Psalm 13: Navigate brokenness

Today we’re thinking about NAVIGATING BROKENNESS. What do I mean by brokenness? I’m talking about an OVERWHELMING DISAPPOINTMENT that affects people psychologically, physically or spiritually.

It could look like a lot of things. It might impact your life DEEPLY. With significant symptoms. Like depression, a mental breakdown, suicidal thoughts, or deep emotional scars that block you functioning normally. Or maybe it’s LESS OBVIOUS. It might just be a lingering sadness, cynicism or weariness with the world.

1. Our world is broken

Brokenness is a response to the fact that THE WORLD IS BROKEN. And broken people EXPERIENCE that brokenness more than others.

Brokenness might be caused by the loss of something you value – a job or a relationship. Or experiencing significant trauma like a disaster or illness. Or feeling the crushing weight of expectation or demands from others.

Perhaps it’s not caused by one major thing, but the accumulation of dozens of small knocks or pressures over years.

Brokenness is what JOB experiences in Job chapter 3. In chapters 1 and 2, Satan destroyed his life. His herds were stolen or burned up, his servants and children murdered or killed in tragic accidents. Then Job himself suffered painful boils on every part of his skin. Then in chapter 3 Job RESPONDS. Life has BROKEN him. He wishes he’d never been born. He says, v11, “Why did I not perish at birth… for now I’d be lying down in peace? Or v20.

20 “Why is light given to those in misery,     and life to the bitter of soul, 21 to those who long for death that does not come,…

And then, v24, he describes his experience.

24 For SIGHING comes to me instead of food;     my GROANS pour out like water.25 What I feared has come upon me;     what I dreaded has happened to me.26 I have NO PEACE, NO QUIETNESS; I have NO REST, but ONLY TURMOIL.”

Physical and emotional symptoms. Fatigue, weariness and grief. And psychologically, he feels anxious and hopeless with no options for the future. Job’s THE PRIME EXAMPLE of someone who’s been broken by life.

We see the same experience from King David in Psalm 13. V1-2

1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?     How long will you hide your face from me?2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts     and every day have sorrow in my heart?    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

It’s hard to work out SPECIFICALLY what’s happened. There’s an enemy who’s causing him grief. Perhaps PERSONAL or POLITICAL. And he’s ANXIOUS about it. Uncertain and deeply SAD. And he just wants it to END. And, worst of all, God seems to have abandoned him. He’s known God’s goodness in the PAST. But that link seems broken TOO.

But of course, it’s not just JOB and DAVID. ALL of us experience this to SOME extent. Because our WORLD is broken. From our own bodies, to personal relationships and life struggles in general. Through to natural disasters and major worldwide crises.

2. Humanity is broken, and our relationship with God is broken

But this doesn’t mean we should think of ourselves ONLY as VICTIMS of brokenness. That’s TRUE. But as the Bible describes brokenness, it BEGINS by talking about the fundamental SPIRITUAL brokenness of every person. Every human is also A CAUSE OF BROKENNESS in the world. Our WORLD is broken because PEOPLE are broken. People have chosen to ignore their Creator, and to live independently of him. That’s what SIN is, at its core. We choose to ignore the One who made us, and to live the way he designed. We’re BROKEN. And our RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD is broken.

Genesis 1 and 2 describe how God made people to KNOW AND LOVE HIM. But, instead, Genesis 3, Adam and Eve chose independence from God. And that had consequences for the whole world. Their relationship with GOD was broken, their relationship with ONE ANOTHER was broken. And their relationship to the PHYSICAL WORLD was broken.

And that’s been the experience of every human being since. Except for Jesus, ALL of us choose independence from God. All of us choose to live for OURSELVES, rather than for God, or for other people. ALL of us fail to measure up to God’s call to wholeheartedly love, obey, fear and delight in him. Which means all of us have CONTRIBUTED to the broken world.

Author David Powlinson says

“The break with God triggers a landslide, working breakage into every other area of life. We are lawbreakers. This moral breakdown is something we each DO in our own way. It is not just something that HAPPENS to us when we get in someone else’s way.”[1]

Which means we’re not just VICTIMS. We’re PART OF THE PROBLEM.

(1. Our world is broken. Because, 2, people are broken and our relationship with God is broken. And we all bear some responsibility for the brokenness of others, and ourselves.)

3. God invades our broken world

But, 3, the great news of the Bible is that God INVADES our broken world. From Genesis 3 on, God doesn’t just ABANDON us. He begins to MEND our brokenness. He promises Eve a descendant who’ll crush the serpent’s head. And he makes clothes for Adam and Eve, to protect them. And then he makes a covenant with Abram to BLESS HIM. And to make him a BLESSING TO THE WORLD. And he begins to REMAKE our brokenness. Abram trusts God, who builds him into a nation, Israel.

And, despite their guilt, God patiently forgives them, and hears and answers their prayers. Prayers like David’s, in v3 of Psalm 13.

3 Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.     Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;4 my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”     and my foes will rejoice when I fall

In contrast to how he FEELS in v1. (That God has hidden his face). He prays that God would SEE him, and ANSWER.

And his request is an interesting one – “enlighten my eyes”. What’s he mean? From v2 and v4, what he WANTS is for his enemies to be brought down. So, it could just mean “Rescue me. Give me LIFE.” But I wonder if it’s more about God changing David’s PERSPECTIVE on his situation. (How he SEES his situation). For God to lift his broken spirit. To restore his psychological strength and emotional energy, and his outlook on life.

There’s a similar phrase in 1 Samuel 14, where Jonathan, King Saul’s son eats some honey. He’s been marching with the army all day, chasing after David. And when he eats it, he’s RE-ENERGISED, and he says, v29, “See how my eyes have brightened because I ate the honey. It’s physical strength, but also new energy to deal with the difficulties.

If God can do that for David, then his attitude to the situation will change. His resolve will be strengthened. Rather than being UNCERTAIN and CONFLICTED and BROKEN. And he won’t feel like he’s headed for death. And his enemies won’t rejoice that he’d fallen into despair.

And that story is told countless times with God’s people through the Bible. The God who SEES and ANSWERS his broken people.

But MORE than that. He doesn’t just see and answer FROM A DISTANCE. He ENTERS our brokenness. God promised, through the prophets, to send a Messiah, his Servant. Who would DELIVER God’s plan to REPAIR his broken world.

Isaiah 61 looks forward to this servant, who says.

