“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.” -Isaiah 41:10, NIV
Throughout the Bible, God commands his children to not fear regardless of circumstance such as an advancing army, or the unknown. As human beings, we are prone to fear what is beyond our control. Natural disasters, economic collapse, looming war, the end of a marriage or friendship, or a bad diagnosis can leave us spiraling, and many people are experiencing anxiety, depression, and fear as a result of these things.
Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God commanded his people not to be fearful because he was with them. Those who place their trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are commanded not to fear because he has absolute knowledge, wisdom, and power. We must remind ourselves that God is not like individuals who are trying to cheer us up without any knowledge of what is to come, or how to get us out of difficulty. His command is rooted in his character. From Genesis through Revelation, we see how God shows up for His people although he often has to discipline them for disobedience.
Those who walked closely with God, like David, often reminded themselves of his character when they were faced with fear-inducing circumstances. In Psalm 27:1-3, NIV, he writes,
“The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.”
Take a moment to acknowledge before God what or who is causing you fear. Whether you write down your thoughts, speak them, or pray, know that God is concerned about what is troubling you and is more than capable of guiding you through difficult times.
Gather other scriptures that remind you not to fear such as what Jesus said in John 16:33, NIV,
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Incorporate these scriptures in prayer throughout the day to shift your focus from your problems to God’s power and sovereignty.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” -Proverbs 3:5-8
I find myself at a major crossroads in my life. My current situation is not where I planned to be when I thought about my undergrad and graduate school career path. One of the most important questions I have had to ask myself is why I am motivated to pursue particular goals. For God to show me myself and the underlying factors behind my decisions is one of the greatest gifts my Father has given me. I have been bogged down by other people’s expectations and the fear of disappointing those who have supported me over the years; nonetheless, at the end of my life, I have to answer to God.
Almost five years ago, my mentor told me, “God wants you to know you don’t owe anything to anyone but Him.” I’m paraphrasing here, but she was referring to my recovery following my second bought with cancer which was brutal. I have not gone into much detail about my struggle with endometrial cancer on this blog, except to post my testimony back in February on my Facebook page. From personal experience, I have found that God’s gifts often come in strange wrapping. That journey, and the five years since my last hospital stay have been necessary to better understand how God operates. He continues to insist that I understand His goodness despite life’s hardships and my hard-headedness, and His ability to redeem the ugly aspects of my life.
The main call of those who follow Jesus is to know Him well. His call to Himself is the first and greatest one people receive from the Savior. Growing up in church, people’s “calling” was often framed as a specific assignment they had from God, which was usually ministry related. Coupled with the call to ministry was the idea that God only calls us to success. The more people, the bigger and more well-known the ministry, and the more charismatic the individual, the better. While I do not believe God is calling us to mediocrity, success and the charm of personality can distract from the necessity of spiritual maturity, decreased hypocrisy, and a sensitivity to God’s voice.
“Do you trust me? Have I not proven that I am trustworthy? Will you trust me now, in this season?”
I cannot tell you how many times God has asked me these questions. What I do know is He is presenting them to me again.
Do not be wise in your own eyes…
I keep forgetting that God is not impressed by my self-sufficiency. Sometimes, I am like a child who keeps calling to their parent, “See! Look what I can do!” When I think about how I have had to lean on God over the past several years, my attempts to impress Him are silly.
Practice asking. Consider what people expect of you and how you may hesitate to ask for what you want or need. So, here’s a concrete example. I like plants. Well, like is an understatement because I have a huge collection! I received a plant order last Saturday and was unhappy until I decided to address the issue. I thought about how I have responded to customer concerns when they’ve ordered from my Etsy store. I always make things right if there’s an issue which means I take the loss. I reached out to the seller because I’ve ordered from her in the past and am accustomed to pristine quality. This plant was not in that category or the one next to it. Last Monday, I sent the seller a politely worded message with pictures praising her excellent customer service, packaging, and lovely plants. The second plant in the order was gorgeous so, the two of them looked like like ol’ Leroy had hooked up with a much younger woman. The seller has a no refund/no exchange policy although customers may reach out if there is an issue with their order. Long story short, she responded the same day and said she’d mail out a replacement plant within a few days.
Photo Credit: Julene Wilson (one third or one fourth of my collection)
I’ve also been thinking about what my Uber driver said on Friday as he drove me home from TJ Maxx. Abdullah had helped me with two small but heavy tables I had purchased to display plants.
“You deserve to be helped.”
No, he was not flirting. I believe God wanted me to hear those words.
