of who he is. Is he in control of all that we face? Does he love us as his children? Is he wise, not wasting one ounce of suffering in training us? The answer is yes to all! Therefore, when we find ourselves anxious, we must refocus our attention on the reality of who God is. We must set ourselves to the task of knowing who he is. Jesus provides two object lessons about God’s faithful and sovereign care to help us do just that.

God Feeds the Birds

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (v. 26).

We have a bird feeder, and there are bird traffic jams when it is full of seed. When it is empty (due to a pesky squirrel), we don’t see as many birds swing by the fly-thru. But, I still hear the birds chirping in the trees. God continues to provide for them, and compared to a person, made in his image, a bird is not valuable. If God shows such care to the insignificant bird, how much more will he show care towards you? If God sovereignly provides for birds (they don’t even plan ahead much), won’t he provide for you?

God Clothes the Lilies

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you (vv. 28-30).

When you look at a field of wildflowers, you are seeing God’s kindness. He didn’t have to make creation beautiful (seeds could have been designed to come by other means). Yet, he clothes the grass with beautiful lilies – which are more wonderful than a garment fit for a king. Furthermore, this elaborate goodness pops up in fields where lawnmowers will run the next day. If God has that attention to detail regarding short-lived flowers, surely he controls the details of your life and will cloth you with what you need.  

Jesus’s point is not that we don’t have real physical needs or that we won’t experience hardship or death. He says that our Father knows we need food and drink and breath (v. 32). The point is that God is sovereign, good, and wise. Therefore, he is trustworthy.

Why We Are Anxious: Little Faith

Our problem is that we have “little faith” (v. 30). We get so focused on situations that we forget who God is and that he cares for us. One cause of this is a failure to think rightly about who God is (hopefully the above section helps with that).  But another reason exists – our misplaced priorities. Jesus’s command to not be anxious is based on him calling us to value God above all else.

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious (vv. 24-25 italics added).

Money is a major contender for our attention because of what it can provide – comfort, protection, and enjoyment. Money isn’t a bad thing, but it isn’t our ultimate priority. God does not share the throne with money or any other good gift that he gives.

This is true even of our physical lives. “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (v. 25b). Food and clothing are essentials in life, but our life is about more than even that. It is about knowing God.

If we lose sight of that priority, we will have a lot to be anxious about because everything else will eventually fade. Money can disappear in a stock market crash, and the illusion of health can vanish with a diagnosis or car crash. One day, everything except for God will leave us because death removes any hope of continuing in this fallen world forever.

Therefore, if I serve good health or money as if it is my ultimate source of happiness and life, I will not serve God, and I will be anxious. On the other hand, if I value God more than even my own physical life, I can enjoy his gifts and still be content when he chooses not to give me those gifts. To battle anxiety and trust God, we must “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (v. 33).

Growth Assignment

God’s trustworthiness and our increased trust in him result in lives that glorify God and which have less anxiety. However, we are in the habit of forgetting God’s character and valuing (trusting in) other things more than him.

Here are a few things you can do over the next week to cultivate a growing faith in God.

1. Read Matthew 6:19-34 each day for five days and note five things that stand out to you each time. You might also try to think of other passages that reinforce or illustrate the principles you see in Matthew 6.  
2. Go for a walk once a day and look at the birds and plants. Pray to thank God that if he cares for the birds, he will certainly care for you. Such a mindset helps us “not be anxious about tomorrow” (v. 34).
3. Begin a “God’s care for me” list. Write out a couple of things from your past when God showed his care in clear ways (for you or others). Don’t forget the spiritual provision. Sometimes we focus only on physical needs and forget that our greatest needs are spiritual.
4. Write out and think over Matthew 6:27 - “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Try to call that to mind when you are anxious and then direct your mind to God’s care. 

Facing Fear Biblically Part 1 – Our Best Life Isn't Now

In the last post in this series, I mentioned that our goal in facing fear is to honor God. We might not be able to remove the feeling of fear, but we can grow in trusting God and obey him. In these next few posts, I plan to address how we can trust God when we face fear.

Today, we will think about the need to live as a people who know that our best life isn’t now. Rather, we must live in constant hope of our resurrection. Essentially, we must remember where we live in redemptive history.

Remember Where You Live in the Biblical Storyline.

We live in a fallen world – so we should not expect “our best life now.” 

Sin, sickness, and death all remain until the new Heavens and new Earth. So, we should be realistic about our expectations. We don’t live in a time and place free from danger and risk to our physical lives. In fact, your chances of death are 100% (unless the rapture happens first). I know this sounds gloomy, but it is where we live. Even as God’s people, we are not exempt from suffering (read the Psalms, Job, Daniel, Acts). The Bible doesn’t hide the hardships of life in this fallen world, but that’s not all it says.

