Faith in God: The only source of our confidence.

Lou Nicholes in Conquest of the Promised Land shared a wonderful story of faith and confidence: An

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American missionary couple and their family were home on furlough, and spending their vacation at a cabin near a lake. They had three children, ages twelve, seven and four. One day the four-year-old slipped away from his brother and sister, went out on the dock to play, and fell into the lake. He didn’t know how to swim, and he wasn’t wearing a life jacket. The screams of the two older children alerted the father to the danger. He ran to the dock, and the kids pointed to where their brother had fallen in.

The father dove into the lake. He went all the way to the bottom and felt around frantically for his little boy. Finally, he ran out of the air, came to the top, took another huge gulp of air, and went down again, searching for his son. On his way down a third time, he felt his little boy’s leg. He turned and found his four-year-old son with his arms and legs wrapped tightly around one of the pilings, about three feet below the water. The father pried him loose, carried him onto the lawn, and they both caught their breath.

After about thirty minutes, when things had calmed down and were restored to normal, the father asked, “Son, what were you doing down there, hanging on to that piling?” The little boy answered, “I was confident that my daddy would rescue me.

This story provides an excellent picture of how we should exert full confidence in God’s ability no matter what may lie ahead. Stephen Curry asserted, “I've always believed that success for anyone is all about drive, dedication, and desire, but for me, it is about confidence and faith.” When surrounded with ambiguities, there’s no other recourse but look at God’s direction. Others may see faith in God as an escape from reality but those who seek Him taps into the only source of enduring strength through faith in His power.

In these times of various troubles and increasing uncertainties, we need a sustainable strategy for developing confidence in our faith on a daily basis. First, it begins with a strong anchor of our faith in God since He began a good work in us: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). Martin Luther described, “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” 

Next, we must build our strength in God’s capability: Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). Helen Keller, being a blind person provided a clear perspective: Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

Like the boy in the story, we must follow and cooperate in agreement to God’s timetable: Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes (Psalm 37:7). Charles Stanley stressed, “Submitting to God's timetable requires faith and courage. Believe in the goodness of His heart and His plans--and determine to wait until He gives the signal to move forward. Then, as you follow His schedule, you'll experience the joy of watching Him make all things beautiful in His timing.”

In the end, it all boils down to whom we ware entrusting our faith and confidence. Are we going to trust in our limited ability or turn to God who is infinite in His ability to do great things? Wayne Jackson provided this reminder, “The study of “confidence” from the biblical standpoint is a wonderfully enlightening and profitable endeavor. Pursue it to your own benefit. And remember this, God does not want us to embrace a spirit of “fearfulness,” but one of power, love, and discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). Keep looking up to Him with faith, and He will respond to you according to your faith. Try it, and you will never be the same again!

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Keeping our Tongue Subdued

Dale A. Robbins explained: “It has been said that the “tongue” is one of the most exercised muscles of our body. It has been estimated that in a typical week, the average person will speak enough words to fill a 500-page book!” Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers stressed, “The first mark of true religion is gentleness of the tongue, just as the contrary, blasphemy, is the most damning fault of all.” These two statements are significant because they speak volume of the reality and consequence of using our tongue. Also, it is worth noting the tongue never gets tired of talking and even when the person is asleep it speaks. Moreover, there’s no tongue transplant, but other parts of the body get replaced when needed.    

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From a Christian perspective, subduing the tongue is a discipline one must learn repetitively. Somebody said,

It is a great art in the Christian life to learn to be silent. Under oppositions, rebukes, injuries, still be silent. It is better to say nothing than to speak in an excited manner, even if the occasion should seem to justify a degree of anger. By remaining silent the mind is enabled to collect itself and call upon God in secret prayer. And thus you will speak to the honor of your holy profession, as well as to the good of those who have injured you when you speak from God. (Source Unknown)

Another individual explained,

Maybe you’ve heard the old saying “You have two ears and one mouth—use them proportionately.” Almost all of us could stand to listen more and talk less. Rather than being compelled to tell everyone we meet everything we can fit into the length of the conversation, we should remember that one of wisdom’s best qualities is the ability to hold the tongue. (Source Unknown)

Moving from being talkative to subduing one's tongue indeed is hard work. It is making a daily decision of becoming a person of honor. It is where the Scriptures provided fundamental principles to follow on a day-to-day basis. First, let’s guard our mouth against speaking careless words. Matthew 15:11 described, “A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it." Sharing unsolicited opinions without value to the other person may worsen the situation. Someone said, “The problem today is that those who know the least know it the loudest” (Source Unknown). Next, let’s hold back our tongue from sweet talk and insincere flattery. Psalm 34:13 emphasized, “ Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.” Here’s something I learned worthy of sharing for additional knowledge:

The next time you receive a letter that carries the word "Sincerely" above the signature of the writer, pause a moment and think of the origin of that word. It was first used as "sincerely," meaning "without wax," by ancient sculptors to mark a flawless piece of work. Wax was then commonly employed to conceal defects, to patch a chipped nose, a poorly shaped finger, etc. Sincerely is too honest a word to be used loosely, but it is a good word when consciously employed (Source Unknown).

