by Brian Hobbs | Oct 2, 2019
Have you had one of those weeks you
felt like you’re on the Titanic while it’s sinking? Day after day, week after
week, your problems seem to persist and magnify.
We have all been there. Everyone—even
followers of Christ—goes through suffering and periods of great difficultly.
What separates Christians from unbelievers, though, is what—or rather Who—we
can call on during times of trouble.
What also distinguishes us is how we view
and respond to our problems. C.S. Lewis, in his masterpiece, “The Problem of
Pain,” said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures,
speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse
a deaf world.”
No one wants trials to
come. Indeed, we long for a day in which our difficulties cease and we dwell
with the Lord, unstained by sin, pain and problems. In the meantime, God can
use our present troubles to draw us closer to Him.
History tells us that,
after the Titanic struck the iceberg and began to sink into the ocean, the band
aboard continued to play music for the passengers. According to sources, the
last song played by the musical group, each of whom would perish in the
tragedy, was the hymn “Nearer, my God,
to Thee.”
Consider the dire circumstances aboard
the Titanic—and in your own life—as you ponder these hopeful lyrics:
“Nearer, my God to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be.
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.
“Though like
the wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone,
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.
“There let my
way appear
Steps unto heaven;
All that Thou sendest me
In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.
“Then with my
waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I’ll raise,
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.
“Or if on
joyful wing,
Cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot,
Upward I fly,
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.”
Today, if you
are struggling, call out to God (Psalm 86). Ask Him to bring you, as you walk through
your struggles and trials, nearer to Him.
by Brian Hobbs | Sep 16, 2019
People in Evangelical Christian
circles expressed heartbreak, shock and sadness at the recent news of the
apparent suicide of Jarrid Wilson, a young pastor and advocate for mental
health.
The suicide epidemic is real. Everyone
from mental health experts to Christian leaders who know God’s Word forward and
backward, seem perplexed as to what is accelerating this trend.
I will allow those wiser and more
knowledgeable people to dissect the problem and suggest solutions. Contrary to
Netflix damaging series “13 Reasons Why,” today I am offering 13 reasons why
life is worth living.
13. We are not our
own. If we live life as though it’s ours to use, we often will make
destructive choices. If instead we live as though we belong to God, we are more
apt to live wisely, with eternity in mind. Our lives are not our own (Rom.
12:1-2).
12. Your life is
valuable. Growing up, the self-esteem movement told me how special I was.
While I since have learned that I am not all that special, I learned an even
greater truth: I am valuable (and so are you) because we are created in God’s
image (Gen. 1:27), and we each have inherent worth. Never forget that.
11. People need you. It’s
easy to drift through life feeling like you have no purpose. We need to
realize—whether we are ever told this or not—other people are counting on you.
Other people need you.For example, I
met a man named Dennis who had made some poor life choices. He felt worthless.
God saved him. This man now has a wife, many children and grandchildren.
Whether you are married or single, generations now and in the future need you
to live out life fully and faithfully.
10. There is help. If
you are feeling suicidal, don’t wait to ask for help. One expert on suicide
said, “If you are struggling with depression, please call 1-800-273-TALK 24/7.”
9. There is hope. One
of my biggest struggles in life is being a father. I am not the father I want
to be. Yet I read a book title that was called “Hopeful parenting,” and I was
reminded of the power of hope. In life, we can always cling to hope.
8. Persistence pays. In
the most brilliant, but brief, commencement address of all time, Sir Winston
Churchill said, “Never give up. Never, never.” That is the best possible
advice, humanly speaking, on days we feel like giving up.
7. Problems are often
temporary. I read an article by a woman whose own husband and son each
committed suicide. This dear woman said, “Don’t choose a permanent solution to
a temporary situation.” When we focus on our problems, our minds can play
tricks on us and tell us things will never get better. Wisdom and life experience,
though, show that problems are often temporary.
6. Suicide transfers
your problems to others you love. Through reading this same article, it was
clear to see that the problems that these men who took their own lives were
overwhelming. Perhaps the men were trying to escape their problems by suicide.
It only ended up transferring problems to other people.
5. Satan is lying to
you. Jesus said, “The thief (Satan)
comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have life and have
it more abundantly.” The blueprint of the devil is death. God’s plan is for
life. (John 10:10). Today, choose not to believe Satan’s lies.
4. There is more to
life than what you see. Right now, around the world, other people are
struggling. Don’t fall into thinking those picture perfect Instagram moments
that everyone else is posting means you are alone in your troubles. Others are
struggling too.
3. God’s people love
you. Christians do not always reflect the unconditional love of Jesus. In
fact, we rarely do. But in God’s family, people outside the church and inside
the church should know love. If you are a follower of Christ, today show others
you love them, not by words only, but by actions.
2. God loves you. The
Bible says, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died
for us” (Rom. 5:8). Let that
truth sink in. Remind yourself of that daily, and remind others as well.
