Drawing strength

Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.  (Ephesians 6:10)

As I reflected on this passage in the scriptures today, I can’t help but think that they’re perfect for where we are at this moment in our country and the world.  I’m sure many prayers have risen to heaven to end the COVID virus or prayers for family and friends who have contracted the virus.  Prayers for the healthcare workers and first responders.  Prayers for protection.  Prayers to get through home schooling children and many countless prayers for many other things.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is another example of how the scriptures give us what we need when we need it.  He gives us the instruments to help get us through the strain of a pandemic.  The uncertainty of the election and the change that seems to be occurring as our eyes are forced open to look at racism and inequality at the local, state, and national levels.  With his analogy of a soldier going to war, Paul tells us to put on “armor of God”, “gird our loins with truth”; “clothe ourselves with the breastplate of righteousness”; “hold faith as a shield”; “take the helmet of salvation”; “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”.  As I read those phrases again, the words that ‘speak’ to me the loudest are God, truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, and word of God.  The scriptures have always been important to me and now all the more since March.  

My faith has grown into a deeper trust that God has my back if I trust in Him.   My own family, as far as I know has escaped the virus.  My grandchildren’s schools have done an outstanding job of making learning in the unfamiliar environment as safe as possible, although Marilyn and I (and the kids) were very anxious the first couple of weeks.  So far, so good.  Whether it’s conscious or unconscious we have all put on the armor of God and acted in faith and trust acting in hope and not fear.

In Luke’s Gospel (Luke 13:31 -35) Jesus also acts with the armor of God.  He trusts in the Father’s will for Him and continues His journey to Jerusalem where He knows His end will be.  He makes a prophetic statement to the Pharisees who have come to warn Him, “Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.”  While Jesus knew His purpose, we don’t.  We hope and believe that we’re doing what God has asked of us for today.  That’s all that’s asked of us.  To trust in God.  To search our hearts and listen deeply for God’s peace and love as we make our way through these tough days.  

My reflection on Luke’s Gospel had another interesting angle to me; the exchange between Jesus and some of the Pharisees.  It’s interesting to look at both the action of the Pharisees as well as that of Jesus.

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.’” (Luke 13:31-32)

I have to ask why the Pharisees spoke to Jesus in this way, warning Him of Herod’s intent.  Were they worried about Jesus and, therefore, were they trying to help Him?  Probably not.  Instead, we know that the majority of the Pharisees were jealous and envious of Jesus.  In this case, it appears that they were warning Jesus of Herod’s wrath as a way of trying to intimidate Him to leave their district.  Of course, Jesus wasn’t intimidated.

Sometimes we experience the same thing.  At times we may have someone come and tell us some gossip about us under the guise of trying to help us, when in fact it’s a subtle way of intimidating us so as to fill us with fear or anxiety.

At every company I worked for in my career, there was always someone “higher up” who would come to visit and/or inspect me and my teams’ performance on a semi-regular “unannounced” timetable.  I say “unannounced” in quotation marks because we almost always got a ‘heads up’ warning from somebody else that they were coming, so that we could be ready to impress them.  The amount of time we had to prepare varied, but the news most often came with a warning that ‘heads could roll’ if we were not on all programs when they arrived.  It was very intimidating. 

I learned over the years that the key to keeping my sanity was to react to these ‘warnings’ in the way that Jesus did when confronted with foolishness and malice.  Jesus didn’t give in to the intimidation.  He wasn’t at all concerned by Herod’s malice.  Rather, He responded in a way that told the Pharisees, in a sense, “Don’t waste your time trying to fill me with fear or anxiety.  I’m doing the works of my Father and that’s all I should be concerned about.”  That’s exactly the tactic I eventually learned.  If I followed the programs that my company deemed important at every minute of every day, I would have nothing to worry about. 

The only thing we should be concerned about is doing the will of the Father in Heaven.  When we’re confidently doing His will, we’ll also have the wisdom and courage we need to rebuke all deceit and silly intimidation in our lives.