Let your light so shine before others, so that may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

Have you seen, heard, and experienced it, particularly over the past three years—ever-expanding, like a growing mold? Apathetic indifference (at best) and narcissistic malice (at worst). In the workplace and marketplace, on campus and online. Human interactions are not what they used to be. (I’m not talking 50 years ago, mind you, just five.)

Millions of words could be written on all the “whys” of this apathy/meanness phenomenon—and they have been. So, this is not about that. What we’re going to focus on here is our call as followers of Jesus Christ to be different. In a world that’s getting darker as Satan’s time gets shorter, believers are meant to be light (Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 5:8; Philippians 2:15-16). What does that mean? According to Galatians 5:22-23, walking in light and truth means living a fruity life—in the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Pretty much the exact opposite of today’s cultural norm. 

But, friend, of course it’s different from the world! Only through the power of the Holy Spirit in us can we exhibit these holy qualities—in our own power, it’s really, really hard. And to be honest, there’s usually some self-serving motivation behind it when we do. Again, another story. 

So, let’s get practical. First, pick a fruit, any fruit. Then, with a yielded spirit, just do it. Not only will this simple surrender open the way to more and more Holy Spirit control in your life for your good, it will also glorify God in a big way. And it will be blindingly bright amid the darkness around you. Plus, just as flipping on the light switch in the middle of the night tends to wake someone up from a deep sleep, so can shining your light open the eyes of the walking-dead around you…opening up an opportunity for you to give a reason for your fruitiness (1 Peter 3:15).

Take kindness, for example. It always surprises me what a shock it is to others when they experience even a modicum of kindness. The other day, as my husband was returning our shopping cart to the parking lot corral, he happened to collect a few others on the way, clearing them from the various “I’ll-just-leave-mine-here” drop-offs. As he walked back to our car, the man next to us was watching him with an awe that rivaled him witnessing a rescue from a burning building. Then he said to my husband, “Man, the world needs more kind people like you.” Boom. Light on, difference made. Now, my hubby didn’t approach that guy and take him through the gospel in that moment…but he let his light shine and glorified God in the process, and who knows how it may have changed that man’s attitude/actions the rest of the day. 

I have a lot of examples of this around each of the fruit—as I’m confident you do as well. (I also, sadly, have plenty of examples of exhibiting the opposite of some of those fruits, which only showed my “unsurrendered”/fleshy parts. But we’re all on that sanctification path on our way to glorified perfection—as long as we’re moving in the right direction, it’s all good!) So, let’s use each moment of living out this holy fruit like it’s a good workout: with repetition comes strength to do more. Again, it’s not our own strength we’re developing here though, it’s the strength (control) of the Holy Spirit that we are yielding to. One act of kindness may seem as insignificant as the small flicker of a match. But in a pitch-black room, even that tiny flame can show the way out of the darkness.

Lord, I surrender fully to You today. Show me opportunities to let my light shine in this dark world. And let me yield to the Holy Spirit to empower the words and actions needed to glorify You.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:9

Outside of Christian circles, the word “steward” is not often used in today’s vernacular. Basically, it means “manager”—a steward looks after, directs, and oversees the use/distribution of goods, services, and people belonging to their boss. Within the Church, the term is a bit more common. Christians are called to be “good stewards” of what the Lord has provided. Our family, money, talents, spiritual gifts, etc., have been given to us by the Lord. And it all belongs to Him—we just manage it. He gives to us, and He takes away from us…and through it all, we are to bless and glorify Him (Job 1:21).

During church services you’ve been to, you’ve probably heard pastors calling the congregation to be “good stewards” as it specifically relates to financial giving. Again, totally makes sense: It’s all God’s money anyway, and we’re to share what we have for the sake of the gospel, the good of others, and God’s glory.

But have you ever thought about what it means to steward the single greatest gift given to us by God: our salvation? What does it even mean to steward or manage our salvation? First, salvation is, in fact, a gift given to us. It is extended to us by grace through faith. We don’t work for it, earn it, or pay for it—this way, we can’t brag about getting it through our own efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9). Next, when we surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior, we belong to Him: We are His possession, called out of darkness into marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). And at salvation, we’re given the power of the Holy Spirit living in us so that we can bear fruit, be light in this world, boldly proclaim truth, and battle the god of this world. (By the way, we don’t fight for victory over Satan, we fight from a place of victory!)

