Whether you eat or drink...

The Secret of Being Less Anxious

2010-07-30T09:02:00.004+10:00

Philippians 4:6, 7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus". But is it really as easy as that? And if so, why do most of us still struggle with anxiety?

It's helpful to take a look at a few other Bible passages that talk about anxiety. In Matthew 6:25 Jesus says "do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear." There is a principle we can apply based on what Jesus says here:

Principle 1: Don't worry (be anxious) about the basic essentials you need in order to carry out the purpose for which God created you. They are all you need, and God will provide them.

Luke 10:38-42 tells of how Jesus and his disciples visited the home of Mary and Martha. While Martha is busy fussing around getting everything "just right" for her guests, Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to him. When Martha complains that her sister is not helping her, Jesus answers, "Martha, Martha, you are worried (anxious) and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (v. 41, 42). There is another principle we can apply based on what Jesus says here:

Principle 2: Don't worry (be anxious) about the many things in this life that we don't need (but think we do). Particularly, don't be anxious about those things that God has not promised to provide. The comforts of this life often distract us from the purpose for which God created us. So, in summary, don't worry about the things that God has promised to provide, because he will provide them. And don't worry about the things that God has not promised to provide, because you don't need them in order to serve him.

God may well (and usually does in Australia) bless us with an abundance of comforts that we really don't need in order to serve him effectively. If he blesses you with comforts, be thankful while you have them. If he takes them away, be thankful for what you had.

Job knew how to manage anxiety: "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." (Job 1:21).

What does a citizen of Heaven look like?

2010-07-25T09:41:00.001+10:00

If I was to ask you what a citizen of Heaven might look like, what sort of a description would you give?

Perhaps the stereotypical Hollywood description might come to mind – a tall, slim person dressed in gleaming white robes, looking not quite totally solid, and glowing radiantly with an angelic look on his or her face. Or maybe the more traditional version – a cherub-like child sitting on a cloud and playing a harp.

You might be sufficiently well-taught in the Scriptures to avoid falling into the error of confusing a heavenly citizen with an angel, but in popular thinking, that kind of confusion is not uncommon. Nevertheless, how would you describe a citizen of Heaven?

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul describes such a person. In fact, Philippians 1:27 and 4:1 are like bookends that hold in place a list of some of the characteristics of a citizen of Heaven. In 1:27, Paul says – "conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ". Those words could be more literally translated "behave like citizens of the gospel of Christ". Paul then spends much of Chapters two and three describing how a Christian should behave, and ends Chapter three with the words "our citizenship is in heaven."

Paul is addressing the Philippians as though they are citizens of another world. And indeed that's what they are.

A "citizen of Heaven" is just one way of describing a Christian. But it's also a helpful way to remind ourselves that a Christian is a citizen not only of this world, but also of the new heavens and the new earth. So it's worth considering how Paul describes such a person in his letter to the Philippians.

According to Paul, a citizen of Heaven is one who stands firm with other Christians in the face of opposition to the gospel (1:27-30); humbles himself/herself for the good of others (2:1-11); shines like a star against a dark background (2:12-16); accepts no credit for him/herself, but gives all credit to Christ. (3:1-9); wants to know Christ ever more fully (3:10-17), and eagerly awaits the Second Coming of Jesus Christ from Heaven (3:20-21).

So, if you are ever asked to describe a citizen of Heaven, don't go for the Hollywood interpretation – try using Paul's description instead ...and even better, why not aim to be a living example of one yourself.

Bob Thurlow

What if you were Jesus Christ?

2010-06-24T06:22:00.001+10:00

Can you imagine what it would be like to be Jesus Christ? No, I don't mean "can you imagine what it would be like to walk on water, to calm the storm, or turn water into wine." Rather, can you imagine what it would be like to be treated by God the Father as if you were his only beloved son?

