The Mighty God of Comfort

We worship a God of comfort.
We worship a God of might.
Our God is a mighty God of comfort!

The stark reality is that, apart from God, we are enslaved to our sinful nature. We do not have the ability within ourselves to break free from our prison that separates us from our Creator. But wait, there is good news. God's plan has always been to step in and save us for himself; to set us free to live a life of abundance, purpose, and power.

"Look, Yahweh will come with might and power.... Like a shepherd he will come to tend his flock." (see Isaiah 40.10,11)

With might and power . . . like a shepherd!

Hold these images together. God is not only transcendent (above and beyond the universe he created), he is immanently close, dwelling among his people, caring for his flock. The scripture not only testifies to God's power and strength, but of his mercy and comfort also. He is a mighty God of comfort.

As children of God, we have been given the privilege to experience life and ministry with others in a similar manner. We can live in the power of God's strength and overflow with his mercy.

Many of us, however, focus on one attribute more than the other - possibly to the exclusion of the other. Some of us express gifts of mercy and grace. We give. We serve. We help out. We wear ourselves out! :-)

Others of us exert power and influence. We lead. We direct. We make things happen. We make ulcers happen! :-)

Don't forget that God is a mighty God of comfort. His strength can be ours. In fact, it is ours. Paul when writing Timothy reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power (1 Tim 1.7). His mercy can be ours as well (2 Cor 1.3,4).

Let's hold these truths in tandem so that we might experience anew the might and comfort of God in our lives.

Is Worry Wrong?

Fear. Anxiety. Worry.

Common enough topic for a "self-help" blog: How to overcome worry. But it is the assumption behind the issue that I want to address: "Is worry wrong?"

I think we can agree that worry isn't healthy for us. High and continuous levels of stress and anxiety can play a number on our immune system, cardiovascular system, and even change our brain chemistry. (And no, I don't have the studies cited but you can probably google them. Besides, I'm aware from personal experience that anxiety can't be good for me - too much worry makes my tummy upset!)

But is it sin?

The biblical answer is that a lack of faith or trust in God's goodness on the one hand or his ability to provide for our needs on the other is indeed sin. And since worry, or so it is often preached from the pulpit, means we are fretting over some issue we can not control, we are by definition not relying on God's grace and providence.

I do not necessarily disagree with this traditional explanation. However, here are some thoughts to chew on. Although a specific incidence of worry may indeed be a sin (and truly indicate a forsaking of trusting in God), I would state it the other way. It is the lack of belief and trust in God which is sin, and often that can express itself in worry and anxiety.

See the different starting point? While the "preacher from the pulpit" and I agree that not believing God's word to us about himself is missing the mark when it comes to Christian living, I am not so quick to condemn the expression of worry out of hand.

And not just because I'm trying to make excuses for myself. Here's why.

Worry should probably be likened to temptation - it is neither good nor bad, right nor wrong in and of itself. It just is. An anxious thought is an emotional signal that is giving us some information that needs to be brought into the light and looked at and decided upon.

Like anger. The Apostle Paul instructs us that in our anger we are not to sin (see Ephesians 4.26). He didn't say anger is sin. It could be. It could lead to sin. But the emotion itself is a signal that something is disturbing us. It's what we do with that emotion that makes the difference.

Back to worry. The question then is how we will respond to this signal. Will we turn to God in prayer (Paul's prescription in Philippians 4.6) or will we go it alone? You can probably guess which path God wants us to follow.

Now another issue is that, because of the change in our brain chemistry that extended anxiety can cause, a predisposition to worry may be more of a biological issue than we realize. This is not to make excuses. It is to put the solution in context. As with an alcoholic who might have a predisposition for drink, the consummate worrier must seek help from without (possibly medication, join a support group, and more) as well as from within (prayer, scripture memorization, and more).

This is not doubting that God can heal one's condition (whether it be drug dependence, fear, worry, et al). It is acting on the decision to place one's trust in God by seeking to grow into Christ's likeness. If we know we struggle with worry and that an expression of the fruit of the Spirit is peace, then we have a decision to make. Are we going to persist in fear and give in to our anxieties or are we going to do everything we can to "flunk out of the school of worry" and live the life of abundance that God has in store for us?

I want to choose the latter. That is an act of faith. And when we present our requests to God in such a manner, we have this promise that "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus." (See Phil 4.7)

Prayer of Jabez & Secrets of the Vine

The Prayer of Jabez
Breaking Through to the Blessed Life
by Bruce Wilkinson (Multnomah, 2000)

This simple little book caused quite a stir a few years ago. Anything popular does. While some of the concern was valid, most was manufactured in order to sell opposing books. I think publishing houses look for bandwagons to jump onto or shoot at.

One misplaced accusation centered on what some said was a formulaic prescription for instant success. And while Jabez' prayer (in 1 Chronicles 4.9-10) is quite succinct, it isn't necessarily a magic pill. In fact, Wilkinson's extended devotional on these verses reveals a balanced view that prayer is to be infused with confident humility.

For those not familiar with the "four easy prayers" (critics' view, not mine) to a blessed life, they are:

• "Oh, that You would bless me indeed!"
• "Oh, that You would enlarge my territory!"
• "Oh, that Your hand would be with me!"
• "Oh, that You would keep me from evil!"
  

These are not selfish requests. When placed in the context of living for God, whom the author makes clear is the true source of all blessing, then these petitions are rightly extended to mean:

• Bless me in order to make me a blessing.
• Increase my influence and impact for You.
• Without You I can do nothing that lasts.
• Protect me from evil and causing evil.
  

Still not satisfied with the brevity of this work? Well, this wasn't meant to be a theological tome. It is what it is - a devotional. Is there more to be said? Yes. In fact, in Bruce Wilkinson's follow up book, he explores John 15 and the pruning (discipline) we must experience if we truly are going to experience a life of abundance.

Secrets of the Vine
Breaking Through to Abundance
by Bruce Wilkinson (Multnomah, 2001)

Taken together, these two little volumes pack an important positive message for believers going through struggle, doubt, and uncertainty. Recommended reading.

For more resources, visit The Breakthrough Series.