1. Jesus died so you could
live. The Bible says, “For God so
loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish but have eternal life.For God did
not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through Him” (John 3:16). Jesus came to give you life
and eternal life. If we know that, believe that and trust Him, that truly would
be the greatest reason why.
by Brian Hobbs | Sep 4, 2019
My teenager had only been driving with a learner’s permit
for a few weeks, when it happened. An accident. We were in the car, and while
parking, the car slightly grazed another vehicle leaving damage.
After interacting with the other vehicle’s owner and our
insurance company, my nerves calmed down.
After all, “It was only a fender bender, barely one at that,”
I thought. What I did not tell you yet, though, is that it was not my teenage
driver who struck the other vehicle; it was me.
While I am still wondering what life lessons this may have taught
my youngster, let me share what it has taught me:
Be humble. Adding
to my humiliation, my teenager had driven most of the time that day, until I
took over the last leg, knowing we were going to a place with a lot of traffic
and crowded parking lots. “Dad’s got to take the wheel, here,” I thought. True,
we were entering into some difficult driving, but my teen probably would have
been less (over) confident than her dad. That day, I learned to be more humble
about my abilities, or in this case inabilities (Rom. 12:3).
Be careful. In
this fast-paced society in which we live, it can be easy to get in too much a
hurry. Whether you are running late for an event and get careless parking your
car; or if you’re simply too careless with your words or attitudes, many of us
could benefit by slowing down, by taking care (Prov. 29:20).
Be patient. When
driving a car, it’s easy to grow inpatient. In fact, in every aspect of life,
it is difficult to have patience. Whether through life experience or prayer,
God can give to us more patience than we now have. It may not be a fun process
getting there, but it’s definitely a virtue and Fruit of the Spirit every
believer should desire (Eph. 4:2).
After my getting over my initial fender bender blues and
coming to these life lessons, I can step back and be thankful it happened. It
was a learning experience for me. It hopefully was a learning experience for my
teen. And who knows? Maybe my mistake can help you, as well.
by Brian Hobbs | Aug 20, 2019
“I’m praying for you,” is a phrase we often see on Facebook,
often expressed to a person who is facing loss or tragedy. To me, this expression
has many times been a great source of encouragement.
I was recently reflecting, though, on something than has had
even more meaning, and that is when a person has done what’s been called “the
ministry of presence.” In other words, the power of a person just being there.
Whether it’s the person who comes to give you a meal, or the individual who
shows up at the family member’s funeral, there is power in personal presence.
This should not surprise us. As human beings, we are made in
God’s image, and we are His embodied creations. As our age becomes more hyper
connected through screens, we need to be reminded of the power of in-person
connections.
One Christian writer said about the Incarnation, “Jesus did
not come to earth as a pixel, He came as a Person.” If Jesus Christ—the Living
Son of God—came to earth to walk among the people and share among their hurts,
diseases, struggles and more—we certainly could do the same.
When the trials and troubles of life come, it is a blessing
to have God’s people praying for you. In it also a great blessing to have
people with you and praying with you. It may be a friend, a family member or
fellow church member. That someone by your side through struggles is powerful.
While we don’t want to show up when we are not welcome, and
while we don’t want to be like Job’s friends who “ministered” through presence
and bad words and ideas, there is a way to do it right. The next time a door of
opportunity arises, where you sense God giving you an opening through just
being there for that person, consider stepping into that door.
Your presence for that person could hold more meaning for them
than what you are able to offer through pixels on a screen.
by Brian Hobbs | Aug 14, 2019
The late, great preacher Adrian Rogers once said, “Your reputation is your actions. Your character is your reactions.” Today, social media rewards reactions. The rawer the reaction, the more likes and shares you might get, giving rise to the popular term “Hot take.”
Unfortunately, the raw and rancorous reactions we see every day on social media are revealing major character flaws, even among Christians. How can we rise above this? Here’s three ideas:
- Wait. The Bible says, “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Prov. 29:20). The next time a hot topic arises, or breaking news happens, just wait. Don’t chime in the minute you think of something. Just mull over what you want to say. Then later, come back to it to see if you still want to comment or what you want to say.
- Withhold. The prevailing thought on social media is “silence is agreement.” If you do not immediately comment on every given issue, you are somehow viewed as complicit. The Bible, meanwhile, teaches us there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Eccl. 3:7). Moreover, the Bible praises a person who learns to hold his or her tongue (Prov. 21:23). If you simply do not comment on every issue that comes up online, the World Wide Web will go on. It’s sometimes okay to withhold from reacting.
- Swap. If your reactions are revealing a character weakness, God can help you replace that original emotive reaction with wisdom. Ask Him to change your heart; ask Him to give you wisdom where weakness now resides. If we learn from Jesus, we will learn to take everything to the LORD in prayer.
With
the 2020 elections looming, the raucous social media discussion is likely to
get worse, not get better. That means if our reactions in the coming months are
marked by wisdom, not weaker impulses, the world may just notice the difference
in us. People may see that Christ is Lord over all, even our reactions.