W.A.I.T. Part 8: Fear of Man

According to Anxiety Disorders Association of America, there are 40 million adults in the United States dealing with anxiety disorders. People can have anxiety for all sorts of reasons, but my assumption is that social phobias and fear of the unknown are the top reasons behind most anxiety. I speak from experience because I am an introvert by nature and I have to force myself into certain situations that usually make me uncomfortable. Sometimes I try to focus on Proverbs 29:25 which states, "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." I would rather not be hindered by my fear of man because it keeps me from enjoying life to the fullest and it gives me unnecessary stress.
For those of you who know me, you are probably aware of the occasional stress I feel under certain circumstances. One of my least favorite things involves talking on the phone. I'm not sure why I have this particular fear, but it exists in my life. What's humorous, though, is the fact that God keeps putting me in jobs or situations where I must talk on the phone. I had to call campgrounds to make reservations on my cross country roadtrip, I had to use the phone working at my summer campground job to verify reservations and boat counts, and I currently have to use the phone at my temp job, which has proved interesting with two incidents of a man making harassing phone calls. By submersing myself in these situations, my fear has slowly subsided because God has been with me the whole time. He presents a reminder in Isaiah 41:10 stating, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Knowing this, I try to dive into new situations even if I feel ill at ease. With music as another motivator, the song "Miracle" by Paramore has a line that says, "I don't want to run from anything uncomfortable..." This mentality has proved especially useful recently, and I'm thankful for that because the uneasy feeling in my heart has since subsided.
I think what many don't realize is how living in fear caters to Satan and his minions. Satan is a master at taking advantage of us during our weakest moments and infusing our minds with fear and doubt to further put a strain on our lives. I think in the song "A Dustland Fairytale," The Killers hit the nail on the head with the lines, "God gives us hope but we still fear what we don't know. Your mind is poisoned." This is exactly what the devil does; he poisons our minds with meaningless garbage in order to create stumbling blocks. This can hinder both our relationship with God, along with our ability to share the Gospel with those around us. By creating doubt in our mind, we question God's sovereignty and authority, which limits our ability to trust Him in times of need. Also, if we have an unnecessary fear of man, we will never reach out to them in order to determine if they have heard about Jesus Christ and the importance of building a relationship with Him. Instead of fretting over people and their opinions, focus on Jesus' words in Matthew 10:28, which tell us, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One both soul and body in hell." It is only once you realize how this fear hinders your life that you can move towards change and a different framework of thinking.
No matter where you are in life, you are bound to be surrounded by people who don't like you for some reason or another. Most people would avoid contact with these people, but I think it would be beneficial to analyze the Parable of Weeds in Matthew 13:24-30. This parable says, "Jesus told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 'The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' "'An enemy did this,’ he replied. "The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?' "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" The weeds symbolize the unpleasant or evil people that Satan sprinkles into your life, and according to Jesus, it is actually better to live among them than avoid them. It builds character and patience when you spend time with people who you don't always agree with, or don't even really like. Some might actually be enemies who try to break you down, but if you trust God and don't live in fear, you can serve as an example to God's sovereignty in your life, which will glorify Him at the end of the day.
The bottom line is that in order to thrive in the Christian life, one must face their fears and realize that they are holding you back in the long run. We must allow God to be glorified through us by holding our ground in the midst of our foes. By trusting God, you will be able to hold your ground instead of running the other way. I think Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it best when he stated, ‎"Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes." It is our job in life to try our best to exemplify Christ in our actions in order to try and bring others closer to Him. If we live in constant fear, others will doubt the greatness of God. By embracing God's love, fear can diminish in your life so that you can thrive, for 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

W.A.I.T Part 7: Clouded Vision When Consumed by Self-Righteousness

"If God's the game you're playing

Well we must get more acquainted

Because it has to be so lonely

To be the only one who's holy.

It's just my humble opinion

But it's one that I believe in

You don't deserve a point of view

If the only thing you see is you."