A family, friends, and good job is great. Talents and spiritual gifts are awesome. And money comes in pretty handy for sustaining our own life and helping others. All gifts from God. But all these can fall away (and will, actually), with salvation standing as the greatest—and eternity-altering—gift from above. So, we’re not meant to lock it up and selfishly protect it like a valuable, prized possession we could lose. Salvation IS valuable and IS prized (and we cannot lose it once it’s ours!)…but instead of turning the deadbolt and standing guard, we’re to spread it around. When we share the wealth of salvation—the truth of the gospel and the Great Exchange of Christ’s righteousness for our sin—we actually come away with more: more hope, more peace, more faith, more joy! 

What about you? If you’ve accepted the amazing gift of salvation, how are you stewarding it? Are you burying it in fear of loss or persecution? Are you sitting comfortably with it, because now that you have it, you’re good to go? Or are you managing this precious gift by telling and showing others how the grace and love of God can be theirs too? 

Lord, may I be a good steward of my salvation, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ—the hope, peace, and joy found only in Him. 

“One thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see.”

John 9:25

We started attending a new church not long ago. It’s pretty incredible. For thousands of reasons. And, although I’ve already jumped into serving in a variety of ways, I’ve been experiencing an impatience and antsiness lately. It’s hard to explain…but let me try.

My husband and I are in the stage of life where our kids don’t live with us (and, sadly, they’re not nearby). Like many of you (because of geographical or emotional distance), our church people are our family. And, although we both work full time, we’ve got a lot of time on our hands. So, our hearts are to serve the Lord—not to earn His favor, but in response to His love and grace toward us. 

For me, I just want to do God’s will for my life—dig daily into His Word every day, glorify Him in all I do, and SERVE…the quandary, though, is that I don’t know where or how He wants me to serve in this new church. Now, please know that it is an understatement to say that this church is on fire. The Lord is doing mind-blowing things, and it’s awesome to watch. And, like a horse at the gate, agitated to bust out and race, I’m anxious for the Lord to say, “THIS is where I want you…go!” 

But He hasn’t said anything like that. My sweet sisters in Christ have counseled me to “wait on the Lord” and “be still” to hear from Him. And that’s where I’ve tried to be—but more confusion swirls up in my head. Anybody else been there?

While in prayer with Him, the Lord reminded me that I am to use my testimony. I didn’t surrender to the Lord until age 30, so suffice it to say, I was pretty lost. And my sanctification story for the past 25 years has also not been rainbows and butterflies. He has walked (carried) me through some very, very hard times. I couldn’t imagine coming through those storms without Him. Then, my response was, “Yes, Lord! I need to use these things in ministry—because otherwise, these testimonies are wasted…so WHERE? HOW?” I land back where I started, and more confusion sets in.

In sharing with my husband (and with much emotion), I said, “Why is this so hard? It’s ultimately simple: I was dead, and now I’m alive.” His response was a mic-drop moment. “You’re muddled and anxious and antsy because, for the enemy, those are the most dangerous words.” Boom. 

Satan comes only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He wants people to stay lost, blind, dead. This is a win for him. And he wants to steal joy and contentment from those he cannot destroy (believers). By muddling and confusing those of us who have been reconciled with the God of peace—keeping us from experiencing the peace of God—he keeps us quiet and ineffective. And although he cannot take our salvation, he can certainly take us off course from the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

My church has myriad ministries in which to serve: protecting the unborn, special needs, foster care, first responders, human trafficking—just to name a few. But no matter where I (or you in your church) choose to serve, the purpose is always ultimately the same: go, love, and share the good news of Jesus. And the message is clear: “I was dead, now I’m alive in Christ…and you can be too.” 

So, let’s get to it—and remind Satan that he has already lost.

Lord, we love You because You first loved us. And we serve in response to Your gift of salvation to us. Remind us daily to seek opportunities to demonstrate Your love, mercy, and grace to others.

I shall remember the deeds of the Lord.

Psalm 77:11

We often hear the exhortation to not “live in the past”—especially when it comes to basking in those glory days of youth. Sometimes, though, we dwell on the hurt and brokenness of our past…and it’s tempting to wallow in the “comfort” of pain, like a pig in the mud. Both of these approaches can keep our necks twisted and eyes looking back—so much so that we can miss the now and what will be.

As a follower of Christ, our past (BC—or “before Christ” life) holds a paradox that can trip us up. Are we to let go of our past, not dwelling on where we’ve been and who we once were? Forgetting what lies behind and only strive toward what’s ahead (Philippians 3:13)? Well, no and yes. Let me explain.

