(Read Proverbs 3)
“I told him I would never love you less.” My friend (T) recently walked me through his long journey of faith. “I have never been shy about my faith,” he continued, “and while in college, my roommate started finding challenges with Calculus.” That was my experience in Pre-Calculus, I thought. “He grew up with a strong religious background. Then, one day I heard him chanting. It was Buddhist stuff,” he said. Apparently, (T)’s friend’s sister converted him to a Buddhist. I wonder if that was supposed to make Calculus or life easier. (T) added that his friend was hesitant to tell him out of fear that they wouldn’t remain friends. (T) laughed slightly as he told me this. Maybe (T)’s friend never grasped the pure love of a follower of Christ. “I told him I would never love you less.”
For God has not given us a Spirit of Fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.
2 Timothy 1:7-8
This was Paul’s last New Testament letter. Paul was imprisoned with a short and bleak future ahead. In this letter, Paul exhorts his protege Timothy to follow his example of faith in fearlessness and suffering. The power of love was a central theme for Paul’s letters and a significant focus of Jesus’ ministry. God didn’t give us the Spirit of Fear; our cowardice comes from hiding behind life’s difficulties when battles test our faith. To let the Spirit of God work within us, we need to submit to it. (T)’s friend must not have understood what the love of friendship meant to (T) very well.
“At 14, I went blueberry picking with my brother. While at the nursery, I was sharing the Gospel with so many, people thought I would grow up to be a Pastor.” (T) served most of his career in the military and to my knowledge, has never served as a Pastor. Still, he has a similar influence on everyone he encounters with his calm, inviting, midwestern charm. “When our Sunday school teachers were out, I often led the class. I was comfortable and fairly knowledgeable on the topics of the Bible, so it was a real shock when I got a ‘B’ in a Religion class in College.” We both laughed. Getting back to his Christian roots, (T) said, “I used to worry about my eternal soul. Then, at youth group, I told our leader I wanted to accept Jesus. He prayed with me, and we went down the Roman Road (learning gospel truths selected from key verses of Romans).” I think it’s a common concern to worry about admittance into heaven or hell for new believers or those who don’t trust enough in Jesus at the cross. “But after that, I’ve been living my life for Jesus.”
“I’ve been so blessed that almost everyone around me has been a Christian, so I never saw or experienced skepticism about my faith. I would have to go elsewhere for that.” (T)’s story triggered memories from my teenage years. I remembered the ridicule that my Christian friends would receive. Side glances and name-calling. “I developed relationships in my hometown based on sports or church. There was a Church on every corner. If you didn’t go to this church, you’d go down the road to another one,” (T) said. “My community was mostly lower-middle class. Some like to think that just because people are from the same class, they’re all in the same boat. But the truth is, some are believers, and some are not. It’s interesting that some people I knew in high school who were very faithful then but then faced hard times now hate Christianity. And others who might have suffered just as much are devout Christians who display the gospel everywhere they go.”
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Hebrews 10:24-25
This passage isn’t necessarily about meeting together in a church setting. A church is more than a building. It’s people with a common goal of glorifying God, edifying others and spreading the Gospel to the world. “Encouragement,” used in Hebrews, is derived from the same Greek word used for the Holy Spirit in two places in the gospel of John. The Holy Spirit is called “the Helper who walks alongside us. When we’re building up others through encouragement, we’re mirroring the work of the Holy Spirit within us.
“While serving in Hawaii at a local church, the organist and piano player were mother and daughter. The daughter had gone to NYC for music as a praise team leader. Later, she was recruited to join a cult. Somehow, she escaped and managed to get home to Hawaii. She convinced others, some with Broadway careers, in the cult to join her.” Through our conversation, even when the stories weren’t about (T), they all reflected his walk, faith, and utmost for the highest. “All those performers who left New York to join the daughter in Hawaii are now stronger people, stronger in their faith, and are serving in their faith. They probably couldn’t have done this alone, but fellowship with others strengthens us.”
(T) lifts others, not because it’s required. He lifts others because he wants to. Living for Christ creates this byproduct of faith.
“On a bus one day, I talked with a stranger about life back home. He was sharing his story about his relationship struggles. I could feel the pain in his hardships. I shared the glory of the Gospel. The guy really listened! He said, ‘I feel like God put you here to help me work through this.’ I told him that I felt that I felt the same way about this conversation. God put us both here to work things out!”
No coincidence, I thought. Unless you’re a trained professional, offering helpful advice to someone in need is not easy. Sharing the Gospel is something we are encouraged to do. It might not solve immediate problems, but it’s the best news anyone will ever hear.
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
1 Peter 3:15
It seems like this passage was written to describe (T). The first time I met him at our Life Group gathering, I thought wow, this is one blessed dude. He told me about his chronic back pain and smiled the whole time. He has plenty of things to gripe about, but his faith, not his comfort, is his compass. “Someone once said, I’m so calm. I replied that I’d put my trust in Jesus. When teaching new students, I tell them from the beginning that I have a belief system. Off the bat, my first bullet point is, I am a Christian.”
(T)’s hope in Christ is manifested visibly in who he is, what he says, and how he lives. When people see a Christian’s hope in the face of suffering and tranquility, they will want to know what’s behind that hope. “I’m always upbeat and in a great mood. I focus on Him all the time. I can’t point to one piece of Scripture that reassures me. I try to heed what God wants me to know.”
“While growing up, my youngest brother came down with encephalitis. We still don’t know how. He had a friend who had it too, and his friend died. My parents asked our Pastor to pray over my brother, and the Pastor said he wouldn’t because my brother wasn’t saved yet.” Showing a different reaction than I think (T) would have exhibited, his parents stopped going to that church after that. But when my dad was diagnosed with cancer, I asked him if he was saved, and he said, ‘Yep, I was saved as a kid.’ So I felt good about that.” I love the simple affirmation from (T)’s telling of this story. No second-guessing, worrying if his dad had done enough, done the right things, his dad said he believed, that’s good enough.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Was there ever a time in your life when your faith carried you?
“Yes. One year before I was supposed to retire, I was informed that I would not be able to stay on in my job. I was forcibly retired. I wasn’t worthy of staying. I was angry,” he said.
But (T) is resilient. He would get through this setback. “After church one Sunday, I was talking to a longtime elder who has cancer. He introduced me to a friend of his. His friend knew of a teaching position at a school near me. I interviewed and got the job.” Next comes the insight and maturity of (T)’s faith. “Had I stayed on another year for my regular retirement, that position would’ve been filled. People stay in those jobs for a long time, and I would never have gotten that job. I’m making a difference with those kids; if I weren’t there, they wouldn’t have the experience of my Christian teaching. Perhaps they wouldn’t have had a difference in their lives. I laid my problems at the feet of Jesus. God is always right here.”
Living for Jesus isn’t supposed to be easy. We don’t need to pretend it is. But living for Jesus gives us the promise, the calm, and the blessedness that provides others with hope.
“The great thing about faith in God is that it keeps a man undisturbed in the midst of disturbance.”
— Oswald Chambers
Key Applications:
- For this week, do the best you can to exhibit the calm and hope of a Christian to the world. In your conversations and especially your reactions, let your faith shine.
- Communicate in big and small ways that show appreciation to others. A quick phone call or brief note can make someone’s day.
- Pray for someone you know who is suffering. Then, reach out and tell them you’re praying for them.
Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.