Encourage one another?

Posted on March 17, 2014 Written by Mark McIntyre 6 Comments

Sometimes when we try to encourage someone the encouragement we are trying to provide has the opposite effect. I can think of three reasons why this may be the case.

We may not adequately convey the message of encouragement due to poor communication
We may misunderstand our friend’s situation and offer a response that does not fit the need
Sometimes, in our pride, we give the encouragement in such a way as to make ourselves look better than we really are

When I am discouraged, I want to interact with someone who understands the struggle, not someone who tells me I have no reason to be discouraged. I really don’t need to hear that my struggle can be traced to some particular sin (because sometimes stuff happens through no fault of my own). In short, I don’t need Job’s friends.

Jesus tells us that the world will bring us tribulation (John 16:33); why then do we act surprised when someone in the church experiences it? Why do we spend so much effort in maintaining the illusion that we are unaffected by trials? Why do we look down on those who are open about their struggles?

When I am discouraged, I need to know two things. I need to know that my friend will not abandon me in the struggle and I need to be reminded that Jesus will see me through (Matt. 28:20).

When encouragement is needed, if your response to a friend begins with the words, “if you had only . . .” do everyone a favor and remain quiet. It will not help and only serves to add condemnation on top of the pain.

The point of this ramble is that in a fallen world we will experience disappointment and pain. The response of fellow believers can be used by God to reduce the pain (or at least make it bearable). Or, the response can increase the pain by laying condemnation on top of it.

We should always keep the words of Paul in mind when he wrote:

“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14, ESV)

The command to be patient with them all resonates with me. Patience is a gift that we should willingly give to those who are discouraged.

You shall not be in dread of them

Posted on March 7, 2014 Written by Mark McIntyre 7 Comments

Moses said to the Israelites:

“You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.” (Deuteronomy 7:21, ESV)

Yet being in dread of the Canaanites is exactly what the Israelites had experienced. They allowed their fear to overwhelm their faith. They had ample evidence that their fear was unfounded and ample evidence that faith in God was a logical response, but they were still plagued by fear.

We might like to think that if we were in that desert and had seen the things that God had done through Moses that we would have responded differently. I can’t speak for everyone, but if I am typical of Christendom, then I think that we would have responded the same way the Israelites responded. Two thousand years of church history seems to back me up on this.

For example, too much of the political speech within Christian circles seems driven by fear that if a certain party comes to power or a certain person gets elected, that life as we know it will end. Which party is vilified is dependent upon the philosophical underpinnings of that particular group within Christendom. But at times it seems that fear bordering on panic sets in. It is almost like we think that God is control of the world on every day other than the first Tuesday in November (election day in the United States).

We can give in to fear about the economic stability of our country. We can worry about healthcare and retirement and . . .” The list of things that can cause fear is seemingly inexhaustible. As a result of the fall, the world is indeed a dangerous place.

We have to operate with the knowledge that God remains in control at all times and he is good and he is fair.

That being said, there is one difficulty I should acknowledge. Sometimes God allows people to suffer and this scares me. I suppose that only a madman would look forward to suffering with anything other than dread. But I also have to suppose that if God calls me to suffer, he will give me the grace to suffer well. Yet just thinking about suffering can be a source of fear. Our culture is becoming less tolerant of anyone who claims allegiance to Jesus Christ. Given the current trajectory of sentiment against Christianity, it is not hard to imagine that real persecution might take place.

Like the Israelites with the Canaanites, I can be in dread of what my circumstances will bring to me. The dread can come despite the testimony of many that God is faithful and will not cease to uphold those who rely on him.

I should be comforted by Paul’s words at the end of Romans 8:

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38–39, ESV)

Jesus also promised to be with me “to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

Let us not forget that “you shall not be in dread of them” is a command. The command demands a choice to obey or disobey. Fear may come, but I have to choose to give in to it or to trust God.

But sometimes I choose badly and respond in fear. This always goes wrong and the only proper response is to repent and choose to trust.

Strength Through Him

Posted on February 28, 2014 Written by Lauren Todd 4 Comments

This is a guest post by Lauren Todd. If you are interested in becoming a guest author, please see the guest post guidelines and use the Attempts At Honesty contact form. You can see Lauren’s biographical detail at the bottom of this post.

“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13

Out of all the Bible verses I’ve encountered, this one particular verse by St. Paul struck me the most, and has remained within me until now. This verse has guided me since I saw it once at a bumper sticker on a car when I endured traffic back from a road trip. It caught my eye, and during that traffic jam, I copied it on my mobile phone and saved it. At first, the verse sounded nice to me, and eventually, I learned that there’s more to it than just sounding nice. Because of this verse, I survived a lot of events and circumstances in my life.

