What are you afraid of? Your culture offers sympathy to fearful people, but the Bible gives strong words against fear, linking it with unbelief and torment. You have heard of people being paralyzed by fear and have seen examples. Fear prevents people from taking the actions necessary to move ahead into their own future. So how do you deal with the unknown and with scary circumstances that require action? I know this is not easy, but you might find it helpful to realize that the greatest risk you face is the failure to show up and lead the life  that I have set before you.

Weekend Roundup Aug 21 2021

We confess: Lord, You have placed within me a hunger for truth (2 Thess. 2:10). The truth sets me free (Jn. 8:32).  I fear God, love truth, and hate dishonest gain (Ex. 18:21). I will lead in the area God has assigned me to.

What is your assignment in this battle? Are you active in it? One of my assignments is to be a teacher who shares life-giving truths, which I do below.

Do you consider yourself to be a dignified person? How is that working for you? Dignity is an honor you should extend to every person, for they are made in my image, and this is a regard for their inherent worth. What about claiming it for yourself? Has this ever been a burden for you? Has the desire for dignity ever hindered you from expressing the joy in your heart? Don’t die with your joy still inside you. This is too great a burden to bear. The conventions of your culture confuse dignity with lack of expression. This is a false conception that you cannot arbitrarily correct.

If you were to ask a wide variety of people about their least favorite aspect of their job, what would you expect? Would you be surprised to find the answer was paperwork? Who has a passion for filling out forms and writing reports? Have you noticed how little paperwork is involved in serving me? Churches have to keep financial records, but for the most part the things you do for the Kingdom of God don’t require you to fill out forms, relieving you of a tedious burden. Yet you can be sure that accurate records are being kept, even without effort on your part.