Category Archives: Blog

“Don’t panic.” Quite possibly the best advice to ever come from a sci-fi book series. And while The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy may indeed be a hilariously peculiar concoction, Douglas Adams actually was trying to get a point across in creating this recurring theme for the series. After all, what place does comedy have amongst anxiety? The best of comedians know that humor, almost without exception, is accompanied by the belief that everything will be okay. Worrying is for those who overestimate the importance of their lives. Perhaps, then, “don’t panic” might be more appropriately interpreted as “don’t take yourself too seriously.” So, don’t panic.

Okay, sounds nice, but easier said than done. I mean, come on. Money is tight, school is rough, church is intimidating, and, honestly, spiritual growth kind of sucks sometimes. I’m trying to mend relationships, disciple younger guys, gain wisdom, fight temptations, be a good steward, and then, of course, there’s this girl… yeah. It just feels like everyone is looking at me, watching, waiting for my next move.

Well, that’s how I felt a week or so ago. Now, not so much. “Be still,” the Lord commands, “and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10, ESV). Think about it; how many of the things I just listed are within my control? Maybe one or two. But even so: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26, NIV). You heard that right. God notices birds. Freaking birds. And I spent Monday in panic mode because I couldn’t afford to put gas in my car? Why? God provides for birds. I’m sure He has the simple ability to fill my gas tank.

But here’s the catch. Yes, He has the ability, but will He always? Doubtful. Does that mean we can panic now? I mean, if God isn’t providing… crap, we’re in trouble, right? Wrong again. We forget that God is also sovereign, which is just a fancy way of saying that He knows what He’s doing. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,’” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). I don’t know if you’ve figured this out yet (apparently I haven’t eiher), but God is God. I mean, THE God. God of the universe. The One who created the heavens and the earth back in Genesis. The One who developed this elaborate plan for the redemption of all mankind. This God we speak of is kind of an expert at being in control, because, well, he’s God. It’s really not that complicated for Him to take care of us. And, being omniscient (knowing everything), God’s definitely figured out what’s best for His kids.

So if your circumstances are out of your control, relax. Apparently God’s doing something intended to strengthen your faith. So praise Him for that! He’s simply trying to show how much He loves you. And, hey, if your circumstances are your own fault, relax. You can’t change what you’ve done already, so simply ask God for the wisdom and discernment to make the right decisions for said situation from here on out. And, since you’re seeking God’s will with sincerity, He will more than gladly grant you your request.

This is still easier said then done. It looks great on paper. But the fact of the matter is that I love convincing myself that my plans trounce God’s. Hold on though; where were my plans taking me anyway? I mean, my initial plans? Oh yeah, eternal separation from God. Might want to rethink that one then. Clearly, God has a much better plan for my life than I do. After all, He’s the one who created it.

My challenge to you, then, is the same one I’m issuing to myself: never, ever cease to remind yourself that God is in control. Your life is not your own. You, along with every single other human being on this face of this planet, were created to know God and glorify Him through that relationship. That is your purpose. That is why you exist. Straying from that will do nothing short of destroy you, because it breaks from your original design. But thankfully, if you have, God created this beautiful concept known as grace. All of God’s wrath, anger, and hatred toward sin and the sinful was poured out upon His Son, Jesus Christ, as He hung from a tree almost two thousand years ago for crimes He did not commit. He stood in your place and took your judgement. My place. My judgement. And now you and I stand blameless before an almighty God. Blameless. What we deserved? That’s something to panic about. But we’re free from that. Free from sin. Free from judgement. Free to know God. Free to love. Free to be loved. Morality, then, becomes a response to God’s grace and mercy and the freedom which He has given you. Affection for Him brings about an affection for things that represent Him: love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. I can go for hours on this, but you get the concept.

So now what? It’s simple. If you believe the promises of God, then what reason do you have to worry? None. He’s way better at this control thing than you. And, if you don’t believe said promises, I encourage you look into them, simply because, as I said before, you were made for this. You were made to know God. Check out the link I have in the right column entitled The Story for more detail if you like, but please, don’t simply brush this off. Ask questions, regardless of how odd they sound. There’s nothing wrong with seeking truth.

All that said, I find it hard not to praise God. He took over a life I was inevitably going to screw up. And, of course, not everything has gone according to plan. Not mine. But His plan is greater, and it goes way beyond the life of one American college student amidst seven billion other human beings. So relax! This isn’t about you anyway, and God knows exactly what He’s doing. So smile, and remember: don’t panic.

Our God is not merely a god of love, or of joy, or of peace. Our God is the singular source of each and every thing which may be considered good, or even perfect. We serve a God who cannot be described through our own simplistic words. They are not enough. He is God. The God. The ultimatum of all power and glory. And, when we approach Him, this should do nothing less than bring us straight to our knees in a state of fear, awe, and surrender. And yet, this same God is a god of mercy. One who sends His only Son to bridge the gap between imperfection and perfection, between mankind and Himself. No greater love has ever been heard of, let alone attested to. And though we will never fully understand this God of whom we claim, we seek to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him. We earn not His favor; He grants it to us through the person of Jesus Christ in His infinite grace and mercy. This, friends, is the God we speak of. Whom, then, do you serve?