I had a brief but emotional moment in the backseat but maintained my composure. It‘s always been hard for me to ask for help. I think this habit is a combination of pride and not wanting to make other people’s lives difficult, a habit I learned as a child. I also realize that people expect a lot from women of color, but there’s often very little reciprocity. Think about setting yourself on fire to keep other people warm then you still have to put out the flames and take yourself to the hospital. That’s what many of our lives look like.
Abdullah explained Uber’s policy of not wanting drivers to lift packages or load things into their trunk, which adds context to some of my experiences although I believe there are other factors. He explained that despite his back surgery-I could see the scar at the back of his neck, he tried to help his customers, especially old men and women. He said his wife warned him to be careful and urged him to quit.
“But who will pay the bills or my children’s tuition?”
Even as I told him to be careful and take care of himself, I thought about how receiving care or gifts from people often embarrasses me.
Photo Credit: Julene Wilson, Hoya wayetti
Sometimes self-care and self-love look like expecting the same level of excellence from people they expect from you. To quote TD Jakes, “Relationships die when there is a lack of reciprocity.” Do you have a reciprocative relationship with yourself, or do you give your best to others and expect nothing in return? Learning the art of asking may take practice, so start with small requests.
My replacement hoya wayetti arrived last Thursday.
Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. -Romans 8:1-2
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. -Galatians 5:1
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. -Galatians 5:16
I had surgery less than three weeks ago. The day after the procedure, an older woman who is a friend from church stopped by with dinner. We chatted and laughed as we shared the meal she had brought. When it was time for her to leave, we prayed. One of my requests was for a “made up mind.” There’s nothing more powerful than a made up mind.
A moment ago, I thought about how the spiritual intensity and attacks I have felt over the last several years have made me want to give up more times than I’d like to admit. Here’s the thing-the Enemy is not going to let up his attack against you just because you decide to curl into a ball and surrender. I had to say that to myself today. I had to remind myself of who I am and what I possess. Moreover, I am a spiritual soldier and war does not cease simply because I don’t want to fight. Fortunately, The weapons we fight with are not carnal, they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (II Corinthians 10:4).
What are our weapons? I could start with how a Christian’s weapons are salvation through Jesus Christ, prayer, praise, reading the word and putting it into practice, and fasting. Another weapon is to remain around other Christians and have accountability partners you respect. I will also say that the primary weapon that allows us to utilize the others is the awareness that we have a new identity in Christ. I will no longer identify myself by things I struggle with. I am a daughter of the most high God. That’s my identity from which other aspects of my being flow.
Jesus calls us to freedom. It’s not the cheap freedom that society promises which basically says, “Do whatever you feel like because you only live once.” As we can see, much trauma in the world has been caused by people living it up. I also believe that we sometimes cause our own disillusionment by setting unrealistic expectations for ourselves and other people. Only God is perfect, dependable, and has a full understanding of who we are. We are filtering everything, including our perspectives of ourselves, through our past and current experiences which are contextual. There are so many things from which we need to be set free-the desire the please people, the desire to constantly indulge our own passions, freedom from the past, freedom from worry and anxiety, freedom from disillusionment, distrust, and cynicism.
I have fought God more times than I can count. Let me tell you, God will allow you to throw your infantile temper tantrum and then tell you to pick up the assignment He gave you this morning, yesterday, last week, or a decade ago. What I love about the gospels is Jesus never begs anyone to follow Him. He loves well, meets people’s needs, and answers the questions of those who are curious or confused. But He never begs. He also knew that following Him would not be easy so He told his disciples to count the cost, take up their cross daily, and wait for the Holy Spirit. What makes it difficult to be a Christian in today’s world is that so many messages are about leveling up. There are very few messages about living a life of sacrifice, or that following Christ may be difficult at times. I know from experience that God is able to provide joy in the most difficult of circumstances. But, I fear that many church leaders have left their congregants unprepared to withstand the pressures of life and keep following God in spite of them. We as Christians are also responsible to talk to God for ourselves instead of always expecting someone who we deem as more spiritual to do that work.
I have found God to be more generous and patient than I could have imagined when I was younger. I also realize that some of the accusations I have hurled at God are based on how people have treated me which resulted in a sometimes unconscious distrust of God’s character. Interrogate your doubt. Where did it come from? When, how, and through whom were the seeds planted?
