The Anchor

 

Romans 7: 13—23: “Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Certainly not! But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good. In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do. And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law. But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.”

Last night, as is usually the case when I cannot sleep, I thought about people who have found salvation and then drift from it like the ebbing of the waves moving a ship farther from shore until it becomes lost. I could imagine being swept out to sea, pulled under and sinking deeper and deeper into the dark waters. And it dawned on me… the world is like a huge pool of water that will consume you if you let it. On the surface it seems good and wonderful but as you sink deeper in the depths of it, there is a darkness and coldness that can easily overtake you.

Col 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

When we drown, it isn’t the shore that wanders away, it is us who wander into the water, lose our foothold and then our way. I am thinking in terms of students who leave the program (Teen Challenge) though this can apply to anyone. When students leave the program, whether they complete the phases or leave prematurely, we always pray for them and hope that they have learned to hold onto and turn to God when trouble or darkness comes. We don’t stop loving them because they are gone. They are, after all, god’s children also.

 But I know that life can be its own distraction, pulling us away from fellowship and the Word. We get busy with a job, raising a family and financial strains. Going to college and being too tired or busy to stay connected to others or God. Some may struggle with unequally yolked spouses who are demanding of our time and attention. Students may want to reconnect with people who are still in the ‘old way’ of life that makes it difficult for them to be “Christian” with those old friends. Or finding new friends and denying Christ, and taking on less than perfect behaviors, because it isn’t cool to be Christian. All of these things are real concerns.

The student’s old life often times causes great rifts in familial relationships. The struggle to go back into the same environment and yet be totally different can be exhausting. Family may be unforgiving. I mean, while the student had the benefit of years in the program to heal and grow, the family were still in the world. They didn’t have the benefit of ‘counsel,’ books on forgiveness, brokenness and spiritual growth. Often times, the brokenness at home can draw the students back into despair.

It is like going home where people know you and don’t believe the person God has made you to be. They only see you for who you were. That can be frustrating and cause us to fall into doubt and unbelief.

Luke 4:24: “"Truly I tell you," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown.”

Isaiah 53: 6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

And I realize that in times in my life when I have felt alone or defeated or distressed, it has usually been because I wandered away and stopped hanging onto my hope and faith. Not sin, per se, but I would not maintain the relationship and closeness that I once had. I would get distracted by work, by laziness, by electronics (I love playing Fishdom to relax). It is so easy to pick up my tablet instead of my scripture. And if you think that isn’t falling away, think again. How quickly the waters can overtake us and drag us under. How quickly we can slip into our old character because it is there and our Holy Spirit is sleeping.

Romans 15:4: “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

It is a lot like my various degrees. I spent years in college learning and, at 60, have had a full gamut of life skills. For example, I loved electronics. I had gone to college and received my associate’s degree in electronic technology. I worked at Motorola for years learning and improving this skill. After they laid off most of the American work force for greener pastures, I went to college again for justice studies. After I completed, I was offered a job at Intel, another electronics company. Mind you, I was very proficient at my job at Motorola. However, Intel wanted me to pass a test. She encouraged me to take the chance of testing and said it would come back to me. I decided against it. I had been away from the job for a year or more and was convinced that I couldn’t site the Ohms Law or any other formula I once knew. It is true: if you don’t use it, you lose it.

And tell me this, if you don’t read the bible, how do you know what to expect when the end does come? Will you believe the one who says that he is god because he performs miracles and wonders? Will you know what events take place first? Will your heart be right with the Lord or did you abandon ship?

2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

Hebrews 2 1-3: “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,”

Isaiah 59:2: “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

The pull is always there… waiting. It is as if we are anchored in the water but our chain is too long. We ebb and flow with the waters and forget that we are anchored. It is a steady struggle to remain constant and vigilant against the waves and storms that come. We often ignore our life preserver… our one true hope.

I don’t want to do what I want to do, I want to do what I should do to stay close to the Light.

