Happy summer to you! As we in the USA shift gears into the time of year where the sun stays out longer and the calendar loosens up a little bit, I pray that a true spirit of rest can take root deeply in your heart. Our culture thrives on pushing us all to do more, be more, buy more, scroll more, worry more, complain more, whatever-it-is more, and this leads to lots of frantic feelings in too many hearts. One of the most prevalent and dangerous of those frantic feelings is fear--let's take a moment to think about this. 

​We had a doozy of a thunder storm a few nights ago, and I was awakened by a terrible sound of something breaking violently. I jumped out of bed to see what might have just crashed through the roof, only to realize I had heard the sound of our dog, who is actually a pretty strong and robust guy, busting out of his crate. He thinks that thunderstorms, especially one like this which had so much lightning, are the worst thing ever. So I spent much of the night holding a shaking, trembling, panting dog, who was convinced that the world was ending. No matter what I said to him, and no matter how tightly I held him, he just could not hear me reassuring him again and again that we were safe and that he was going to be OK. (the picture below is the day after...Maggie's crate on the left and Gus's reconstructed one on the right)

​We live in a very fearful world. This has been true since the fall of mankind, but it is even worse now. As wonderful as it is to be so connected and up to the moment through media of all kinds, unfortunately, it seems that people have found a way to make a little money off the fact that most of us are shaking in our boots pretty much all the time. Many content creators prey on this knowledge with fear-based headlines and information, just for clicks. I read one writer who called the ubiquitous modern smart phone a Palantir In Every Pocket, and he is not wrong.*

Some of us do a better job of disguising or masking our fear than others, but it is such a common denominator of the human race. Old and young, rich and poor, male and female, every tribe and tongue is susceptible to fear. Think of all the things we are afraid of… loss, the unknown, not having enough, embarrassment, illness, irrelevance, aging, humiliation, abandonment, purposelessness, and a whole host of other big and small things, including the number one fear of death. We spent a lot of time and a lot of money trying to push fear down simply because it is always with us.

Many people spend a fortune just trying to sleep, because fear especially loves to express itself in myriad ways the minute you lay your head on the pillow. You didn’t know you could have as many thoughts about what could go wrong as when you were trying to fall asleep!

People spend a fortune trying to numb the effects of fear, through entertainment or drink or drugs or any number of other things that are not great when used as a crutch. 

So many conflicts arise out of fear. We are afraid that there is not enough for all of us to have some, so we’ve got to outdo each other all the time in every arena. I’ve got to protect me and mine, and too bad if that means you and yours get hurt in the process.

Fear is a terrible taskmaster.
Fear is a horrible husband.
Fear is a devastating mistress.

And the Bible is actually very clear about where this awful thing comes from… “For He has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Debilitating fear is NOT from God. But in this broken world, it’s something common to all of us. We all battle it whether we recognize it or not. How can we overcome fear? 

When I was a little girl, my parents took my sister and me to Walt Disney World during the summer of the bicentennial celebrations. I was four years old, and was a pretty tall little kid, and therefore was able to ride all the rides…Including Space Mountain. This might seem like a great thing, but my four year-old self did not think so at all. My mom and my very brave older sister rode together, which left my dad with scaredy-cat me. Disney is pretty good at creating anticipation in the hallways you snake through leading up to the ride. Beeping noises, flashing lights, planets whizzing by—rather than happy anticipation, it all served to create a dread fear in my heart and mind. What in the world was going to happen to me as we went hurtling through space? But I just took a deep breath and grabbed onto my dad's thumb, and leaned close into him with all my might, and that made everything better! If my big, strong dad was there with me on terrifying Space Mountain, nothing truly terrible could happen to me after all.

When you recognize that fear is the preferred tool of the enemy of your soul, you can understand why there are so many times in scripture where the Lord encourages us to lean into Him, and away from the fear than enemy exacerbates. The Bible bears witness to the love and concern in God's heart for you—lean into Jesus! 

Here are just a few thoughts from scripture to combat fear:

-He will never leave you or forsake you

-In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart for Jesus has overcome the world

-If God is for us, who can be against us

-His yoke is easy and His burden is light

-Do not fear, do not fear, do not fear (it says this so many times!)

-The Good Father is watching on the road, ready for you to run back to Him at anytime, day or night 

-He is the one who created the heavens and the earth and everything in them 

-Jesus is the one who overcame death, hell, and the grave 

Fear is lying to you, trying to convince you of things that are not true, especially that God has forsaken you. But God said again and again—He will never leave you or forsake you!

Is fear trying to put its talons in your heart and mind again? Lean into Jesus. 

He is faithful, and He is your provider.

Death did not stop Him, and it can’t touch you either—Jesus' resurrection power flows through your veins. 

