perseverance

This Kind Can Come Out Only With Prayer… And Drugs

Frank

I had a conversation with a woman at a conference a few years ago who was shunned within her church because she suffered from depression and required medication. She was told that her faith was not strong enough and that there must have been some hidden sin that she was refusing to repent of. She was in near-tears as she described how hard it was to even continue in a church fellowship.

Photo credit: Alaina Abplanalp Photography

Although I couldn’t specifically relate, I did know from experience that some things require more than just prayer and fasting to overcome. When I was in campus ministry, there was a brother who was bi-polar (oh how that word means so much more to me now than it did then). He was joyful, serving, and although socially awkward he wasn’t unpleasant to be around… so long as he was on his medications. When he’d go off he would typically disappear for a couple of weeks only to turn up again as if nothing happened. Except one time.

I lived only a couple of blocks away from our campus minister on a fairly busy street. Late one night I was working on homework when I heard outside my window someone cussing and cursing and threatening to kill our campus minister. He called him out by name. I was scared, worried he thought our house was his. Because it was dark outside we couldn’t see who it was or tell from where it was coming from. Turns out it was this brother, off his medication. Thank God nothing happened, but it just goes to show how quickly these conditions can lead to violence.

Another, more tragic incident, occurred when someone chose to stop taking their medications because of how it made this person feel. When off, this person was more outgoing and more joyful, but was almost amped up too much. One Sunday morning we were waiting for this person to show up to help usher, but this person never did. This person passed away in their sleep. (And there is much, much more to tell of this story- but it hits too close to home still, so many years later)

And if those personal anecdotes don’t drive home the point, I strongly encourage you to read this post from Wendy Murray over at Patheos. She has similar stories, similar experiences, but they are her own- a pastor’s wife who relies on medications to get through the day.

Ed Setzer in his terrific post on CNN, notes that churches need to embrace that medications are ok. In fact, I like how he puts is: “we should not be afraid of medicine.” Mental illness is not solely a spiritual affliction and taking medication is not a sign someone is weak. I do believe there are spiritual components to it, but that does not negate the genetic, biological, chemical, and neurological imperfections that measurably exist. “This demon can only be driven out by prayer [and fasting].” (Mark 9:29, HCB) I believe if Jesus were alive today he might add “and strong psychotropic drugs”.

But drugs are not the only answer. A lot of research has gone into the effects of food additives and the body’s positive reaction to natural vitamins and stimulants like vitamin B, omega 3s, and caffeine. (A sampling from my family’s bookshelf: What’s Eating Your Child and Potatoes not Prozac)

Besides nutrition faith, hope and love are also necessary to provide a supportive environment to those suffering from mental illnesses. Talk to any parent having to deal with their child coming down from their ADHD medication at the end of the day and imagine them persevering without love. Relate to any parent fighting their local school districts for accommodations for their child with ASD and wonder how they can do so without faith. And for those suffering, it is impossible for me to understand how anyone can survive these maladies without hope.

Yet despite healthy doses of faith, hope, and love plus counseling, medications, and changes to diet there are still casualties like Matthew Warren. I cannot minimize his loss with a hand-wave of “if Pastor Rick had only done such and such or so and so…” So again I bang my drum: mental illness is real; so how can the church help the many of us who are affected?

Happiness Happens

Frank

This is a common thought of mine, frequently wrestled with in prayer: why does fill-in-the-blank rob me of my joy? I fill that blank with my kids, my job, the minutia of adult life (bills, burned out light bulbs, weeds, etc), my computer crashing, and so on. I struggle over this because I am convinced that as a Christian these things should not shake me.

But then I heard a great observation in a sermon: “happiness is based on what happens, but joy is rooted in the eternal.” Easy to remember. Happiness happens. I don’t think I’m alone in the feelings I describe above and I think our problem is that we confuse happiness with joy.

It’s ok not to be happy when you’re running late and stuck at a red light. It’s ok not to be happy when you are sick and tired of being sick and tired. It’s ok not to be happy when all those little things get under your skin, on your last nerve.

But the Bible commands us to “be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, emphasis added)

Honestly, I read that scripture, shake my head and wonder, how on earth?

But that’s my problem. There is no “how on earth”. Jesus endured the cross “for the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). The joy before him wasn’t here on earth, it was in eternity with God his father. We have that same hope and therefore we should share that same joy.

Jesus told his disciples prior to his betrayal and crucifixion, “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:21-22) While we did not get to see the resurrected Jesus, we have confidence that we will someday. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.” (v 33)

Thankfully, until that time, Jesus did not leave us all alone.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:1-5)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is joy, second only to love. We need to turn to, trust in, and rely upon the Holy Spirit to give us joy as we have hope in Jesus.