I enjoy speaking with older people because they help me “see” ahead. I have been drawn to them since I was a child and have often been fascinated by people’s stories. Stories and storytelling are ancient. Technology and social media are simply tools that enhance what comes naturally to us. Yesterday, I spoke with a friend who will be eighty in six months. She is always full of joy despite having been in chronic pain for more than twenty years. One of the things I appreciate about her is she does not downplay the extent of her ailment when people ask how she’s doing; instead, her response shows clarity, “I am well. My body may be giving me some trouble but I am well.” This older woman used the same phrase yesterday and this time, I really heard what she was saying because it reminded me about my own illness a few years ago. I know what it is to be weak and in agony yet be well in spirit. “For these light and momentary afflictions are achieving for us a glory that far outweighs them all,” she said, referencing II Corinthians 4:17. This sentence is found in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church. In the face of jail, beatings, ridicule, death threats, shipwrecks, and more, Paul’s perspective was the same as my friend’s.
Photo Credit: Julene Wilson, rattlesnake calathea
Sometimes our physicality can lead us to believe that our bodies and the world we experience are are all that exist. The body’s constant demands and its gradual deterioration over time can bring with it an unrelenting heaviness. The bodies we live in are no more home than planet earth. We know this when we see the body of a loved one in a casket. We know that’s not them. Their true essence has departed its temporary residence. “We are spiritual beings having an earthly existence, “ I said when my friend asked why her words struck me differently this time.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “God has set eternity in the human heart.” I often feel that tug like a gentle reminder that my body is no more home than the physical world around me. Although I have work to do while I am here, this is not my final destination. I think we often try to respond to eternity’s call with temporary things. As you can tell from some of my photos, I enjoy plants. I have dozens in my home; they allow me to be curious and enchanted without embarrassment. I also know that indoor gardening is my attempt to capture beauty which also hearkens back to God’s call for men and women to care for creation. My plants have also been a great help over the course of the pandemic because they gave me something to fuss over. With that said, I know I could purchase the most beautiful plants, maintain my relationships with loved ones, and work but never satisfy that inner tug towards eternity and God himself.
This morning, I woke up and began to thank God for sustaining me. Being grateful always shifts my perspective about my life and reminds me that if I put in the work, anything is possible. One of the most dangerous ideas that has permeated our society a person has failed if they have not accomplished certain hallmarks by thirty or forty. These expectations usually have to do with a career, getting married and starting a family. Technological advancement, economic downturn, outsourcing jobs and a shift in values means that most people of my generation and later will not have the same job for forty years as was common with previous generations. Circumstances force us to be flexible and the option to do so cannot be underestimated. Furthermore, we are less likely to be loyal to companies because the American Dream seems to be harder to achieve. Another consideration is how these factors have led people to put off having children until they are financially stable. Some have given up on the idea altogether. In terms of a second career, I refuse to be fatalistic because I know I’m going to be fine.
A defeatist mindset curdles opportunity.
I am also grateful because a friend’s great nephew is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head. Over the last week, he has steadily improved and is able to open his eyes, talk and move. He’s only eighteen years old and his life was on a trajectory headed towards destruction. Fortunately, he’s still alive. He doesn’t know me but I am excited for him and the life he has ahead of him. Most young men who live the street life do so in search of identity. That quest usually leads to jail or death.
Though this eighteen-year-old and I differ in terms of gender and age, we have both been given new leases on life. I have been thinking about how the wrong perspective can turn an opportunity to curdled milk. Everything about spoiled milk is stomach turning- the look, smell, and taste. A defeatist mindset curdles opportunity. If you’ve been reading my posts, you’ll know that I fight against a victim mindset which is both contrary to faith and counterproductive. So, I keep asking myself, “In spite of what has happened, what possibilities still exist to live a purposeful life? What mindsets and habits do I need to shift to make room for what I want? What are my passions? What are concrete steps I can take to meet my goals?” These are important questions. However, I know that too much time spent thinking about my answers to them is out of balance. Certain questions will be answered by doing.
As I am typing, I recall the words my last counselor said to me at the end of our time working together, “I’m excited for you.” This morning, I am excited for myself.
I woke up this morning thinking about yesterday’s post which was an attempt to work through why I disliked the phrase “God helps those who help themselves” for several years but eventually came around to seeing it contained some truth. I believe that God is merciful and helps us when we’ve placed ourselves in a tight spot and we ask for help. However, I also believe that it is not God’s intent for us to be so undisciplined that we always experience hardship.