We also must remember that we live after the first coming of Jesus – when he came to die in our place. 

He died to rescue us from the one truly irreversible calamity, namely the catastrophe of dying in our rebellion against God and facing his just wrath. Jesus died to redeem us from sin and the judgment we deserve, and he rose from the dead to guarantee our resurrection life. Thus, God has demonstrated his love for us by giving his own Son to redeem us (Romans 8:32).

Beyond that, we must remember that we live in anticipation of being resurrected. 

Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we too will be raised to dwell with God in the new Heavens and new Earth forever (Rom. 8:11)! There will be no more sin, sickness, or death (Rev. 21).

Two Results of Remembering Where You Live

Two good fruits blossom in our lives when we remember that we live in a fallen world, after the first coming of Christ, and in the hope of our resurrection. First, we know that God loves us. We have no reason to doubt his love when we face temporal dangers because he has secured our eternal joy and salvation by sending his Son.

Second, it teaches us that all our afflictions, as severe as they can be, are “light and momentary” (2 Cor. 4:17).  That is what Paul said, and he faced beatings, natural disasters, and times of as he served God.  He wasn’t sadistic. He just saw the bigger picture. He knew even hard suffering worked ultimate good for him. After all, if God is for us, who or what can ultimately prevail against us (Rom. 8:31)? Not even death will have the last say in our lives because its sting has been removed by Jesus’s work (1 Cor. 15:55-56).

Live as Those Who Have Resurrection Life

So, the first way to fight against fear is to reflect on our dangers in light of the gospel’s unshakable hope. In other words, we must live as those who believe in a resurrection and who believe that our best life is not in this fallen world.

This doesn’t mean we fail to value life here and now (1 Tim. 4:4). It doesn’t mean we live recklessly (we are not to test the Lord). It just means we factor more into the equation than unbelievers. They focus only on what is seen – physical life and temporal comfort. We consider what is seen but give greater weight to the unseen and eternal. Therefore, we don’t count it as a net loss to obey God even if we might lose our physical comforts, possessions, or life.  

This way of calculating will enable us to make wise investments of our God-given lives. We are stewards of our lives for God’s glory. So, if gathering to worship God is a good investment of our lives (Heb. 10:24-25), then in a time of pestilence or persecution, we will seek to mitigate risk based on the information God allows us to have and move forward in trusting obedience.

Renewing Our Minds and Imaginations

Let me close by giving you a growth assignment to help reinforce this mindset (because it is not natural to you or me). It takes work to renew our minds. It only happens as we saturate our minds with the truth of God’s Word (Rom. 12:1-2). So, here is a suggestion for how to renew your mind in this area:

1. Pick a verse about heaven (Rev. 21), the resurrection (1 Cor. 15), the light and momentary nature of affliction when compared to eternity (2 Cor. 4:16-5:9), or the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Rom. 8).
2. Write out 20 observations and implications of the passage on a sheet of paper (maybe do 5 a day until you get to 20).
3. Daily think over the glorious realities by reviewing a few things from your list of observations. This will help you retrain your imagination to conjure up your hope-filled future rather than all the anxious “what ifs” of short-sighted living.
4. Memorize a verse or two from the passage (write it on a notecard and carry it with you and review it regularly).
5. Pray to thank God for the truths you are seeing. Truth has not fully impacted our soul if we have not given God genuine thanks for it.

Thinking Biblically about Fear and Health During COVID

This is part of a series. To see part one, click here.

People with phobias might see reality more clearly than those who are not afraid of much - if you don’t factor God in the equation. There are many dangers in a fallen world. The theme song from the TV series Monk summarizes it well (he was a detective who saw dangers a bit too clearly):

 It's a jungle out there
Disorder and confusion everywhere
No one seems to care
Well I do
Hey, who's in charge here?
It's a jungle out there
Poison in the very air we breathe
Do you know what's in the water that you drink?
Well I do, and it's amazing
People think I'm crazy, 'cause I worry all the time
If you paid attention, you'd be worried too
You better pay attention
Or this world we love so much might just kill you
I could be wrong now, but I don't think so
'Cause there's a jungle out there
It's a jungle out there

When it comes to the Coronavirus, we have heard a lot of statistics and stories that can make us afraid. Having some level of fear doesn’t make us crazy or worthy of some sort of psychological label.

However, Christians serve the living God and look forward to resurrection life as our ultimate hope. That means something for how we should deal with fear and respond to it. In this post, I want to address how the Bible tells us to think about fear in general. Then I want to tackle one fear we might have – the fear of getting extremely sick or dying from this virus.