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me TO BIND UP THE BROKENHEARTED,to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

And then 500 years later Jesus CAME. And announces his arrival by quoting these exact words, in Luke chapter 4. And then he DOES exactly that. Releasing the demon-possessed, and re-making people broken by disease, or disability, and even DEATH.

But not just REPAIRING brokenness. EXPERIENCING it. The WORST of the human experience. Hunger, thirst, loneliness. Persecution. Temptation. Exhaustion. Then as he heads to the cross, in obedience to his Father, ridicule, injustice, torture, abandonment, and the brutal death of crucifixion. Jesus HIMSELF is broken.

A few chapters earlier in Isaiah. Isaiah 53. It accurately predicts his experience.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,     a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Which means he UNDERSTANDS brokenness.

When you’re at the end of your strength. When you’ve given up. When you feel alone. God doesn’t just SEE and HEAR. He UNDERSTANDS. So GO to him CONIDENTLY. Hebrews 4:15 encourages us

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

We tend to think, as life gets more difficult, that we’re more alone. But the truth is our pain never outstrips what Jesus shares in. We’re NEVER alone. Dane Ortlund writes

“When the relationship goes sour, when the feelings of futility come flooding in… when we feel deeply misunderstood, when we are laughed at by the impressive – in short, when the fallenness of the world closes in on us and makes us want to throw in the towel – there, right there, we have a Friend who knows EXACTLY what such testing feels like, and sits close to us.”[2]

But Jesus’ suffering and death does more than let him sympathise. He REPAIRS OUR BROKEN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. He bears the punishment we deserve, so we might receive the peace HE deserves. Isaiah 53 goes on to say

4 Surely he took up our infirmities     and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God,    smitten by him, and afflicted.5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,     he was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,    and by his wounds we are healed.6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,     each of us has turned to his own way;and the Lord has laid on him    the iniquity of us all.

He carries the guilt of our sin. He’s BROKEN, so we can be re-made. And when we TRUST him, God FORGIVES us, turns his anger away, and heals our broken relationship.

So we can come to him CONFIDENT. Not just because Jesus UNDERSTANDS our brokenness. But because he NEVER SINNED, and so God WELCOMES us. Through Jesus’ perfect life, lived in a broken world.

4. Brokenness, directed to God, receives mercy

But what does all of that mean for those of us experiencing brokenness? Firstly, God can USE brokenness to HUMBLE us. To bring us to the end of ourselves. So we’ll turn TO HIM. And when we direct that brokenness to God, he promises to RECEIVE us, not REJECT us.

In Psalm 51, as David contemplates his adultery with Bathsheba and its impacts, he knows how God wants him to DEAL with it. V16-17

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;     you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.17 The sacrifices of God are A BROKEN SPIRIT;    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

God WELCOMES the broken spirit that flows from a broken life. And looks to HIM.

And so that’s what David DOES, here at the end of Psalm 13. In the midst of whatever it is he’s going through, David says to God, v5

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;     my heart rejoices in your salvation.6 I will sing to the LORD,    for he has been good to me.

He’s TOLD God how he feels. And PRAYED for God’s answer. And now he TRUSTS in God’s plans.

Has God delivered him from his enemies or not? It’s not clear. “Rejoices” could also be FUTURE tense – “my heart WILL rejoice” – which suggests he’s still waiting. But even if it’s PRESENT tense, David could be rejoicing NOW/ while he WAITS for God’s salvation.

And v6 could describe David singing because God has been good to him IN THE PAST. And that gives him confidence to trust him, and rejoice in him, FOR THE PRESENT.

You see, God MAY deliver us from our brokenness. (He might change our situation). Or maybe he WON’T. It might be something we have to carry, because we live in a broken world. But if he DOESN’T deliver us, some things are still certain. Whatever brokenness you’re going through,

5. God is working through brokenness for GOOD

One, God is working through it for GOOD. Romans 8.28 says he’s called you for a purpose. To be conformed to the likeness of his Son. And everything in your life will DO that as you trust yourself into God’s care. EVERYTHING works for good. Including those things that have broken you.

6. Brokenness won’t separate you from God’s love

Next, whoever ELSE abandons you, God will NEVER leave you. However alone you feel, brokenness won’t separate you from God’s love. Romans 8 again. V35

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?36 As it is written:”For your sake we face death all day long;    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What a wonderful promise!

7. there is an end to brokenness.

And finally, however long you’ve been enduring your brokenness, the Bible promises that there is an END to brokenness. When God makes everything new, and undoes every wrong thing. Revelation 21.3-5 describes eternity.

Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

And so, for ALL of those reasons, God enables us to REJOICE in brokenness. To join with David who REJOICES in God’s salvation, at the end of Psalm 13, even as he waits for it. And to sing to God, because he HAS been good to him.

There’s a line in Leonard Cohen’s song, Hallelujah, that describes singing BROKEN hallelujahs. And, in a sense, that’s what we’re doing. In the midst of our brokenness. Our questions. And our pain. Our uncertainty about if, and when, God might re-make us. He calls us to TRUST him, and walk WITH him. And to sing our broken Hallelujahs.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;     my heart rejoices in your salvation.6 I will sing to the LORD,    for he has been good to me.

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[1] David Powlinson, Speaking of brokenness, Journal of Biblical Counselling 32:1 (2018), 67

[2] Dane Ortlund, Gentle and lowly, 48.

Ephesians 4:22-32: Navigate anger

The effects of anger are everywhere in our society. Every news bulletin has at least one story about the effects of anger. Road rage, pub brawls. violence on the sporting field and among spectators, workplace bullying, suicide, domestic abuse, broken families, gang shootings and more.

1. Anger is widespread and diverse

But, more than that, anger affects us all PERSONALLY. Perhaps as a victim. But CERTAINLY as an offender.

Everyone gets angry. But we all show that anger in different ways. (Anger is widespread and diverse). I suspect almost all of us can remember the last time we got angry. Perhaps it was with a stranger, or perhaps it was with someone you know well – a close friend or family member. Someone said or did something that you thought was WRONG. Unfair, or undeserved or unjust. Perhaps YOU were the victim, or because someone ELSE was the victim. And you REACTED. Your pulse quickened, your adrenaline started flowing. Perhaps you thought about what you’d do next. Or perhaps you reacted instinctively.

This next step is the most important. It’s when anger does the most damage. To yourself, or the others, or to relationships. Most of us choose one of two paths. FIGHT, or FLIGHT. VOLCANO, or ICEBERG. BULL, or OSTRICH.

