Dear Watermark Family,
Can you feel it?
I felt it this morning while jogging. As I crossed the intersection, a man yelled at me from his car simply because my crossing the street delayed him an extra three seconds of time. Once I passed, he yelled at me again.
Perhaps you felt it while watching the news or scrolling through your social media feed following the presidential debate? (Social commentators have aptly termed the act of consuming too much negative news as “doom scrolling”.) Maybe you felt it in your last school board meeting? Or as you tried to change lanes in rush hour traffic? Or maybe you felt it as you passed through security at the airport, or waited to board your airplane that was two hours late, which sadly seems to be the norm these days?
What many feel today is tension, anxiety, or an unhealthy edge. It is palpable. We can readily see it within others and, when honest, feel it within ourselves.
What if we began to view each of these moments as opportunities to fight our flesh, trust the promises of God, and reflect the goodness and grace of God to others?
We must be attentive to the condition of our hearts, because, if we are not careful, these encounters will shape us like rushing water reshapes rock over time. We would do well to remember the caution found in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” For example, following a recent meeting, one of my friends asked me what was behind the tone in my voice. At that moment, I knew something was not right within me. I recalled what Jesus shared when he said, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart” (Matthew 15:18). I needed to take the time to examine the condition of my heart, acknowledge my hurt, and confess my sin. By doing so, the edge I had felt softened, and I was no longer held captive to the circumstances of the moment. My edge was replaced with his peace.
The next time someone around you acts irrationally, and you are tempted to respond unkindly, remember Proverbs 27:3, “A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.” In other words, when someone mistreats you, the impulse to respond unkindly will weigh heavily on your heart. You will feel compelled to respond—perhaps even justified. In such moments, consider the example of Jesus: “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:22-23).
Friends, whatever change we hope to see in the world must start within our own hearts.
We must make a conscious decision to accept the peace Jesus offers and to “Let not [our] hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). We cannot control the actions of others, but we can decide how we will respond in the moment of testing, whether we feel on edge or witness someone else whose heart is weighed down by trouble and fear.
Peace or anxiety and fear? The choice is yours.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).
See you on Sunday,
Blake
Blake serves as Elder and Lead Pastor of Ministries and Staff at Watermark Community Church.