Instead of saying @#%! happens, remember instead that happiness happens, joy is eternal. Thanks be to God for his gift of the Holy Spirit and the hope we have in Jesus for eternity.

Inner Voice

Frank

I have to admire marathon runners. I honestly don’t know how they do it. Despite the physical strength required to run 26.2 miles, mental strength is also required. I can’t seem to concentrate on a single thing for more than a few minutes. Imagine having to focus your thoughts for anywhere from 3-6 hours? Sure, you can plug in your iPod, but that’s a lot of time alone with your thoughts. They say 80-90 percent of “self-talk” is negative. In other words, thoughts like “you can’t do that” or “if only I was like him/her” or “I’ll never…” A weak mind over the course of a race can be bombarded with such thoughts.

When I was younger and actually ran a little (and by little, I mean I sprinted. 400m was “long distance” for me) I read an article in Runner’s World called the “Nine Golden Cheetahs” that has always stuck with me. The story was of an African runner who would run for miles and miles. At some point, he would reach his “wall” where he strength could no longer sustain him, but only by sheer will-power could he reach his destination. He also hit a mental wall where his thoughts failed him. Delirium would set in. It was at this point that he saw nine golden cheetahs staring at him. As he approached, the cheetahs began to run away towards his destination. He was compelled to follow them. The will to follow those cheetahs overcame his pain, his exhaustion until he reached his goal and the cheetahs were gone.

Paul, when describing our adopted relationship with our Lord in heaven, said we received a Spirit that allows us to call Him ‘Abba’. (Galatians 4:6 and Romans 8:15). Abba is an informal term and would have sounded shocking to his Jewish audience. The message being that we have such a close relationship that we can be informal with God. I’ve heard others pray to “Papa” in that same vein.

Yesterday my wife ran a half-marathon. Her second, to add to 6 full. I admire her deeply for the commitment she makes and the strength it takes. She’s found that her “wall” hits right around the maximum distance run during training. But the mental wall can happen at any time. Her mental wall hit with a little over a mile to go. She knew she was close and was making good time. But she saw something out of the ordinary out of the corner of her eye that tripped her concentration. When she tried to regain focus, she heard the words, “you can do it, mija!” coming from somewhere deep inside of her.

Mija is a term much like Abba. It is informal and endearing. But it’s not a word used casually, it is loaded with too much affection. My wife is Latina but she hasn’t been called mija since her grandmother would call her that as a child. That voice was out of the blue and unexpected. But she could feel herself somewhat carried the last mile.

We had a long conversation last night about where this voice could have come from. A distant memory? Did she overhear someone else? Was it God reaching out and giving her a hug? We settled on the latter. We recognize that sometimes God reaches out to us and whispers in our ear. I’ve heard such voices when facing hard decisions. But I have to admit I’ve never had an example so personal, so endearing.

My question this week: Has God ever audibly spoken to you? What did He say?

Weekend Reading, 7 August

Frank

Wow, what I week! I didn’t think I spent that much time online and thought this would be a short shout-out, but this list kept getting longer and longer. So, grab a large cup of coffee and read what I read this week:

 

Perspective

Frank

Another business trip and another chance to get caught up on posts. In the meantime though, flying I was reminded of how what seems to look big in our eyes is small in God’s. Looking at the world from the window of an airplane puts this into perspective. At night, the Port of LA looked like the game Battleship. Taking off from LAX requires you to fly over the ocean for a bit before turning around on a heading to your destination. During the day you can see the waves cresting at Dockweiler beach as you climb from the runway. But the higher you get, the harder it becomes to see the whitecaps. Eventually, you can’t even see waves, only a smooth, glassy ocean.

Likewise, I’ve flown over some of the big fires we’ve had lately and noticed that the further away you are from the fire, the more the violently rising smoke looks like a still cloud that reaches to the ground. Fire too, looks still from a distance.

No matter how big our problems appear to us, like waves crashing over us, they are small in God’s eyes. No matter how hectic our lives feel, we may as well be standing still in God’s eyes. And with that perspective, we can take comfort that God is looking out for us. We need not worry or stress. But “be still and know that [he] is God.” (Psalm 46:10a)

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?…

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust…

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in…

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing…

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:12, 15, 21-22, 26, 28-31)

Standing Firm in the Pocket

Frank

For the non-football fan: The ‘pocket’ is the space formed around a quarterback when his offensive line (the big guys in front of him trying to keep other big guys from tackling him) is pushed into the backfield (where the quarterback and running backs are before the play starts).