Perhaps you get angry, and EXPLODE. That’s a FIGHT response. An exploding VOLCANO. A charging BULL. Perhaps it’s shouts and insults. Or maybe quiet critical and hurtful comments. Or passive aggression – saying nothing, but taking revenge in some other way. Or perhaps it’s honking your horn. Or getting PHYSICAL. Pushing, grabbing, hitting.

Or perhaps You choose FLIGHT. You’re angry. But, outwardly, you’re calm.. You avoid confrontation. You’re the OSTRICH, who buries its head in the sand.

Superficially, that’s a better response. But the anger doesn’t go away. You’re the iceberg. Not much to see above the water, but everything is below the surface. Inside, you quietly FUME. Smiling on the outside, but it’s through gritted teeth. You clench your fists, you’re pulse is racing, your insides are churning. You feel physically sick at the thought of conflict.

Avoidance might work for anger with a stranger, but for someone you spend a lot of time with – a family member or close friend – eventually the anger will show itself. The longer you AVOID the issue, the more resentment and bitterness will grow. Until, one day, all the pressure that’s been building is RELEASED. Normally in A WORSE way than if you’d addressed it earlier.

Anger affects everyone. But we all SHOW anger in different ways. (that’s the first point: anger is widespread and diverse)

2. Anger is sinful

(Second point: however you EXPRESS it, anger is SINFUL) (Which I’ll slightly qualify in a moment). Anger is sinful. Just in case you need more evidence for that than your own experience. Here are some Bible verses.

Matthew 5:21-22 21 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’22 But I tell you that ANYONE WHO IS ANGRY WITH HIS BROTHER WILL BE SUBJECT TO JUDGMENT.

Anger isn’t something small. Murder BEGINS with anger. And BOTH of them will bring God’s JUDGMENT.

Or Colossians 3:5-8 (5. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature… 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming….) 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: ANGER, RAGE, MALICE, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Anger is part of your old, sinful nature. And God wants you to PUT IT TO DEATH. ANGER is a sin. But notice that so is RAGE – which is what the volcano DOES with anger. Explodes. And MALICE is a sin. Which is what the iceberg does with anger. Malice is feelings of spite and resentment. (Bottling up the anger, but not ACTING on it.)

My guess is no one’s SURPRISED by this. We all know the DAMAGE anger can do. And when we don’t deal with anger well.

-Mostly

But is anger ALWAYS sin? Perhaps you noticed v26 of our Ephesians passage.

26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

Which seems to suggest that you can be angry. And not sin. (That the sin comes with what you DO with your anger). Because the reality is Jesus got angry. And Jesus never sinned. So it must be, theoretically, possible. In Mark 3:5 Jesus heals a man with a shrivelled hand on the Sabbath. And he’s angry at the people who are more interested in catching Jesus breaking the Sabbath than in rejoicing that the man’s been HEALED. And in Mark 10.14 Jesus is ANGRY when the disciples stop parents from bringing little children to him. And in John 2:14-16, he found the temple courts full of people selling and changing money. It doesn’t say he’s angry, but he makes a whip, and drove everyone out of the temple. He scattered the coins, and turned over all the tables. Which looks a lot like anger, to me.

But what about US? Is it possible for US to be angry, and not sin? I’m not convinced. But here’s a hint. Notice that Jesus’ anger is always at the treatment of OTHERS. (At how CHILDREN, or the DISABLED, or GOD, are treated.) It’s never a reaction to how HE was treated.

And so perhaps that’s a good model to follow. We’re following Jesus when we advocate on behalf of others. When we FEEL STRONGLY the injustice and unfairness against children, or refugees, or the disabled, or God’s honour. (Whether you call that anger, or something else).

But even for a good cause – injustice against OTHERS- SINFUL anger is still DANGEROUSLY CLOSE. Even if it’s POSSIBLE to have righteous anger/ hatred, judgmentalism, and pride are coming pretty close behind.

And that’s certainly the EMPHASIS of the Ephesians passage. The message is to watch out for the sin that FLOWS from anger. For example, the person who bottles it up and lets bitterness build. That’s the person v26 is speaking to. (in your anger, do not sin) “Do not let the sun go down while you are still ANGRY.”

Deal with your irritation. Don’t dwell on it. Don’t let it grow. Otherwise it will BUILD. And make things WORSE. That word for angry is a different one. It’s more accurate to translate it as “provocation” or “irritation”. It’s speaking to conflict avoiders. The ICEBERGS. The ostriches. We hope that if just ignore our anger for a few weeks, it will go away.

But anger is like a splinter. The longer you leave it, the more painful it gets. Don’t ignore it. DEAL with it.

Jesus shows us ONE way to DEAL with our irritation. In Luke 17:3

“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

TALK to the person who’s angered you. And TELL them what’s IRRITATED you. It won’t be EASY. Those of us who are icebergs HATE confrontation. But don’t let the sun go down on your anger.

Notice, it’s not “TAKE REVENGE”. Rebuke isn’t retaliation. Rebuking aims to CORRECT the other person. To make them more like Jesus. With the goal of RESTORING the relationship. We don’t need to take revenge. Or dispense justice. That’s God’s job. And that’s ANOTHER way to DEAL with our irritation.

NOT taking revenge is dealing with anger. And it shows you trust God’s justice. In Romans 12.14 it says

14 BLESS those who persecute you; bless and do not curse…17 DO NOT REPAY ANYONE EVIL FOR EVIL. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.19 DO NOT TAKE REVENGE, my friends, but LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD’S WRATH, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

Delivering justice is God’s job. Leave space for him to work. Instead, we’re to BLESS those who persecute us. PRAY for them. Desire GOOD things for them. That’s what’s going on in Psalm 37. V7, David says,

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;     do not fret when men succeed in their ways,    when they carry out their wicked schemes.8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;     do not fret–it leads only to evil.

Waiting patiently for God, rather than getting angry, shows that we TRUST him. Be STILL before the LORD. He WILL make things RIGHT. V9 continues.

9 For evil men will be cut off,     but those who HOPE in the Lord will inherit the land.

That’s what we need to remind ourselves of when we’re tempted to react in anger at injustice. (That God will deal with injustice. It might be quickly, or it might take a long time.)

Do not let the sun go down on your anger, says Ephesians. DEAL with it. MAYBE by speaking to the person. (Rebuke, repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation and growth.) That will be a difficult thing for the ICEBERGS to do. (The conflict avoiders.)

