Photo by Pam Ecrement

What is goodness anyway?

It seems to be a rather vague term. A quick look in the dictionary and we see a definition: “the quality of being morally good or virtuous.”  That helps and yet can still appear to be general. Perhaps that is because the context in which it is used gives more clarity.

God’s goodness is connected with his faithfulness and love demonstrated through grace. And grace is the manifestation of God’s goodness. He extends love and relationship to us before we ever choose Him because He has already chosen us. That blows our mind away…or should!

We see the evidences of God’s goodness played out in the Father’s embrace in the story of The Prodigal Son. Such goodness displayed in authentic love has great power to bring about change in any one of us who is blessed to receive it.

What’s puzzling is how often we find such goodness uncomfortable. 

The broken chaotic lonely life we have been living may be miserable, but at least it is something we know. Accepting goodness results in our relinquishing control and experiencing vulnerability. Both of those create fear.

Andrew J. Bauman puts this in focus in his book, Stumbling Toward Wholeness:

“Goodness produces hope and desire, which feel entirely too susceptible to heartbreak, so we cling to control because we are convinced the goodness won’t last.”

We cannot conceive that God actually would delight in us.

“Most of us were taught that God would love us if and when we change.” 

Richard Rohr

That kind of “love” we understand better. It is what we have experienced over and over again in many of our relationships from childhood onward. We have missed the point Rohr later makes:

“In fact, God loves you so that you can change.”

That resonates strongly with me. In my years of counseling others, I listened to heartbreaking stories that brought tears to my eyes while the one speaking reported the story to me as if reading a news item. Their pain had been so great that they shut off the feeling and emotion of their own story. My therapeutic skills and academic training would result in little progress unless I first could be a channel of God’s love for them.

Authentic love allows us to be who we truly are with someone without fear.

“Goodness and beauty always reveal what is truest in our hearts.

Surrendering to love is a sacred act of opening our hands, loosening control, and trusting in a God we cannot see.”  

Andrew J. Bauman

Goodness expressed in authentic love and grace helps us look at ourselves as we truly are and accept the truth of that, also knowing the truth that God knew that about us all along. That is what makes all the difference. We can sigh deeply and let go of everything weighing us down with an assurance we will not be rejected. Then we can face the hard work changing the lies and habits that have bound us.

Only when the source of our love is His goodness in our own lives can we offer ourselves to be a conduit of goodness to anyone else.

“Guidance, like all God’s acts of blessing under the covenant of grace, is a sovereign act. Not merely does God will to guide us in the sense of showing us his way, that we may tread it; he wills also to guide us in the more fundamental sense of ensuring that, whatever happens, whatever mistakes we may make, we shall come safely home. Slippings and strayings there will be, no doubt, but the everlasting arms are beneath us; we shall be caught, rescued, restored. This is God’s promise; this is how good he is.”

J.I. Packer in Knowing God

“So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose.”

Romans 8:28 (TPT)

Photo by Pam Ecrement

As we wind our way through the Thanksgiving holiday  weekend, I am reminded of how often I hear someone speak of the lack of gratitude or appreciation they see in so many people and especially younger people.

As I consider this today, I think perhaps each of us needs to pause and consider that none of us come into this world with a gratefulness or thankfulness DNA genetic code built in. As a whole, each of us arrives focused on getting our needs met and from the very beginning we find some amazing ways to accomplish that.

If nothing interrupts that process, it continues and can become more and more ugly.

The truth is that gratefulness is learned. It doesn’t just happen.

The first place of learning for you as well as me was at home. It was there I was taught to say “please” and “thank you”. But beyond what I was taught, I was blessed to observe parents who modeled that daily in their own lives.

Neither of my parents were born into wealthy families. They both grew up on farms where hard work was needed and expected. Each of them experienced significant loss early in their lives. My father’s dad died when he was only five years old so he never grew up knowing him. A fire destroyed my mother’s home when she was a freshman in high school and her family spent a year living separately in different homes while a new home was built.