~"Playing God" by Paramore

In today's society, it is too easy to get caught up in all the finger pointing and believing that we are right and everybody else is in the wrong. All you have to do is watch any political ad and you can see just how far we've fallen in our great nation to resort to slandering others in order to paint ourselves in a better light.  The unfortunate part is that this has crept into our everyday lives and we may not even realize it. 

Too often we focus too much on the preachings and teachings of Jesus and forget that he lived his life with a great love for the people. When we are centralized on all that Jesus taught instead of on how he lived, we gain this "holier than thou" attitude that can get us into trouble. A perfect Scriptural example of this is Matthew 7:3-5, where Jesus says, "'Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.'" We are very apt to believe that we have done no wrong in a situation, placing the blame on someone else, when realistically, both are at fault and should take notice of personal fault before pointing fingers. It is then important to meditate on Romans 3:23, which serves as a reminder saying, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." 

We need to remind ourselves that we are not fit for the throne of God, so we must not act like it when dealing with our peers. When we begin to focus too much on the legalism of Christianity, that is when you become prone to pointing out all the wrong others around you are doing. This is much like the Pharisees who lived during Jesus' time. They were so blinded by the laws everyone had to keep and had a trumped up view of their own goodness based upon the amount of theological knowledge they possessed that they could not see their Savior when He stood right in front of them. How easily it is to lose focus on the purpose of Jesus when we focus inwardly on the knowledge we gain about His teachings and what He expects of His followers. Even the great theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, fell prey to this line of thinking early on, and even felt devoid of even being a Christian yet because his vision was so clouded. There is a quote in his biography Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas, that states the following: "For the first time I discovered the Bible...I had often preached. I had seen a great deal of the Church, and talked and preached about it - but I had not yet become a Christian...I know that at that time I turned the doctrine of Jesus Christ into something of personal advantage for myself...I pray to God that that will never happen again." It is scary to think that even Bonhoeffer could be so internally focused on his own knowledge, with a doctorate in theology no less, that he felt that he was not a Christian because he lost focus on Christ's true purpose.

What we need to turn our focus towards is the fact that God is love and that the one strict command we must follow is to love one another. If we are caught up in condemning each other for supposed wrong actions, we forget to love the people around us. Life is not supposed to be lived out by pointing out everybody's flaws and mistakes. Instead, we are called to embrace one another. 1 John 4:7-21 describes this beautifully: "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." (emphasis mine)

My wish is that more and more we will remember to love those around us. It won't always be easy because of past hurts, but God commands us to stick with one another until the very end. If we can't do that, then there is no possible way to thrive as a Christian in this dark world. 

I'm leaving you with a lyric from a song that I discovered last week, and I don't believe it was a coincidence. I played it numerous times yesterday to ingrain the concept into my brain. The song is entitled "Dark Design" and is performed by the band Among Savages. The piece that struck me and that I now hold dear to my heart is, "I would rather live with you as my friend, than someone that I was trying to condemn." 

W.A.I.T. Part 6: Handling Burdens Properly

Life is full of difficulties; there's no denying that. But there are also proper channels in which to navigate the difficulties that life throws your way, along with ways in which to bear the burdens that have a habit of weighing people down.
The body of Christ exists to help bolster each individual and to provide assistance when necessary. Galatians 6:2 even calls us to, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." When we stumble, our brothers and sisters in Christ are to help us to pick up the issues we cannot balance on our own. This is a great system as long as it isn't abused or neglected. Sometimes we can depend so much on others to carry our burdens that we brush God under the carpet, which minimizes His authority. When this happens, God will do all that He can to return to the forefront of one's mind, even if that means taking away those we depend on most. Though this can be painful, it is for our benefit in the long run.
On the other side of the spectrum is neglecting your duty to bear the burdens of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes we lose sight of this because we become too focus on our own downtrodden lives and don't feel up to the task of helping another person in need. So we run and get as far away from the situation as possible. This is not the proper way to handle burdens either.
I must admit that I am guilty of both abusing and neglecting the body of Christ. I have had phases in my life where I depended too much on others and lost sight of God, and I have also separated myself from the problems of others and tried to avoid having to bear their burdens. This is no way to thrive as a Christian, so a middle ground must be located. Once you can find a balance between relying on God and the body of Christ, you come one step closer to being able to thrive the way you were meant to thrive.