Or dealing with it may mean NOT speaking to the person. Especially if you’re tempted to TAKE REVENGE. (TO EXPLODE.) Instead, asking God’s BLESSING for them. Praying for them. Remembering that God will make things right. Take steps, in yourself, to LIVE AT PEACE with people. And that will be a difficult thing for the VOLCANOES to do.

Whichever way you tend to react when you’re angry, Ephesians 4 says DEAL with it. Quickly. Because anger is DESTRUCTIVE.

Which is why the devil doesn’t WANT us dealing with it like this. V27 says “Don’t give the devil a foothold.” When we let the sun go down on our anger. When we bottle it up, and say nothing. Satan LOVES it. Because we’re hurting ourselves. And we’re hurting our relationship with other people. And we’re missing the opportunity to help them grow. Anger, not dealt with, gives the devil an opportunity to do harm.

But not just anger. He can use ALL SORTS of things to damage us. Look at what else the Ephesians 4 warns us about. V25, stop lying and speak truthfully. V28 Stop stealing, and work, doing something useful with your hands V29 Stop unwholesome talk – silly or crude. Instead speak what’s helpful. All of these things are RELATED to anger. And the irritations and problems that happen between any group of sinful people.

Then, v31, we return to ANGER, and the actions and attitudes that FLOW from it.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

It’s a comprehensive list. There are no loopholes. ANGER is the feeling. Get rid of it. And get rid of BITTERNESS on the ONE hand if anger’s internalised (by the icebergs – the conflict avoiders). And get rid of RAGE on the OTHER hand (by the volcanoes). Rage might look like brawling – direct physical or verbal confrontations – or it might look like SLANDER – spreading gossip or lies to other people. And then, just to make sure nothing’s left out. EVERY FORM OF MALICE – which is a feeling of spite or cruelty or nastiness.

Get rid of ALL these things. Thoughts, feelings, actions, words. Everything connected to anger. And, instead, v32. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Behave like God. Most of what I’ve said so far is good advice whether you’re a Christian, or not. But here’s where Christians have the advantage. We’ve been forgiven by God. We haven’t EARNED it or DESERVE it. We’ve got both a MOTIVATION to forgive. And a MODEL to forgive, rather than show anger.

If you’re one of God’s people, then you were created to become like God. That’s God’s intended purpose for you. Look at how this section BEGAN. (Back in v22)

22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;24 and to put on the new self, CREATED TO BE LIKE GOD in true righteousness and holiness.

God’s plan for you is to GROW MORE LIKE HIM.

And then v25 continues, “THEREFORE each of you must put off falsehood etc… in your anger do not sin.” And so on. Get in step with God’s purposes. And GROW INTO the person God is creating you to be. LIKE God, in true righteousness and holiness…. And get rid of anger.

But HOW? How can we DO that? For many of us, anger is a real problem. Impatience, frustration, bitterness, shouting, tension headaches all seem to be daily companions.

3. Be slow to anger

I wonder if that phrase from v23 is a hint. Created TO BE LIKE GOD. And God is SLOW to anger. There’s no doubt that God shows anger. At sin and rebellion and injustice. Probably HUNDREDS of verses in the Bible, in NEW Testament as well as OLD, describes God’s WRATH.

In fact, it’s at the CORE of who God is. In Exodus, when Moses asked God to show him his glory, here’s what God does. Exodus 34:6-7

6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, SLOW TO ANGER, ABOUNDING IN LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS,7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

Generous, abundant, gracious LOVE. And slow, patient ANGER. Both are central to God’s character. They’re not COMPETING characteristics, but TWO SIDES of the SAME COIN. God’s LOVE for his people means he feels WRATH against those who HURT his people. God’s LOVE for us is JEALOUS – in the sense that he deserves to have our LOYALTY, and he’s ANGRY when we give that to ANOTHER.

I don’t want to push this TOO FAR. But these verses seem to suggest that God’s PREFERENCE is to show LOVE rather than WRATH. Notice the comparison. He ABOUNDS in love, but he’s SLOW to anger. And his love is to THOUSANDS of generations. While his anger is only to the THIRD and FOURTH generation.

And that’s certainly the portrait of the Old Testament. From start to finish. Abundant, undeserving love to sinful people – individuals and a nation. As well as abundant PATIENCE. Again and again and again and again. A SLOWNESS to show his anger. Because he LONGS for people to repent.

And he’s created us to be LIKE him in true righteousness and holiness. Work on being SLOW to anger. Whether your anger shows itself in the RESENTMENT AND BITTERNESS of the ICEBERG. Or the RAGE AND BRAWLING of the VOLCANOES. James 1:19-20 says

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

When you feel your anger building at a situation. Count to 10. Or 100. As Psalm 37 says, Be STILL before the LORD, wait patiently for him. Listen carefully to what’s been said before you speak. Perhaps you’ve MISUNDERSTOOD it. And think. Perhaps there’s a REASON why they’ve acted the way they did. Perhaps you bear some of the blame, too.

And remember, like Psalm 37, that God will eventually make things right. You don’t have to take revenge. You can leave room for God’s justice, as Romans 12.19 says.

Anger is a problem of the heart.

And part of being STILL before the LORD. (Of being slow to speak). Is to CONSIDER YOUR OWN HEART. In Luke 6.45 Jesus says the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Anger is an opportunity for you to examine what’s in your heart. We get angry because we FAIL to receive something we VALUE. James 4:1-4 explains what’s underneath our anger.

1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your DESIRES that battle WITHIN you?2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill. And covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight.

Next time you get angry, stop and look at your heart. Be still before God. Reflect on what is it you want that you’re not receiving. You want SAFETY, and that bad driver is RISKING that. You want RESPECT, but your kids IGNORE you, and leave their clothes everywhere. You want CONTROL, and nobody’s listening to you. You want COMFORT, but as soon as you get home from work, your wife asks you to go back to the shops.

And if you work it out. REPENT of it to God. And repent of it, thoughtfully, humbly and specifically to the person you’ve been ANGRY towards.

And ask God to replace that FALSE, adulterous love with a greater love FOR HIM. Let go of the desire for revenge. Ask him to grow you to be more like him. In being SLOW to anger, and instead to be kind and compassionate and forgiving.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Luke 12:22-34: Navigate worry

Today we’re thinking about ANXIETY, or WORRY. (Full disclosure: I’m not a counsellor or health professional, so this isn’t medical advice. I’d encourage anyone struggling with anxiety to see professionals)

What is anxiety? And how is it different from stress? At the risk of over simplification, stress or fear is how we react to something happening NOW. But anxiety or worry is fear of what MIGHT happen LATER.