The most recent catastrophe I encountered was losing my first job while I was beginning to take up graduate studies. Getting laid off along with a dozen or so employees was something unexpected. Why was I laid off? I understood that my former company needed to cut down on their budget. But what I couldn’t understand was why did it had to be me, when there are other employees who work lousier than I am. Most of all, I worried so bad about how to pay for my graduate school expenses, now that I’m not employed. I had this brooding feeling that I had to stop my graduate studies as well while I have to look for a new and stable work.

I did my part by applying to different companies. I juggled two jobs at a time, and most of these were contractual. By the time my contract ended in one job, I would start to look for another one, even if I already had another job. On weekends, I would attend graduate school, then spend my weekdays working at two or sometimes, three, different jobs.

It was physically and emotionally stressful, and it went on for a year. One day, I broke down and cried out that I couldn’t take it anymore. My roommate comforted me while I cried hard, and she assured me that she’ll be there for me and things will get better soon. She’s always admired me for my strength, and she allowed me to cry. But I had to promise her and myself that I won’t break down anymore after this one good cry.

When it was all done, I stayed alone in my room for a while. As I was playing with my mobile phone, I went to the Notes section and saw the verse again. “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

I prayed for the first time since I lost my job.

“Wherever You want me to go, Lord, please take me there, if I am meant to thrive in that place.”

This was my prayer in helping me find a job wherein I would become a permanent employee.

It did took me a while before I landed a job that’s pretty stable. It happened when I visited my college and talked to my former professor. Out of the blue, he told me that there was a vacancy waiting to be filled. That was the answer to my prayer, and I took the job offer. I’ve been at that job for a year and a half now. And I get to keep studying grad school. A year from now, and I’m about to finish.

I’m thankful that this trial made me stronger and led me to better opportunities. It may not be perfect, but you get good things that you deserved.

The Lord has been my strength, indeed, through all this time. Help yourself always, and He will give you a Hand to get through it all.

Maybe true but hardly helpful

Posted on February 24, 2014 Written by Mark McIntyre 12 Comments

I tend to hang with people who subscribe to reformed theology, which emphasizes the sovereignty of God over his creation. This should not be too surprising given that I attend a PCA church. But one of the struggles that I have with such people is that sometimes truth is given in a way that is hardly helpful.

A friend of ours was in a Bible study with some other ladies where she expressed concern for her brother who is not a believer in Jesus. One of the ladies (I can only assume in an effort to be helpful) informed our friend that perhaps her brother is not one of the elect and will never believe in Jesus.

This is like saying to me, “tomorrow you could be diagnosed with cancer.” While this is a true statement, it is certainly possible that I might receive such a diagnosis, it would not be a helpful one. What good would result from such a declaration?

In the same way, it is certainly possible that her brother will never respond to the claims of the Gospel, but this statement was not helpful and quite frankly was an affront to what we see in Jesus.

Jesus declared that he represented the Father and that to see Jesus was the same as seeing God (John 14:9). So the way that Jesus interacts with believers and unbelievers gives an indication of how they are viewed by God the Father.

At the Last Supper, Jesus announced that one of the disciples would betray Jesus (Matt. 26:21). The disciples did not automatically know who Jesus expected to do the betrayal. Notice the next verse:

“And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”” (Matthew 26:22, ESV)

We all know that it was Judas was the betrayer, but when Jesus made the announcement, the disciples did not automatically think of Judas. Each disciple suspected himself and questioned Jesus, “is it I?”

From this I concluded that Jesus did not treat Judas any differently than he did the rest of the disciples. Jesus offered Judas the same evidence and opportunity to exercise faith that the other disciples had. Yet, Jesus knew when he chose Judas as a disciple that Judas would be the betrayer.

What is my point in this? The understanding that God knows who will respond to him and who will not does not give us permission to write anyone off as being beyond the power of the Gospel. There are too many examples throughout history of people thought beyond redemption who Jesus touched and changed.

A Biblical example of this is the story of the Gerasene Demoniac in Mark chapter 5. If any man seemed beyond the power of the Gospel, it would have been that man, yet we know that Jesus cast out the demons and that man became a missionary to the residents of the Decapolis.

While it is true that not all will respond to the Gospel, and while it is also true that God knows who will and who will not respond, we do not have such knowledge and need to interact with everyone as if they will respond. In other words, we must follow the example of Jesus and relate to everyone as if they will come to faith while knowing that not all will.

We cannot know the outcome for any person and to act as if we do is an affront to the Jesus that we claim to worship. We are called to make disciples and we cannot know ahead of time who will and who will not become one.

So while telling our friend that her brother may not be one who will respond might indeed be true, it was certainly not helpful.

Encourage one another?

You shall not be in dread of them

Strength Through Him

Maybe true but hardly helpful

Categories

Archives