God Has a Purpose

This week there were two passings of individuals that I know of; one who was a famous singer, and the other, a quiet, unassuming man who worked at my elementary school. Some of you might be wondering how there could possibly be a link between these people who were from two completely different walks of life and clearly never knew each other. Other than passing away about 18 hours apart, most would be scratching their heads wondering what Whitney Houston and Edward Justice could possibly have in common.
But what they shared made them brother and sister. They both had faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Not only that, but their funerals were focused more on celebrating life and promoting the Gospel than mourning the loss of a singer plagued with past drug addictions and doubts trying to make a comeback or the loss of a humble man of the church lost his battle with cancer, but had spent his life sharing the Word with everybody he associated with, including myself. I was not present at either service, but I was relayed information from my mother about all that was shared at the service for Mr. Justice. The message that was preached was that all people are sinners and everybody is in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23). For a packed service on a Friday night that included individuals who knew Ed, but maybe didn't share his faith, this was definitely a great message to convey at a memorial service.
As for Whitney Houston's funeral, I'll admit that I watched part of it as it was televised on CNN. I applaud her mother's efforts for keeping it a private affair to allow her daughter dignity, but also knowing that she should still share it with Whitney's fans by televising the event. I was very happy that the focus was not on her career or shortcomings, but her faith. Tyler Perry I think said it best when he stated, "There are two constants that I know about Whitney Houston: that she was carried by grace and she loved the Lord." Many others shared beautiful memories, but they all came back to how she was grounded in her faith. The eulogy was fitting as well, in my opinion, especially in a room full of celebrities. The pastor focused on the importance of prioritizing in life and how we can't serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). Definitely a message that not only celebrities need to hear, but the whole of America.
Upon reflection, I believe that the passing of these two people was to serve as a platform for the Gospel to be promoted. Both people were pillars of faith to the world around them, and though some feel that they were gone too soon, their passings served God's purpose. All glory went to Him when these two individuals were memorialized, and that serves as a reminder to everybody that we are to honor the Lord with our lives. In the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:a time to be born and a time to die...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance." So as we mourn the loss of our brothers and sisters in Christ, let us remember that God has a plan and a purpose for each of our lives and that He deserves all the glory for the blessing of being able to live each day to the fullest.

In Loving Memory

This Valentine's Day I would like to take the time to remember a fallen runner. Her name is Katelyn Martibello and it was on this day three years ago that she passed away in a car accident. Katelyn and I weren't especially close, but I do believe I held a minor role in turning her into a distance runner. We attended the same elementary school, but were two grades apart. I had been a part of the Hershey track and field program since the third grade and was drawn to longer distances. During my eighth grade year, Katelyn decided that she wanted to try out long distance races, so we would train together by running laps around Damascus School. Along with those training runs, we played against each other in softball and would occasionally see each other at the local swimming hole along the Delaware River called Skinners Falls.
The next year I was in high school and Katelyn moved to another town to attend North Pocono high school. Thankfully, she continued racing on the track team and we would see each other at dual meets and invitationals. I think my favorite moments during my track career involved racing against North Pocono because Katelyn would always come over to give me a hug before races and I became really good friends with her teammates over the years. It got to the point that I actually think I had more cheers coming from the North Pocono team as I raced in the two mile at districts than from Honesdale. Maybe it was because they were located on the backstretch by the 200 meter mark that made them sound louder; it's hard to know, but I like to think Katelyn had a lot to do with it. My senior year of high school at the district meet, the distance girls from both Honesdale and North Pocono all posed for a group picture. I think it was fitting to have Katelyn right behind me for this final day that we saw each other.
It saddens me to know that I didn't see her between May 2006 and February 2009. In January 2009, Katelyn did send me a friend request on Facebook in an attempt to reconnect. Unfortunately, we never messaged each other to catch up, which is something that I regret. My hope is that she is enjoying her time in heaven with Jesus and is watching over me as I run. She was always full of energy and I was blessed to know her, even for a short while.

