Rejoice & Relax!

Biblical shalom involves wholeness, delight, and a sense of meaning and purpose for all of God’s creation. Shalom is the way things are supposed to be! This includes four facets: peace with nature, peace in society, peace with ourselves, and peace with God. This is the second in the series on peace with ourselves.
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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” I have vivid memories of this verse coming to mind in 1971 when Marge and I were driving back to Vienna from Munich with our two little kids. Our car, an old Skoda, broke down on us and stranded us along the highway; here we were with children and very little money, since we were living as a family of four on a research scholarship designed to support one person. I remember Marge and I asking each other, “Are we suppose to rejoice now?”

After getting the car towed to a repair shop in Munich, I got Marge and the two kids on a train back to Vienna, where we were living for a year while I did my doctoral research, and I stayed in Munich while the mechanics analyzed our car. Their pronouncement was memorable: “Ganz kaput” (totally dead!). At that point, I told them that the car was theirs and I also headed back to Vienna. Rejoice in the Lord always – you’ve got to be kidding me!

What a lesson that was! This experience and others that followed, including inheriting the six children of Marge’s sister and brother-in-law, were powerful lessons in how God can use crises to teach us to trust him.

The Apostle Paul is a remarkable example of how to live out this truth. Listen to his words: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (Philippians 4: 4-7, The Message).

The amazing thing is that Paul wrote this letter from prison, where he was facing probable execution for his faith, and yet his principal message is his joy in the Lord – a theme he mentions sixteen times in this letter! “Rejoice in the Lord always” means there is never any reason to be anxious. If we trust God, we can have confidence that the Lord has our best interests in mind.

The Apostle Paul’s message reminds us of what Jesus said in the “Sermon on the Mount.” “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life that the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. [Or the car you drive, like a Skoda – an editorial insertion.] Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds” (Matthew 6:25-27, The Message).

Peace with ourselves involves trusting in God’s protection and not being fearful. It involves seeking to rejoice always, even in the tough times. This enables us to relax in the hands of God – we are indeed in good hands!

So What?

• Despite clear Biblical teaching on this topic, many of us are fearful people and we are constantly trying to ensure our safety and guarantee our long-term security, instead of living with greater openness and confidence in God’s provision. Why are we afraid to trust in what Jesus said?
• Can you think of a time when rejoicing in God’s blessings in your life was an anecdote for fear? Can you think of a way to do this now?

No Reason for Fear

Biblical shalom involves wholeness, delight, and a sense of meaning and purpose for all of God’s creation. Shalom is the way things are supposed to be! This includes four facets: peace with nature, peace in society, peace with ourselves, and peace with God. This is the first in the series on peace with ourselves.
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The Bible makes it clear that God wants us to have an accurate understanding of our identity and purpose in his creation. God does not want us to live with a distorted self-image or harbor anger about our physical appearance, race, and social/economic origin.

The Great Commandment instructs us to “love our neighbors as ourselves” – there is an assumption that followers of Jesus who don’t love or respect themselves are not able to love others. In this sense, peace with ourselves is intimately related to peace with others or peace in society.

What stands in the way of this peace? Often it can be fear: fear of the unknown, fear of what lies ahead for us and those we love. These worries can sometimes distort our sense of trust in God and our attitudes towards ourselves. If we are fearful, it is hard to have a proper understanding of who we really are and how we are loved by God.

Psalm 91, for example, emphasizes the importance of putting our trust in God and finding security in this relationship. It reads “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” (91:1-2). The Psalm goes on to describe God as a refuge – a shelter in time of desperate need – and a fortress – a stronghold against attack by enemies. The picture of God as a bird who provides protection “under his wings” is repeated throughout the Psalms.

Read Psalm 4. In this passage as well as the preceding Psalm, King David prays to God for relief in a time of crisis. He expresses confidence that the Lord would hear when he called to him and he instructed his people to trust in the Lord. David also referred to the inner peace necessary for restful sleep. Here are his words: “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (4:8).

The bottom line is this: If we trust in God, we have no reason to be fearful. There is no promise in the Bible that we will not face hardships, diseases or broken relationships, but God does promise to be with us through these crises. What we learn from the Psalms is that God alone is the source of our peace, he is the only one who can give us internal tranquility. When he put our trust in God, it allows us to be at peace with ourselves and not to be fearful or defensive or self-absorbed.

Peace with ourselves will never result from striving to be autonomous or independent of others – or of God. It will only come from a loving dependence on the Lord.

So What?

