Hope in Troubled Times

Crime is escalating. Murders increasing. While some deny there’s a problem, those directly in charge are frantically searching for solutions. Meanwhile demands for change grow louder.

The increase is blamed on many things, such as Covid-19, decrease in police presence, easy access to guns, racism, lack of jobs, anger from hopelessness, and more.

Suggestions to reverse the trend include tighter gun control, heavier penalties for criminals, institutionalizing the mentally unstable, educating offenders, financial handouts, providing diversionary activities, and the list goes on.

Will any of these fix the problem? I believe it will take more than natural efforts to address the need effectively. I fear it will get worse before it gets better.

Our fight is not against guns or a political party. It’s not against criminals or even flesh and blood. As the apostle Paul puts it, we wrestle against “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).

We are in a spiritual battle. Evil spirits will not be defeated by taking away guns, increasing education, providing activities, or strengthening laws and punishments.

Changes need to be made, but first we need to change our focus and attend to spiritual issues. That is the only way we can get to the root of the problem.

How did we get to where we are? The simple answer is sin, but we took some significant specific steps in our recent past that determined our course.

In 1962, we outlawed school-sponsored prayer in public schools. In so doing, we took an official position that pushed God to the side.

God said, “Thou shalt not kill” (Deut. 20:13), but in 1973, as a nation we approved the killing of babies in the womb. Recently the boundary was further relaxed, as some states legalized murdering babies postpartum. Medically assisted suicide is also now sanctioned in 11 states.

Ignoring God’s commandment opened the gates to principalities and powers. Legalizing murder invited evil spirits in, giving them legal ground to operate in our midst.

Our nation has recently embraced lawlessness. Some government officials have allowed, publicly approved, and at times even assisted in criminal destruction of personal property, businesses, government buildings, and the officials who are hired to uphold the law. As our elected officials, their actions involve all of us, even when we don’t agree.

For decades, moral guidelines have been eroding, with things normalized that were unthinkable as recently as at the turn of the century. Formerly unacceptable standards are now being embraced, taught, and pushed on young children in our schools.

Progress toward true racial integration is being disrupted by new tension and turmoil. In addition, theft, discord, hatred, dishonesty, name-calling, and use of gutter talk by public figures has become the norm.

We are now seeing what happens when we turn our backs on the living God and choose to embrace evil instead. Evil is rampant in our midst.

It’s threatening to destroy all that we stand for. The world as we know it seems to be falling apart. What can we do besides watch it crumble?

When speaking of the devil, Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).

What a contrast! Life versus stealing, killing, and destruction. What have we chosen? Life? Or death?

As a nation, we’ve apparently chosen stealing, destruction, and death.

The good news is that the “thief” and the principalities and powers who do his bidding do not have the last word.

The enemy has been defeated. Jesus won the victory on the cross. His power is far superior to any evil spirits that seek control. As believers we must choose life over death.

It’s tempting to grumble and wring our hands in dismay at daily news reports; or, we can refuse to watch the news. But we have a choice. We can look to the living God for answers. Instead of shaking our heads in disbelief, we can stand firm on the Rock and in the life He gives.

Paul’s preceded his insight about wrestling with principalities and powers by saying, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

Afterwards, he tells us, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, . . . “ (Eph. 6:13-14a). Stand.

God is still sovereign. Stand. Put on your armor and stand with God. Don’t be sucked in by evil. But how do we stand?

Paul continues with a description of the armor of God in terms of our need to put on truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit of God, and with an encouragement to pray “always with prayer and supplication” (Eph. 6:14-18). We “put on” those qualities as we look to Jesus and abide in Him, drawing from Him even as the branch draws life from the vine.

Changes need to be made in our society, but we’re not helpless and it isn’t hopeless. Jesus has already defeated the principalities and powers of darkness.

He won the victory through His crucifiction and resurrection. If we are children of God, we are co-heirs with Jesus. We can enjoy that victory with Him.

If we put on the armor of God, pray with prayers of supplication, keep our eyes on King Jesus, and march in step with Him, we will be filled with expectation to see what He will do. In His time, we will see the victory!

Looking around at what is happening, it’s easy to believe we gone too far, to not have hope. But think about it, what was it like for the Israelites when they reached the Red Sea with the army advancing behind them? What did they see to give them hope? It seemed hopeless with a sea in front of them, rugged mountains on each side, and an army in chariots charging from behind. But God delivered them.

Years later, the helpless army of Israel fled from Goliath for days—until a lad with faith in God volunteered to face the giant with his slingshot. Did Gideon have confidence of victory when God called him to action? Likewise, Jehoshaphat knew he was doomed with kings joining together to defeat him. But he wasn’t without hope; he cried out to God to come to His aid.

We serve the same God, and He doesn’t change. If there was hope for them, there is hope today. Our hope is in God, not in the circumstances.

The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy. Jesus brings life, not death and destruction. Let’s stand on God’s side. Let us march in step with Jesus so we will be filled with hope–and will see His victory in our midst.

May the Almighty God be glorified so the world will know that He is God!

How to Have Peace and Joy at Christmas

“Tis the season to be jolly,” or so the Christmas song goes. I enjoy decking the halls, but prefer thinking of Christmas as the season of peace and joy. Jolly is good, but it reminds me of Santa, and I’m not trying to be like Santa. Life is not always jolly.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and in Him we can have joy even when we’re not jolly.