Can you imagine what it would be like if it was you who, after being baptised in the Jordan River by John, were to come out of the water to see the heavens opened, and have the Spirit of God descend on you like a dove, and hear the Father say of you, "This is My beloved son/daughter, in whom I am well-pleased." (Matthew 3:17)
Can you imagine what it would be like if it was you who went with Peter and James and John up onto the Mount of Transfiguration, and it was written in the Bible, "[insert your name here] was transfigured before them; and his/her face shone like the sun, and his/her garments became as white as light... and a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, 'This is My beloved son/daughter, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to him/her!'." (Matthew 17:2,5).

In other words, can you imagine what it would be like to be loved by God the Father just as if you were Jesus Christ? Imagine how secure you would feel in the Father's love. Imagine the inexpressible joy you would experience as a result of being in such close communion with the Father.

The remarkable thing is that we don't have to imagine such a scenario. It's reality for us right now. God the Father does in fact love ALL those who are in Christ just as if they were Christ himself. To be in Christ – to be a member of the body of Christ, to be united with Christ – is to be loved by God the Father to the same extent that he loves Christ.

Ephesians 1:3-14 is full and overflowing with blessings that are already the possession of those who are in Christ. Read those verses and consider the rich blessings that are ours – they are enormous – and note that they are all because we are in Christ.

In fact, every eternal blessing that we have, is ours because we are part of the body of Christ. Savour those blessings, delight in them. Taste and see and enjoy how much God the Father loves you because you are in Christ.

To live is to be comfortable, and to die is loss???

2010-06-20T09:20:00.000+10:00

What does it mean to really live? For many, enjoying a quality life means to have a secure job with a good income, a comfortable, well-appointed home and happy relationships with spouse and friends. To die inevitably means the loss of these things.
Regardless of how we feel about eternity, most of us can understand how it feels to contemplate being separated by death from that which we love. We don't want to lose whoever or whatever is most important to us. Christians can identify with this as well as non-Christians.
But the Bible speaks of a perspective on life (and death) that is "better by far" (Phil. 1:23). Paul says in his letter to the Philippians, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (1:21). It's worth reflecting on what Paul means by this.
If we value the things of this life more than we value the things of the life to come, then death will result in loss for us, because death will separate us from that which we love.
But if we value most of all the things of the life to come, then death will result in gain for us, because death will result in us being united with that which we love the most.
If Jesus Christ is our greatest delight in this life, then for us, this life will be the richest it can possibly be. But it doesn't end there. If Christ is our greatest delight in this life, then the life to come will be immeasurably richer, because we will experience immeasurably more of Christ.
Do you want to experience the absolute best possible quality of life? Then don't expect to find it in the best job, the best home and the best relationships. They can all too easily let us down.
Rather, look for quality of life in a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. Aim to grow in your love for Christ, and you'll find that you always want more of Christ. You'll be hungry for Christ in this life, and you'll long for the life to come, because in it you will know more of Christ.
And you will be able to say, with Paul, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Phil 1:21). And you'll also be able to say with Paul, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far." (Phil 1:23).

Do we pray less than we think?

2010-06-13T09:17:00.004+10:00

How many times have you said to someone, with the best of intentions, "I will pray for you", and never got around to doing it?
How many times have you even said "I am praying for you", genuinely believing that you've been praying for them, and then found yourself wondering afterwards whether you have in fact prayed for them at all?
How many times have you set aside a time to pray, and having reached the end of that time, realised that you spent only a very small portion of the time actually praying.
If you're anything like me, it happens too often. If we were to examine ourselves honestly, most of us would probably find that we pray a lot less than we think we do. We might not deliberately fool people about the extent of our prayer life, but we can all too easily fool ourselves.
The Apostle Paul starts his letter to the Philippians with a pretty big claim about his prayers for them: "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy". (Phil 1:3,4)
But how do we know Paul really does pray like he says? The answer to that question comes in verses 9, 10 and 11, where Paul tells them what he is praying for them, and actually writes out for them the words of his prayer. And so they can be in no doubt that Paul really, truly has prayed for them.
At a church I used to go to, there was an older lady – a wonderful saint – who sometimes, while we were discussing something over a cuppa after church, would stop and say, "why don't we pray about that right now, because if I don't, I'll forget."
I must admit to my shame that there were times when I felt a bit awkward doing that – standing there praying while surrounded by people chatting over morning tea. But at least I had absolutely no doubt that she was praying. And also, it gave her a lot of credibility when she would ask me from time to time how something was going, and would say to me, "I've been praying for you."
Maybe we can all learn from Paul's example – telling someone you're praying for them is good. Actually spelling out for them the content of your prayer, either in the text of a letter or verbally as you pray with them, is even better.