Life is FULL of difficult situations. Climate change, terrorism, computer hackers, nuclear attack, housing affordability, unpaid bills, car repairs, work pressures, passing school exams or university subjects, personal health, health pandemics.

And now in the world of social media, we’re even anxious that we might MISS OUT on something! It’s called FOMO, or fear of missing out.

As Charlie Brown says, even our anxieties have anxieties.

ALL of us feel anxious at different times. For MOST people stress and anxiety pass once the stressful situation is over. But ANXIETY DISORDER is when those feelings DON’T GO AWAY – when they happen without any particular reason.

Anxiety, as a disorder, is reaching epidemic proportions in Australia. Beyond Blue says it’s the most common mental health condition in Australia, with two million sufferers– twice as many as depression. One in four Australians will experience some form of anxiety condition.

Anxiety disorder, in the short term, can lead to panic attacks, heart palpitations, chest pains, light headedness, sleep deprivation. In the longer term, it can lead to a suppressed immune system, irritable bowel syndrome, and increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

But in the midst of all this, Jesus commands us (Luke 12:22), “DO NOT WORRY about your life, what you will EAT; or about your BODY, what you will WEAR. And God encourages us, in 1 Peter 5:7, to “cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” And in Philippians 4:6-7 he commands us 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And then gives us the PROMISE 7 And the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will GUARD your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. What a great promise for those of us who feel anxious!

But how do we DO that? How do we NOT WORRY? How can we take our eyes off the storms of life, and cast our anxieties onto God instead? How do we make this world SMALLER, and make God BIGGER?

Jesus has the answers, here in Luke 12. The Master physician looks at our anxieties, and has THREE TREATMENTS.

1. Change your perspective
2. Change who you trust
3. Change what you love
4. Change your perspective (22-23)

First, CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE. (Change the way you look at things, and the importance you give them) Look at v22.

22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will EAT; or about your body, what you will WEAR.23 LIFE IS MORE THAN FOOD, AND THE BODY MORE THAN CLOTHES.

One of the things anxiety does is to make a problem seem more important than they really are. The more we think it, the more it GROWS, until it seems like it’s the most important thing in the world. And it feels like THE WORLD WILL END if that thing you’re anxious about actually HAPPENS. (If people laugh at what you’re wearing, or you fail your subject, or the electricity gets cut off, or you catch COVID, or you miss your flight, or you lose your phone.)

But Jesus says. Don’t worry about your life – what you will eat, or wear. Because life is MORE, or GREATER THAN, food and clothes. Don’t make SMALL things into GREAT things. God has given you LIFE (which is the GREATER thing). Why would not give you food to NOURISH that life? And he’s given you YOUR BODY (which is the GREATER thing). Why would he not give you clothes to COVER that body? Life is BIGGER than the things you’re anxious about.

Which includes ETERNITY. Life is bigger than this EARTHLY life. The context is the story he’s just told about the rich fool, from v13. Who worried about the crop he’d grown, and built bigger barns to store it all. And who made plans to enjoy his life. But he forgot to plan FOR ETERNITY. Forgot that GOD held his life in his hands. And that his life was MORE than just THIS EARTHLY life. Eternity is real. Judgment is real. Heaven and hell are real. It doesn’t make sense to focus on things that are TEMPORARY and SMALL, and forget about the things that are ETERNAL and BIG.

That’s the right way to think about EARTHLY things. Don’t give them more importance, more value, more significance, than they really deserve. What matters MORE is if YOU’RE RICH TOWARDS GOD. (Whether he knows you. And you know Jesus.)

That’s the first treatment for anxiety. (changing your perspective) Having the right perspective on the things that make us anxious.

2. Change who you trust (24-28)

The SECOND step in treating anxiety is to CHANGE WHO YOU TRUST. From v24, after saying not to worry about food and clothing, Jesus points people to GOD. You see, it’s not enough to just recognise there are bigger things than food and clothes. If you only do THAT, then all you do is transfer your worry to something else. You’ll worry about ETERNITY, rather than just THIS LIFE. If anything, your worry might INCREASE. You’ll end up replacing ONE set of worries for ANOTHER one.

The reality is life’s too big for us to deal with. We have to learn to trust GOD. He’s BIG enough, and GOOD enough, and CARES enough / to give us what he knows we need. V24.

24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

Birds don’t worry. And they’re not VALUABLE. But God feeds THEM and gives them life. HOW MUCH MORE will he look after YOU!? Same with the FLOWERS. v27. They don’t labour or spin. Or shop, or save. But God dresses them more richly than King Solomon. Then, v28,

HOW MUCH MORE will he clothe YOU, O you of little faith?

You’re more important to God than birds or flowers. He’s given you LIFE. He’s given you a WONDERFUL BODY. So trust him for THE LITTLE THINGS. Trust him for the bills, and your health, and driving on that narrow road. Trust him for the plane trip, and your University marks, and your children’s future. Trust him in the face of inflation and housing unaffordability and climate change.

And notice Jesus’ remarkably REALISTIC observation? V25.

25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

You’re NOT GOD. That job’s already TAKEN. HE’s the one who gives life. Worrying does nothing. Leave the responsibility for the length of your life with HIM. Lengthening your life is only A LITTLE THING to God!

And notice the connection between worry and unbelief. At the end of v28. “O YOU OF LITTLE FAITH!” When you WORRY about things, you’re NOT TRUSTING GOD. Instead, you’re trusting YOURSELF. And your abilities to FIX things. (Or INability to fix them). Which is why you WORRY. Because most of them you CAN’T fix. Worrying makes PROBLEMS seem BIG, and GOD seem SMALL.

Jesus reminds us, when we’re anxious, that God CARES for us, KNOWS what we need, and GENEROUSLY PROVIDES. That’s one of the things we learn from Psalm 94. The key to not being anxious is to remember WHO GOD IS. And to TRUST HIM.

The context is someone suffering injustice. The wicked are crushing God’s people. And there’s no relief in sight. They’re waiting for God to act. And if they’re going to DO that without giving up, they need to remember that he SEES, CARES, and can DO SOMETHING ABOUT THER SITUATION.

So, V1. God is the GOD WHO AVENGES. V2. He’s the judge of the earth. V8-11 It’s foolish to imagine that God doesn’t SEE and HEAR and DISCIPLINE. V14. God will NOT reject his people. He will never forsake his inheritance.