As I rolled out of bed, the principle of sowing and reaping came to mind. I realized I failed to mention this in yesterday’s post which is why it felt incomplete. It’s taken from Galatians 6:7 which says, “Do not deceived. God cannot be mocked. People reap what they sow.” This principle works in the spiritual and in the natural. Whether you are a Christian or not, most people know that unless they work for something, they’ll have nothing at the end of a given period. Barring outside influences or a mistake on one’s part, continuous discipline leads to results. Let me provide you with a concrete example. I have battled with my weight for years. However, when I walk for several weeks, my leg muscles become stronger and I feel more energized. When I eat more vegetables, it is easier for me to concentrate and I don’t have migraines. In other words, there’s no magic. Taking care of myself over an extended period of time leads to non-scale victories even though the number on the scale decreases incrementally. I’ve been guilty of praying about my health but not taking actionable steps to improve it. Not only is this practice silly and immature, it places the onus on God to do for me what I can do for myself. Hence, “God helps those who help themselves.”
The Bible is written about people who were farmers and herders. They understood that if they did not work they land, they would have nothing to harvest when the season came for it. The Hebrews also had to inspect their flocks to ensure that there was no disease. Shepherds were responsible for leading sheep and other grazing animals to pasture and protecting them from wild animals. None of this was easy. However, after bringing grain and animal sacrifices to the temple, people were free to enjoy the fruits of their labor. I also realize that God wants us to participate in our blessing. The danger in some church circles is that people believe that singing their favorite song at the top of their lungs or attending church will automatically bring positive results in other spheres of their life. I’m not talking down to anyone because I’ve been there and done that. Anyone who’s spent their life in church or been to church for several years will tell you this is not how things work. One of the issues is there is too sharp a delineation between the spiritual and the secular which leads to us compartmentalizing things two things that are actually intertwined. We are spiritual eternal beings in temporal bodies.
Can I make a confession? I am a chronic over thinker. I can gnaw a thought to frayed ends and then still continue to chew on it. For example, I’m thinking too much about my dissertation. Although I want to present research that is coherent and honors the people I interviewed, I don’t need to agonize over it. In other areas of my life, there are certain things I don’t think about doing because they just need to be done (i.e paying rent and other bills). I don’t debate whether I should do my laundry or take out the garbage. My dissertation is arguably more complex than the household responsibilities I just mentioned. Nonetheless, I just need to make a commitment to writing regardless of how I feel.
The first person I heard say “God helps those who help themselves” was a high school teacher. I did well in his class but this phrase still made me uncomfortable. At the time, it seemed to imply that those who suffered hardship were always in control of their circumstances. Over the years, I’ve also heard it used by people who want to absolve themselves of caring for their neighbor. In Western culture, there is more of a focus on individualism versus communal responsibility. It’s one of those phrases that falls in line with “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” Some people don’t have footwear and others don’t have feet. However, there is some truth to the adage. There are times when the trouble in which we find ourselves is of our own making. Furthermore, the victim mindset prevents us from seeing a way out. Part of being an adult especially if I am a Christian, is to own my mess. Everything is not someone else’s fault and I can’t be the victim in every story.
Photo Credit: Julene Wilson
This August marks three years since I left the hospital after a weeklong stay to recover from the effects of chemotherapy. Since then, I have been doing a lot of unpacking. Here are some lessons that I’ve learned since then about what God will and will not do.
God will not be manipulated by my temper tantrums or self-pity. Life can be hard y’all. It’s hard in different ways for billions of people. The story that is unfolding in Afghanistan in the midst of a global pandemic is just another example of how difficult things can become. I want to be careful to say I do not mean that our individual struggles do not matter simply because the world is on fire, literally and figuratively. We absolutely need to process our particular issues and how they impact us. Nonetheless, we can get to a place where we believe that God owes us something for the pain we’ve suffered which is a normal human response. To stay in that mindset is also not helpful. There are times when God allows us to catch a glimpse of how our pain can serve a purpose but sometimes He doesn’t and that’s His right. While that’s frustrating, I don’t think we are as prepared as we think we are to handle the answers to some of the questions we ask God.
God will not do for me what I can do for myself. Most times, God nudges me when He wants me to address something in my life. After my first cancer battle, I realized I needed to begin therapy. I had to unpack what it meant for me to be so checked out from my body that I did not make the connection between my health issues and how difficult it was for me to work and attend graduate school. I had to deal with the unresolved trauma that made me uncomfortable with being touched by medical professionals which led to neglecting my health and ultimately, cancer. I am also unpacking what it meant for me to not struggle with the decision to to relinquish my womb. Although I believe I made the right choice because the cancer came back with a vengeance, I am now aware that I never thought I’d be married or have children anyway. Nonetheless, I now better understand my friends’ concerns about undergoing a partial hysterectomy even though I was frustrated and hurt by their opinions. They seemed to be privilege a potential spouse and children over my real health issues. I know their concern was genuine but they did not fully understand what was taking place in my body because I did not disclose certain details. These last few sentences need their own post(s) or a book.