The Biblical Picture of Fear

Fear is not inherently wrong. It is the opposite side of the coin as desire. If I fear something, it is because I desire something else (and fear losing it). So, we should fear God (fear his displeasure and desire his smiling face). In a fallen world, I should fear jumping from a 5-story building or being bitten by the rattle snake I am staring at on a trail. God gave us fear to protect us physically and spiritually.

Fear, however, like other God-given emotions, can reveal where our desires have gotten off track. For example, Saul was king of Israel, and he disobeyed God’s direct command “because [he] feared the people” (1 Sam. 15:24). He feared losing the approval of people more than losing God’s approval. This fear revealed a heart that elevated a good thing (wanting the approval of people) to an ultimate thing (“I must have it, even if I have to disobey God”).

So, fear can be useful, but it can also reveal where our hearts have gotten priorities out of order. We need wisdom from God and the help of loving Christian friends to help us sort this out.

Fear and Disease

It is not bad to fear a serious disease as long as it is kept in its proper place. Life is a gift from God, and we should care for our bodies. We should take reasonable precautions (knowing what is reasonable has been challenging with COVID because much was unknown early on).

But, we must also check to see that good health does not become ultimate or idolatrous. Our bodies are a gift, but they are not worthy of our total allegiance and worship. God is. Good health is a good gift from God, but it makes a terrible god. We must steward our health in service to him. However, we must not worship it because all things are from him and through him and to him so that he might be glorified (Rom. 11:36). In other words, our problem comes when our desire for good health gets ordered above our desire to obey God. We should not be controlled by the fear of anything except the Lord.

Should Fear of COVID Keep us from Gathering?

If fear causes us to disobey God, then that is a problem. If fear of persecution made me deny Christ, that would be a sin. If a fear of getting sick (or even dying) caused me to forsake assembling, that would be a sin. Remember, forsaking is not the same as temporarily not gathering[1] or being providentially hindered (like a Christian being in the hospital for a month).

If we might get sick from gathering, we know that our physical life is not ultimate. The world lives as if this life is all they have because it is all they have (kind of like the Monk theme song). We should display our faith in God by being willing to gather. This is not a faith that we won’t get sick. It is a trust in God’s sovereign ordering of our lives, including sickness, health, life, and death.

Conclusion

I realize there are other reasons, besides ungodly fear, which might keep some from being able to resume gathering for worship at this stage. I am not assuming everyone has ungodly fear. But I know that in my heart, there have been seasons of fear, and I assume others might have that experience too.

Our goal isn’t to avoid feeling fear as much as it is to honor God, even when we feel afraid. I often tell my boys when they feel scared that courage isn’t the absence of fear. It is doing what honors God, even when they feel afraid. I need to be reminded of that too.

In the next few posts, I plan to address how to renew our thinking with God’s Word. Specifically, how to fight fearful thoughts.

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[1] I believe temporarily suspending meeting together when the government asks us to can be right. When there is evidence that the lives of many citizens will likely be put at grave risk if any group gathers, we can rightly decide to suspend meeting out of a love for our neighbors and proper submission to the government.  

Desiring and Planning to Return to Church During COVID

For much of history, gathering to worship God with other Christians has been a challenge. There are always things which seem like "good" reasons to avoid gathering to worship. 

Most often, persecution has made it difficult. In the Roman empire, Christianity was not encouraged (to say the least) by the government.  Gathering to worship God could easily bring persecution (see Hebrews 11:35-38) and ostracization from society (John 9:22). The same is true in much of the world today (N. Korea, China, etc.).

Add to that our own sin nature which makes us difficult to get along with. It is hard to gather with fellow sinners (Phil. 4:2, 2:1-5). 

In addition to being sinners, in the modern American context, we also compete against our desire for ease and comfort. Much of life is easy. Much of life is aimed at meeting consumer desires. It is easy to slip into seeing the church as a commodity and to desire convenience. 

Add to these “common” experiences a global pandemic, which gives us a mysterious fear (mysterious because we didn’t know much about how bad it would be and faced conflicting information). Mix in technology which makes it more comfortable and safe to watch a worship service at home.  The result is that it might be hard for many to overcome the inertia of the moment and move towards gathering for Christian worship.

I want to offer some pastoral counsel to those that are finding it hard to envision returning to worship. Over the next few posts, I plan to address a few issues that you might be facing as you seek to honor God in the decisions you must make. In today’s post, it is sufficient to say, “We need to desire to be with God’s people, and we need to plan for it.” 