And so the faithful person suffering injustice is able to say, v18

18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,”     YOUR LOVE, O Lord, supported me. 19 When ANXIETY was great within me,      YOUR CONSOLATION brought joy to my soul.

That’s the lesson Jesus is teaching in Luke 12. The key to dealing with anxiety is to CHANGE WHO YOU TRUST. To trust GOD, who SEES, CARES, and can DO SOMETHING about the things you’re anxious about.

One practical way to DO that is PRAYER. We KNOW it, but we FORGET it, don’t we? Too often it’s our LAST thought, rather than our first. We pray when nothing else works. Pray ALL THE TIME. About EVERYTHING. Train yourself for that to be your first instinct. Not your LAST.

That’s the advice of Philippians 4:6-7.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Give it to God. You don’t have to fix it. Or control it. Let God be God. And what a wonderful promise God gives us / as we adjust our response from anxious stress/ to humble prayer. God’s PEACE. Trusting contentment. Calm in the storm.

(That’s the SECOND treatment for anxiety. To change who you trust)

Change what you love (29-34)

Jesus’ THIRD treatment for anxiety is to CHANGE WHAT YOU LOVE. Look at v29.

29 And DO NOT SET YOUR HEART on what you will eat or drink; do not WORRY about it.30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.31 But SEEK HIS KINGDOM, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 “Do not be AFRAID, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to GIVE you the kingdom

The HEART of the problem, says Jesus/ is THE PROBLEM OF THE HEART. You see, anxiety is, at its root, a HEART problem. We LOVE certain things. And then we’re ANXIOUS that we might not GET them. Some of the things in this life that we’re tempted to love more than God are POWER, COMFORT, CONTROL, and APPROVAL.

For example,

• You’re anxious about unpaid bills, because you love MONEY, and the POWER that comes from HAVING money.
• You’re anxious about health epidemics, housing affordability, nuclear attack and terrorism because you love SAFETY AND COMFORT – for yourself and for your family.
• You’re anxious about work pressures and passing exams because you love the ACCEPTANCE AND APPROVAL OF PEOPLE.
• You’re anxious about mess, or recycling, or a clean house/ because you love CONTROL, and the rest of life seems so OUT of control.

But Jesus says, INSTEAD, it’s all about setting your heart on the RIGHT thing. (Treasuring the MOST VALUABLE thing.) Making it your top priority. And Jesus says/ that’s God’s kingdom. The things of God. Everything that happens when GOD is KING. And he LOVES to give you the kingdom when you SEEK it.

And the WAY to seek God’s kingdom is one small decision after another. Where you CHOOSE to turn away from seeking THE WORLD. And instead seek God’s kingdom. Jesus continues, v33

33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Choose the things that will LAST. That are most VALUABLE. That can’t be broken or corrupted or lost. It MIGHT mean selling your possessions. Or KEEPING your old phone, or car, instead of upgrading. Renovating instead of rebuilding. Holidaying locally rather than overseas. And instead, supporting a missionary, or give regularly to church, instead. (Choosing God’s kingdom over POWER)

Or it might mean finding new friends. Or getting off social media. Or finding a lower paid, less stressful job. Change GYM night to HOME GROUP night. (Choosing God’s kingdom over APPROVAL)

It might mean CHALLENGING yourself. Getting out of your comfort zone. Moving work around so you can teach Scripture in schools, or studying a subject part-time at Bible college. Or going on beach mission over Christmas to share Jesus with kids and families on holidays in caravan parks. (Choosing God’s kingdom over COMFORT.) A hundred small decisions that slowly wean your heart of EARTHLY things. And begin to build a hunger for heavenly things.

You’ll start off doing it BY FAITH. (Trusting God that his way is best, even if you wouldn’t naturally choose it) But what God promises is that as you choose to set your treasure in heaven, you HEART will begin to be directed there, TOO. V34 – that “where your TREASURE is, there your HEART will be, TOO.”

And you’ll find MORE joy in those things you STARTED doing out of OBEDIENCE. And the OLD things will seem more and more empty and pale.

Replace it with a better treasure

There’s a real insight here into human nature. Jesus doesn’t just say STOP seeking EARTHLY things. (Stop worrying about them.) He says REPLACE them/ with A BETTER TREASURE. Seek FIRST his kingdom. (Seek FIRST the glory of God. The name of Jesus. The spread of the gospel. The health of your church. Walking with Jesus. Your growth in godliness. Prayer.) Set your heart on THEM. And EARTHLY treasure will lose its sparkle.

When our dog Charlie was alive, sometimes we needed to take an old bone from him. It was dried out and splintered and dangerous. But he was very protective over it. The BEST way was to replace his OLD bone with a NEW one. FRESH and juicy and long-lasting. Then he’d happily give up the OLD one.

It’s the same with OUR desires. The ONLY way to stop loving earthly treasure/ is to love HEAVENLY treasure MORE. You can’t just STOP loving ONE thing. You have to REPLACE it with a GREATER love.

Thomas Chalmers, a Scottish Presbyterian minister of the early nineteenth century, preached a famous sermon called “The expulsive power of a new affection.” He said

It is impossible for the heart, by any innate elasticity of its own, to cast the world away from it… The heart is not so constituted; and the only way to dispossess it of an old affection, is by THE EXPULSIVE POWER OF A NEW ONE.

In other words, we can’t just STOP loving the things of the world. We have to find something MORE VALUABLE. MORE LOVELY. To REPLACE it. Jesus commands us not to be anxious. And the ROOT of anxiety is A LOVE FOR THE TREASURES OF THIS WORLD. The only way to be CURED is TO LOVE JESUS MORE. To seek his kingdom more. To spend time in his word, and in prayer. To walk through life in a constant grateful, joyful conversation with him. To know him is to love him. And to love him is to obey him.

And as we DO that, we’ll grow to TRUST him more. And we’ll let go of our own power and control. And our confidence in God’s provision will GROW. And our worry will ease.

That’s where we can HELP one another. Ephesians 5.19 says to SPEAK to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to him for EVERYTHING. That’s REMINDING each other, by word and lifestyle, about how GOOD God is. What a TREASURE he is. How seeking HIS kingdom is FAR BETTER, and more satisfying, than seeking the world.

May our testimony to one another be that of the Psalmist (Psalm 94:18-19)

18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,”     YOUR LOVE, O Lord, supported me. 19 When ANXIETY was great within me,     YOUR CONSOLATION brought joy to my soul.

Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 131: Navigate busyness

There’s A CRISIS OF BUSYNESS in Western society. People struggle to SWITCH OFF. Technology was meant to give us MORE free time, but smart phones and notifications mean we’re never away from work. Stress leave, insomnia and anxiety are more common than ever.

SOME people have NO OPTION other than being frantically busy. Like new parents. Or carers for elderly or disabled family members. Or single parents. Or people trying to combine study with work. And there aren’t enough hours in the day.

But for MANY of us, I want to suggest that BUSYNESS IS A CHOICE. We wear our busyness as a badge of honour. The first thing most of us say in answer to the question, “How’s life?” Or “How’s WORK?” Is… “It’s BUSY. REALLY busy”.

Often, that’s a BOAST disguised as a COMPLAINT. If we stop our busyness long enough to consider our motivations, we find that busyness is a measure of our WORTH and SIGNIFICANCE. Our IDENTITY is connected to WHAT WE DO. WHO WE ARE is connected to WHAT WE PRODUCE. If we’re BUSY, or needed, or appreciated, that must mean OUR LIFE HAS MEANING.

Tim Kreider, in an essay for the NY Times, The Busy Trap, makes this point. He says

“Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day.”

What about YOU? Are you driven by the need to be busy? To be in control? Or to be respected? Or to be efficient, effective and competent? Is your life more STRIVING, than STILLNESS? More RESTLESSNESS, than REST? More FRANTIC, than FAITH?

Are you willing to hit the pause button for a moment? Long enough to consider your heart? Consider what DRIVES you? What MOTIVATES you to be busy? And consider what God’s Word says.

Jesus doesn’t WANT us to be BUSY. At least not in the sense of STRIVING. (Of restlessness. And fear. And anxiety. Of finding our identity and meaning in what we DO or ACHIEVE or EARN).

1. Come to Jesus and rest

Instead, he wants us RESTING AND REJOICING IN HIM. Listen (again) to his wonderful invitation from Matthew 11:28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Are there any more wonderful words from Jesus than these? He invites people to come to him and BE REFRESHED.

And WHO does he invite? What are the entrance requirements? Does he only invite the successful and the proud? Or, as v25 says, “the WISE and the LEARNED”? The religious elite and morally upright? Do we have to achieve a certain standard before we’re eligible? No! He’s HIDDEN these things from the wise and learned! V28, You just need to be WEARY. AND BURDENED. Labouring, and heavy-laden.

The FIRST word (weary) is a response to the SECOND (burdened). Life has loaded you up with heavy burdens. It might be the psychological or emotional burden of too many people who DEPEND on you, or EXPECT things of you. Or the burden of too many bills and not enough money. Or the physical demands of long hours, and hard work, and not enough sleep. And the RESULT / is you’re WEARY. BEATEN DOWN. DISCOURAGED.

If that’s YOU. (For whatever reason. With whatever BURDEN.) Come to Jesus (which means carrying his YOKE and LEARNING from him). And REST. Let him REFRESH you. Because, v30, his yoke is EASY, his burden is LIGHT. (A yoke was the heavy piece of wood that joined two oxen together so they could pull a cart.)

It’s a very DIFFERENT sort of invitation to the one the experts in the Jewish law were offering. They said, “Come to God. Learn the law, and obey it. And success will depend on how well you can KEEP it.” A few chapters further on, in Matthew 23:4 Jesus CRITICISES the experts. Because they “tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” Adding law after law for people to follow. And in Galatians 5:1 Paul calls the Jewish law A YOKE OF SLAVERY/ that BURDENS people. The Jewish law was a DIFFICULT yoke and HEAVY burden. But, instead, Jesus says offers an EASY yoke and a LIGHT burden. And to learn FROM HIM. (Rather than learn from THE LAW).

An EASY YOKE is almost an oxymoron. (Two descriptions that are opposite. Like “original copy”. Or “final draft”, or “seriously funny”.) When we COME to him, and LEARN from him, the yoke he gives us to carry is EASY. Not difficult. .

But it’s more than just a load that’s LESS HEAVY. The burden Jesus gives us to carry actually GIVES us energy. It REFRESHES. (That RESTORES, or allows us to REST). Like the load of a PARACHUTE to a plane passenger. Or the load of a life jacket to a drowning man.

And notice WHY the yoke he gives us to carry is easy? (V29 of chapter 11) Because Jesus isn’t a hard master. (A stern boss.) He’s GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART. Meek and lowly.

He’s not harsh, or easily frustrated. He’s not judgmental or a hard-marker. His natural posture is to WELCOME, rather than ACCUSE. He’s approachable and accessible. He speaks with a soft voice, not a loud, aggressive one. He SEES the burdened and he UNloads them, because he CARES.

He’s the most powerful and exalted human who’s ever lived. But he’s also the MOST ACCEPTING AND WELCOMING one!

And he’s gentle and humble IN HEART. This is the one place in the Bible that describes Jesus’ HEART. The centre of his being. What motivates him. What defines who he is. He’s not PURE AND DEMANDING in heart. Or EXALTED AND OBEDIENT in heart. Or even JOYFUL AND LOVING in heart. The characteristic at the core of who he is, and that energises what he does, and controls his reactions to people, is that he’s GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART.

So he WELCOMES us. Without judgment or measurement. (All who’ve come to the end of themselves. Who are EXHAUSTED. Who are weary and burdened.) And he invites us to LEARN from him. And he promises us REST FOR OUR SOULS, v29.

Not necessarily rest for OUR BODIES. The Christian life is one of hard work. But when we COME to Jesus. And LEARN from him. Our PERSPECTIVE changes. Our thinking and our priorities, and our actions change. We begin to live the Kingdom of God. Our life begins to TUNE IN TO, to HARMONISE with, God’s plans for his world. And the result is… REST.

What do we LEARN from Jesus? If we go back and read through Matthew, we see, in chapter 4, Jesus calling us to REPENT. And that, when we do, God welcomes and forgives us. That’s the START. We can let go of striving for God’s approval.

And then, in the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5 to 7) Jesus teaches about A WHOLE NEW WAY OF SEEING LIFE. (Chapter 5) That if we’re in God’s kingdom, then we’re BLESSED. Even if we’re poor in spirit, and mourn, and if we’re persecuted. And he paints the picture of a society, where THOUGHTS, as well as actions, are pure (v21). Where people LOVE their enemies (v43), and GIVE to the needy (chapter 6), and PRAY for God’s kingdom to COME. And live genuine, God-focussed lives, without hypocrisy. And focus on what’s MOST important, and store up treasure IN HEAVEN. And seek first God’s kingdom (chapter 7). And live in child-like dependence on God. THAT sort of life is like a house build on ROCK. That the storms of life won’t shake.