W.A.I.T. Part 5: Forget the Past

And I won't look back 'cause there's no use. Its time to move forward.

"Feeling Sorry" Paramore

I think that Paramore is onto something by talking about the need to focus on what's ahead, not what's behind. Too often we are apt to get caught up in the mistakes of the past, which leave us at a standstill emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Replaying the past can't change it, and it only hinders your present and possibly your future. Learning to let go is one of the most important lessons that we can learn.
Isaiah 43:18 tells us, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past." This ancient prophet knew how important it was to focus on the future. During this time, it was more important to look forward to the coming of Christ instead of looking back on the stringent Commandments that Moses brought forth. There is hope in Christ, while the law seems to carry a burden.
In the world of running, nobody says it better than Frank Shorter. One of his famous quotes is, "You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming." This quote rings true in my life. Back in May, I started my third marathon, which was the second one that I finished. It was of utmost importance for me to forget my last marathoning experience, which had taken place in November of 2007. It was a freezing cold day in Harrisburg and I started the race too fast and had ingested too many fluids. By mile 18, I was feeling sick to my stomach and began to walk, but that only made my legs hurt even more. I ended up dropping out at mile 22 feeling like I had failed. I remained discouraged for many months as I kept questioning whether or not I could have indeed completed the race. Eventually I let the whole experience go from my mind and gained enough courage to train and start another marathon. I faced my fair share of struggles during that race, but because I was not focused on my past failure, I was able to cross the finish line.
In the same sense, we must take this approach in all aspects of our lives. We can't dwell on what we did wrong during school, job interviews, relationships, or friendships. If we continue to replay the past, we'll never be able to grow in the future. It's too easy to miss out on some of the blessings of today by cluttering our minds with yesterday. Nothing can be changed accept how we approach each new day. Instead of being self-centered and moping about how awful certain aspects of life have been, focus on what you can do to promote Christ and live in a way pleasing to Him. This is the main focus of Philippians 3:13-14 ~ "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
A sure way to nurture a spiritual environment in which one can thrive is to have one free of past clutter. It's okay to maintain memories of the past as long as they aren't hurting your future. Don't hoard negative thoughts within your brain or else you might miss out on the bright future that the Lord has planned out for you.

The Elusive Runner's High

If you have been a runner as long as I have, which is probably around fifteen years, then you've probably experienced what is known as runner's high. This is a state of euphoria that we all strive to achieve because it makes us feel light on our toes, almost as if we are floating across the ground. I myself have experienced this feeling, but only a handful of times. The one moment I distinctly remember was back during my junior year of high school. My team had a cross country meet against Montrose, but it had been down-pouring all day long. But since runners are much like the postal service motto of old, the race wasn't cancelled even though every other sporting event in the area was. 

What made this race memorable and euphoric had a lot to do with how I started the race. The course had a downhill start (which is crazy and unheard of) and the ground was slick and soggy thanks to hours of pounding rain. As I barreled down the decline, my left foot found a nice sized hole and the next thing I knew, I was sliding on my butt down the hill. Most might say that this isn't a joyous way to begin a race, but what you need to realize is the fact that I was sliding as fast as everybody else was running, and once I reached the bottom, I popped right back up onto my feet without losing my spot in the race. I couldn't stop laughing over how amazing a start that was and glided my way through the rest of the 3 miles. I believe I ended up third because the top girl for Montrose was almost as elusive as experiencing runner's high.

I think what many runner's forget is that running is a lot of hard work, especially when you're getting back into it after a 9 month hiatus, like I am currently. There is nothing euphoric about rolling out of bed (or in my case, the couch) at 7:20am to bundle up and face the crisp winter air for a 3.5 mile run. It's a struggle to get my feet going, so I've been using music as a motivator. I also try to tell myself that the faster I run, the sooner I can jump into a hot shower and forget about this chilly morning ritual. Due to this drudgery, I have yet to even come close to an inkling of runner's high. Heck, I can't even remember the last time I truly experienced it, but I like to think it was probably on a warm summer's day with a steady mist falling from the sky. If I wasn't a runner of fifteen years, I also might assume that runner's high is just some myth that others made up as some ploy to get some couch potato up and out the door. But since I know it exists, I continue to press on every morning in order to get my body back into shape. 