The truth is that any kind healing is often a complicated, drawn out business and I have to participate in the process instead of just expecting God to make me whole. Healing comes in facing things and realizing they’re not so monstrous they can’t be overcome. I realize that I must deal with what has been done to me, what I’ve done to myself and lastly, what I’ve done to others. Sometimes I am the perpetrator. The ability to participate in my own healing is a gift because it shows that God has given me what I need to thrive in spite of hardship and bad choices. That in itself is grace.
God will not make me disciplined about anything-not about managing time, money, resources, health or other areas of my life. I can’t shout and praise my way to discipline. I can’t quote Bible verses in place of discipline. Neither can you. Jesus said the person who listened to Him and put His words into practice was like a house built on a rock that could withstand life’s storms. The person who just listened or mentally assented was like a foolish person whose house was built on sand. That house was destroyed by the same storm.
God will not not make up my mind for me. If I’m honest, I sometimes want God to write in the sky before I make a decision which causes me to waste valuable time. There are times when I should be cautious in my decision making. However, there are certainly occasions when I need to make a choice and trust God to walk with me through that process. We don’t trust that God is able to redirect us if we take a wrong turn in our attempt to follow Him. The visual I have is of a child who is just learning how to walk. They usually keep checking in with their parent to make sure they’ll catch them if they fall. Their posture and facial expression is, “You’ll help me if I hurt myself, right?” That’s often how we approach God.
God will not make me believe Him. The extent to which I believe Him will be evidenced in the unconscious and conscious choices I make throughout the day. Faith shows up in whether I give into my emotions or acknowledge them and move on. Furthermore, the extent to which I believe God is based on trust and I am aware of how life experiences can make it difficult for me to do so.
That’s all I’ve got for now. I am so grateful for this period of my life where I have the privilege to unpack and make wiser decisions based on what I have found.
Over the past few months, I haven’t written much online or even in my personal journal. I’m feeling the itch to do so again. There are several thoughts rattling around in my brain and 3:25am on a Saturday morning is as good a time as any to get them out.
In an effort to show that the love of Christ is available to all, some curse out fellow believers on social media. In one of his messages, TD Jakes said the the following: No one has completely overcome their hypocrisy or inconsistency. The goal is to decrease them. In Matthew 12:36, Jesus said, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” In an age where it is customary to express rage, especially from behind computer screens, we need to be careful how we speak. Rage is tempting because it is an emotion that makes us feel powerful and entitled.
2. When I write about Jesus, I want to be careful that I present Him as He is depicted in the scriptures. The Old testament also points to Jesus through prophecy. The New Testament reveals Him as God incarnate. My opinions about Jesus are of no use to anyone. The person who really wants to know who Jesus is will investigate the scriptures for themselves instead of simply relying on what people tell them about Him. In the New Testament, Paul praises the Bereans because they searched the scriptures to discern for themselves whether what he said was true (Acts 17:11). They did not simply take Paul’s word for at face value. In another place, Paul says, “I did not come to you with human wisdom but by the spirit.” If you read through Paul’s epistles, you’ll quickly discover that he was brilliant, well-travelled and knew at least three languages. However, he submitted all of that to God because he knew that knowledge could not save him or anyone else. Knowledge is useful but we have only to examine our world to discover that technological advancements, scientific discoveries and more knowledge have not changed the human heart.
3. Tone matters in how we communicate. I have to check myself to determine whether I am being contemptuous when I write. The spirit in which I do something matters.
4. You can’t out-Jesus Jesus. There is this idea that if we’re just nice enough, people will come to God. That sounds nice but it’s not true. A nice lie is still a lie. Jesus literally healed the sick, raised the dead, fed people, showed compassion, died and rose again. People saw that He moved with a power that was not of this world. He did all of that and yet people hated him and only a few were with him when He died. The people who saw Him after He resurrected were willing to risk the wrath of the Romans and be ostracized by family and community members. They were killed in Roman coliseums, crucified, jailed, beaten and fled as refugees into other parts of the word, taking the gospel with them. Many lost their livelihoods and others lost their lives to maintain they had encountered Jesus and nothing could shake them from testifying about him. In John 15, Jesus said, “No servant is greater than their master. If they hated me, they will hate you also.” I think we need to examine ourselves if our primary goal as Christians is to be liked instead of presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ.
