“A lot of people are asking, ‘Is this all there is? Is this it?’ Like a drug, the benefits of power and money are transient, and one always needs another fix. Until a person can step out of this paradigm, happiness will remain elusive.” – Dr. Robert Hedaya

Today’s news is an endless stream of the popular, powerful, or prosperous, going through divorce, addiction, and worst of all, suicide. Yet most people in our culture still believe the paradigm that being popular, powerful or prosperous will bring happiness. In Contented, Pastor Jeff Gipe helps the reader step out of this paradigm and into the one solution that leads to finding peace in all things. Whether you have never set foot in a church or have been going to church for years, this book will put you on the path to true contentment.

Available Copies

I went for a walk along the banks of a small river on New Year’s Eve Day. It was snowing, and the forest was absolutely beautiful. It brought new life to my soul, and everywhere the path turned I found new inspiration and wonder. I returned to the same place a couple weeks later, on a bitterly cold, grey day, and it was dull, predictable and covered in treacherous ice. The snow was old, the way was rough, and I had to look harder for beautiful details. I didn’t stay very long.

On that initial walk, I lingered long, and resolved to come back on a daily basis. But reality set in: the early setting sun restricted my time, the bitter cold and icy paths made a long walk less inviting, and the fact of the matter is that I only visited that place twice this winter.

Today I’m thinking about resolutions and how we so eagerly begin things, and how quickly reality dampens our brightest hopes and reminds us that it’s cold and dreary February, and springtime is a long way off. There comes a time in winter when hibernation seems like the most sensible coping mechanism; but, unfortunately, that isn’t an option, and life must go on.

Why do we do new things?

It’s worthwhile to concentrate our energy and focus; it’s good to have goals and see them accomplished; it’s encouraging to have a fresh start and a blank page. New things are good, but new things cannot always remain new. What do we do with them once they have lost their newness and we are left with yet another thing to do?

Proverbs 24:16 says that a righteous man may fall seven times and yet rise again; is this merely a matter of dogged perseverance? Partially, some people are gifted with a natural tenacity and stubbornness, while others must simply resolve to keep going. Sometimes we give more weight to the feeling of the experience than the doing of it (a lovely, snowy path versus a treacherous, icy path, for example). But I think this matter goes deeper than a person’s willingness to bite the proverbial bullet and just do the thing.

Sustainability is something I’ve been seeking to cultivate in my own life in the past few years. This means I cannot commit to every new idea or opportunity that comes my way. Theoretically, I acknowledge that I cannot do everything, but only over the process of time am I learning to live my life in a way that includes fewer shocking changes and more thoughtful and faithful continuances. That’s what I like about the righteous man in Proverbs 24. He continues. He goes forward. He finds the path again. He keeps going.

As I seek wisdom in choosing a sustainable way of life, the idea of Sabbath continues to arise. Rest and margin in my life are necessary if I’m going to “run with endurance the race set before me.” This involves laying aside unnecessary burdens (a cause for consideration) and looking unto Jesus (let’s not miss the Person we’re running toward). [See Hebrews 12:1-2] The thing I love about Sabbath is that it’s not about getting every last bit of work done and then allowing oneself to rest. It’s inserting rest into the rhythms of our lives and regularly looking back to acknowledge what has been done, and that God is still good.

It can be a burden to see no end in sight of our responsibilities and resolutions; maybe not at first while the snow is still falling, but surely once the path is covered in ice and progress is slow, we begin to wonder if it’s really worth it. So, here are some things which help me insert a Sabbath mentality into my life and to sustainably keep going in the things that matter.

1. Appreciate what has been done.

Our globalized society is progressing so rapidly that it’s fairly common to feel left behind. There remains so much possibility ahead that we forget to pause and look back to appreciate how far we have come. This incorporates the Sabbath into our lives: the work will never be done, but we are set free to rejoice in life as it is. This applies to one another’s lives as well: I have found great joy in telling others that I notice and appreciate when they are doing something well. “Good job,” helps. So does, “Ta-da!”