I think in a way many people of the world assume that God is a myth because they refuse to put the effort in to build a relationship with Him. They claim that their prayers just fall on deaf ears because they feel that God is not really out there, or if He is, that He is just ignoring them. But like running, building a relationship with God takes time and energy, and yes, work. God doesn't just answer you over night. He functions outside the realm of time, which is hard for us to fathom, but we aren't meant to understand. We are called to believe in His existence and in Jesus as our Savior. He guides our steps, even if we don't sense it. To remain confident in this, meditate on Deuteronomy 31:6, which states, "'Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.'" Even when you feel all alone and no longer want to struggle forward in your day, remember that God is with you every step of the way and that if you stick with it and continue to build your faith in Him, you will one day experience euphoria in heaven.

W.A.I.T. Part 4: Fellowship Beats Self-Reliance

Genesis 2:18 "The LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'"

Living in America has effectively brainwashed the masses into assuming that they can do everything on their own. We are to just "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps" and soldier on through life, giving no thought to anybody else. This is exactly the kind of thinking I'm sure God frowns upon. As was highlighted in the verse at the top of this post, God desires for His people to have community and to rely on one another, not our own strength. This is exactly why Eve was created out of Adam's rib; to be his companion. God knew that Adam needed a helper, so He created a suitable one so that Adam would not get lonely in the Garden.
The same goes for us today. We are to be in community with one another in order to create the unifying Body of Christ. Romans 12:4-5 outlines this point by stating, "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Each and every person has a specific function within the body, and it is only when we all work together that we can find harmony. No single person has all of the answers, which is why we must turn to our brothers and sisters within the church for help. Not only can they assist us with our questions, but our fellow Christians can also pray for us and hold us accountable. If we stumble, we don't want to be alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 serves as a wonderful example of why we need each other: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up."
Just this past week I had to remind myself about the benefits of the Body of Christ. I had a job interview on Thursday and I had mentioned it to my family earlier in the week so that they could pray for me. They urged me to share with other members of my Bible study group, but I'll admit that my first response to this idea was that I didn't want to ask for prayers. My gut reaction was that it was selfish to have others focus their prayers on me and my job interview, but then it hit me. It was even more selfish to rely on myself to get through the job interview without asking others for their prayers and support. Once I thought about it in that light, I immediately passed on the message to a handful of my friends at Bible study to please hold me in prayer, which they did gratefully. It was a great learning experience for me to remember to humble myself enough to ask for help instead of just relying on myself.
The Body of Christ is also a great place to eagerly seek counsel from others. The Book of Proverbs highlights the benefits of having others to counsel us. Proverbs 15:22 relays, "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed," while Proverbs 18:1 expresses, "An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels." It is only when we express our plans to others that we succeed and avoid silly quarrels with others. When we think only of ourselves and not how our decisions might impact others around us, that is when we can run into trouble. It is best to seek the wisdom of others around us who are outside the situation in order to gain a different perspective on how to handle a particular set of circumstances.
Lastly, it is best to try and leave at peace with one another because we are essentially one big family. In Ephesians 4:2-3, it says, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." This doesn't mean that everyday is going to be happy-hunky-dory, but if we strive to be patient with each other, we are better off in the long run. It is better to try and include everybody because nobody should feel like an outcast amongst other believers. Today, I was grateful for an elderly couple to extend an offer for me to join them for lunch at the local diner. Little did they know that I was dealing with a bit of anxiety because I felt a bit out of place surrounded by the numerous people, along with feeling disappointed over the reminder that my own grandmother has decided to cut herself off from her family. It was a moment that I felt quite lost and was questioning if I was indeed a part of the community, but their invitation served as a pleasant reminder that I am loved and hold a place of value within the Body of Christ. My goal is to continue to remind myself that I have a place within the community and that it is best to turn to others when I feel lost, rather than depend on myself. Not until I fully grasp this concept will I be able to thrive as a Christian.