Come to Jesus, LEARN from him. And be REFRESHED.

Jesus knew how to rest

But Jesus doesn’t just TEACH us about rest. And invite US to rest. He LIVES it. He was the wisest, most well-balanced, well-adjusted, complete human who ever lived. Notice how he deals with busyness in Mark 1:32-39. And LEARN from him.

He’s in the town of Capernaum – where Simon lives. Earlier in the day he’d cast out an unclean spirit in the synagogue. And everyone’s amazed. And by evening, v32, news has spread. And everyone arrives at Simon’s house with their sick and demon-possessed. V33 – the WHOLE TOWN gathered at the door. And, v34, Jesus heals MANY who had diseases, and cast out MANY demons. It would have been physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausting. And Jesus works late into the night healing and restoring people. Because he’s gentle and humble in heart.

Then notice what he does the next morning. V35

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

He needs REST. He needs the spiritual refreshment of praying to his Father more than he needs to sleep in. We sometimes feel like we’ve got NO CONTROL over our busyness. That everything is just sweeping over us like a tsunami. But even in the midst of lots of things we CAN’T change, there are decisions we can make that CAN make a difference. Where we can seize back some control. It might take determination, and organisation. But they’re opportunities for us to find some space.

And notice the TYPE of activity Jesus chooses? If JESUS, God’s Son, needed to pray, who are we to think we can recover from a busy day with a self-indulgent day in bed or watching TV? Jesus promises us REST in our busyness – true rest for our SOULS – when we come TO HIM. So don’t forget the importance of coming to HIM when we need rest.

But meanwhile, as the sun rises, the crowd starts to build again. All wanting Jesus to conform to their expectations. And when Simon and the other disciples find him, they say, v37, “Everyone’s LOOKING for you”. More of the same: healing and deliverance. But Jesus is FIRM. He knows his priorities. V38.

38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else–to the nearby villages–so I can PREACH there also. That is why I have come.”39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Healing reduces suffering. But it’s TEMPORARY. But preaching brings people to REPENTANCE. Which is ETERNAL. And Jesus knows what’s most important. And he STICKS to it.

LEARN from Jesus. You see, sometimes our busyness comes from wanting to please people. (Or to be RESPECTED by them, or to be seen as COMPETENT.) Workaholism, even procrastination, can ALSO come from the same motivation. And ONE way to control our busyness is to have a clear sense of WHY you do things. And whose approval you’re working for. Jesus says seek FIRST God’s kingdom.

Jesus encouraged Martha not to be busy (Luke 10:38-42)

And notice the same ORDERING OF PRIORITIES in Jesus’ visit to Mary and Martha’s house. Luke 10:38-42. Choosing what’s MOST IMPORTANT. V38.

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.

Put yourself in Martha’s shoes. She hears that Jesus has arrived in town. And she’s got a reputation to keep. A great cook, always the first to show hospitality. So she invites Jesus to dinner. V39, her sister Mary sits at Jesus’ feet, listening to what he says. But where’s Martha? V40

40 But Martha was DISTRACTED by all the preparations that had to be made.

She misses out on coming to Jesus, and LEARNING from him. Because she’s baking bread! She’s DISTRACTED from what’s MOST important/ by MANY things that are LESS important.

Eventually she joins Jesus and Mary. But does she sit with Mary at Jesus’ feet? Does she apologise, and ask Jesus for a quick summary of what she’s missed out on? No!

She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Her hospitality is meant to be all about honouring her GUEST. But her complaint shows she’s more interested in HERSELF than in Jesus. Notice how many times she mentions herself. “MY sister… left ME to do the work BY MYSELF… Tell her to HELP ME.” More interested in Jesus confirming HER priorities than in conforming herself to HIS priorities. More interested in scoring points over her sister than learning from Jesus.

And Jesus gently rebukes her. V41

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about MANY things,42  but only ONE thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Martha is BUSY. And she’s anxious and uptight. (One translation says she’s FRETTING AND FUSSING.) Her attention is on MANY things. And none of them really matter. But Mary has only ONE thing that’s important. She’s sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him. Just like Jesus says in Matthew 11. She’s COME to Jesus, and is LEARNING from him. And she’s finding REST.

Will YOU learn from Mary? And come and sit and Jesus’ feet, and LISTEN to him? Will you choose what is MOST important? And find REST?

Of course, Jesus is not introducing something NEW. Because God built rest into the creation of the world. He created the world in six days, and then RESTED on the SEVENTH day. And he commands US to do the same.

God’s world has a natural rhythm of six days to WORK. And one day to REST. And to learn to rest like that is not LAZY, it’s HEALTHY. It’s synchronising ourselves to the time of the Kingdom of God. When Caron and I landed in New Zealand, our phones automatically switched to local time. Jumped two hours forward. Very clever! Jesus is inviting us to do the same. When we arrive in the Kingdom of God, we’re to synchronise ourselves to LOCAL TIME. To come to Jesus and REST.

Resting/ is trusting God. It’s consciously letting go of control. It’s enjoying the world God’s made. And enjoying HIM, as its Creator.

There’s PERSONAL work for us to do to deal with our busyness. But there’s also GROUP WORK. Jesus has gathered us TOGETHER as his people, the CHURCH. We have a responsibility to POINT EACH OTHER to Jesus. To encourage each other to get out of the kitchen, and to come and sit at Jesus’ feet.

Or perhaps there WILL be some practical help needed. Like for those whose busyness isn’t a choice. Like Inyoung and Jason, with their new baby Grace. Or Jemma, doing everything while she looks after Stephen. Or those who struggle with English, so everything is so much harder.

Galatians 6:2 says to CARRY EACH OTHER’S BURDENS. How can YOU help someone else’s busyness?

5. Still and quiet your soul

Let me finish by reading Psalm 131. King David knew the peace of resting in God. Of trusting him rather than striving. And he wanted ISRAEL to know it TOO. So he wrote Psalm 131. It’s short, and sharp, and engaging. Inviting us into David’s experience. David knew that he could only be still when he’s consciously put his hope in GOD. Quieting his soul was an expression of TRUST. Listen to his experience of resting in God.

1 My heart is not proud, O Lord,
    my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
    or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
    like a weaned child with its mother,
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.