I’ve given an example of what to do and what not to do, standing firm in your faith while in the spotlight of fame or your career. With the college football season kicking off this weekend, perhaps no spotlight is greater than that on Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Florida Gators, returning national champion and Heisman Trophy winner. I’ve talked about him before, but I wanted to give him some more column length (as if he doesn’t have miles of it already).

He is well known for his missions work, his prison ministry, and his celibacy (Pat Forde took a cheap shot in his opening Forde Yard Dash by saying, “A freshman is starting at quarterback at USC. A virgin is starting at quarterback at Florida.”). And his openness with his faith combined with his notoriety make him an easy target for criticism. AOL’s Fanhouse speculates how long it will take for someone to write “There Is” “No God” in eyeblack to counter Tebow’s “John” “3:16” and “Phil” “4:3” to get under his skin. As I already pointed out, his chastity is already mocked by the hyper-testosterone sports nut. And you know there are girls out there who are actively trying to tempt him- it’s a tired cliche: every girls wants to hook up with the starting quarterback. Amidst the trash talking every player receives on the gridiron, he must also contend with his own temper and pride (he drew criticism for doing the “Gator Chomp” in an Oklahoma player’s face in last season’s “championship” game).

Under this scrutiny he has held up remarkably well. He’s not boastful, not proud, nor rude or self-seeking. Sounds like he walked right out of 1 Corinthians 13. But we must be careful not to put him on too high a pedestal. He can’t be the object of our worship. Ted Kluck in Christianity Today begs us to cut him some slack. And we must always be careful when crowning the next sports messiah to remember how the mighty fall.

Regardless, Tim Tebow is a heck of a QB and a great role model of a Christian standing firm in his faith, even if he’s scrambling out of the pocket.

Standing Firm in the Pocket

Frank

For the non-football fan: The ‘pocket’ is the space formed around a quarterback when his offensive line (the big guys in front of him trying to keep other big guys from tackling him) is pushed into the backfield (where the quarterback and running backs are before the play starts).

I’ve given an example of what to do and what not to do, standing firm in your faith while in the spotlight of fame or your career. With the college football season kicking off this weekend, perhaps no spotlight is greater than that on Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Florida Gators, returning national champion and Heisman Trophy winner. I’ve talked about him before, but I wanted to give him some more column length (as if he doesn’t have miles of it already).

He is well known for his missions work, his prison ministry, and his celibacy (Pat Forde took a cheap shot in his opening Forde Yard Dash by saying, “A freshman is starting at quarterback at USC. A virgin is starting at quarterback at Florida.”). And his openness with his faith combined with his notoriety make him an easy target for criticism. AOL’s Fanhouse speculates how long it will take for someone to write “There Is” “No God” in eyeblack to counter Tebow’s “John” “3:16” and “Phil” “4:3” to get under his skin. As I already pointed out, his chastity is already mocked by the hyper-testosterone sports nut. And you know there are girls out there who are actively trying to tempt him- it’s a tired cliche: every girls wants to hook up with the starting quarterback. Amidst the trash talking every player receives on the gridiron, he must also contend with his own temper and pride (he drew criticism for doing the “Gator Chomp” in an Oklahoma player’s face in last season’s “championship” game).

Under this scrutiny he has held up remarkably well. He’s not boastful, not proud, nor rude or self-seeking. Sounds like he walked right out of 1 Corinthians 13. But we must be careful not to put him on too high a pedestal. He can’t be the object of our worship. Ted Kluck in Christianity Today begs us to cut him some slack. And we must always be careful when crowning the next sports messiah to remember how the mighty fall.

Regardless, Tim Tebow is a heck of a QB and a great role model of a Christian standing firm in his faith, even if he’s scrambling out of the pocket.

When it Rains, it Pours

Frank

It’s almost cliche in its truth. You’ve probably had this happen to you, or you’ve seen it: right when you commit yourself to Christ and old flame calls up, or right when you’re overcoming an addiction either an old drinking buddy runs into you or you have an office party with an open bar, or as you’re raising money for missions work your car breaks down. I could go on, but you get the idea.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

I don’t‘ know about you, but the above is anything but joy. Interesting that this passage follows up with admonishing us to pray for wisdom while encouraging us to have faith. Facing these trials with the right heart obviously requires faith, but maturing through them requires wisdom.

My wife and I are taking a financial class by Dave Ramsey. One couple in the class had their van impounded (and they have 4 kids to haul around!), another had a flat tire, and another wife came down with a bug that required her husband to take several days of unpaid leave from his job. As for us, our a/c broke down (in the middle of July, in the desert) and my wife’s bike was stolen, all within a couple of days of each other and within a few days of the other trials above. Hopefully, I’m finding the wisdom to persevere in this class.

