Last week we talked about whether God is Really enough. And we began a new sermon series to discuss it. You’ll remember I mentioned that I was listening to a song called “Fear Is a Liar”. And the more I thought about fear, it seemed to me that it controls a lot of things, even things pertaining to God. We seem to care drastically about what others think. Now I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be conscious of proper behavior and things that are acceptable in life. But I do believe that allowing others to control our joy can be debilitating. This is a mind controlled by fear, not God. Fear says, “I want others to think well of me therefore I’m controlled by what others think.” This translates to people-pleasing, rather than God- pleasing. Take Job for example. In the story of Job we take this even further. What if the Lord allows certain hardships to come into your life? You could honestly waste a good chunk of your life in anger, questioning “why”, or trying to figure out what you did to deserve it. The truth is, like Job, you may have done nothing. I’m not saying that some things we might have done in the past don’t have consequences. But God is concerned about where you are going, not where you’ve been. So perhaps we ought to simply rest in Him, as Job did, and allow it to play out how it will. Do everything you can that is right before the Lord. Spend time with Him, rely on His strength. And receive all your comfort from Him. Don’t worry about what others think. If you are surrendered to the Lord, and if you trust Him...none of that will matter. Control your character, because you can. But leave your reputation to God. I know we might think and sing “I surrender all”. But do we? I know I haven’t always done so, even when I think I have. Have we surrendered our comfort, jobs, ministry, health, reputation? Do we really hold loosely to everything we have and say like Job, “Shall we accept good from God and not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10)

I know none of us wants to be fearful, and nobody wants to worry about the “what ifs” and the “what abouts”. But oftentimes we do, and they honestly control us, many times for days. When this happens, Satan has taken us out of the game, and into ourselves. What God wants to do in and through us is delayed, and others do not see Christ in us to the Glory of God. But diverting our eyes from the problem or people, and gazing upon the Lord, will change our attitudes and our outlook...and this WILL be to the Glory of God. Hang in there...help is on the way, and in case you didn’t know it, it’s already here.

Love and prayers,

Dr. D.