2. Choose resolutions sustainably.

“Saying yes to one thing means saying no to many others, including the rest you may need,” some friends counseled me recently. It feels so good to have a long list of exciting new things; it feels less good when we find ourselves drowning in commitments we do not have the energy to keep. I believe saying yes is important and vital. We cannot always say no. Keeping an ongoing conversation in prayer with God about our present and potential commitments is a practice in both wisdom and humility. Once we’ve chosen to say yes, let’s ask Him for the grace to complete it well.

3. Be on the lookout for beauty and goodness.

In the midst of dreary February and settling routines, it’s more difficult to find the feeling of new inspiration. This is the time to put on our “goodness glasses” and begin looking for the goodness of the Lord all around us. For me, that means walks outside every day, looking for springtime, enjoying the sunshine when it appears, noticing the days growing a bit longer, keeping a fresh flower in my house at all times. They need not be expensive or extravagant things, but a bit of fresh goodness can bring beauty and inspiration into a normal routine. Open eyes are able to enjoy.

4. The routine is not our enemy.

While I am a massive fan of newness, I also get a bit anxious when life is in upheaval due to travel, change, holidays, etc. I have lately come to love and crave a consistent routine. With constant change comes constant decision making; I find exciting seasons to be fun but not sustainable long term, as my energies are used in the moment and not in long term progress. Boundaries on our time and schedules create healthy confines in which we can find stability and make daily progress in the right direction.

5. Peace and thankfulness.

The Bible exhorts us to “let the peace of God rule in our hearts, to which we were also called in one body, and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). Letting God’s peace rule in my heart has practical implications in my life: taking a deep breath in between tasks, getting sufficient sleep and nutrition, recognizing my own limitations (a 12-hour workday is not sustainable on a regular basis for me), not multitasking, being present in the moment and situation where I find myself, caring about the person in front of me, etc. It’s accepting that a day’s work has been sufficiently done and trusting the Lord and going to sleep. It’s also the process of giving thanks: especially at the end of the day, when I find myself unsure if I have made any progress at all, I am helped by making a concrete list of what has been accomplished or begun or continued, and also what beauty I’ve noticed.

Life keeps moving forward, and so shall we. The social experiment known as New Year’s Resolutions has taught us, at the very least, that it is desirable to begin new things, yet difficult to sustain them. Now is a great season to reevaluate our commitments, look for the beauty in the normal routine and look unto Jesus as we keep on walking. It’s a good time of year to rejoice. It’s a good time of year to look back and see what God has already done and to take a deep breath and enjoy exactly where we are, and having done so, to go on.

“That day the Spirit led [Simeon] to the temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as You have promised. I have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of Your people Israel’” (Luke 2:27-32).

The day had come. Perhaps Simeon waited for decades or just a few days, but the “promise given” was now the “promise fulfilled.” He came “by the Spirit” that day, ascending the Temple Mount at just the right time. He saw all the typical, daily activity there: conversations and theological debates, prayers, songs and ceremonies, and sacrificial animals being led to the place of their execution to make things right between God and the worshiper. Then he saw them. A young Galilean couple carrying their first baby to be dedicated as God’s Word commanded. Perhaps God handed down that mandate knowing that THIS day, THIS couple would bring THIS Son who was being prepared for “all the people” as a future sacrifice.

Simeon not only saw this face in the crowd, he understood that to see the face of Jesus, was to see Salvation. What was true for Simeon is true for us. To see Jesus for who He is, and to embrace Him and worship, as Simeon did, is to be truly ready to “die in peace.”

That face in the crowd had come to die for the crowd, the whole crowded world. See Him. Embrace Him. Find peace in Him.

International relations. What a mess. What a picture of unregenerate human relations on a diplomatic scale. And yet nations have gone to great lengths to keep the peace with sometimes honorable results. We celebrate national holidays, remembering those who died in wars. Wars, which are often the result of failed international policies and the cycle goes on. Then there are those attempts at diplomacy like the one that occurred between the kings Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France during the Renaissance known as the “Field of the Gold Cloth.”

Tensions were rising between the two nations. Ah, the English and the French. Mais oui! But as their respective monarchs were somewhat related and as they were enjoying a time in history, when people were supposed to be more reasonable, it was decided the two would meet in a neutral location—just outside of Calais.

