Buck Up

In 1999 my father told me that the world was going to come to a screeching halt as the calendar rolled over into 2000. He was prepared. He made lots of bullets and stored them in his basement along with a bunch of canned goods. Bullets would be the new currency and if we wanted to survive we could come live in his basement with the rest of the family. This was not the first time the world was supposed to collapse. I vaguely remember in fifth grade being told the world was running out of oxygen and we would all die like fish laying on a hot sunny dock. There were other examples but I think you get the point.

Since the pandemic hit, I've been hearing others talk about global warming, pestilences and plagues, economic collapse and political

unrest. Some of it is even true.

Again, I return to the scriptures for clarity. People have been predicting the world's end practically since its inception. Consider Luke 21. It happened like this. A bunch of people were standing around admiring the Temple and Jesus took the opportunity to tell them that it was all going to end up in a heap of rubble. Jesus continues to hold no illusions. The crowd wanted to know when this would happen. I can only presume that wanted to know how long they had to make bullets and buy canned green beans.

Instead of sharing the date of destruction, Jesus reframed the problem. He told them to watch out for "doomsday deceivers" (The Message translation). He told them not to fall for such foolishness and said this specifically, "When you hear of wars and uprisings, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history and no sign of the end." Routine history. Scary and painful and confusing history.

Nonetheless - do this. Keep your head. Don't panic. Buck up. Seems like good advice for 2021. Funny and wonderful and miraculous how timeless Jesus' words are for us.

Chasing Our Tails

No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people. But God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 CEB

In the book of 1 Corinthians the Apostle Paul is writing a local church that is steeped in discord. Paul writes to both exhort and encourage them. When he gets to the part of his letter that includes the above mentioned passage, he is calling upon historical context to help the Corinthians further understand his advice. The history of God’s people is this:

“God’s people have a history of chasing our tails when we get anxious.”

(Scott McBean)

It turns out that throughout history, God’s people remain stubbornly predictable. When it gets difficult for us to feel God’s presence, we get scared and impatient. We run after other gods. THIS is the context of 1 Corinthians 10. He makes the case of the pattern in the first part of the chapter, and then exhorts his friends to do it differently going forward.

This passage is less about temptation and more about perseverance!

Perseverance is required because God’s plan is unfolding over a very long period of time. No wonder we get frightened and begin to look around for shortcuts to a satisfying life! The answer is not found in assuming that we should be able to overcome all temptation.

We are and will continue to be tempted. But the temptation is different than we have so literally assumed! It’s not egg mcmuffins or two pieces of cheesecake when one slice should suffice. It’s not about whether or not we are going to cheat on our spouse. The solution is not found in white knuckling the process of denying our preferences for things that are not good for us.

So what is it about? Stay tuned!

In the meantime, consider the word perseverance. Ask yourself what it might mean for you to persevere as you await God’s unfolding plans.