How much faith can you put in a kayak?

2010-05-23T09:14:00.006+10:00

On 11 January, 2007, Andrew McAuley set off to paddle a kayak solo across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand. It was a long and dangerous stretch of water, with frequent severe storms. McAuley, a highly-experienced kayaker, entrusted his life to one small kayak and his own physical fitness and skill.
Sadly, he didn't make it. On 12 February his empty kayak was found just 30 nautical miles from the coast of New Zealand. His body was never found. McAuley had placed enormous faith in his little kayak and his own ability. But his kayak, or his own skills – or both – let him down.
Around the same time, another young man set out from Australia to traverse the Tasman Sea to New Zealand—my son, David Thurlow.
There were two critical differences between the journeys however – the first difference was that Dave didn't paddle a kayak. He flew on a commercial jet. The second difference was that he arrived safely in New Zealand.
Dave didn't entrust his life to a flimsy kayak, nor did he put any faith in his own fitness or skill. He just sat on the plane and was carried across the ocean by the experts.
So who showed the most faith in their means of transport? I would suggest that it takes a lot more faith to rely on a kayak to cross an ocean than a commercial plane.
Yet it was not the one who showed the most faith who made it to New Zealand. Rather, it was the one who showed faith in the most reliable means of transport.
That's the thing about faith – it's not how much faith you have that counts, but rather what you put your faith in. To borrow from the words of Jesus, it doesn't matter if your faith is the size of a mustard seed, as long as the thing you put your faith in is going to get you where you want to go.
In the same way, it's not our faith that gets us to Heaven, but the Saviour in whom we put our faith. Exercising faith can be as passive as sitting on an aeroplane. But if it's a reliable plane, we'll reach our destination.

What if God was infinitely powerful, but lacked wisdom and love?

2010-05-16T09:39:00.003+10:00

In a recent Bible talk we learned that God's glory is "God's infinite worth made manifest." God is, for example, infinitely powerful, infinitely loving, and infinitely wise. And when we acknowledge these infinite attributes in our own lives, and declare them to others, we give him the glory that is due to his name.
But can you imagine what life would be like if God was infinitely powerful, but lacking in love and wisdom? What if for just one, brief moment, God's love turned to hate, and he decided to destroy all he had created, and break his promise to save those who turn to Christ? We would all be lost, without any hope!
Or perhaps if God was infinitely powerful, and infinitely loving, but didn't have the infinite wisdom needed to properly use that power and love? In the movie "Bruce Almighty", Bruce (Jim Carrey) is given God's infinite power for a short time, but clearly doesn't have the infinite love or wisdom of God.
Among other disastrous feats of power, Bruce attempts to romance his wife one evening by pulling the full moon closer to the earth, so that it appears bigger. This act demonstrates Bruce's great power, shallow love, and total lack of wisdom, as tidal floods (resulting from the moon being too close to earth) devastate coastlines around the world.
Alternatively, imagine a God who is infinitely loving and wise, but doesn't have the power he needs to put his wisdom or love into effect. How could we be sure such a God would have the resources he needs to be able to save us? He might have the wisdom to know what is needed to save us, but not the power he needs to carry it out.
But thanks be to God for his infinite power, love and wisdom.
For us who belong to Christ that means absolute security. God not only wants what is best for us because he is infinitely loving, he also knows what is best for us because he is infinitely wise, and is able to do what is best for us because he is infinitely powerful.
Praise be to God for his infinite worth!
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose... What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:28, 31, 32)

How much credit should a baby get for being born?