Both kings were fiercely proud of their culture and wealth.

They erected an entire village out of tents for each country. The tents were made of the finest materials including golden thread to show off the monarch’s power and opulence. They organized games, balls and feasts, each side trying to impress the other. The mood was light but competitive, proud and strategic. The finest athletes from each camp competed for their kingdom’s honor but in no way were the two sovereigns to compete directly with each other. This was an event to discourage war, to build ties of brotherhood and marry off their children.¹

Then it happened. One king in his zeal for his own glory stuck his proverbial chest out too far. A challenge was issued and national honor suddenly was at stake. The Showtime series, The Tudors, gives an interpretation of this challenge.²

Yes this really happened. They didn’t look like current day male models, but they really did wrestle. What inspired me about this page of history wasn’t just the mental image I got of our own world leaders wrestling for peace, although I did have a good laugh. No what inspires me is the aftermath. Upon his return, the embittered Henry VIII took a detour to visit rival Charles V and struck a deal in a more humble setting.³ This treaty, and not the Field of Cloth, would change European history.

In the end, all the pomp and self-promotion did nothing to promote peace between England and France.

Looking at matters from our perspective of history, it stands to reason that if two people insist upon outdoing each other to become friends, they will inevitably clash. In light of the Gospel, we see an even darker side to their behavior.

Jesus was the One who knew no sin to become sin for us that we might receive His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). The exact opposite of self-promotion. Seen in this way, our efforts at self-glorification, even if they are unconscious, are contrary to the way we’re called to walk (Micah 6:8).

Are we as Christians guilty of the same error? As sinners, yes. Christian self-promotion can go from displays of how humble we are, how much we are praying for someone, to how many people we’ve personally led to the Lord. Quite honestly, it doesn’t tend to bring brothers and sisters together. That being said, there is nothing wrong with sports, games or friendly competitions between believers where each side is doing their best. That’s enjoying life and being a good teammate. The trash talk before or after the game, well, that might be another story as our two wrestling kings have already proven.

In the same way, in the professional world, one may have to remind their boss of what they are doing especially when reviews and pay raises are at stake. Artists will have to promote their work, and anyone looking for a job should make their résumé stand out. But this is not the same as reminding friends how incredibly awesome your life is and not taking the time to hear if others might be crying around you.

In response to this, some have chosen self-deprecation as a false form of humility. Notice that Charles V, was in no way self-deprecating. He was wisely humble. Humility is seeing ourselves for who we are. It begins by looking through God’s truth. In the light of His Word we see that we are sinners to the core. The prophet Jeremiah even speaks of our heart being so darkened that we can’t discern it ourselves (Jeremiah 17:19). We recognize that even the good things we do are often motivated by unworthy desires. In a word, we are sinners. But the truth also tells us we are saved by grace (Romans 3:23-24).

Through rebirth, we become children of God.

This means we belong to Him in the dearest way. We don’t have to prove ourselves; He has already accepted us and welcomes us to come find His affection to warm our soul. We are now identified in Him, not by what we do, but by who we’ve become and one day, who He will make us to be. In this way through His Spirit, He makes the coward brave, the former thief honest, the angry person peaceful and even humbles the proud to boot.

The beauty to this approach is its inevitable pull to glorify God. Jesus-promotion is an entirely different attitude all together. It brings people together and recenters their conversation and vision on the One who is truly worthy of all praise.

Notes:

¹ Connaissance Des Arts. “François Ier Et Henri VIII : Les Traités Diplomatiques Du Camp Du Drap D’or.” YouTube. March 30, 2015. Accessed July 25, 2018

² Zarl. “The Tudors – Francis I vs. Henry VIII.” YouTube. November 24, 2010. Accessed July 25, 2018.