The Bible has a lot to say about this topic. Are we supposed to forget/let go of our past? According to the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3: 4-9, yes. See, before Paul surrendered to Jesus, he was all about earning his own righteousness (he was incredibly “self-righteous”). He had every reason to have confidence in his background, abilities, previous actions to earn favor with God. But, once he accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior, he counted his impressive past as dung/rubbish. He didn’t need it. The value of knowing Christ allowed him to let go of all those efforts to earn God’s love and embrace the gift of grace. So, we’re to forget about our past efforts to “do more good than bad” and earn our way to heaven. Only through Christ are we made righteous.

But we also need to remember and hold on to our past.

First, like the healed blind man in the gospel of John, we need to be very clear about one thing: We were blind, and now we see (John 9:25). Jesus, fully God and fully man, lived a perfect life yet took the death penalty for our sin, and rose again in victory—making a way of reconciliation with God. Again, it’s Paul (this time in Ephesians 2:1-10) who reminds us to remind ourselves: We were dead, living for our own desires, satisfying the flesh in the ways of the world; BUT GOD, rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ by His grace—a gift from God, not by anything we’ve done. Then he says in verses 11-13: Remember, you were separate from Christ, without hope and without God. But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Don’t forget your past because you are a miracle of God! BUT, because we are made new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:16-17), we’re not to wallow or celebrate our BC life either! (Ah, another paradox in and of itself!)

Next, throughout the Old and New Testament, we are told to remember all the works of God in our lives. It may be shocking, but life after accepting Jesus is NOT all lollipops and sunshine. (Things will probably get a lot more challenging.) But the Lord fights for us (Deuteronomy 20:4). He is our refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1). Through every trial and testing, He walks with—or carries—us, and He is our comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). And we must rehearse every miracle, every answered prayer (Joshua 4). Whether He calms the storm or just keeps us calm in its midst, let’s remember that the Lord is near to us (Psalm 145:18; James 4:8). 

Our past is important to who we are—especially who we are in Christ. But what to do with it is not really an enigma. We’re to let go of some things and hold fast to others. The litmus is simple: Does it glorify God? Then hold on. And tell others. 

Lord, my story is Yours. Use Your work in my life to testify to Your goodness, grace, mercy, and love—glorifying You and drawing others to Christ.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

It was only a few years ago when the vast majority of people in our culture would not have uttered the question, “How do you identify?”—we couldn’t even imagine what that would have meant. Today, though, this question is not only understood by people of all ages, but it’s being pushed as normative. (Some even demand it be a requisite inquiry—because any assumptions are otherwise seen as “hateful”.) And the potential answers? Well, that’s something else altogether…boys say they’re girls, girls say they’re boys, some say they are neither…or both (that’s for today, though, and it may change tomorrow). Or someone could tell you they’re a “furry”—a cat, dog, or some anime character. Yup, Satan is having a grand ol’ time confusing young people, dividing families, and creating emotional and psychological misery that’s leading more young people than ever to consider suicide.

Humans, however, are all made in the image of God—Imago Dei. “Male and female, He created them” (Genesis 1:27). And you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), despite the filtered looks of those whom you emulate or how social media “friends” react to pics you post. 

Even more amazing, once we surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior, another wonderful thing happens at that moment: We become a new creation in Christ—the old has passed, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

But is this how we identify as we walk through the world? Or, although a Christian, do we still battle with who we were before, identifying ourselves as we were pre-salvation?

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t come to Christ until age 30. And, until that time, I was definitely living according to my flesh—doing what felt good and trying to satisfy the God-shaped hole is my soul with everything but God. Not that anyone asked how I “identified” (again, that wasn’t a thing), but there were definitive characteristics I could have used: drunk, promiscuous, drug user, party girl. Of course, all these came with another set of associated identities: ashamed, burdened, humiliated, weary. Ah, then…but God. Being rich in mercy, because He loved me, even when I was dead in my sins, He made me alive with Christ, by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:1-10). Now, although I immediately became a new creation, taking on the righteousness of Jesus while He took my unrighteousness, it would have been easy to glom on to my previous self-identifiers. I could have put on my “Christian” nametag, while maintaining some or all of my other labels.