2010-05-09T09:13:00.001+10:00

Almost three weeks ago, our grandson Elliott was born.
When Jacky and I gave our daughter Carolyn a card to congratulate her, I commented that I had wanted to include on the card some kind of congratulations for young Elliott – but both Carolyn and Jacky felt that was unnecessary. "After all", said Carolyn, "Elliott didn't do anything worthy of congratulation – he was just born, I did all the hard work!"
What's true in the physical realm is often also true in the spiritual realm. A person who is born again as a Christian contributes nothing to his or her own spiritual birth. They are accepted by God as one of his children simply because they are born into His family. God does all the work, and God gets all the glory – no credit is due to the newborn Christian, just as none is due to the newborn baby.
But after a person has become a member of God's family and grows towards maturity, there are expectations. There is work to be done and responsibilities to be met, just as in any family.
There is most definitely a place for good works in the life of the Christian. But there is a difference between works done because we are saved, and works done in order to be saved.
Concerning works done in order to be saved, Paul says in Ephesians 2:8,9:
" For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
But concerning works done as an expression and outworking salvation grace faithof one who has been saved, Paul says in Philippians 2:12-15:
"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things... so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God..." (NASB)
OK, so I guess I can't give little Elliott credit for being born into our family. But when he grows to maturity as a family member, Jacky and I (and of course his parents) will expect him to work hard at living a life that reflects the standards and morals of the family to which he belongs!
And as he reaches the important milestones in his life, I know I will delight to give him a card with the words "Congratulations Elliott!" Written on it.

Genuine support, but limited understanding...

2010-03-25T16:00:00.013+11:00

How do you respond to almost unanimous support and encouragement from people who don't really understand what you are setting out to do, or why you want to do it? For me, I genuinely feel and show grateful thanks, but it is accompanied by sadness and frustration.

I've found it very easy to tell people that I'm leaving TAFE after 18 years to go into full-time Christian Ministry. I tell them it's what I've longed to do for decades, and now at last my time has come. So far not one person has shown even a hint of rejection or animosity. Everyone has wished me well. Perhaps some are just being polite, but most are obviously genuine.

These are people who really care, and are happy for me that I'm "following my dream", and "doing what I love". Several express a desire to follow a similarly altruistic path - to leave TAFE and do what they've always wanted to do, to make a difference somehow - to contribute something meaningful to the world they live in.

What could possibly be sad about that? Surely these are noble intentions?

Indeed they are, but such responses indicate a lack of understanding of what the church is all about. Behind this well-intentioned show of support is a general assumption that the church exists to provide social welfare to a needy world. And if I'm going into full-time ministry, then I must be doing it because I have a caring heart for those less fortunate than ourselves.

I certainly hope that's true of the church, and of me! But that's not the reason the church exists, and it's not the reason I'm going into full-time ministry. The church is a gathering together of people who love Jesus Christ, and who want to see him glorified in all things, especially through people coming to know him and love him just as we do.

But the society we live in has been duped into believing that the church is, at best, a social welfare organisation. Or perhaps they just feel safer - less personally threatened - seeing the church as an organisation that is interested in saving people from physical, temporal desolation. Why do people find it so threatening to be told that the church - and Christians - are here on this earth to show people how they can be saved from being spiritually, eternally lost? Surely one would think people would be much more excited about being rescued for eternity, rather than being rescued only to live for a few more years before dying? But no, people feel much safer talking about temporary, physical rescue. Why?

Perhaps I'll talk more about that in a later blog...