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I will never forget the day I received the hospital bill in our mailbox. I was having a particularly cheerful day up until that moment. As I reached in and perused the typical “junk” advertisements for a car lot sale, coupons for Memorial Day closeouts and an invitation to an exotic getaway cruise to the Caribbean, I began opening a letter addressed to my wife and I from the hospital. She had given birth to our son who was born two months premature due to a placental abruption. Thankfully, he was home and healthy, thanks to the incredible work of the nurses and doctors of the neonatal intensive care unit. We knew our insurance would be covering most of the bill, but here was the final verdict in my hands at last. I opened the letter and almost collapsed. It stated that our insurance refused coverage, and we owed the hospital around $115,000! Needless to say, I decided the Caribbean cruise could be our escape from the country before we had to pay the money…

For the entire day, I paced the house frantically. I prayed constantly. I spoke with my wife, and our conversation was vigorous and stressful. I texted my friends and asked them to intercede for us. I looked at the letter over and over again with contempt, asking God why He would do this to us. That day stands in my life as a textbook example of anxiety. And little did I know it would all change with a simple phone call later that evening…

Consider the things that make you and me anxious.

Finances, health, relationships, public speaking or losing something. Maybe it is the fear of something much more ordinary, like traffic or the to-do list in front of you today. Many people are anxious about failing or even succeeding. They begin worrying about the outcomes of situations, and then allow that worry to consume them. Eventually, their heart rate and blood pressure rise. They eat less (or more!) and unhealthily. They lose sleep. They grow exhausted and lash out at people they are in relationship with. Soon their thoughts consume them and cripple them. The peace that could be theirs is void, and every day becomes another futile exercise in fear. Some people turn to medication or therapy to help them cope with the difficulties. And it all stems from anxiety.

The Scriptures aren’t silent about anxiety.

Paul tells the Philippian church plainly: “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:5b-7).

Did you catch that? “Do not be anxious about anything.” That pretty much sums it up! We aren’t to allow our minds to succumb to anxious thoughts but to bring our concerns in prayer and gratitude to the Lord. And we are promised that His peace (which is far greater than the peace that comes from understanding) will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

I’m reminded of the time Jesus’ disciples were faced with almost certain death. They were in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. This sea has a reputation for fierce squalls appearing virtually out of nowhere and becoming life-threatening within minutes. When this happened, notice what Jesus was doing:

“And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” (Matthew 8:23-27).

The disciples had every “right” to be anxious. Matthew points out that the storm was “great,” and that the boat was being swamped by the waves. This wasn’t a small storm, this was a strong tempest that had the potential to capsize the boat and drown all 13 of them. Because of that, they had every right and reason to be worried. No doubt they were probably trying to steer the boat safely, protecting themselves and seeking to expel the water that had swamped the boat. But what was Jesus doing?

Jesus was asleep. As the wind was howling, the waves were rising, the water crashing, the disciples screaming, the storm threatening, Jesus wasn’t worried. He was at rest. The disciples woke Him up and asked Him to save them. His response is telling: “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” That seems like an easy question to answer. “Why are we afraid? Because of certain death! Because of the wind! Because of the waves! Because our boat is about to sink!” But Jesus gets to the root of fear and anxiety: It is rooted in a lack of faith.

Anxiety is, in its truest definition, insubordination. It is a lack of faith.

Think about it, when we are anxious, we are placing our faith, rest and peace in circumstantial providence, not in sovereign providence. We think that by worrying about a problem, we will solve it. Worrying solves the problem no faster than ignoring it. Both of these are unbiblical responses and will only lead to hardship. We must submit it to the Lord.

We have a choice with every anxious thought to either bear it on our shoulders, ignore it and hope it disappears, or to cast it on the Lord, knowing He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Today, as you are reading this, what are you anxious about? Are you dealing with the problem or pretending it will go away? Are you harboring worry and fear in your mind or bringing the problem to Jesus? The disciples may have been afraid, but I like that they brought their concern to Jesus. Immediately, He rebuked the winds and the sea, and Matthew says “There was a great calm.” Is Jesus concerned about your problem? Is He capable of handling it?

The night I received the hospital bill, I made a phone call to our insurance company. Apparently there had been a billing glitch, and they apologized and said to disregard the bill. They would fully cover it! I fell out of my chair and ran around the room exclaiming God’s goodness. I had wasted an entire day stressing about an issue that didn’t even exist. I learned a valuable lesson that day: My job is not to live as a practical atheist, attempting to best God at His work. I needed to simply submit and rest and trust that either this was Him testing me or proving me, but even if we owed triple that amount, He would be glorified in and through our lives.