God has tremendous concern and care for you, and is ordering your steps. 

Jesus covers you like a hen covers her little ones in her nest. 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2

No matter what your circumstances are saying to you, no matter how fierce the storm you are experiencing, no matter how furiously fear is surrounding you, Jesus  is with you in the boat, and you are safe with Him. Lean into Him with all of your strength! ​

One more thought—many years after my 1976 Disney experience, I was able to go to the west coast Disney park on a high school trip. They have Space Mountain in that park, too, and I happened to be on the ride when something occurred that made the operators stop the ride and turn on the lights. Guess what? Space Mountain, the thing that struck such soul-crushing fear into my little heart with all of that whirling and flying through the huge nothingness of outer space, is tiny! I couldn't believe how hilariously small the roller coaster actually was, all contained in a neat little room in the backlot of a theme park. Those Imagineers at Disney know a thing or two about capturing your mind and imagination, and, unfortunately, so does the lying enemy of your soul. 

​You ride through this life with Jesus, the Incarnate God who is the Giver of Life, the Creator of All Things, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! Lean into Him, and don't let fear lie to you today!

​* a Palantir was a magical seeing-stone in the Lord of the Rings stories—the holders of which could use to communicate and see past and future events, not realizing that what they saw and heard could be completely manipulated by the evil one. How prophetic Tolkien has proven to be! 

I hope that you're having a wonderful day so far as you take a moment to read this—but even if you aren't, I'd love to encourage you today. My heart is so full this season, as I am experiencing the marvelous grace of God in a new and fresh way. So many things all around you are trying to rob you of this beautiful gift, so just for a moment, let me remind you of the greatest news in the world...

​Just about everyone can remember what it feels like to be the new kid. Maybe when you aged into the junior high or high school campus in your town, or went to college, or joined a new team or got a new job; we've all had the occasion to feel awkward and uncomfortable in a new situation. I had a lot of experience with this as a Navy brat. It was actually pretty tough to be the new kid, especially if we moved somewhere where everyone else had grown up together and knew each other very well. I remember my junior year and the very kind librarian at my new high school in California allowing me to eat my lunch in a reading nook for the first three weeks of that new fall semester. It was just too much for me to walk into that giant cafeteria, where everyone else in my class already knew where they were going to sit and with whom, and have to fend for myself.

But military families just get a little bit of extra practice in something that is common to everyone. At some point in time, we will all experience being the new person that doesn’t know anyone else yet. How wonderful it is when someone older and wiser and cooler decides to take up the new kid's cause! It is the most refreshing and reassuring thing in the world when somebody takes you under their wing, and shows you the ropes. When just the day before, it was a dreary drudge to go wherever it was, the day the cool kid picks you feels like the best day of your life! Suddenly, you have a special seat at the table, no matter which room you find yourself in. Please keep this pleasant thought tucked away for a moment. 

Too many of us as followers of Christ are falling for the terribly wrong idea that we must be perfect to bear the name Christian. Oddly enough, our entire culture participates in this and really enjoys crucifying anyone who calls himself a Christian, yet does something wrong. Just about any day of the week you can look at the news headlines and they will be exulting in another Christian doing something considered out of bounds. This is actually hilarious and ironic, because the people who are writing these headlines are the same people writing the headlines celebrating all kinds of not-Christian people doing ever-more deviant and dysfunctional things. If they applied any logic or consistency to their arguments, it seems those writers should be celebrating instead of mocking, but we are in no danger of that happening: they just want your clicks, and far too many of us refuse to follow Jesus' instructions to treat others the way we would like to be treated, and continue to click away at every juicy bit of gossip. Even still, it does leave most Christians shaking in their boots every time there’s a new headline. Nobody wants to have their name scorned in the public square, not one person. Truly, the way this cultural moment is going has every person, whether they are a Christian or not, afraid of being "found out."

I once heard a funny story of a group of ten old friends who still enjoyed doing all kinds of things together. They would occasionally vacation together, or go out to eat or to a concert together; they were old friends from school days who enjoyed staying in relatively frequent contact with one another. They had known each other for so long and through so many seasons of life that they really knew each other, warts and all. They knew the stories about one another that everyone wished hadn't happened or would remain forgotten. One time, the practical joker of the group thought he would really do a number on the rest of his friends. He arranged for each and every one of the group to receive a late-night knock on the door from a delivery service, who would place in each hand a simple envelope that said "Open now". The inside card was inscribed with just the words “Flee! All is known!“ and by the next morning, nine people mysteriously did not show up for work...

