Bad bosses and uncertain futures

These two items, bad bosses and uncertain futures, can sew such a fear in our souls. They contest our control on our destiny. They question our ability to control the situation at hand. The unknown aspect of what they can do to us gives birth to an anxiety we never knew we were capable of having.

Well, here is a public service announcement. The Old Testament is overflowing with wise counsel and examples of people who survived. You are certainly not alone if either of these are causing overwhelming feelings. Bad bosses and uncertain futures have been a bad thing since the dawn of time, since man decided to be his own boss.

Those believers who held on despite the odds were placed in the Book of Hebrews Hall of Fame.

"Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins." Hebrews 12 MSG

Old Testament believers didn't just face bad bosses, they worked for tyrants and were often enslaved. They shared cubicle space with self-centered ambitious coworkers who could torture or kill them at a moment's notice. Israel's future was uncertain a majority of the time. They lived a nomadic life, always in and out of captivity. Sometimes even their own blood couldn't be trusted.

Scripture is a place to go to seek ideas, contemplate ways ahead and most of all, learn to trust God. This is why the stories of the great cloud of witnesses were spoken through generations, penned in holy books and set in a Bible that many sought to destroy in its travel around the globe by brave couriers of the faith. The one constant in all the testimonies is God. 

He has been, is and forever will be the solid in this crazy, broken world. When you report to Him first, all else falls in place. He has your future secure, in your best interest, and when you can walk in that truth you walk in a confidence like no other.

"Keep your eyes on Jesus , who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there , in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"
Hebrews 12 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/heb.12.1-3.MSG

So go check out the Old Testament. I've been behind again in writing because I've been lost in the book of Daniel. This young man watched his friends survive a blazing furnace and lived through a night in the lions den. He wasnt afraid to tell his bosses what God revealed about the uncertain futures even if it meant death.

Despite the odds he kept his daily routine of spiritual exercises. That communication with God on the regular kept him going. Daniel knew it was his lifeline no matter the cost. His obedience made him fearless. His faith made him strong. God was always in control.

After you read the stories of the Old Testament, comment below on the bad bosses and uncertain futures you find. Most of all, discover how to stop them from developing an unhealthy fear in your soul and share what you learned.

May His peace be with you.

He said what?

I love running into one of those verses in the Bible that just sound so crazy. Those are the ones that stick to memory banks for decades because it's so out of the box, so unexpected but so mysteriously deep. Usually they're simple and short. They come with a visual you won't stop seeing.

This week Disney give me a whole new picture for one of these verses. Hopefully I'm not giving any spoiler alerts to The Lion King by telling you about Simba looking into the water for an answer the wise old monkey wanted to reveal to him. In that moment, I thought of the man who looks at his reflection and doesn't remember what it looks like. Here's the verse:

"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." James 1:23‭-‬24 NIV

This crazy-sounding guy wasted no time forgetting what he saw. The Bible says he immediately forgot. What an odd thing for someone to do. It seems especially odd to someone like me sitting here in American culture where everyone seems so obsessed with how they look to the point that they can't stop posting it on social media, to whatever measures of posting it the way they want to be seen. We've got people imprisoned in comparison traps over their looks because of social media.

Simba doesn't turn out that way though. Neither should any Christian. When you read the entire chapter of James 1, you see the dilemma a Christian faces. They hear the Word but knowing and doing become two different things. The doing takes a lot of initiative and practice. To truly see the reflection of yourself as one within the identity of your Holy Father, God in Heaven, takes a serious moment of openness in heart in mind and allowance of a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit. Simba's best friend was trying to remind him of his identity, telling him all the things he heard and loved to hear before. But only a persistent monkey could catch up with him and push the lion cub to take a second look at his reflection in the water.

That circle of life would have been at a standstill if Simba walked away immediately forgetting his calling and his purpose. But the monkey stirred the waters and made him look again. The Spirit is stirring us all within to take a second look, move beyond what's comfortable and step into the reality of who and whose you are.

Let's go back to where James started in his teaching before he told us about this man with serious short term memory issues.

"Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:4‭-‬5‭

Certainly for Simba a mature life was not going to happen while frolicking in a safe environment oblivious to the destruction happening in his homeland, singing worry free jingles, eating junk food and making fart jokes with his new friends.

God calls us to much more. Are you ready to really see it? Ask and you'll receive. Be ready to find joy in the trial. Watch how God grows you through it over and over again. That's the unforgettable Christian journey that fuels my every step and gives me stuff to blog about!

Content with obscurity

Sometimes I read a verse in the Bible and find the wording so clever, especially the message version.

Today's top word in Word-obscurity.

Colossians 3:4 says to be content with obscurity, like Christ.

First I was like who's calling Jesus obscure? That's interesting. Then I was like oh wait they're asking me to be obscure and be happy about it.

Can you imagine if they changed the 80s sitcom Cheers theme song to "You wanna go where nobody knows your name?" If you're familiar with the song, you'll know that this does not sell the TV show at all because it is set in a bar where everyone is happy because everyone there knows their name.

This was my first Google answer to what obscurity means:

One meaning of obscurity is nobody knowing who you are, and another definition is something that is hard to understand because it's too complex or unclear. Obscurity is the opposite of fame, and living in obscurity means that nobody knows your name. (Vocabulary.com)

So Jesus is an enigma? Sounds about right because this is why I'm such a Bible study junkie. I love unravelling this mystery. We will never get the answers but we'll always be pointed in the right direction.

The direction Colossians 3 tells us to take involves us becoming new in Christ and by walking in this way we become almost invisible to the outside world. That's hard to swallow in a world where many of us want to be understood. However, when it comes down to it, all that matters is that you're following these directions and you could walk in the confidence that God understands and that's all you need on this narrow road. 

Only God knows and there are plenty of Christian songs about that to help you feel content about this mystery. Here's one by King and Country called "God only knows," https://youtu.be/Q5cPQg3oq-o.

I could continue down this rabbit trail but I'll end this blog right here with the verse that started it all and you can let it take you on a journey God designed for you.

"Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ." Colossians 3:3‭-‬4 MSG https://bible.com/bible/97/col.3.3-4.MSG

Hopefully my obscurity has helped me with this blog because maybe nobody will recognize, once again, I've allowed a long gap between postings but it has come to my attention lately I need to get back on it. It doesn't matter if they know my name, I just hope whoever finds it learns His name. 

Praying all receive His revelation. There are so many pieces of this mystery called life that can make sense in God's perspective if we allow it. Plug in to the Word and a community that will support you in your desire to learn more of Him and you'll discover more of you in the process. It's an amazing trip! The Holy Spirit has the best GPS.