Perhaps those very difficulties were used by the Lord to nurture gratefulness versus bitterness and self-pity. Each of their families pulled together during those hard times instead of breaking apart as a result of their faith that was not dependent on circumstances or everything going well.

I was born into that legacy. Along with the model of gratefulness and thankfulness came another. They were generous with time, love, service, and limited income.

Each of my parents served in PTA, Sunday School, and a long list of other opportunities that church, school, and community provided. But there were other things I saw which were not visible to everyone.

One example that I watched was how they worked and tended a huge garden for the whole of their lives. They probably could have sold produce that we did not need to add to their income, but instead they offered what they did not need to others in the neighborhood or at church who had less. Their garden bore fruit beyond the produce they shared with others.

Our Thanksgiving table always included a patchwork of people who had no one to share the day. Sometimes these were widowed sisters or other relatives or people from our church who were alone. Anyone was welcome at their table. That included my friends and later friends of our children and even the families of friends.

Gratefulness was a way of life that was evident every day, not just on Thanksgiving.

My parents sowed seed not only in me, but also in our son and daughter, their grandchildren. Each of them is now married with children of their own. I see in them the fruit that began many years ago and I see it in their children, my grandchildren, their great grandchildren, as well.

My parents have been at home with the Lord for twenty-nine years and no other celebration brings a greater sense of them than Thanksgiving. I am reminded again this year of what each of us can pass on to others, to the next generation. Two key principles stand out:

Gratefulness is learned. It doesn’t just happen.

Gratefulness should be a way of life every day.

Roy and Delight as a young engaged couple.

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Battle fatigue (also known as combat fatigue) has been around since the earliest times men faced each other in battle. It wasn’t recognized for the significant issue it is and how it can affect someone in battle as well as those fighting with them but rather an attempt to avoid combat. Now it is officially identified as a psychiatric disorder that can occur in those who have experienced the mental and emotional strain of war. It’s a natural reaction to the physical and mental wear and tear of extended battle operations.

Symptoms can include strong emotions like fear, worry or anger, trouble sleeping, nightmares, racing heart, sweating, trembling, and nausea. Flashbacks are possible along with hypervigilance.

As with any other malady there is a continuum of severity and the key thing is the wearing down or fatigue that makes it feel impossible to go on in the fight.

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Are there other contexts where battle fatigue shows up beyond our military service units?

It seems to me there are. 

If you watch someone fighting a debilitating illness, you see more than the physical impact. You also see the mental, emotional, and spiritual fatigue as the battle chips away and can cause them to want to give up the battle to go on. Even with caregivers with them it is a solitary battle. If you watch someone battling anxiety or depression over a period of time, the toll of the battle becomes clearer.

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We are finite and our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits have limits of what they can endure. Dealing with them can cause those in such battles to feel alone and many times feel no one can understand what they are enduring since it is all happening inside where it is unseen by those around them. Feelings can distort so much and often result in those in the battle not sharing the extent of their exhaustion and the nudge to give up.

How easily we forget that we live in two worlds. One is physical and tangible while the other is spiritual and unseen yet setting up chaos of all kinds in both worlds on a regular basis. Life events of all kinds can trigger these unseen battles.

The unseen battle is an attempt by the enemy of our souls to cause us to lose sight of God, his faithfulness, his goodness and provision for the assault we are in the midst of. The wearing away often occurs by means of one thing after another coming at us with little to no time to recuperate and regain our footing. Our hearts, minds, and spirits are weary of reaching up to God and out to others. 

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In a recent trek through Exodus I was struck by the situation Moses faced in Exodus 17:8-13.  Israel is in the wilderness and there was a battle with the Amalekites. Joshua was ordered to lead the fight against them while Moses (along with Aaron and Hur) went to the top of a hill overlooking the battle. Moses raised his hands and the battle was going well for Israel but the battle raged on and his hands grew tired and when he dropped them the enemies of Israel began winning. It would appear there was battle fatigue happening from the extended combat. 