Why We Need to Desire to be with God's People

Before getting to my reasoning, let me provide a caveat.  There are certainly times where gathering, in God’s providence, is temporarily suspended. For example, in Acts, when persecution broke out, many had to flee. Maybe they couldn’t gather immediately with “the church,” but I am sure they desired it and planned for it. Other examples include a temporary suspension of church gatherings during the 1918 flu. It is important to note that God brought such circumstances. The people didn’t simply decide they would not meet during normal circumstances. However, even in such extraordinary times, there should be a desire and laboring towards being able to gather again.

So, why should we desire to gather for worship in the face of a pandemic? 

First, it is intrinsic to who God made us to be as Christians. The word “church” refers to a gathering of God’s people that he called to himself. More than that, the church is described as the family of God. It is inherent in a good family to want to be together and love one another. (see Pastor Rod's sermon  from last Sunday for a more in-depth treatment of these things).

Second, we have an external reason. We should want to gather to obey God’s command. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us not to “forsake” assembling. Why say it that way? Why not just say, “Meet together every week”? I don’t know all the reasons, but one reason is that there are times we can’t gather (illness, inability to be mobile). To forsake, on the other hand, refers to letting other things become more important than gathering. For example, a kid’s travel team could be a way that we find ourselves pulled towards forsaking assembling. The point is, God commands us not to forsake gathering with other believers for worship and encouragement (Note: He is speaking to a church body in Hebrews, so this isn’t just a call to grab coffee occasionally with a few Christian friends. It is a call to gather with the body).

Third, we should want to gather because gathering in worship and fellowship should stir us up to love God and serve others. Christians find joy in our relationship with God and in serving him and others. Hebrews 10:24-25 says this happens as we gather. Furthermore, the “one another” commands of the New Testament (a way to show our love for God and others) require some sort of gathering with God’s people.

So, we should desire to gather, and we need to plan for it. I am not saying each person can or should come back immediately.1 But, each one should desire to return as soon as possible and plan for such a return.

Why plan to return?

The reason I say plan to return is that planning is what manifests our desire. It’s not merely saying, “I want to run in the marathon,” that proves desire. It is signing up for the race and doing the training needed (in our case preparing the heart and mind to think biblically). To put it another way, a young man can say he loves a young woman, but if he never makes plans to marry her, it calls his desire into question. Even if the event must be postponed due to God’s providence, there is a desire that leads to some sort of planning and hoping.

My next posts, Lord willing, will address some issues that you might find yourself facing as you begin this process of planning to return to corporate worship. Many of these I have encountered in my own heart. So, if you find one applies to you, take heart, for you are not alone.

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1 It may be that you are in a situation in which you need to wait for more information. Or perhaps you are very elderly and a shut-in. Let me encourage you to express your desire to be with God’s people by finding as many ways as you can to contact other members in the church and by faithfully praying for your fellow members. And, keep live streaming the services. Furthermore, consider asking for a pastor to call you to check in on you occasionally.

Do You Think about The Brevity and Frailty of Life?

"Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death."  

(Jonathan Edwards, "Resolution 9," in Personal Writings)

Jonathan Edwards made the above resolution for his life as a young man. It seems a bit strange, but we would do well to spend at least some time thinking about our death. We live in a culture that loves to keep the party going through endless entertainment and work so that we can't think much about reality. So, here is your countercultural call to swim against the current. 

One place we find biblical warrant for this practice is in Psalm 90:3-11. This section of the Psalm is a lament (a crying out to God in sorrow about some aspect of the futility of life in a fallen world). The lament in Psalm 90 is concerning the brevity and frailty of life.

Psalm 90:3-11

³You return man to dust
    and say, “Return, O children of man!”
⁴ For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.
⁵ You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning:
⁶ in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.
⁷ For we are brought to an end by your anger;
    by your wrath we are dismayed.
⁸ You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.
⁹ For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
¹⁰ The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.
¹¹ Who considers the power of your anger,
    and your wrath according to the fear of you?

In one sense, death is not natural. There may be “natural causes” for death, but it is not part of the original created order. However, when humanity rebelled, God remained faithful to his warning and death entered the world. Life became frail. Note the analogies he uses in verses 5 and 10 to capture this reality:

• A flood that sweeps away what is in its path,
• A dream which lasts a few minutes or hours and dissipates with the opening of day,
• Grass growing quickly only to be cut down.
• Even when life is lived to a good old age it is still “like a sigh” and full of trouble (v. 9-10). 

I know this sounds depressing, but it is reality. We live in a culture that likes to try to ignore this inconvenient truth (lest we have to think about God’s judgment). But Christians over the centuries made it a habit of thinking about their impending death. Why? Were they morbid? Or were they realistic and seeking to gain a proper perspective on how to maximize the life God entrusted them on earth? That is where Moses goes next in verse 12:

“So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom."