However, I’ve already been reminded that Christmas is also the season of clashes in relationships due to stress, tension, and long to-do lists. This year the season is complicated because we are in the midst of transition in our house. As we clean out closets and drawers to move our living space from one part of the house to another, everything is in chaos, and our to-do list involves a lot more than Christmas.

In the last couple of days, I’ve been on the giving and the receiving end of responses that were far from peace and joy, much less jolly. They were impatient and unkind, not the scene pictured on Christmas cards.

A sharp tone is a natural (fleshly) response when additional stress is added to a tense situation. It’s not desirable any time of the year. Jesus said, our “mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Matt. 12:34). Consequently, if we want to avoid harsh words, biting our tongues will have limited effect. We need to tend to our hearts if we want to control our mouths.

Our house isn’t in order yet and we’ve done very little to prepare for Christmas. Yesterday, I finally took the fall decoration off the front door and put out a nativity scene, but our to-do list is still overwhelming. But, in spite of the list, I want to enjoy a season of peace and joy, not one of impatience and strife.

I determined that I have to be pro-active if that desire is fulfilled. I need to deal with my heart daily—and throughout each day. I’m suspicious I’m not the only one with the problem, so I’m sharing my insights on how to “manage” my heart in the midst of stress. So far, they are working.

I realized that as a result of high demands for my time and energy, I’ve been attacking the day in high gear, racing to get everything done. As a result, I’ve charged ahead in my own strength. Consequently, I’ve left God out and have thus missed out on His grace—His strength, joy, and peace. I need to realign my heart so I can receive from Him. I can’t expect to walk in the strength of the Lord while running through life as if everything depends on me.

1. First, I need to acknowledge my problem and confess my stress, sharp voice, sinful nature, inadequacies, doubts, fears, and . . ..

2. I need to submit to God and give Him my day, my stress, my to-do list, and the demanding people around me—i.e. anyone and everyone who requires time and attention can seem like a demand if it is a distraction from our agenda, even if they are gracious about their needs.

3. I need to acknowledge my need and ask for God to work in and through me, to guide my day, direct my path, give me grace. I need to let Him reign in my heart, so He will maintain joy and peace within.

Basically, it’s a matter of letting Jesus back on the throne in my heart. He is the Prince of Peace. Where He reigns, there is peace and joy.

The fruit of His Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22). If I let His Spirit rule in my heart, I shouldn’t have any problem with impatient or harsh responses.

I’d like to hear from you. How do you maintain a pure heart and gracious spirit when under stress?

If You Don’t Talk It Out, You Just Might Act It Out

I’ve had a busy, stressful few weeks. For years, Robert and I have been care-takers of his elderly father. He was once a hard working, fruitful missionary. In two years, he moved from independent to being totally dependent on others for everything. Recently, weakness, instability, and confusion marked further rapid decline.

It has also increased our responsibility, stress, and fatigue. Our sleep was interrupted nightly, and we had to be alert twenty-four hours a day.

Last Tuesday morning we got a report that he probably wouldn’t last until morning. Family traveled in from other states to be with him. Finally, Wednesday night his hopes were realized when he met his Savior and Lord face to face.

As we waited for the end, our house was filling up with out-of-state relatives. Stress mounted with added responsibilities, decisions, distractions, and commotion. Our relatives pitch in and help and are congenial and considerate. They are a huge blessing and I couldn’t ask for better kin or better help.

I mean, really. I didn’t have to prepare meals, clean, or determine who was going to sleep where. They took care of many of my responsibilities.

But my stress built anyway. Consequently, inwardly I was reacting negatively to their sacrificial service. I wasn’t ugly, but neither was I warm and appreciative. My answers were short. My attitude stank. I wanted to be alone.

I felt I needed space—desperately.

That night, I confessed to my husband—even though he was one of the ones I was reacting to. I could see that my reactions were not realistic, that their service was out of hearts of love, and was also very much needed by me.

I understood and was grateful, but I also reacted negatively—until I confessed.

When I got it off my chest, my whole attitude changed. I became truly grateful and joyful. The Lord’s grace and strength were amazing the rest of the week.

But all I did to turn things around was talk about my struggle. I confessed.

Richard McAfee, a dear pastor and friend, often said, “If you talk it out, you don’t have to act it out.”

It took less than five minutes to talk it out because I already knew I was being unreasonable. But it made all the difference in the world.

Those few minutes changed my attitude. And more. It alerted Robert and he was particularly sensitive and caring the following days. In the midst of a stressful situation, that’s a precious gift.

Without that short conversation with Robert, I would have been tied in knots all weekend. However, because I talked it out, I didn’t have to act it out.

Instead, I was constantly amazed, even overwhelmed by the mercy and grace of God as He gave us strength and provided through loving family and friends.

Sometimes, the easiest way to solve relational problems is to nip them in the bud before they develop. Bringing internal struggles to the surface allows you to sort them out before they are expressed in cutting words or a disastrous explosion.

If you see trouble coming, you don’t have to act it out. Instead, look for an opportunity to talk it out.

Robert & Kay Camenisch encouraging and equipping relationships