If we are subordinate to God’s authority and provision in our lives, we won’t step out of order and bear the responsibility of the outcome of our situations. God is sovereignly working all things for His glory and our ultimate good, and we need to trust that. If we will submit to His Lordship and rest, we will like Jesus be at peace in the boat no matter what storms rage around us. Even if that boat ends up being a cruise ship to the Caribbean.

I wasn’t always a pastor. I remember the first job I had in college, working for my uncle at his car lot in a questionable part of town. I drove my old ’86 Dodge convertible to work each day and always parked it with the top down on the side of the car lot because if I parked it on the lot, someone would make me an offer way below what it was worth to me. One day I went to get something out of the back seat and noticed my stereo had been stolen! I looked on the floorboard and console and noticed Skittles scattered everywhere (those small bite-sized addicting candy samples of the rainbow).

Looking outside of the car, I found more Skittles scattered on the ground. So, being the Sherlock Holmes that I am, I got in my car and began to follow the trail of Skittles. Sure enough, when I came around the corner, following the crime trail, I found the perpetrators: a group of neighborhood street teens who were walking down the road with backpacks (probably filled with the spoils of their other victims), and unbelievably, some of them were indeed eating Skittles! Busted! Red-handed! I gassed the ignition and pulled up to a screeching halt and almost leapt from my convertible. For a split second I almost blurted out “citizens arrest!!” but decided not to, against my better judgment. In the end, they feigned ignorance and then quickly cut down a side street before I could give them a pat down and at least get the rest of the bag of Skittles for my trouble. Needless to say, I never saw my stereo again.

In a word, I was robbed. I never saw it coming. I was happily enjoying my tunes one day, and the next I was buying 28 D-batteries to power up a boombox to put in the passenger seat, so I at least had some 90s DC Talk to jam to on the way to work.

Has this ever happened to you? No—not ripped off by some candy-toting teens…but robbed? As pastors, leaders or servants in the church, we serve in a space where something very important can easily be robbed from us: our joy. It is so critical that we take time to evaluate, recenter our perspective and ensure that we are ministering from a place of overflowing joy.

If we were to go on a quick journey through the Scriptures, it wouldn’t take long to be reminded again of the joy it is to know the Lord and minister the gospel to the ends of the earth.

THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

Let’s start at a familiar passage and reminder of our stewardship:

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey” (Matthew 25:14-15).

This may be a very familiar parable, but don’t miss the context: Jesus is speaking about the kingdom of heaven. This is Matthew 25, and in the thick of what is called the Olivet Discourse, that powerful prophetic discussion that Jesus has with His disciples on the Mount of Olives after leaving the temple where Jesus had been teaching. One of His disciples was overwhelmed by the beauty of the temple and made a remark about the stones and the architecture. And Jesus’ immediate response was unnerving. He basically said, “Yeah these are great…for a few more years…before each stone will be torn down.” And that response prompted the disciples to ask when the Lord Jesus would return and what the evident signs accompanying His return would be for them to pay attention to.

This is a parable told right after the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, and right after Jesus said, “No man knows the day or the hour.” He’s speaking about the end, about His second coming, about the kingdom, about eternity. And when He uses the word “talents,” we’ve kind of mistaken the idea behind that word. In fact, the English use of “talent” for a natural or supernatural aptitude is believed to have come from this very parable! But the Greek word is talanton and simply means a sum of money or a weight. Most scholars regard a talent as equal to about 6,000 denarii. That means one talent is about 20 years salary. Your life savings, in effect, is in just one talent.

So Jesus’ parable describes a master traveling to a far country, calling His servants and delivering a life’s worth of stewardship to him. One receives five-lifetimes worth, if you would. Another receives enough to stretch two-lifetimes. And one was given enough to do a life’s worth of work. We all know where the story goes from here:

“Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them” (Matthew 25:16-19).