Fortunately those around him were stirred by what they saw. They got a stone for him to sit on and Aaron and Hur held up his hands on each side so that his hands could remain steady until  the sun set. The result? Joshua led Israel to defeat the Amalek army in battle. Aaron and Hur understood Moses had a commission from God and did not take his staff or position in the battle but instead assisted Moses by holding up his arms.

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The story points us to a model of how we can remain steady and stalwart in our own battles so that battle fatigue does not upend and defeat us. No matter how mature and strong we may be, we need others around us to discern the wearing down we experience and come along side us so we do not become weary to the point of defeat in the battle.

Paul’s letter to the Galatians speaks to the importance of others standing with us during life’s battles. Sometimes we are the one embattled and other times we are the one called to come along side.

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (NLT)

Being in Christ does not mean we won’t have burdens to carry in this earthly life. We will. One of those burdens is the weightiness of our temptation to give into sin, and the heaviness of trying to get out of it. Paul wanted us to share that burden and not battle sin and temptation on our own.

In Paul’s counsel we can overcome battle fatigue.

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How are you running today?

You may be saying that you’re not a runner and in the usual sense of that word, I am not either. I sometimes wish I had done that when I was younger, fitter, and stronger so I could be doing it now, but that didn’t happen, so I am a walker instead. But I am inspired by our daughter who didn’t start running until mid-life and diligently trained to develop that habit and skill.

The truth is that as believers we are all runners. We hear that in so many passages in Paul’s epistles and we hear it very clearly in Hebrews:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

This has always been a favorite verse of mine because it reminds me each day of the truth upon which I base my life. Each of us has a race marked out for us in this life. Mine likely does not look like yours nor yours look like mine, but it is a path set before each of us designed by God for our place in his Kingdom and our purpose within it. And clearly the race is important, or this verse and others wouldn’t be telling us there would be hindrances and things meant to tangle us up before we finish the race.

Within that race there are many parts and to finish the race well, each part of it will require something of us. The longer we run, the farther we are along on the field, the harder the race will feel. It can cause us to want to stop, give up the whole idea, and quit.

This year has been one where many of us have had more than a few hard places on the course set before us. We hoped as the year wound down that we would be near the end of this part of the course, but it isn’t clear just when this part of the course will end. Depending on our training, our endurance may be strained about this point.

I get that! But then I look at some of the other runners near me and I am reminded not to give in to fatigue or any other hindrances as I push forward each day. I look in one direction and I see our son who was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and whose path included rounds of chemo and a life upended from what was anticipated. In him we watched the faith he has nourished since childhood dig deep into the roots already there and sustain him along with those “running” with him to finish this part of the course set before him.

I look in another direction and I see our daughter managing multiple changes in the path before her this year for this part of her path and I see her grab hold of the faith founded on other seasons of challenge. I see her pick up the shield of faith and adjust her focus and keep moving forward.

The examples of people I can see on the course set before them are many and I see the challenge each faces, and I am reminded of that verse in Hebrews and the need for perseverance, endurance, to push forward. I am reminded of how the letters to each church noted in the early chapters of the book of Revelation speak of the rewards given to those who endure to the end.

I think of the words of Samwise Gamgee written by J.R.R. Tolkien in the first book of the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring as the film version draws to a close:

“It’s like the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it’ll shine out the clearer. I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something.”

J.R.R. Tolkien in The Fellowship of the Ring

One of the things I chose for my own physical health is to work with a personal trainer. I am not and have never been an athlete, but I am very aware that my aging body is not as strong as it once was, my posture is not as straight as it used to be, and my flexibility and endurance has suffered too. Working with weight training under the guidance of a trainer is not “fun” for me, but if I am going to steward this physical body it requires I add weight training to be able to finish the path set before me as strong as I can, and training is one of the routes to that.

