You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
As a kid, one of my favorite things to do was to play in the dirt. If there was water nearby, that was even better. When I was about six years old, there was a small creek that ran through the woods at the end of the road by our house. As an adult, I wouldn’t look twice at this “creek.” It was just a trickle of ditch water that meandered away from the road under the trees. As a kid, though, it was a world unto itself.
In the mind of a six-year-old boy, the woods and the creek took on mythic dimensions. Lit only by the soft green light of the sun filtering through the trees, shadows added another dimension of mystery. Sticks, rocks, and mud all transformed from the mundane into magical building materials. Within the space of an eye blink (time did not exist in this place), the trickle of water had transformed into a lake behind a large dam. There were roads, causeways, canals, and rivers. It was a peaceful and idyllic miniature world — until disaster struck!
Catastrophe always seems to lurk nearby, even in a world of my own making. This peaceful microcosm of reality was rudely torn asunder when, as if by an invisible hand (mine! 🙂 ), the dam broke. Water rushed downstream as more of the dam gave way. The flood was devastating, wreaking havoc and destruction everywhere the waters turned.
When I read Peter’s advice not to “give way to fear,” I think of that dam. When the dam ‘gave way,’ then the lake, the dam, and everything downstream was destroyed in a moment.
Do you struggle with fear? Does fear threaten to overwhelm you at times?
In 1 John 4: 18 the Apostle John writes:
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (KJV)
The NIV translates the Greek “ballō” as “drives out fear” instead of “casteth.” If an engineer had translated this passage, they might have used the word, “displaced.” When you pour water into a glass, the air in the glass is displaced. When God pours His love into a person, fear is displaced.
Obedience to God’s will does not leave room for fear. If we are being obedient, we are trusting in God to manage everything else. If we are doing what God wants us to do, our faith and trust in God fill our mind and heart like water behind the dam. Fear is not welcome, nor can it do us any harm.
Doing what is right requires courage and faith that God is in charge. Giving way to fear allows panic to break the dam. Do what is right. Be filled with God’s love. Do not give way to fear.
Application: Do what is right by God so that you are too busy to be afraid.
Food for Thought: What kind of things come to mind when Peter says, ”Do what is right”?
Doing whatever God calls us to do. For Sarah, it was submitting to her husband out of reverence to Christ. Some of the “right” things will be the same for all of us: making disciples, loving God, loving others. Some will be specific works He has called each of us to do (Ephesians 2: 10). When we do right, we are exercising our faith in the Lord and obeying His commands and using our God given gifts and talents for His glory.
Rich,
Thank you! You are right, the list of what we might be called to do is long. I appreciate the Ephesians reference, too. I like the idea that God has prepared works for us to do. Each of us called to a unique time, place, and task, over and over again.
What kind of things come to mind when Peter says, ”Do what is right”?
As believers, we always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.
I received a great education while growing up. We moved each year so I was fortunate to attend a different school each year. Each had a different group of popular kids, cliques with varying standards of acceptable behavior. Always wore the latest fashion, popular with the teachers, jocks, and bullies. I quickly learned I would never become one with these groups so I marched to my own drummer.
The most infuriating thing about these guys was how they would pick on the less fortunate. The defenseless, mentally challenged seemed to be their favorite targets which to me was like waving a big red flag in front of a Mexican bull. I always stepped in the middle, some were pretty big, but I always took a big bite out of them and never had a rematch. Those I defended would always be keeping an eye out for me and pretty soon I would have a couple three buddies wherever I went. I enjoyed these guys, they were sensitive, kind, funny and honest they were who they were. I always missed them when we moved.
I was naturally drawn to caring for these guys and my dogs. That was my life, I looked out for myself and the weak but my compassion for the rest of the world was extremely shallow.
Christ came to me, changed my heart and His first priority was to take a jack hammer to me and my heart attitude.
I studied the Bible with a bunch of other guy’s and God revealed His wonderful wisdom to me.
God took the old man out and allowed His Son to come into my heart, He gave me the Holy Spirit, the power to know and do His will on earth.
Today I hate sin, the bully attacking the weak, I have the power of Jesus Christ in me. He extends His love to others through me, He does what is right in all circumstances.
My job is to allow God to continue his work in me, stay away from all sin, walk in and listen to the Holy Spirit, and allow Jesus to do what is right.
John 16:8, And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
Galatians 5:16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Ron,
Thank you for sharing your memories of school today. Your story is both touching and instructive. Somehow, I am not at all surprised that you marched to a different drummer. Neither am I surprised to learn that you liked to stand up for the little guy. It sounds like God’s mark was on you even before you knew you were called.
I also appreciate your testimony about the power of Jesus Christ in you. In these very troubled times, it is comforting to know that our Lord is still in charge and still loves us intensely.
Agreed with Rich here by doing what God has called us to do,..
What comes to my mind is to,..love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, love our neighbors as ourselves and then the other greatest thing we can do what is right, is by making disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit,..
There is soo much more that God has called us to do right,.. just as Rich and Ron have pointed out,..the list is long
I am soo glad that Jesus took the list and threw it out,..I am also glad to be on the New Testament side of the Bible,..as I have learned through my studies,..life was a bit harder back then than it is today,..sure we have our bad times but we do have better tools and toys to work with,..I can’t imagine moving all of my belonging’s on a couple of mules,..or not having technology in the medical field,..
Currently I think the thing to do what is right is to be meek and humble,..Jesus said that the meek shall inherit the Earth,..and before honor there is humility,..
John,
Thanks for sharing your insights today! I hadn’t thought about being meek and humble as “doing” something, but you are exactly right. Trusting God is also “doing” something, something we all need to do more of.
For me doing what is right comes to one answer. Whatever glorifies his name. I’m guilty of not following my answer to the fullest it’s a struggle for me daily to fight the sins of the flesh but always thinking about his glory helps me fight it. I find other Christians saying things or asking me things that keeps me on my toes and wondering if I’m doing what the holy spirit is encouraging me to do. Being questioned about things in my personal life and basically saying that I dont know why things are the way they are. All I know is that it’s all part of his plan. Just like it’s his plan for me to answer all these questions with love and understanding. To glorify his name. That’s what is right answer to me because it’s not all about me. It’s about someone who saved me.
Thank you Tim,
Ron
Tim,
You neatly summed up one of the Bible’s major themes: “It’s not all about me.”
Well said!
Excellent Tim. Well said.
👍🏻