We know of course that the master commends the first two men who invested the incredible amounts that were stewarded to them, and the master then condemns the third man who buried the one talent given to him. I always thought the third guy got a bad wrap—at least he didn’t lose the one talent! It may have been buried, but it wasn’t lost! The two other servants could have made a bad investment…what did he do so wrong?

If we understand the context, Jesus isn’t talking about money, and it is a stretch to say He’s speaking about earthly talents bestowed from above like being able to play the ukulele or juggle bowling pins. Jesus is speaking about a life’s investment. What will we do with what was given to us as our life’s trust? Will we bury it—do nothing but stow away what has been entrusted to us with the short time we have on this planet? Or will we invest it and grow it so that it yields a harvest? However, something jumped out at me recently when reading this parable. There’s a phrase I hadn’t noticed before. Look at what happens with the one who received the five talents and earned five more…notice what the master says to him:

THE JOY OF YOUR LORD

“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord'” (Matthew 25:20-21).

“Enter into the joy of your Lord.” Obviously a picture of heaven—because later to the one who squandered his life’s trust, he was cast out into darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. So this joy is something descriptive of heaven—it is the joy OF YOUR LORD. It is something that we enter into, and Jesus started the parable saying this is what the kingdom is like. When we are taking what is entrusted to us, and using it for His glory and others’ good, there is in a sense an entering into the joy of our Lord.

Perhaps that describes you as you are reading this. You’ve been ministering in your own strength, out of duty and not delight. The work you are doing for the Lord is not a “get to,” but a “got to.” The Lord wants to refresh you in His presence with a renewed mind and desires for you to minister from the overflow of a deep abiding relationship with His Son, in whose presence there is fullness of joy.

George Bernard Shaw points out:

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one: the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”

JOY THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE

Throughout the Scripture there is a wealth of verses that describe to us the joy that is ours, and for a moment we have an opportunity to enter into the joy of our Lord. I have found these generally fall into two categories: His part (meaning promised joy from above), and our part (meaning what our response is due to His nature and work in our lives). Take a few moments to read these verses and be encouraged at the joy that is ours in Christ:

HIS PART

• “In Your presence is fullness of joy”– (Psalm 16:11).
• “Weeping may remain for the night, but joy comes in the morning”– (Psalm 30:5).
• “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation”– (Isaiah 12:3).
• “The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing”– (Zephaniah 3:17).
• Jesus said, “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance”– (Luke 15:7).
• We are promised that Messiah will give us, “Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified”– (Isaiah 61:3).
• “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full”– (John 15:11).

OUR PART

• “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord”– (Psalm 100:1).
• “Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful”– (Psalms 33:1).
• “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep”– (Romans 12:15).
• “But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; yes, let them rejoice exceedingly”– (Psalm 68:3).
• “Rejoice in the Lord always. (in case you have a short attention span, he says) Again I will say, rejoice!”– (Philippians 4:4).
• “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice”– (Philippians 1:18).
• “Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!”–( I Chronicles 16:10).
• “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy”– (I Peter 4:12-13).
• “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience”– (James 1:2-3).
• “But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end”– (Hebrews 3:6, NKJV).
• “Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You”– (Psalm 51:8-13).
• “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels”– (Isaiah 61:10).
• “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”– (Hebrews 12:2).
• And perhaps the most timely verse of all for we who labor in a field sowing the seed of the Word and praying for it to land on fertile ground to reap a 100-fold harvest: Psalm 126:5-6 reminds us that, “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Spurgeon said, “There is a marvelous medicinal power in joy. Most medicines are distasteful; but this, which is the best of all medicines, is sweet to the taste, and comforting to the heart. This blessed joy is very contagious. One dolorous spirit brings a kind of plague into the house; one person who is wretched seems to stop all the birds from singing wherever he goes . . . [But] the grace of joy is contagious. Holy joy will oil the wheels of your life’s machinery. Holy joy will strengthen you for your daily labor. Holy joy will beautify you and give you an influence over the lives of others.”