Tergiversate

 I am not perfect by any means. I am a devout Christian, but I am made of flesh and bone, so I am limited. One of my assets, and flaws, is that I believe in doing what is right, no matter what. My husband and I feel the same about this. What I do is not always by the book, but my decisions are based on what is right, or best, in each situation. I would like to think that I err on the side of others, making sure that I am thoughtful about who is affected.

Phil 2:3: “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

I think that I am subject to some straightforward guidelines and morals because I do believe in the bible. I mean, the truth is always the truth… but are there times when the truth isn’t the best way? In my work world, we must always keep other’s feelings and brokenness in mind. Truth and love are crucial here. We need to lovingly guide them to Christ and a future of critical thinking skills. Being an example of love, morality and truth is important for them to see. How can we tell them that we believe in the principles in the bible and we do what is right in the eyes of the Lord and yet live like hypocrites?

James 3:1-18: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ...”

I try to take the high moral ground while upholding God’s laws. I am forever looking inside myself and finding less than perfect behavior that needs to change. For example, I find that I worry more about how someone will react to the truth in love, and how it will affect my standing with everyone, instead of bringing it out in the open so that we can emulate Christ. I chastise myself about not speaking up and I must find creative ways to speak the truth in love so that others can see it for what it is. After all, we all fall short of the glory of God.

2 Tim 2: 23-26: “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

In this time of Covid, knowledge is power. If we keep people in the dark, how are we helping them meet the challenges of this virus filled world? How do we keep them safe and help them keep others safe if we withhold information? In this situation, we need to inform them with how to be safe and prevent the spread to others and to each other. We must uphold the standards and health practices to keep everyone else safe.

1 Cor 10:24: “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.”

The world is going crazy because we are in a pandemic. People hoarding toilet paper and household supplies in massive numbers, they can’t possibly use, because they want to make sure that they ‘get theirs.’ Businesses gouging customers because there is a high demand item and they want to profit from it by tripling the price. People, churches, families, businesses gathering in large numbers; disregarding the safety of others and the safeguards put in place, for their own selfish reasons, with no regard for the safety of their elderly or immune challenged members. People who think that “it won’t happen to us.” There are those that make rules for ‘other people’ but don’t follow them or make random exceptions.  The ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ Ignorance and arrogance rule in times of turmoil.

People tend to lose their morals when it costs them, don’t they? If we truly follow the principles of living and loving from the bible, then we know that we cannot sacrifice our beliefs to benefit ourselves at the expense of another’s safety. We just can’t. I learned a great word for abandoning our beliefs or being intentionally unclear, withholding truth and misleading others for our own benefit. Tergiversate. Prevaricate means the same thing but is easier to pronounce.

Rom 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

I would like to think that, as Christians, we believe in the importance of keeping others safe regardless of the cost. The true test is how we respond if, and when, it affects us, right? What if it affects our church or our centers… our bottom line? What if we share the truth with our students and they want to leave because they are afraid of being subjected to the virus in the center because we still take people in? What if our students need to go to work to help support the center? What if the truth would cut into our ability to survive and continue our work projects, our production… our livelihood?

Mat 6: 31-33: “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Can we justify tergiversating for our own good? Would we hide the fact that some of our members are sick? Would we disclose it to the authorities and those who were affected or would we hide it? And if we are less than Christian in times of trouble, what message does that send to those lost souls who are watching what we do? Do we want to send a message that the rules apply to everyone else but not to me? Do we want to reinforce the idea that Christians really are hypocrites? Do we want to cause others to stumble because of our ignorance or arrogance? Do we want to potentially cost them their eternal life because we proved to be just like the others who have no regard for what is just and right in the eyes of the Lord?

Matthew 23:23: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

People, don’t do the easy thing, the selfish thing because it suits you. Do the difficult thing, follow the hard path, trust in the truth. If  you believe nothing else, believe that God provides to those who do what is right.