Finally, let’s safeguard our heart from any “root of bitterness” described in Hebrews 12:15. According to the Apostle John, it manifests in this way: “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). Alfred Auston wrote this realistic description of utilizing our tongue as a tool of blessing or animosity:

When you speak, speak clearly and naturally. Say what you mean and mean what you say; be brief and sensible. Words should drop from the lips as beautiful coins newly issued from the mint, deeply and accurately impressed, perfectly finished, neatly struck by the proper organs, distinct, sharp, in due succession and of due weight.

T. J. Bach shared from Pearls from Many Seas an excellent portrayal of the dynamics of cause and effect whenever our tongue is involved:

A careless word may kindle strife,

A cruel word may wreck a life,

A bitter word may hate instill,

A brutal word may smite and kill,

A gracious word may smooth the way,

A joyous word may light the day,

A timely word may lessen stress,

A loving word may heal and bless.

From the above descriptions, may we choose to bless not hurt others with our tongue.

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Overcoming Personal Insecurity

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Never become insecure about what others are doing beneficial to God’s work. Insecurity becomes an enemy of releasing great potential in an individual’s life. When you find yourself in this predicament, all level of creativity becomes dull and ineffective. Trusting in your gifts and what you are capable is crucial to achieving personal success. No one has everything, and remembering everyone has moments of insecurity helps us overcome ours. However, the difference with others is how they conquer their insecurities and becomes a stronger person than before.

Here’s a story found in Numbers 11:24-30 about an instance of insecurity attack:

“So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again. However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.”

The same scenario happened when John saw another performing what Jesus was doing:

“Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you” (Luke 9:49-50, ESV).

Just like how Moses provided them with an important truth, Jesus provided John the most important guideline in our service to God: “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.” No matter how you view it, God is not a respecter of persons. He wills and chooses whom He wanted. Just because a person is not part of our “exclusive” group, they must stop doing what they are doing. On the contrary, these instances are eye-openers for us that we are not alone in doing the task given to us. But unfortunately, this is where insecurity attacks people by often masking as a seeming concern for the individual or group where an outsider operates in the same way or better.

It is during this moment of seeming concern that a sharp discernment of what is going on in the person’s psyche is needed. Are they concern or just insecure of others sharing in the same gifting? Let’s learn to differentiate what’s real concern when there’s one and when insecurity is rearing its ugly head. Seeing the big picture like Moses and Jesus is more important than engaging in exclusions of others outside of our group especially when they are doing God’s work as we do.

What’s the best way of overcoming insecurity? First, admission is the first step and recognition of its reality in one’s life. I like how Kobe Bryant dealt with his insecurity:

“I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.' We all have self-doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it.”

Next, become open with the fact that God endowed people with various gifts and talents. Individuals received what is appropriate for them because “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 ESV). Finally, we must realize our uniqueness. When we do, we will never see other people as competitors but instead, see them as partners in the same work albeit in a different group. Remember, God is in the habit of doing various things His way in fulfilling His plans and purpose. If we are doing God’s plan and purpose, others are doing the same and they are part of God’s team just like us.

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When Things Are Rough

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How should anyone react to the rough and tough times one is facing? I believe that in all things, one should never lose hope but instead be filled with optimism. Nothing by shall any means for anyone to become pessimistic. 

Here’s a story to illustrate how all of us should have the right attitude in life: A little boy was overheard talking to himself as he strutted through the backyard, wearing his baseball cap and toting a ball and bat. "I'm the greatest hitter in the world," he announced. Then he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it, and missed. "Strike One!" he yelled. Undaunted, he picked up the ball and said again, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" He tossed the ball into the air. When it came down he swung again and missed. "Strike Two!" he cried. The boy then paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. He spit on his hands and rubbed them together. He straightened his cap and said once more, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" Again he tossed the ball up in the air and swung at it. He missed. "Strike Three! Wow!" he exclaimed. "I'm the greatest pitcher in the world!" (Hodgin,1994, loc. 1081).

Your attitude determines how circumstances impact your life. The little boy's circumstances hadn't changed, but his optimistic attitude prompted him to give an encouraging meaning to what had happened. There was an instance in the life of David that could teach us how to have the correct attitude during some rough times. In 1 Samuel 30:1-6, the story goes like this: “And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God” (KJV).

What happened to David and his men was indeed heartbreaking and their reaction was ordinary and reasonable. However, after they were pacified they put the blame on David even if all of them including David were affected. Yet they could not help but to blame him for their misfortune. It was a typical response for anyone to find fault. Someone must receive the brunt of it all. But instead of reacting, he retreated to a secluded place and “…encouraged himself in the Lord.”