Several years ago, I tried to help a young man, who was not a believer, grasp something of this. Here is the gist of the conversation I had with him:

Me: “So what is it you are after in life? What is your goal in life?”

Him: “To get my certification [it was some certification I had never heard of]

Me: “Why?”

Him: “Then I can really start making money”

Me: “Ok, and then what?”

Him: “I want to get another certification” [again I hadn’t heard of it, but it would allow him to be his own boss and make a lot of money].

Me: “Ok, then what?”

Him: “Then I can have a family”

Me: “Ok, then what?”

Him: “Then I will retire”

Me: “Ok, then what?”

Him: “I wait.”

Me: “Wait for what?”

Him: “You know, the end.”

Me: “That sounds crummy. Then what?”

Him: “I don’t know, I’ve been thinking about that a lot, but I am not sure”

Me: “Well don’t you think you should figure that out?”

If you are a Christian, you have considered your end when it comes to salvation. You know your sin warrants just wrath from God and you have trusted Jesus as the one who took the punishment you deserve. If you are in Christ, you will have God as your Shepherd rather than judge as you face death. 

However, Christian should still follow the path of this Psalm in lamenting and considering the brevity of life on earth. That should lead us to ponder how to live our short time on earth to glorify and enjoy God. Maybe you should set aside some time this weekend to read this Psalm and pray about how God would have you use the life he gives you. 

The Everlasting God is Our Dwelling Place

Psalm 90:1-2

Lord, you have been our dwelling place    in all generations.Before the mountains were brought forth,    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Isn’t it mind-blowing to think that God has existed before anything else?! Never did he not exist! Never has he ceased to exist. Never will he cease to exist. His existence is everlasting as the God, who is full of power and love. What this means for us is that he is our sure dwelling place. He is our shelter that never falls. When we face viruses and upheaval, we have the everlasting God as our dwelling place. This reality doesn’t mean we escape our generation and all its difficulties. It means that we have unshakeable hope in our everlasting God now and forever through Christ.

Here is some food for thought from Spurgeon, “Kings’ palaces have vanished beneath the crumbling hand of time- they have been burned with fire and buried beneath mountains of ruins, but the imperial race of heaven has never lost its regal habitation.”

I encourage you to spend some time praying Psalm 90:1-2. Thank the Lord for this reality. Ask him to give you faith to believe it in the face of difficulty.

How to Plan a Four-Hour Personal, Spiritual Retreat

In my last post, I described the benefits of carving out 3-4 hours for spending time with the Lord and caring for your soul. You might feel apprehensive as you consider such a “long time” alone. You might think, “I have trouble staying awake for my 20 minute quiet time each morning.” I want to help with that concern by providing a sample schedule and some practical advice. But first, I need to describe the various elements you should consider including in your plan.

Elements of a Personal Retreat

Worship in Song – Jonathan Edwards used to ride his horse the woods surrounding his town, dismount, and walk through the woods singing out to God. Maybe you will sit in your closet or your car or walk around a greenway. And perhaps you’ll use your phone to play some praise music (so it isn’t just you trying to carry a tune). I encourage you to use Together for the Gospel’s live albums for this purpose.

Bible Reading – If you are going to fellowship with the Lord, you need to hear from his Word. Maybe you should pick one epistle to read through like Titus or Colossians. After all, the New Testament letters were meant to be read in one sitting.

Meditation – Take a smaller section of Scripture and spending time thinking about its meaning and then making an application to your life. You might pick a verse that relates to a current need in your life, or you might pick a theme from your Bible reading.

   

Praying – Not only do we need to hear from God, but we also need to speak to him.  It is natural for a child to talk to his loving father. Maybe you get distracted while you pray. Consider praying through a Psalm. For example, read one verse of Psalm 23 and pray what comes to mind. When you run out of things to pray, move to the next verse. You might also consider walking while you pray.

Devotional reading – Pick a good Christian book and try to get a good start on it during this time. You might not be able to finish the whole thing, but you can get a running start that will help you finish it out later.

Journaling – Journaling is helpful because it aids the process of thinking, evaluating, and remembering.  What sort of things should you journal about?

• A list of things you thank God for.
• Evaluating your life in light of what you read in your Bible. List how you are doing and what you need to work on improving.
• Write out a prayer
• Write as you meditate on a verse (kind of like your own commentary and application).

As you can see, journaling brings together the other elements I’ve already mentioned.

Sample Schedule

Below is a sample schedule that reflects 4 hours. However, you could adjust it down to 2-3 hours if needed. The point of a schedule is to help you avoid wasting time (wondering what to do next). However, don’t feel like you have to stick to your plan blindly. If you find your time of prayer or reading is having a powerful effect on your soul, then keep at it. If you find you are growing weary, then move to the next thing.