May the joy of the Lord be our strength once again. May His presence guide us, for in His presence is fullness of joy. My prayer is that we will enter into the joy of our Lord…not necessarily through an untimely death—but by joining in His kingdom’s advancing work wherever we are, to the ends of the earth.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned living in a massive city like Paris, it’s that distraction is often times an attractive means to hide uncertainty.

When we were hit with the terrorist attacks, there was a time of grief and shock, especially as the media constantly reminded us of the horrors of what happened. After the initial shock of the terrorist attacks of November 13th, everyone longed for the day we would wake up, and life would go on. Our conversations would vacillate between what we had all just been through, while trying to keep up in this increasingly busy world. First there was the COP 21, the ecologists new hope for protecting the earth. Though people were touched by the historic treaty, and it struck with the world’s leaders, there was still an atmosphere of uncertainty. Then, we moved into the Christmas season. It took some time for people to feel safe in shopping centers, but steps were taken to ensure public safety. In the end, it worked, and the holidays were celebrated a little more quietly than years past. Now, we are back to work, and there is much uncertainty: politics, world economy, immigration, new laws, and more protection. So, the train of life moves forward, even over a road of new distractions that masks uncertainty and covers fear.

Uncertainty can help us seek the only One who is constant no matter what we face.

Fear can even be a gift. I’m reminded of that when I’m on a high place, and I feel dizzy apprehension. Fear can actually protect me and send me into fight-or-flight to get me out of a threatening situation. Fear and uncertainty can also be crippling. That’s why the world’s answer of distraction is so attractive. What can be a better way to forget than to watch the Force Awakens in 3D a fourth time or more refreshing than to expend nervous energy in a gym? At least we’re not immobile; at least we are not letting the terrorists win!

At the same time, I’ve seen something else happening. Many churches are spending time praying, praying together, and praying for each other. As we’ve taken the occasion to reach out, we’ve seen that people on the street are receptive to the Gospel. Yet I also noticed the temptation to give into fear and live in distraction. There are still some people who are afraid to go out, and there are others who purposely haven’t slowed down. These very different movements are present in daily life, both hoping to shape our days, and in the end, our tomorrow’s. This is what brings me again and again to the voice of Paul at a dark time in his life when he was writing his last letter to his dear friend Timothy.

2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

As I look back to this verse, I’m reminded of what I’ve been given. It’s done. In fact, it happened long before I was born. The day Jesus rose again, He went to visit His disciples who were also facing uncertain times and fear. He appeared in the midst of them, breathing on them, and giving them the Spirit. I can’t help but notice He didn’t first say, “Yeah, things are pretty bad, but just try to think about something else. Go to the gym or go watch a movie, and by the way, here’s the Spirit!” No, it was more like, “Peace be with you; receive the Spirit.” I feel that’s a message for us in this time.

Jesus knows the difficulty, and I rather think He is more interested in filling us with peace than letting us flow in the wave of distraction or sink in the pit of fear.

God surely didn’t give me a Spirit of fear, so why should I hold on to it?

What He gave, though, is everything I want to cling to, and really, what we need today! The verse says power. Power to live in such a way that glorifies Jesus in a rapidly changing world that is seeking its solutions in the glory of man. It’s not an election year in France, but many of the same issues are being brought up that I see in the US news. We are looking for someone who can lead the way to better international relations, a more prosperous economy… Many are pessimistic about what they see, but I’m not. God has the power to open doors for the Gospel, and He’s doing it in many unexpected ways.

In the same way, we need love to live out the Gospel in a time when many denounce hate, and yet, can hatefully marginalize their political opponents or professional rivals. There is a real social debate that has opened up with the presence of our new immigrants and our efforts to increase security. Love is what I need when I want to share with nationals that feel invaded, as well as refugees fighting to find a new way of life and many that are returning back to where they came from. Love that is stronger than fear; love poured out in my heart by the Spirit.

Lastly, we need to keep our wits about us. We need a sound mind to keep it all in perspective as the world continues its spin out of control. Having a sound mind is a strength as it answers the unreasonable questions fear and uncertainty use to cripple us. This is why I’m so thankful for Jesus’ solution. It’s much more healthy and hopeful – His Spirit, bringing a new hope for a new day.