Tag: Christ in me is confidence

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Courage

I’m not sure why it took me so long to see my mother as the exemplar of courage, but that’s what she was. In retrospect, her whole life was a portrait of courage, so why did it take me so long to realize it? I have a hunch.

Always honest, Mom characterized herself as being naturally fearful, and it’s true that, like so many, she fretted too much. But courage isn’t the mere absence of fear, as some would shortchange it to be; rather, courage means going forward despite our fear, confronting that which frightens us. And Mom only knew one direction in life—forward. For her, there was no retreat from life’s challenges; she faced them with sincere faith and walked through them in steely resolve.

Her second lesson in courage was likely one Mom never knew she had taught, but it remains indelibly etched on my soul, and that is this: courage is best taught—or best caught—by example. When widowed at a young age, it was in courage that she raised three young children to adulthood alone. Asked to manage a bookstore despite having no experience running a business, it took courage to step up to the task. (She turned a profit in her first year.) And though her family was with her as she approached death’s door, we could only look on with deep love and respect as she alone crossed over its threshold, dying with the courage in which she had lived.

The apostle Paul knew the best way for all of us to encounter our fears is to jettison our knee-jerk reactions to them through the Spiritual fruit of self-control, and he understood there is no better way to bolster faith and confidence in others than to exemplify courage among them. So, when coaching a pastor through distance-learning, he wrote this piece of practical advice to Titus, “Encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech…” (Titus 2:6-8).

To which I say, “Well said, Paul.” And, “Well lived, Mom.”

Father, though I trust in you, I still fear what I should not fear. Send your Spirit to produce in me self-control and to encourage me with truth. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Christ in me is confidence.

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The Glow of the Soul

I had an acquaintance who openly professed himself to be “not a religious man.” So, it was fascinating to hear him tell of the time when, as a college student, he visited the campus of a Christian university. Whether it was for scholastic competition or a conference, I do not recall, but whatever his reason for being there, the experience was for him a bit unsettling. “They were too happy!” he exclaimed. Though his grin acknowledged the irony in his statement, he nevertheless remained as bemused by—and seemingly skeptical of—this outer glow of inner joy as when he originally encountered it decades prior.

There is indeed a joy that fills us who are in Christ. We discover His promises to be true, His love to be free, and His presence to be real. Our life changes in an instant, and we blossom over time. But to think life in Christ is free of problems and disappointments is [trigger warning!] no more realistic for us than in the fairy tales that conjure up the “they-all-lived-happily-ever-after” specter in the first place. Even blessed lives have their difficulties. Take Isaac, for instance. This chosen son of Abraham planted crops and reaped a hundredfold “because the Lord blessed him,” so much so, it turns out, that his rival Philistines “envied him” to the point of stopping up his wells and “filling them with earth” (Genesis 26:12-15). Even in blessing, evil lay close at hand. (We can relate, Isaac, we can relate.)

Christian joy is not the goofy grin of naiveté, as some might suspect, rather it is the glow of the overcomer—the one who perseveres through the struggles of this life with face set on Christ and the eternal victory that is found in Him. Then in this hope, she assures sojourners of this hope; in great blessing, he becomes great blessing to others. This is the smile of the soul, the manifestation of the Spirit, the beaming beacon of joy. This is new life in Christ.

Father, you are good; in your goodness, deliver me from evil. You bless me, so grace me to bless others. Your Spirit burns in me, so let Him shine from me in great joy, the joy of an overcomer. Thank you. In Jesus’ name and by the power of your Spirit, I pray. Amen.

Christ in me is confidence.

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Just Say the Word

In his bestselling book, Love Does, Bob Goff tells the comical and profound story of how he got into law school. (All of his stories are comical and profound, actually.) Concluding an underwhelming undergraduate experience, Bob decided he wanted to become a lawyer. Naive to the rigor of the entrance exam, however, he underprepared in his studies and then underachieved on the test. He received no law school offers. Not one. And this is where his story gets amazing. Determined, Bob appealed to a law school dean, who refused him and kindly ushered him toward the door. There was a bench outside his office, however, so five days before classes were to start, Bob resolved to park himself there daily and petition the dean every time he walked by. “I knew he had the power to let me in,” writes Bob, “All he had to do was say the words, ‘Go get your books.’”1 So, there Bob sat, appealing to the dean until, five days after school began, the dean stopped, looked him in the eye and said, “Go get your books.”

We’ve seen this play before. His servant near death, a Roman centurion sent Jewish elders to ask Jesus to heal him. As Jesus neared his house, the commander sent friends to Him with this message: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof … But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”2

Now, the gospels are full of miracles that left the crowds surprised, astonished, and amazed. But this encounter with the centurion is the only time we find Jesus, himself, impressed to the point of amazement. For here was one who saw Jesus as more than a last resort, more than a desperate hope, and even more than a miracle worker. Like the law school wannabe, the centurion understood and respected the power of authority, aligned himself with the truth of the matter, and then placed his confidence squarely and entirely in the One in whom exists authority over all things—“Say the word.”

Yes, Lord, say the word.

Father, forgive me for the times I approach you in doubt or disrespect. You are the God of the universe, and your authority is absolute. Grace me to see you for who you are, to humble myself before you, and to trust entirely in your wisdom, power, and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Christ in me is confidence.

1 Bob Goff, Love Does, (Nashville, Tennessee: Nelson Books), p 42.
2 Luke 7:6-8

[Click here to read today’s Scripture, Luke 7:1-10.]