:15       Worshiping the Lord in song (perhaps while playing an instrument or listening to music)

:30       Bible reading

:30       Praying the Bible, perhaps while walking.

:30       Journaling

:30       Devotional reading (an edifying Christian book you’ve wanted to read)

:20       Praying the Bible, perhaps while walking.

:30       Meditation on Scripture

:15       Journaling

:20       Praying the Bible, perhaps while walking.

:20       Worshiping the Lord in song (as above) and/or devotional reading (as above)

(This is taken from Dr. Don Whitney’s syllabus for Spiritual Disciplines in the Minister’s Life, Winter 2020).

Practical Advice

On mistake people often make, according to Dr. Whitney, is that they remain in one position (seated) for too long. Too much consecutive time in the chair can have a dulling effect. So, get up and walk while you meditate or pray. Stand to sing. Kneel to pray.  

A second piece of advice, put a retreat on the calendar. It’s like anything else in life – if you don’t schedule and plan for it, it will probably not happen (despite your best intentions). I am not sure if the Corona Virus has given you more discretionary time or not. If it has, now is a great time to do a personal retreat. Maybe you are just as busy as ever. Either way, get it on the calendar.

One more piece of advice. If you are married with young kids, plan to give your spouse time for this too. Maybe one Saturday morning you watch the kids, and a couple of weeks later, he or she watches them. It will take coordination, but it is worth it.

If you want to learn more about this topic, read chapter ten on silence and solitude in Don Whitney’s book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. 

Spend Extended Time Alone with God – The Value of "Short" Personal Retreat

Have you ever considered spending several hours alone for fellowship with the Lord and to grow spiritually? That might sound daunting to you. We live in a culture in which 10 seconds of silence is unnerving. Three or four hours of silence and solitude, away from other people, might sound wearying. I can assure you, however, that it does not have to be.

About six or so years ago, I began trying to have a pastoral retreat. This consisted of going out of town for about 2 or 3 days to spend time in the Word, prayer, listening to sermons, and working on long-range planning. I used some of the time to evaluate how I was doing in my vocations (as Christian, husband, father, pastor, friend). I read a good Christian book. I sang songs of praise to God. I always found clarity about what matters most as I fellowshipped with the Lord in prolonged solitude. I also found it spiritually refreshing.

Fast forward to this past December. I was taking a class with Dr. Don Whitney on the spiritual disciplines in the minister’s life, and one of the assignments opened up a new way to benefit more regularly in this area. This assignment called for me to spend four consecutive hours of silence and solitude (voluntarily withdrawing to privacy for spiritual purposes). To my surprise, I found even just four hours to be greatly refreshing to my soul and helpful to my walk with the Lord.

The new thing I learned was that one does not have to spend 2-3 days to gain this benefit (though that isn’t bad either, and I still recommend it). More specifically, I realized that this could be a more regular practice in my life and a gift I could give to my wife.  We couldn’t carve out two days very often, but we could do a few hours once a month.

Now, all this might seem like too much for you. You have work, the lawn, and kids to care for. It might be hard to make this a priority. It is true that we might not have this privilege in each season of life (like when you have a newborn). However, let me encourage you to try it (maybe once a year at first or once a quarter). We make time for what we most value and prioritize. So, make this a priority if at all possible.

The other reason you might be apprehensive about trying it is that you are afraid it will be boring. The thought of sitting for 3 hours with your Bible sounds wearying, and you don’t know what to do with 3-4 hours of solitude. So, what I want to do is give you some practical advice and a sample schedule.

Tune in to the next post for that.

Read a Book That Feeds Your Soul

Shifting schedules and routines are the norm these days. You may or may not have extra time (maybe you are not having to commute and gained an extra 40 minutes in your day). If you do have a bit of extra downtime, there are a few ways you can turn those extra minutes into a gain for your soul (instead of spending more time scrolling through news feeds). Over the next few posts, I’ll suggest a few ideas about how to do that.

Today, I want to encourage you to use some of that extra time to read a good book that feeds the soul.  Maybe you set aside 20 minutes in the evening to devote to reading. If that doesn’t work, start with 5 minutes of reading before bed. That doesn’t sound like much, but if you read 5 minutes each day that would be … let me calculate … 35 minutes a week … and over 30 hours in a year.

Below are some suggested books to consider.

• Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
• The Holiness of God by RC Sproul
• Knowing God by JI Packer
• Holiness by JC Ryle
• Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will by Kevin DeYoung
• Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus by Mark Dever
• Desiring God by John Piper (should be available free at desiringgod.org)
• When People are Big and God is Small by Ed Welch
• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Don Whitney
• A Little Book on the Christian Life by John Calvin
• A Good Christian Biography (Check out biographies by authors such as John Piper [Swans are not silent series] or Michael Haykin, Elisabeth Elliott, Iain Murray)

Fiction that feeds the soul

• The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
• The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis (yes I am aware the last book has a big problem).
• Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

Don’t let this replace your Bible reading, but don’t be lazy either. One thing I remember from my internship days is that Rod always said, “Leaders are readers.” I think that should apply to all of us, even if it doesn’t rhyme as nicely.

What Dead Men Say about How Christians Should Think about COVID-19 (Part 3): Francis Grimke

This is part three in a series (click here for part one and here for part two)

Francis Grimke, a pastor in Washington D.C. during the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918, preached a sermon entitled “Some Reflections, Growing out of The Recent Epidemic of Influenza That Afflicted Our City.” In this sermon, he reminds us that it is not wrong to suspend church gatherings in order to preserve life. He also reminds us that Christ’s people will intensely long for the gatherings to resume.

Suspending Gathering Is Not Necessarily Wrong

During the outbreak, the D.C. government wanted all gathering places, including churches, to suspend meeting. This “shut down” lasted for about 1 month. Grimke knew the priority of the church gathering. And if the government had just asked churches to close (and not theaters, etc.), he might have seen it as an effort to hinder religion. But since it was the government’s attempt to stop the spread of disease, and encompassed every area of life, it was proper for churches to help. Grimke said,

The fact that the churches were places of religious gathering, and the others not, would not affect in the least the health question involved. If avoiding crowds lessens the danger of being infected, it was wise to take the precaution and not needlessly run in danger, and expect God to protect us. [1]

Some may think that our current situation does not require this in every city, and that might be true. My point is not what the health policy should be. It is simply that suspending meeting is not wrong in very rare conditions.

God’s People Long to Gather Again

God’s true people love gathering, for they are, at a fundamental level, the people God has gathered into his family.

I imagine that for those with a shallow view of Christianity, the convenience of online “services” will tempt them not to return to church when the disease relents. Maybe they are not Christians and just attended out of habit. Now that the habit is broken, they will not return to it. However, for those who truly are God’s people, they desire to gather. That was the testimony of the church in D.C. in 1918. Grimke said,

The fact that for several weeks we have been shut out from the privileges of the sanctuary has brought home to us as never before what the church has really meant to us. We hadn't thought, perhaps, very much of the privilege while it lasted, but the moment it was taken away we saw at once how much it meant to us. One of the gratifying things to me, during this scourge, has been the sincere regrets that I have heard expressed all over the city by numbers of people at the closing of the churches. The theater goers, of course, have regretted the closing of the theaters. I do not know whether the children or the teachers have regretted the closing of the schools or not; I have heard no regrets expressed, but I do know that large numbers of people have regretted the closing of the churches. I hope that now that they are opened again, that we will all show our appreciation of their value by attending regularly upon their services.

While we find ways to connect digitally around the Word (and in small groups), let us humbly long to return to the privilege of corporate worship. Let’s pray that at the end of this, we will have the same attitude as the Christians had in D.C. in 1918, even if the kids are a bit sad to have to return to school.

(HT: Mark Dever and 9Marks.org for pointing me to this sermon)

---

[1]Francis Grimke, “Some Reflections, Growing out of The Recent Epidemic of Influenza That Afflicted Our City,” delivered November 3, 1918, Accessed on 3/18/20 at: https://www.logcollegepress.com/authors-g#/francis-james-grimke/

What Dead Men Say about How Christians Should Think about COVID-19 (Part 2): Martin Luther

This is part of two in a series (the first post on CS Lewis is here).

Martin Luther, wrote a letter to Johann Hess entitled “Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague.” He wrote this when an outbreak of the Black Plague was taking the lives of many. Here are four things we can glean.

1. People Can Have Different Opinions

First, he notes that some think there is no need to flee, and others think they should escape (or close down events in our context). He points out that not fleeing for the sake of loving one’s neighbor is an “excellent decision” and can reveal “strong faith.” But he also points out that “one simply cannot place the same burden on everyone.” So, I take that to mean, we should not judge one another (especially on issues where motives make the difference). If you think you are strong in faith, do not judge those you deem weaker in the faith.  Furthermore, if you stay in the path of danger, it should be to honor God and serve your neighbor.

2. We Must Care for Neighbors and Fulfill Our Calling

It is not wrong to seek to escape a dangerous situation. Luther points out that Paul did in Acts 9:25 (in fact, Jesus even walked past a crowd that wanted to throw him off a cliff at one point). However, there is a type of fleeing that is sinful. It is wrong to leave a neighbor in need or to abandon one’s God-given post in a crisis.