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.” (Hebrews 12:7)

How ironic too, to look at this as discipline from the Lord while we’re struggling with disciplining our own son.

There are times like these when I think it would be easier to just give up on following Christ all together. But I know that’s not really true. These trials are only temporary, but the benefits of perseverance are eternal. Plus, I believe in a loving God which gives me hope that he, not I, knows what is best for me and my family.

“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.” (Rom 8:28)

When it Rains, it Pours

Frank

It’s almost cliche in its truth. You’ve probably had this happen to you, or you’ve seen it: right when you commit yourself to Christ and old flame calls up, or right when you’re overcoming an addiction either an old drinking buddy runs into you or you have an office party with an open bar, or as you’re raising money for missions work your car breaks down. I could go on, but you get the idea.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

I don’t‘ know about you, but the above is anything but joy. Interesting that this passage follows up with admonishing us to pray for wisdom while encouraging us to have faith. Facing these trials with the right heart obviously requires faith, but maturing through them requires wisdom.

My wife and I are taking a financial class by Dave Ramsey. One couple in the class had their van impounded (and they have 4 kids to haul around!), another had a flat tire, and another wife came down with a bug that required her husband to take several days of unpaid leave from his job. As for us, our a/c broke down (in the middle of July, in the desert) and my wife’s bike was stolen, all within a couple of days of each other and within a few days of the other trials above. Hopefully, I’m finding the wisdom to persevere in this class.

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.” (Hebrews 12:7)

How ironic too, to look at this as discipline from the Lord while we’re struggling with disciplining our own son.

There are times like these when I think it would be easier to just give up on following Christ all together. But I know that’s not really true. These trials are only temporary, but the benefits of perseverance are eternal. Plus, I believe in a loving God which gives me hope that he, not I, knows what is best for me and my family.

“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.” (Rom 8:28)

Burn Out

Frank

A while back I wrote about my family as a ministry with the intention of following up on that post later. When I started writing that post, the goal was to talk more about the last part (ministry burning us out) than the first (defining my ministry)- a classic case of the Spirit leading me somewhere else than where I was planning to go. So here I am more than a month later, reminded of the need to bring this up by Chip Ingram’s most recent blog leading into his current series at Living On The Edge. The Holy Spirit was definately moving because I read his post right after reading Matthew 11:25-30 in my Quiet Time.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)

If you look around at today’s Church, you could argue that the above passage cannot realistically be true. Far too many disciples of Jesus are burned out and you can understand why. Tuesday I studied the topic of grace with the teen I mentor. I described grace in the context of not being “treat[ed] as our sins deserve” (Psalm 103:10) as the most recognized form of grace. But we forget the other side of the coin, that we cannot earn God’s love or forgiveness (examples: 1 Corinthians 15:9-11, Romans 3:22-24, Ephesians 3:7, and of course Ephesians 2:6-9). There’s nothing more we can do that Jesus hasn’t already done. But we live in a performance-driven society when the most common trait among the successful is “drive”. So we burn ourselves out doing more and more “in the name of Jesus” to try and be better and better. But it doesn’t work that way.

So what do we do if our ministry is burning us out?

1) Get Away. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10a). Bob Beltz, the author of Becoming a Man of Prayer, was motivated to write that book after taking a 21-day retreat in “silence and solitude”. Imagine how much closer to God you’d be after such a “date with God.” 21 days isn’t realistic for most of us, but we can definitely spare a Saturday morning. Don’t busy yourself, spend time alone with God.

2) Get the Sabbath. I heard once in a lesson that if we don’t take the Sabbath, the Sabbath will take us. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) Don’t fill your Sundays with being busy- meeting after meeting after meeting. Take the time off. Worship God. Enjoy your family.

3) Get Help. The issue of Discipleship Journal I mentioned in that previous post had a section dedicated to “Soul Care for Spiritual Leaders”. Unfortunately, they don’t offer all their articles online to link. But the section written by Gordon MacDonald focused on spiritual elders teaching younger disciples from their own experiences dealing with burning out. The opposite is true: find someone who has faced the same challenges and seek advice.

4) Get On Your Knees. “Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray.” (James 5:13ff) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6) ‘Nuff said.

5) Get Grace. This is a biggie. If we don’t understand God’s unconditional love for us we will always be tempted to burn ourselves out to please him. In Chip’s blog that I linked, he relates a lesson from one of his theology professors, “Students, the wisdom of God tells us that God will bring about the best possible results, by the best possible means, for the most possible people, for the longest possible time.” That is only true because God wants the best for us, even when we are not at our best. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) That is Grace.

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)