Some things aren’t going to make much sense. We just have to learn how to deal with that. And you know what? Sometimes, we aren’t going to like where we’re at. And we aren’t going to be satisfied with who we are. But, more often than not, that’s God’s way of reminding us that we have room to grow. We can react to that however we want, but it doesn’t change the fact that we still have room to grow. Welcome to life. It isn’t easy, it doesn’t make sense, and we aren’t in control. Thankfully, God is. So let go of yourself. Because this really isn’t about you.

Okay. Let’s get something straight here. This is a seminary. The school I attend is composed of what very well may be the future leaders of the church as a whole in the United States, perhaps even worldwide. We are being trained by the best. The very best. And what do these men tell us? That we are here to do God’s work, and, more specifically, to train others to do God’s work. This doesn’t simply involve teaching; this involves leading by example. So here’s the question of the day: WHAT example? Is this the best we can do? Are you serious? Because all I’m seeing from myself is a bunch of frivolous attempts at getting by. Last I checked, the Scriptures don’t ask us to “get by.” Getting by is a load of crap. It also happens to be an expression I use on a day-to-day basis.

So let’s talk motives. Why are you here? Seriously, why are you here? Why am I here? I can promise you I’m not hitting the mark. Why? Because I look across the street at a public high school with over 2000 students, most of which are dying without a Savior. Across the street from a seminary. It’s the same trend throughout this entire town. And what are we doing? Nothing. We’d rather debate theology, or have guitar sessions by the gazebo, or lock ourselves in our rooms for whatever reason. We’d rather go to a restaurant and get the server we know because they go to seminary too instead of sharing with one who’s never heard the gospel. We’d rather spend a majority of our time and effort finding our future spouse, since that’s obviously what you do in seminary. Evangelism is for mission trips. Not for the people I’m physically surrounded by as I sit in this dormitory and they drive down Stadium. Deny this mentality all you want, but you know you have the same problem. How many lost people do you know in this town? There’s plenty of them, and it sickens me that ninety percent of the people I know down here are Christians. Don’t get me wrong, I love those people, but is that really a good example of being in the world?

Death to the Christian subculture (stole that one from Doc). It’s not doing us any good. No, we’re not supposed to be of the world, but we’re definitely in it. So we construct our own social groups that do “churchy things.” And what do we accomplish? Nothing. NOTHING. I’m going to leave the professor who said this nameless (I know I quote him a lot, but it was not Doc Reid): “The reality is that, if this school was really doing it’s job, Wake Forest wouldn’t have so many people who are dying and going to hell.” And there’s a lot. Fake Christianity has ruined this town. Or should I call it a city? It’s getting there. In 2007, Forbes Magazine listed it as the twentieth fastest-growing suburb in the United States, with a 73.2 percent population increase between 2000 and 2006. The estimated population is quickly approaching 30,000, and Wake County as a whole is the seventh fastest-growing in the US. And we’re sitting here being good little seminary students (or, in some cases, we can’t even say that).

Here’s the point. This semester has to be different, at least for me. I have at least five people who would say the same thing for themselves. And I’m willing to bet that you would too. Think about it. We, as a school, are in a position to change the world. I’m serious. I’m not saying this because I think the students here are the best things to walk this this earth. We aren’t. But we are in a prime position to have a significant impact. With the Triangle being as populated as it is, and with three major universities (Duke, UNC, and NC State), any major movement is bound to spread. The churches in this area are some of the best I have encountered, and, if we actually pooled our resources and went, as a body, out into this region, something serious could take place.

But we aren’t. So I’ve decided that this is the semester to change that. I’m not speaking for anyone else but myself. This semester, I change my outlook. My focus. My drive. And it’s going to be really hard. Anxiety is already on the verge of eating me alive. But something has to change. It has to. Because I refuse to keep up this mundane trend of doing the minimum to graduate that I seem to be stuck on. I’m not called to that. So, if you’re with me, do it. Don’t tell me, just do it. And, whether you’re in or out, expect to start hearing about it. This isn’t some crazy idea I concocted in church today; this is a result of much prayer and discussion with other guys (and girls) who are just as sick of the same crap. The semester starts Thursday. What are you going to do? Stick with what you have, or start pursuing something greater? Because, let’s face it. I’m going to need a lot of help, or I’m going to collapse. I’m way too weak to do this alone. Let’s do something amazing for God. For once.

“Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the capital, that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, ‘The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.’ As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, ‘O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.” They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.’”
Nehemiah 1:1b-11a, ESV