Think about your own walk with the Lord…how do you identify? Although you love Jesus, are you “angry”, “addicted”, “burdened”? Oh friend, you must correctly self-identify! Remember who you are in Christ: You’re chosen by God and adopted as His child (Ephesians 1:3-8); you’re redeemed and forgiven of all your sins (Colossians 1:13-14); you are complete in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10); you’re free from condemnation (Romans 8:1-2); and you’re a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20). 

The enemy of your soul loves to hiss condemnation in your ear, wanting nothing more than for you to forget these truths—and stay shackled to your past (in self-beliefs or behaviors). But, beloved, you have one true identity: You are who He says you are.

Father, I stand firm in my Christ-bought identity as a child of God. Help me walk confidently according to this truth, despite the world around me shouting otherwise.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Romans 12:15

Through my 25 years of being a Christian, truly surrendered to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, life has not been a bowl of cherries. There’s been personal loss, betrayal, death, illness—you know, the general brokenness of this fallen world crashing down…just like everyone else. And just like before I was a believer. The difference, however, has been in my response to these situations because of the eternal perspective of God’s providence. 

The lens of faith colors every challenge and tragedy (and victory) a bit differently for believers than the view the world sees in these same circumstances. And that can completely bewilder those around us. Sometimes, it even confounds us.

I recently witnessed this truth in a fresh way, as the body of Christ (the Church) demonstrated the love of Jesus—and God’s promises for Christian life came to fruition. A family in my church small group experienced the devastating loss of a child. From the moment our group learned of this, we rallied. We prayed, we texted love and support. One couple immediately went to the hospital to listen, talk, and pray with the family. The next days, more of us, throughout the hospital stay, visited to be present, provide lighthearted distraction, and offer up more prayer. Once home, our group brought meals daily, again visiting with listening ears and gentle kindness. God’s love in action. Biblical living. We are called to weep with those who weep…and we did.

And as this sweet family continued to grieve, they spoke of the unreasonable and inexplicable peace they were experiencing amid their sorrow. God’s Word calls this “peace that passes understanding” (Philippians 6-7)—and it is His promise to us. 

This is not about tossing pillow-stitched verses at someone experiencing loss or difficulties. It’s not even about “saying the right thing”. It is about coming around that person or family with love and prayer and a listening ear—not a talking mouth. It’s about knowing the truth: that we, as believers, don’t grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope—we have confidence that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we will see our loved ones in Christ again (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). We hold fast to that eternal perspective. And although there will be times to weep and mourn throughout life (Ecclesiastes 3), God and His people can alter those experiences. There will still be pain, but it’s bathed in something heavenly. It’s altered by the peace of God.

Heavenly Father, living in this fallen world can be so painful. But You have made promises to those who love You—promises for peace and joy that surpass understanding. Thank you for revealing Your love and truth through the body of Christ in this world.

So David got up from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. 

2 Samuel 12:20

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get into these funks of “if only” and “I wish I would have…”. Most recently, for me, it was around Mother’s Day when I considered both my own mother and my mothering. I imagine that every parent reading this thinks about these things occasionally, especially if your kids are teens, young adults, or older. Maybe we look at how a child is living and the choices they’re making and wonder, “If I’d only done ___________ when he/she was younger…” or “Maybe if I decided to do X instead of Y, things would be different for them.” Or, if you’re like me and have lost one or both parents, it’s easy to list the regrets of how you treated them, or things said—even rehearsing those terrible teen/20s attitudes and interactions with them that shaped years (or decades) of relationship. Oh, to relive those yesterdays with the wisdom and understanding of today. (Or is that just me?)

But friend, we simply cannot. (First, though, let me remind us all that we did the best we could with what we knew—and who we were—at those times we’re looking back to.) We can’t go back and change our decisions to shift trajectories. Plus, we don’t have any clue about whether that revised trajectory would be better or worse! And we certainly can’t change the words and actions of other people, which ultimately set the path for their lives.

As I was meandering through Regretville, I got to 2 Samuel, chapter 12, where the prophet Nathan rebukes David for his sin against the Lord. (I suggest you go back and also read chapter 11—it’s got all the elements of today’s Netflix hits: adultery, deception, murder…). But it was only when Nathan confronted David that David’s eyes were opened to everything he’d done. The man truly had a lot to regret. And although David was “a man after God’s own heart”, a valiant warrior for the Lord, the king of God’s people, and the ancestor of the Greater David to come, Jesus, there were consequences for his grave sin. Sadly, despite David’s fasting, weeping, and praying, the child he conceived in adultery became sick and died. Then came another fascinating part of this event: David got up, washed, put on fresh clothes, and worshipped the Lord (v19-20). He understood the sovereignty of God. While the child was still alive, David prayed for what he wanted the outcome to be. But when God’s outcome came to pass (a painful, horrible outcome in David’s—and our—opinion), David worshipped the Lord for His providence. Moreover, David’s theology was rock solid, knowing that he would see his child again in heaven—what a profoundly encouraging Biblical truth for us. David turned from the “what ifs” and grabbed hold of his now, determined to be more focused on the Lord. 