It makes a great story, because every one of us can relate to the fact that we are fragile, and we are sinners. Some of us have terrible deeds we have originated or participated in, and all of us have terrible thoughts we have entertained. We can be prideful, and selfish, and moody, and mean...and worse. Even when we work up the courage to share our deepest and most distressing confessions and thoughts with someone else—which is so rare—we sense that we're giving that person a real power over our lives. We risk it all when we're honest with each other, which is why so few people ever let anyone past their protective barrier. We don't want anyone to know the selfish and strange things that lurk in our hearts. Worse, we will often deflect blame we deserve onto someone or something else; anything to maintain our perfect image. But these attempts to cover ourselves are such a strange habit! The Bible clearly teaches no one is righteous, not one, and when we are honest with ourselves and each other, we know this is true. Why do we all dread being found out, and why do we all think people will be surprised when they find out we're not perfect?

It is the enemy of our souls, who revels in spreading division and dissension, who feeds the rumor that Christians are supposed to be perfect. This is actually a lie straight from the pit of hell. And it takes away from the fact that only one person in the history of mankind has ever been sinless, and that person is Jesus Christ. Any righteousness that we have is as filthy rags next to His, and any good thing in us is because of Him. God created us and sustains us: we did not make ourselves, and we cannot give ourselves even one moment of life beyond what He intends. God saves us and redeems us; there is not one thing any of can do to save ourselves. The lie of self-righteousness is perhaps the most dangerous and deadly thing in the world. 

Friends, believing this lie a real problem in the church. Of course, we are all on a journey of becoming holy as God helps us, and we should not aspire to think and do selfish and hurtful things. But we have to be careful that we don't fall into the trap of thinking what we do is the thing—this comes with dual dangers of becoming either terribly prideful or attempting to live while being crushed under the pressure of an impossible weight. Some of us must try to stay free from the self-righteous attitude that makes us an obnoxious stumbling block to the rest of the watching world. Others of us must try to stay out from under the lie that we will never be enough. See how both ways of thinking make us the center? 

The idea that salvation and worthiness have anything to do with what we do or don't do is not at all true. Everything hinges on what God has done—His grace is sufficient. Those of us who have accepted the amazing grace of Jesus must be so careful to remain grateful and in a receiving posture for this tremendous gift.  


Jesus had so much to say about all of this, as a warning and reminder to us, and to help us change the way we think...

-the parable of the unmerciful servant - he was forgiven so much and then abused his friend for owing him just a little (Matt. 18:21-35)

​-the fellow with a giant log in his eye who wanted to criticize his friend with a speck (Matt. 7:3-5)

-the good Samaritan—the least likely person to stop and help, when the "holy" priest and "wise" lawyer made a wide berth (Luke 10:25-37)

-you'll be judged with the same measure you use to judge others (Matt. 7:1-6)

-even thinking of something is just the same as doing it (Matt. 5:27-30)

-love and pray for your enemies (Matt. 5:43-47)

-people of the Kingdom are not critical, angry faultfinders; rather, they are meek, merciful peacemakers (Matt. 5:3-12)

-the people He knows are the people He knows and spends time with - not necessarily the ones who keep busy doing the "right" things (Matt 7:21-23)

and so much more!

Let's take a moment to untangle the lie:

Lie: I must be perfect to come to Christ
Truth:   But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Lie: God loves me only as long as, when, if, until ____________ (fill in the blank)
Truth: God's love is an everlasting love--He will never leave you or forsake you! (there are so many times the scripture says this - look it up and be amazed!)

Lie: The hateful way people react to my sin is the way God will react
Truth: God is kind, and patient, and loving, and forgiving (see John 8:1-11)

Lie: God shuns sinners and wants us to do the same
Truth: God LOVES PEOPLE and wants to be with them forever, so much so that He gave His only Son, that whosoever will can be reconciled back to Him (John 3:16-18)

Lie: You had better keep trying, and if you're lucky you'll do more good than bad and maybe make God decide to let you in
Truth: It is all about faith in God! (Hebrews 11:8) And, to quote something our great friend Donnie Moore said often "You can't do anything to make Him stop loving you, just like you didn't do anything to make Him start loving you! 

The world and its system is NOT like God and His Kingdom. You do not have to live in fear of being found out and abandoned: Jesus knows us, intimately and completely, the good the bad and the ugly, yet HE LOVES US! He came for us,  and wants to be with us, and will pour out His grace on us if only we let Him. 

Jesus is the infinitely cooler, wiser, stronger, better, more beautiful, more wonderful person that wants to take you under His wing. He is the ultimate best friend to have, like that person that rescues you when you’re the new kid, and who has a special seat at the table for you. Not one of us deserves to be his friend, yet friendship is just what He wants with each of us—and that is the most amazing thing in the world.

Be blessed and encouraged today, and let the marvelous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ wash your mind and heart in a fresh way. God is for you, not against you!