Hemmed in on All Sides
When we feel like the whole world is against us, we can confidently say that we were warned by Jesus of that very thing. But why does fear of being despised by the world fill us with so much anguish?
John 17:14-18 (NASB)
[14] “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.[15] “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them *from *the evil one. [16] “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.[17] “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.[18] “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
It could be that we are not trusting enough in the Lord's judgement in all circumstances that we are fearful when reproached. It could be that we were taught at an early age to try and blend in with the world. It could be that we don't want to be left out. But in all of these cases, we have not shown faith in the Lord's way of accomplishing His goals and plan. What then are we to do? The answer I think lies in the term "testing". Most of us will avoid being tested in our circumstances at all costs. We don't want to fail and so we don't allow the lord to have His perfect work in us. We seem to want to stay in our present state instead of growing. We seem to instinctively know that some growth requires being put into a hot situation; precisely the thing we wish to avoid. It tells us in the book of James that situations can perfect us.
James 1:2-4 (NASB)
[2] Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various *trials, [3] knowing that the testing of your faith produces *endurance. [4] And let *endurance have its perfect *result, so that you may be *perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The word used here for perfect, teleios, means finished - that which has reached it's goal or end. Hence the idea of completeness and perfection. The Lord obviously wants to complete us - to make us like Jesus who is perfect in every way. However, He cannot accomplish that unless we are willing to go through these trials that have been placed before us. Has He not said in the book of Hebrews that there is a need for practice when partaking of the word of God?
Hebrews 5:13-14 (NASB)
[13] For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. [14] But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Isn't there a progression in our Christian walk which involves the accumulation of degrees of godliness?
2 Peter 1:3-9 (NASB)
[3] seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us *by His own glory and *excellence. [4] *For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. [5] Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral *excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, [6] and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, [7] and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. [8] For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Doesn't it seem logical that we may have to endure something in order to gain these qualities; that we don't run in the opposite direction from them? We are in the Lord's hands now, we are not of this world, so doesn't it seem that maybe the ways of the world's logic might not apply here? The Lord knows what we need better than we know ourselves. Besides, as we go through these trials we also accomplish the Lord's plan in the lives of others. Maybe the best course of action is to pray for strength and wisdom during those times and forget our fears.
- LW
John 17:14-18 (NASB)
[14] “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.[15] “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them *from *the evil one. [16] “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.[17] “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.[18] “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
It could be that we are not trusting enough in the Lord's judgement in all circumstances that we are fearful when reproached. It could be that we were taught at an early age to try and blend in with the world. It could be that we don't want to be left out. But in all of these cases, we have not shown faith in the Lord's way of accomplishing His goals and plan. What then are we to do? The answer I think lies in the term "testing". Most of us will avoid being tested in our circumstances at all costs. We don't want to fail and so we don't allow the lord to have His perfect work in us. We seem to want to stay in our present state instead of growing. We seem to instinctively know that some growth requires being put into a hot situation; precisely the thing we wish to avoid. It tells us in the book of James that situations can perfect us.
James 1:2-4 (NASB)
[2] Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various *trials, [3] knowing that the testing of your faith produces *endurance. [4] And let *endurance have its perfect *result, so that you may be *perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The word used here for perfect, teleios, means finished - that which has reached it's goal or end. Hence the idea of completeness and perfection. The Lord obviously wants to complete us - to make us like Jesus who is perfect in every way. However, He cannot accomplish that unless we are willing to go through these trials that have been placed before us. Has He not said in the book of Hebrews that there is a need for practice when partaking of the word of God?
Hebrews 5:13-14 (NASB)
[13] For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. [14] But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Isn't there a progression in our Christian walk which involves the accumulation of degrees of godliness?
2 Peter 1:3-9 (NASB)
[3] seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us *by His own glory and *excellence. [4] *For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. [5] Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral *excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, [6] and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, [7] and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. [8] For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Doesn't it seem logical that we may have to endure something in order to gain these qualities; that we don't run in the opposite direction from them? We are in the Lord's hands now, we are not of this world, so doesn't it seem that maybe the ways of the world's logic might not apply here? The Lord knows what we need better than we know ourselves. Besides, as we go through these trials we also accomplish the Lord's plan in the lives of others. Maybe the best course of action is to pray for strength and wisdom during those times and forget our fears.
- LW