A few days after I read through these Biblical events, I came across this quote from John Piper that beautifully summed up these Old Testament chapters, along with putting a pin in my own mental road trip: “Occasionally, weep deeply over the life you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Then wash your face. Trust God. And embrace the life you have.” 

We all are in different seasons of our life—and, for believers, we’re in different sanctification places. Right now, it could be smooth sailing. But maybe it’s rough waters…or even the storm of storms that’s beating you senseless. Wherever we are, GOD IS SOVEREIGN. He’s got you—and me. We pray (and plead), and we trust, knowing that He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). And He intends for good even things and people of this world intending evil (Genesis 50:20). Note here, God doesn’t “use” or “turn” evil situations to good—like, “Oops, I wasn’t expecting that, but I can turn that around.” No, these situations are all in His hands, from the beginning, for His glory. We may be able to look back in time and see that…or we may have to wait until we’re in heaven and look back through eternity to understand. Either way, it’s OK. We are in His hands.

Lord, as we continue to walk through this dark world—yesterday, today, and tomorrow—remind us to keep our eyes on You, trusting You to bring about our good and Your glory.

“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”

Proverbs 13:20

Proverbs 13:20 was one of the very first lines of scripture that I memorized as a new believer—and it sets a great foundational direction for all of us who desire to follow Christ. Typically, we think to ourselves, “Yes, this is exactly what our kids need to know!” It definitely is. But this verse is also one of the many pieces of wise Biblical direction we give our kids that, sadly, they don’t necessarily follow. And, unfortunately, the second part of the Proverb—as promised—comes to pass. We simply keep praying that they’ll learn.

Let’s turn the mirror on ourselves for a minute. Sure, we can assess our friend group and choose to spend time with the “wise” among them—other believers who love Jesus and help disciple us as we sharpen them as well (Proverbs 27:17). But what about all our other “companions”? How wise or foolish are those whose words and actions bombarding our eyes, ears, and mind daily through our digital media? Ouch.

As Christ followers, we have to assess all our companions—real people and those in the digital realm. The TV “friends” and “families” we watch, the podcast hosts we listen to, even our “friends” on our social media platforms…in fact, many of us spend significantly more time with these “people” than we do with 3D human companions, so it’s vital to weigh their value to our life!

It’s easy to think that all this is harmless. “It’s just a funny meme video, all the cussing is just context.” Or “Yes, there are a lot of sex scenes, but the storyline is great.” Or “Sure, the divisiveness and vitriol is rampant, but I have to keep (social media platform name here) to keep up with my friends and family!” Even our musical companions croon (or bark) messages of sex, hatred, and drunkenness in our ears.

Our thoughts, as well as what and who feed our thoughts, inform our emotions, which generate our actions (Mark 7:20-22; Romans 8:5-7). That’s why the Bible is filled with exhortations to keep our mind on things above (Colossians 3:2), think about excellent, pure things (Philippians 4:8), and take our thoughts captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). And in today’s digital world, where we’re constantly plugged in—listening and watching—our “thoughts” are being fed to us relentlessly. These are our daily companions…and if we’re plugged in to foolishness, we will, indeed, suffer harm.

So, let’s each turn to the Holy Spirit living in us, yielding to Him as our counselor, helper, and guide when it comes to our daily companions. When we don’t shut Him up or out, He’ll let us know when we’re hanging out with fools. And when we spend less time with them, we’ll be able to walk with the wise more often…and grow wiser. We’ll get closer to the Lord and experience much more joy each day.

Father God, forgive me for turning my time and attention to the debase things of this world that have become the cultural norms. Help me to walk with the wise and become more like Christ each day.

The mountains and the hills will break into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12

How often are you in the quiet—especially outdoors? Do you ever escape the constant din of the city and suburban life (cars, trucks, trains, lawn equipment, construction work)? Many of us don’t even realize that there even is an urban soundtrack until we’re not in the midst of it anymore.

