Whatever... (Part 3)

"Whatever..." Have you ever said that with an exasperated tone during an argument or when trying to explain something and the person looks at you blankly?  "Whatever" can be a conversation stopper, a sign of indifference, defeat, anger, giving up, pouting, not truly listening, or a reluctance to really communicate. It's so easy to think we are right and "whatever" can be a way to sidestep something uncomfortable, admit we are in error, or avoid dealing with what we really don't want to put effort into.

By contrast, in Philippians 4 the word "whatever" encompasses many examples of how to think which in turn will help us live a contented and more peaceful life. It all begins with our thought patterns: 

"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned, or received, or heard from me, or seen in me--put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." 

Seven times the word "whatever" is used in verses 8 and 9. One of the definitions of whatever is: "used to emphasize a lack of restriction". In the above verses, I believe Paul, the writer, is saying don't hold back when thinking of things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy--fill your thoughts with these things. These words generate positive and uplifting thoughts which in turn will cause the same type of actions. 

"Whatever is true..."

This is really tough in the world of social media where so much information is flying around. How can we know what is true and what is not? Fact-finding takes time and effort. It's relatively easy to find posts that we agree with, but there are always two sides to every story. Video and audio clips can be altered or only certain portions shared, words are taken out of context, everyone has their agenda, their slant. The more we feed our own slant, the more divided we become with no one really listening or even trying to understand the opposing view. Just because someone says it is true or factual, does not make it so. We must look at the evidence.

Personally, I watch or read a little of news from different sources. It's amazing how different the "facts" can come across. I actually don't spend much time watching the news or scrolling through posts, but know I need to be aware of what's going on. My gauge of what is true comes from God's word and I believe my time is better spent there. Then I can listen and read without becoming entangled in all of the fear, hate, dissension and division that is swirling out of control. God's truth brings unity and peace and withstands the passing of time. I need to measure what I'm hearing or reading against what God says. 

Psalm 119:150-152

"Those who devise wicked schemes are near,

but they are far from your law.

Yet you are near, O LORD, 

and all your commands are true.

Long ago I learned from your statutes

that you established them to last forever."

2 Samuel 22:31

This God—his way is perfect;

the word of the Lord proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

God's ways are perfect even though we cannot understand them. When we stand on the truths of His Word, then He is our shield, our refuge, our peace, our contentment. This world is going to pass away and what seems oh so important now, will one day disappear. The only thing that will matter is where we stand with God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Decide today what you want to put your energy into. Are you living a life of peace or anger, unity or discord, following God's ways or the world's ways? Is what you are saying or posting really true? How do you know for sure? If you don't know for sure, then stop and research, try not to be trigger happy with the "share" button. Hey, I've done it, so I'm talking to myself also! 

For me, the one thing I know for sure and for certain that is true is the Word of God - the Bible. It is my desire to stand on those truths and post what will hopefully steer others to it and to God. I'm working on all of these "whatever is..." statements. I hope you will also. 

So the next time the temptation to blurt out an irritated "whatever..."  or the desire to fire off an annoyed or angry post crosses our minds, let's pause and think whether it fits any of the "whatever is..." thoughts of Philippians 4. If none of those positive thoughts fit, then let's stifle the annoyance, keep the conversation going with kindness and listening ears, walk away from the social media and seek to truly communicate with one another in the way God designed both face-to-face and online.

Let's replace "whatever..!" with an abundance of:

whatever is true

whatever is noble

whatever is right

whatever is pure

whatever is lovely

whatever is excellent

whatever is praiseworthy

Love the Lord your God...

Recently I've had a few conversations with others about how my view of God and my theology have changed over the past 7 years. Trauma, pain, suffering, heartache, loss,__________, can send us on a quest to understand what this life is all about and who's in control. You fill in the blank with what turned your world upside down or sideways. Upheaval is not what we plan for, but maybe we should. I don't mean walking around expecting the worst to happen, but making sure we have a strong foundation from which to respond rather than reacting in a way that may cause more problems. We all have a foundation. Is it a strong one or does it have cracks and holes in it? Who or what is our foundation?

When Jesus was asked which commandment was the most important, He responded:

"...The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul

and with all your mind and with all your strength." 

Mark 12:29b-30

By far, the most challenging, but also the most amazing and comforting thing I have learned these past years, is that God IS in control and He IS Sovereign and He IS worthy. With God as my foundation, I will not be knocked down. I might shake a bit, but I will not be shaken loose. Not because of what I've done, but because of what He has and is doing. 

A huge part of learning this has come through studying God's Word, listening to strong Biblical teaching through Ligonier Ministries, and reading other books that point me to God. In Mark Batterson's book, Primal, he tells of Oliver Wendell Holmes and his "perceptive distinction between two kinds of simplicity: simplicity on the near side of complexity and simplicity on the far side of complexity. He quotes Holmes as saying, 'I would not give a fig for simplicity on the near side of complexity.'" Batterson goes on to say "Many Christians settle for simplicity on the near side of complexity. Their faith is only mind deep. They know what they believe, but they don't know why they believe what they believe. Their faith is fragile because it has never been tested intellectually or experientially. Near-side Christians have never been in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, so when they encounter questions they cannot answer or experiences they cannot explain, it causes a crisis of faith. For far-side Christians, those who have done their time in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, unanswerable questions and unexplainable experiences actually result in a heightened appreciation for the mystery and majesty of a God who does not fit within the logical constraints of the left brain. Near side Christians, on the other hand, lose their faith before they've really found it."

On the far-side, I have come to a peaceful realization that I will never fully understand the enormity and the magnificence of God Almighty or why He does all that He does. It is enough to know that He has it all figured out and I can rest in that assurance and simply trust Him. He has a marvelous plan that only He can see and He will guide me through whatever touches my life for He already knows. Loving Him is the greatest privilege and joy and has brought much contentment in the midst of upheaval. When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength - our entire being - we will respond to crises by trusting our sure foundation, come what may. 

Hold On

This dragonfly fascinated me. If you look closely at the photo, you can tell that it was a windy day by the double images of the green blades. He was a tenacious dragonfly who kept holding on to the tip top of that blade even though the winds were blowing all around him.

This reminded me of the passage in Ephesians 4 where it speaks of our growing in the knowledge of the Son of God so that we won't be children any longer and won't be "blown here and there by every wind of teaching". It is so important to know what the Bible says and to keep holding on to the truth that is contained within it. 

However, if we do not read The Word of God on a regular basis and listen to Godly, Biblical teaching, we can easily be tossed back and forth and here and there by all the teachings that sound good or make us more comfortable or politically correct. In order to stand firm amidst the changing currents and winds in our world, we need the firm foundation of the truth that is only God-given. 

Ephesians 4:11-16

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.