5. I do believe Christians need to own the pain they have caused to others, beginning with family members (natural and spiritual). Apologies can be difficult. Sometimes, it’s easier to apologize to a stranger or coworker than someone close to us.
6. Jesus never begged anyone to follow Him. This was a great way to test people’s motivations. Some hung around him because they were looking for the next spiritual high, a free meal or the possibility of healing for themselves or their family members. I’m sure others observed Jesus because they wanted some of His power for themselves. However, once He made it clear that following Him would be difficult, many fell away (John 6:66).
7. I love that Peter is in the Bible. He is outspoken at times, self-righteous, brash, but also determined to follow Jesus. He reminds me of myself. Jesus checks Peter at various times throughout the scriptures. In John 21, Jesus speaks to Peter and asks him three times, “Do you love me?” The scriptures tell us that after Jesus was arrested, Peter denied Him three times before the rooster crowed. Before then, he also insisted that even if the other disciples left Jesus, he wouldn’t. This time, Peter simply says, “I love you. You know I love you.” This time, there is no comparison to the other disciples. Sometimes Jesus has to show us to ourselves because our walk with Him is muddied with our egos. The goal is to follow Jesus, not try to one-up other believers.
8. Sometimes I wonder what we are inviting people to when we invite them to church. Are we inviting people to our denomination? The pastor? The choir? The various ministries? Are we inviting them to find a potential mate? Or, are we inviting them to Jesus. If we do not invite people to Jesus, we are wasting our time.
9. Too many people have walked away from the faith because they felt that becoming a Christian meant they would no longer struggle with temptation or have personal issues. You will not find this anywhere in scripture. This false message is comforting but has set people up for failure. Scripture speaks about the constant battle between the flesh (human/sin nature) and the spirit. We are supposed to master the flesh but it will never go away until we die. In Galatians 5, Paul writes about this battle and says, “If you walk by the Spirit, you will not satisfy the lusts of the flesh.” Lust is not just sexual. We lust for people’s attention, praise, power, money, revenge and a host of other things.
Happy Resurrection Sunday! I am thinking about how we often characterize Jesus. For some, He is the Risen Savior who reconciles us with God the Father. For others, Jesus is a moral figure who speaks truth to power. For others, Jesus is a myth. I read a few posts today before I watched my church’s service via YouTube. One post in particular struck me because I saw in it an error many people make- we reduce Jesus to a man of color who was the victim of a police state because he spoke truth to power. This characterization of Jesus sounds good. I’ve fallen into it myself. However, I keep having to revisit who Jesus is. Jesus is no victim. In John 10:18, He says, “No one takes it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” Jesus was in on his own assassination. His death was the purpose for why He came into the world and He used the world’s authority to achieve that goal.
photo credit: Julene Wilson
I wonder whether it is more comfortable to reduce Jesus to a political victim instead of King of Kings and Lord of Lords because He’s more understandable this way. As human beings, our egos won’t let us think we’re that terrible. After all, so many of us have overcome adversity, are educated, talented, volunteer, advocate for marginalized communities and do so much more. But, there’s a reason why we have to train young children. Even as young children, we are selfish. Selfishness and the desire to make ourselves the center of attention (our own gods) is at the core of every human being.
Perhaps we reduce Jesus to political victim because His assertion that He is Lord demands nothing but submission instead of admiration and invocation. Contrary to what many of us learned in church, submission has nothing to do with unthinking loyalty. Jesus laid out the cost of following Him and He did so while revealing His character and the heart of God. Many of us give our loyalty to lovers, friends, family and institutions without fully understanding who and what we’re dealing with. Jesus never promised an easy life or one filled with blessing after blessing. He never begged or manipulated people into following HIm. He never forced people to understand Him. When I investigate scripture, I see Jesus welcome the questions of people who were genuinely confused and needed clarification. When religious leaders asked Jesus questions in order to trick Him, He answered with silence or with a cutting rebuke because He knew their questions were disingenuous.
In the Christian tradition, Jesus appears to his disciples before He ascends to heaven. He tells them to wait and pray in Jerusalem until the power of the Holy Spirit falls. I believe in voting, advocacy, reading to be informed, signing petitions, forming committees and the like. However, the evil we see in ourselves and in the world has spiritual roots. If we don’t realize this, we’ll continue to lose our collective mind over the pendulum swing of political power in this nation and its ramifications.
Healing Joy Ministries 
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