Those who are doing spiritual ministry must “remain steadfast before the peril of death.” “However, where enough preachers are available in one locality and they agree to encourage the other clergy to leave in order not to expose themselves needlessly to danger, I do not consider it sinful” because the needs will still be met. The point is that we should not flee if we are needed. He applies the same thing to government officials.

When it comes to loving one’s neighbor, Luther writes,

Yes, no one should dare leave his neighbor unless there are others who will take care of the sick in their stead and nurse them. In such cases we must respect the word of Christ, ‘I was sick and you did not visit me ...' [Matt. 25:41-46]. According to this passage we are bound to each other in such a way that no one may forsake the other in his distress but is obliged to assist and help him as he himself would like to be helped.

He goes on to say that you can arrange for others to help (so you don’t always do it all yourself). In summary, it is not forbidden to “avoid destruction and disaster whenever we can, as long as we do so without detracting from our love and duty toward our neighbor.” If, however, we forsake our neighbor in a time of need, we become “a murderer in the sight of God” (cf. 1 John 3:15-17).

3. We Must Not be Rash But Seek to Preserve Life

While some give into sinful fear, and fail to love their neighbor, others sin with a disregard for others in the guise of “faith.” Luther is clear that it is not right to do things that needlessly endanger others.  

They are too rash and reckless, tempting God and disregarding everything which might counteract death and the plague. They disdain the use of medicines; they do not avoid places
and persons infected by the plague, but lightheardly make sport of it and wish to prove how independent they are. . . . This is not trusting God but tempting him.

He goes on to write that it is even “more shameful” when we pay no heed to how we might avoid the plague and “then infect and poison others who might have remained alive” if we had taken proper care. “He is thus responsible before God for his neighbor’s death.” Therefore, Luther says his own plan is to “avoid places and persons where [his] presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of [his] negligence.”

The point is not that we go into self-protection mode. The point is that we seek, as best we can, to protect ourselves and our neighbors while trusting God and loving others.

4. We Face Death and Danger with Confidence

There is one final point we can take from Luther’s letter. We have confidence in the face of danger. “If Christ shed his blood for me and died for me, why should I not expose myself to some small dangers for his sake and disregard this feeble plague?”

Next time, we'll look at Francis Grimke during the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918.

(HT to Beth Khazraee for sending me the Luther booklet)

What Dead Men Say about How Christians Should Think about COVID-19 (Part 1)

Learning From Those Who Went Before Us

We live in the midst of a pandemic and panicked people. Some are crying that the sky is falling and others are grumbling that life has had to change. How should we think as Christians? Our guiding principle is always bound up in the questions, “How do I love God with all my heart, mind, and soul?” and “How do I love my neighbor as myself?” Practically speaking, however, we must work out the details in the specific situation we are in. This is complicated by our own emotions and sin.

One way to mitigate the effects of being caught up in the cultural moment is to look to the past. Hearing from dead authors and speakers can correct our myopic view of the situation. They had their own blind spots (as we all do). However, those blindspots are not likely to be the same as our own. Therefore, they can offer us a helpful salve that enables us to see our own situation more clearly.

So, I want to briefly “hear” from three dead men on our present situation: CS Lewis, Francis Grimke, and Martin Luther (Note, I heard about these from various sources…so I didn’t know about them on my own).  Today, we’ll look at CS Lewis.

CS Lewis, in his article entitled “On Living in an Atomic Age” (1948), would remind us that death is always at our doorstep (Present Concerns: Journalistic Essays). 

CS Lewis faced a time when people were panicked over the potential destruction from new atomic weapons. While this is different in some ways, it can easily be adapted to fit our circumstances. In one section, he writes,

It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.

This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb [or a virus we might add], let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies but they need not dominate our minds.

Here is what I take from his thoughts as I try to apply it to our situation. As Christians, we should recognize that death is a certain reality, and live like people who trust in God rather than in a life dominated by fear. For us, death is a defeated foe. It is still a foe. We do not go about seeking death. However, death, by whatever means, will only serve to bring us to the presence of the Lord. That type of thinking clears our minds from the wearying work of worry so that we can engage in living. Trust in God enables us to live rather than panic.

Now, to be clear, this does not mean we live as those with no fear at all. Fear is at times a proper motivator. It can rightly motivate us to flee from danger and death. The point is that we are not controlled by fear but by a fear of the Lord.

One more thing to point out. Lewis mentions hanging out with friends. In our situation, that might not be the loving thing to do (a disease is different than a bomb in that respect). For some thoughts on this, we'll turn to Martin Luther in the next post.