Unfettered Faith

I don’t need to sugar coat that the world is currently a mess. I mean, it’s always a mess in some manner of speaking, but our country specifically is a cesspool of volatility at the moment. It feels like we are one well placed social match from lighting the cataclysmic fuse of destruction. I won’t go into all the ways that I could panic spiral, but I will say there are very personal and specific issues that affect my son’s education and his protection as a child with special needs that have been weighing on me heavily. As a Christian, and frankly as an adult, I fully understand that I have no control over these decisions that are being made and that my worry and anxiety will do nothing to change them. One of my favorite songs (at the moment) actually says “don’t borrow no trouble from tomorrow, you’ll only double your sorrow, you’ll only worry your mind” [Borrow – Josh Wilson]. It’s a great song with a fabulous beat and catchy chorus. And it will definitely lift your spirit a bit.

But I digress. So these big world problems and the seemingly imminent implosion of our country… I have been praying and asking for peace, patience, bravery, acceptance, understanding, etc. I have been telling God that I know He will see us through, while in the back of my mind I have also been saying (in my quietest mental voice) that I also know that seeing us through doesn’t mean we won’t suffer and struggle. Trusting God doesn’t mean He will make all the bad things go away. It simply means that I trust He will never leave us in spite of the terrible circumstances of the world. 

But there is another voice that chimes in sometimes that says that things right now are so bad. So overwhelming and encompassing. Surely, He can understand how difficult it is to simply stop worrying about the onslaught of woes and fears. Surely, He cannot expect me to just let it go. To not make it the focus of my thoughts to the point that it bleeds into my daily life and conversations. And then I started thinking about Jesus. Like, His actual life. {Please don’t quote me b/c I did not go to bible college, and I most certainly have not dug into the deep, deep research. But I do pay attention in church, and our pastor does a really great job of explaining the “there and then vs. the here and now”, so we get a lot of context in our messages that help us understand the background and circumstances of the world of which these scriptures were written. And, I’m also obsessed with The Chosen…which I know is a TV show, but from what I have seen, it follows a lot of the things I’ve heard in church. And I did do some light research. So again… do not take this as cold, hard fact.} So, Jesus… he was born into a pretty dismal time. Rome was ruling over everyone, and oppression was pretty prominent, as were staggering taxes. There was also a big push from “religion” to adhere to rules more than an actual relationship with God, with promises that rituals and rules were the way to heaven. From what I understand, this wasn’t a small, local problem, but pretty systemic and widespread. People were suffering everywhere. Jesus knew this. He knew what He was up against. And yet, He still went out and did His thing. He spoke to the people and spread the message of God. He showed love, mercy, and grace to every person He met. He did not spend His time focused on all the evils of the world. Mind you, He didn’t have social media so the daily “breaking news” took a bit longer to reach Him, but that doesn’t mean He wasn’t aware of the state of the world. He simply chose to focus on putting more good into it and not be dragged into the evil of it. 

He also understood that the only actions we are responsible for answering for are our own. We have no right or responsibility to try to make others answer for theirs. They will do so eventually. I think part of why it is so hard to step away from the evil of the world is b/c we want these people to answer for their crimes. Even if we are judging them against a truly Christian scale… love God, love people… and they aren’t doing so, it’s not our place. Their selfish and greedy decisions are hurting other people. Not our place. They are breaking the law and getting away with it. It is unjust and wrong,  and yet… it is NOT. OUR. PLACE. I read something once that said “I know I have forgotten the gospel of grace when your sin bothers me more than my own”. It’s a really good reminder for when I start to focus too much on other people’s transgressions. 

I think the phrase “be like Jesus” is not given the proper reflection. It’s not just a reminder to be kind and love people. It’s also a reminder to do so while also choosing not to focus on the bad things happening in the world. That’s what Jesus did. He was kind and graceful while being fully aware of the world. He chose to do good while still carrying the weight of the world on His shoulders. Can you imagine knowing that you were ultimately going to die, and in a terrible and painful way… and yet still walking through every day with kindness and selflessness? More focused on others than on yourself? Facing your enemies and opposition with peace and grace? Loving the very people you knew would betray you? It is an absolutely amazing and awe inspiring feat. One I am so beyond grateful for. And such a life changing example.