This made David a remarkable character. He responded with the tragedy like any other men. He felt helpless and angry. He empathized and cried with his people. But what separated him from the rest was his own ability to rise above it all in spite of the negative reaction he faced from his men. He knew what to do at times like those. He gave us a great lesson to bear in mind: during rough times, don’t give up!

Like the little boy I mentioned in the story, he was like David, not allowing anything to deter him from looking at life from both perspectives. Some of us might call it “fighting spirit.” But the Scripture calls it hope. The most important lesson of them all is this: rough times are God’s opportunity to show His miracles when given the chance. Keep in mind that “God never leaves us nor forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5). Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”

What difficult time are you going through right now? Can you do something to change it? If you can, don't wait another day, make the needed changes. If you can't change the circumstance, however, change your attitude; you'll discover that circumstances won't have the last word.

 Sources:

Hodgin, M. (1994). 1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking: Fresh, Timely, and

Compelling Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Speaker. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Furr, N. (2011, June 9). How Failure Taught Edison to Repeatedly Innovate. Entrepreneurs.

Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanfurr/2011/06/09/how-failure-taught-edison-to-repeatedly-innovate/#6940913c38f5

Silence at the Right Time

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Somebody said, “It is a great art in the Christian life to learn to be silent. Under oppositions, rebukes, injuries, still be silent. It is better to say nothing, even if the occasion should seem to justify a degree of anger.” How does one keep silent when everything around is out of control especially when we say we are followers of Jesus? The apostle James emphasized, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26 ESV). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers explained, “The first mark of true religion is gentleness of tongue, just as the contrary, blasphemy, is the most damning fault of all.” Also, it highlights what Jesus reminds us of the words we speak affects our eternal future, “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:37, KJV).

How great is our little tongue? Interestingly, Dale A. Robbins explained, “It has been said that the “tongue” is one of the most exercised muscles of our body. It has been estimated that in a typical week, the average person will speak enough words to fill a 500-page book!” This is the reason why we should remember that one of the wisdom’s best qualities is the ability to hold the tongue. The simple fact is this: God gave us two ears and one mouth signifying which aspect of attitude one must apply in every conversation. Let’s keep in mind how God intended for which part needs more time and utilized during any discussions we engage in at the moment.

Personally, I had my share of irresponsible words causing greater problems, coming from allowing my emotional trigger of pride ahead of my logical thinking. In the end, I became embarrassed by my actions and apologized for what I did. Unfortunately, unkind words came out and cannot take back. And it caused the intended (not accidental) damage of belittling other’s opinion and negating their situation without any consideration for the long-term value of the relationship. Yes, I won the argument but lost a relationship, and my action resulted in bringing more negativity on both sides.

On the other hand, when is speaking out becomes appropriate? It becomes correct when there's an opportunity for explaining oneself and clarifying one’s stand. Also, it becomes suitable when done for the sake of agreement and maintaining relationship. Now, how does one respond when pride rears its ugly head and asserts itself being right and condemned you as wrong? This scenario allows an opportunity of choosing silence after everything is said and done in the right way. Moreover, silence acts as our ally in the situation without aggravating the situation any further.

Remember, it is no longer about asserting our right and insisting our defense but instead allowing God’s intervention of our cause. Consequently, there are three truths in every conflict: our side of the truth, their side of the truth and God’s truth. No matter what we do, only God brings out the truth in the end. Just continually trust Him for He knows what to do.

Applying silence needs constant practice. First, it begins with guarding our mouth against speaking careless words. Somebody said, “We have an epidemic of people sharing their opinions without regard to whether or not they have anything meaningful to say. Next, let’s hold back our tongue from sweet talk and insincere flattery. Here’s something to consider in this matter:

The next time you receive a letter that carries the word "Sincerely" above the signature of the writer, pause a moment and think of the origin of that word. It was first used as "sincerely," meaning "without wax," by ancient sculptors to mark a flawless piece of work. Wax was then commonly employed to conceal defects, to patch a chipped nose, a poorly shaped finger, etc. Sincerely is too honest a word to be used loosely, but it is a good word when consciously employed. ~ Source Unknown

Finally, safeguard our heart from any “root of bitterness.” Alfred Auston, Slips of Speech, Funk and Wagnalls Company commented,

When you speak, speak clearly and naturally. Say what you mean and mean what you say; be brief and sensible. Words should drop from the lips as beautiful coins newly issued from the mint, deeply and accurately impressed, perfectly finished, neatly struck by the proper organs, distinct, sharp, in due succession and of due weight.

At the end of the day, we make the choices affecting any situation towards success or failure. If at all possible, preserve the relationship even if you disagree with one another and if keeping the relationship is not feasible, settle everything amicably and separate ways as brethren in Christ.

Let’s talk again!