But, whether it’s to the beach, the mountains, or the middle of a cornfield, we need to get away from the noise of man and take time to bask in God’s amazing creation. Now, quieting our life from the onslaught of social media, news, headphone-streamed music, etc., is vital as well—we must be still and know God (Psalm 46:10). But this is something different. This is about hushing the noise to hear the praises of Creation itself to the God who designed it all and spoke it into existence.

Start at sunrise and listen to the birds as they wake up with praise on their lips (well, beaks). Turn your attention to the trees. As the wind blows through the branches, you’ll hear the leaves applaud and cheer on their Creator. And then there’s the ocean (sans the screams of delighted children and various speakers blaring everything from country music to rap). Each wave that mounts up then crashes to the shore is a roar of acclaim to the Lord. Can you hear it?

What about the myriad flowers? Gardenias, jasmine, magnolia, roses—to name just a few. Not only do they burst forth in intricate beauty, but their distinct fragrances give testimony to God’s love and generous grace. From the hummingbird’s miraculous movements to the heavenly host throughout the universe, the Lord is being magnified through every detail of His workmanship.

The question is, Do you stop to glorify Him along with Creation? Take some time today to experience the joyful worship that’s all around you…and join the chorus of praise.

Praise the Lord! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! They are to praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded, and they were created. Praise the Lord from the earth, Sea monsters, and all the ocean depths; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; Animals and all cattle; Crawling things and winged fowl…They are to praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His majesty is above earth and heaven. (Psalm 148)

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.  

2 Timothy 3:1-4

As I traveled on a brief trip to see my stepmom (and chilled out—literally and figuratively—during long layovers in Newark and Detroit, which were odd mid-destinations between Jacksonville and Dulles), I devoured “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury (©1953). You likely read this short novel in high school, but probably don’t recall its profound literary connotations—and its dystopian reality certainly didn’t parallel that era as much as it does today. In fact, the intense relevance kind of messed with my head a bit, as I observe our current self-serving pleasure culture in relation to the decades-old warnings of authors like Bradbury and Orwell (see “Animal Farm” and “1984” as examples).

In this novel, society had deteriorated (or advanced, depending on one’s perspective) to passive happiness-seeking. Critical thinking—or any pondering at all—had been deemed a bad thing. The powers-that-be constantly fed people meaningless input and commercials through four-wall always-on screens and always-in earbuds (sounds eerily familiar). Over time, people didn’t want to waste time reading books, so classics and modern works were summarized to a couple pages, then reduced to a column, then minimized to a line or two—dare I say “280 characters” in today’s vernacular. People became seemingly “well read” and informed, although it was all a delusion. But even that nugget of insight was too much for individualized evaluation, so the entire concept of books became a thing of the past (and illegal), replaced by mind-numbing input of the system.

But the spiritual implications of “Fahrenheit 451” also struck me as quite weighty. See, even the attention span of today’s Christians has deteriorated. We want to be entertained at church, told how awesome we are and how great life can be. We certainly don’t want to be convicted in any way—the darkness in our life is just fine without the light of truth shining in on it. Instead of God’s Word being taught, line by line, with context and application, Christians want good soundbites. A verse sprinkled in here or there that aligns with the pulpit Ted-talk du jour, and modern churchgoers deem themselves “well-versed” in the Bible. No thinking or pondering needed. And when God says something we don’t like, we simply toss it out as “irrelevant to modern culture”—it interferes with our happiness and pleasure, so no thanks. 

Then, suddenly (but not-so-suddenly), God’s Word is completely irrelevant. So is God. Stadiums full of people are lulled into thinking all is well from the mouth of a wolf clothed in a toothy white smile.

Friend, do not be deceived. The Bible is not only as relevant today as it was when God-inspired men wrote it, it is essential. Following God’s Word is not about limiting our happiness, but rather about ensuring our safety, satisfaction, and joy. Let’s not give in to watery, meaningless Sunday messages, cutting and pasting to make the Bible reflect the world. Find a church that stands firmly on God’s Word, shedding Light into an ever-present darkness. And open your own Bible. Don’t know where to start? Genesis 1:1 is a great place: “In the beginning, God…”

Heavenly Father, as the enemy’s time runs short, strengthen the pastors, teachers, and churches that hold fast to Your Truth, proclaiming the whole Word. Open the eyes of men and women who are being deceived from wolf-occupied pulpits.