• In our world, it is hard not to be fearful. If we are aware of what is happening around us, there are lots of things to be concerned about. But facing these challenges without becoming fearful is an important quality of a disciple of Jesus. Many times in my work in Russia over the last twenty years I have had to face some frightening situations, but I have gradually learned how to put my trust in the Lord and to find security in his promises of protection. I sometimes have to remind myself that I am an ambassador of Jesus Christ, the Lord of creation, and no government bureaucrat or Kremlin official is to be feared.
• Night times can often be difficult when we are struggling with crises in our lives. I have found that it is helpful to block out these fears by thanking God for all his blessings and by shifting my attention to things for which I am grateful. Philippians 4:6-7 gives practical advice on how this peace can be found; check out this passage in a contemporary translation. We will discuss this further in the next Shalom post.
• In a culture that praises independence, “doing your own thing,” or “being in charge of your own life,” learning to depend on the Lord seems like an impossible position to be in. But the Bible teaches – in sharp contrast to our modern culture – that there is no reason to fear if we put our trust in God.

Just Do It! (Good, That Is)

Recapping: Biblical shalom involves wholeness, delight, and a sense of meaning and purpose for all of God’s creation. Shalom is the way things are supposed to be! This includes four facets: peace with nature, peace in society, peace with ourselves, and peace with God. This is the third in the series on peace in society.
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The Bible is such a practical book. While it has long sections that deal with theological and doctrinal issues, it is also full of practical guidance on how to work out our faith in real life. To the Hebrew mind, “God is what God does.” Rather than abstract theological descriptions about God’s character, the Hebrew mindset says look on what God has done in history and you can get an understanding of his character.

The same approach is true when it comes to human relationships and how our faith should impact the way we relate to others, those in our families, friends, and strangers that we meet. The Bible has concrete, practical instructions that serve as guidelines for living life that will bring shalom.

The Apostle Paul, for example, offers lots of practical advice about living a life of faith and he begins his discussion of this topic in Galatians 6 with a foundational principle: “A man reaps what he sows” (v. 5). The principle is clear – there are consequences for actions we take and we cannot escape these consequences. But this principle is bolstered by his accompanying encouragement that we should “not grow tired of doing good.”

Having established that point, Paul then instructed his readers to “do good to all people,” regardless of who they are. Although the Apostle made sure that the Galatians would pay special attention to the needs of other Christians, it is important to understand that he does not limit his admonition to just family, friends or recognizable neighbors.

The gospel of peace, taught by the Prince of Peace, is one of reconciliation among all people. It is a message designed to remove barriers between people, races and nations. God’s desire is that followers of Jesus, a group with transnational and multicultural members, usher in a new way of bringing peace in society through the unity to be found at the foot of the cross.

So What?

• It seems obvious to me that churches have little to offer their society if they are full of conflict and rivalry. Courageous church leaders are needed to demonstrate how historic barriers can be overcome and how diverse followers of Jesus can find opportunities to work together for the benefit of the poor. What a powerful testimony this would be!
• Less time spent criticizing other Christians and more time building up others would be one practical way of putting the good news of God’s peace to work in our communities.
• How can the “do good to all people” model be implemented during a contentious political year? What would a “model campaign” look like? More on this later.

Straight Talk

Recapping: Biblical shalom involves wholeness, delight, and a sense of meaning and purpose for all of God’s creation. Shalom is the way things are supposed to be! This includes four facets: peace with nature, peace in society, peace with ourselves, and peace with God. This is the second in the series on peace in society.
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"The Prophet Micah"
Jan Van Eyck, 1432

One of the most powerful passages in the Old Testament, in my judgment, is the prophet Micah’s commentary on what the Lord requires of us. Here’s the heart of the prophet’s instruction to God’s people:

“With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
And to walk humbly with your God.”
(Micah 6:6-8, NIV)

The prophet asks a rhetorical question: “What does the Lord require of you?” He contrasts sacrificial offerings that were part of the religious life of Jews that at time -- not so familiar to us -- with living a just, merciful and humble life of obedience.

This is profound, but it is not new news. It’s similar to the question Samuel asked King Saul: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (I Samuel 15:22).

And again, King David shared the same insight when, after confessing his sin of adultery, he wrote: “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17).

In the Bible, living a good and holy life is never viewed as practicing religious rituals or just going to church. ‘To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” was an important instruction about how to live in society with other people, both friends and those with whom we disagree. Righteous living leads to peace and that is what pleases God.

So What?

• To make these lofty and poetic phrases more personal, think about a practical example of each principle that you could incorporate into your life.

1. What could you do more “justly” in your work or interaction with others?
2. In what situations that confront you could you exhibit mercy? What does “love mercy” mean to you?
3. How should your attitude reflect “humility” in respect to God? How about in respect to other people?