Beyond that there is the significant training in the spirit realm that must go on daily to push back entanglements and hindrances that would slow me down, throw me off course or tempt me to stop. It means putting on the full armor of God Paul writes about in Ephesians 6 and taking every thought captive he writes in 2 Corinthians 5.

When do you notice the benefits of training? When you come to the tough places on the course, when you are in the final quarter of the game, and you’re exhausted and feel totally spent. Good players of sports know that well. They understand the words of Chris Fabry:

“…you have to play for the final quarter of the game and not halftime.”

Chris Fabry in June Bug

This year as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States unlike many we might have celebrated, we need to remember we need to play the final quarter and the Lord’s strength in us will be there as we endure. Endurance will not be easy but have its rewards.

In our family there will be a long list of those in our own families and beyond. We see evidence of more than just one or two running with endurance the path before them whether victory lies in this life or the next. After all, as believers, life doesn’t end in this world.

“This is about life being ahead of you and you run at it! Because you never know how far you can run unless you run.”

Penny Chenery in the movie, Secretariat

I shared a statement from a pastor in a recent post that we are to be darkness chasers. What does that mean? Certainly we are not to be chasing after darkness, are we? Aren’t we to chase after the light?

Consider this: Jesus is the light of the world. His light exceeds any light known by or created by mankind. If we are His children and He dwells in us, we are His light bearers. There is no need for us to chase the light because He dwells within us.

For as dark as the world is becoming, we must remember that it is not filled with darkness. Darkness is the total absence of light and so long as we Christ followers are here, there will never be total darkness on the earth.

John 8:12 (ESV) tells us He is light:

¹² Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Where was Jesus when He said these things? He was in the temple to celebrate The Feast of Tabernacles. This, like the other feasts, was used by God to remind the Israelites in every generation of their deliverance from Egypt.

As a part of this feast a lamp-lighting ceremony took place in the temple every evening of the feast. Large lamps would be set up in the Court of Women and it was said that the lamps’ light was so great it that it filled every courtyard in the city. Once these large lamps were lit, there would be singing and dancing to celebrate God’s salvation, especially His deliverance in the exodus from Egypt. There He used a pillar of fire to lead His people through the dark wilderness.

When the Israelites followed the pillar of fire into the darkness of the wilderness, the light illuminated the darkness. When we follow Christ and become His, we no longer walk in darkness.

Wherever we go, we have the possibility of causing the darkness to flee so long as we are His light bearers.

It can be tempting to fear the darkness and cower from it, but the Lord did not give us a spirit of fear and He would have us be light that dispels the darkness as we travel the path He has set before us. His call on us is to let His light in us shine in the midst of the darkness. Within us resides the power of God’s light through Christ by the Holy Spirit. The darkness needs to fear that.

Do you remember childhood games outside after dark? Sometimes it was flashlight tag or some other game made up on the spot. No matter how dark the night outside, the flashlights chased away the darkness wherever the light was.

Many of us in childhood also learned the little song, “This Little Light of Mine”. The lyrics of the Veggie Tales version are likely the ones you know the best:

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel – NO! I’m gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel – NO! I’m gonna let it shine, Hide it under a bushel – NO! I’m gonna let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Don’t let Satan blow it out. I’m gonna let it shine. Don’t let Satan blow it out. I’m gonna let it shine.”

I discovered the lyrics of the song when it was sung as a spiritual are just a little different so let me add those now as well:

“This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine Oh, this little light of mine I’m going to let it shine Hallelujah This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Ev’ry where I go I’m going to let it shine Oh, ev’ry where I go I’m going to let it shine Hallelujah Ev’ry where I go I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

All in my house I’m going to let it shine Oh, all in my house I’m going to let it shine Hallelujah All in my house I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

I’m not going to make it shine I’m just going to let it shine I’m not going to make it shine I’m just going to let it shine Hallelujah I’m not going to make it shine I’m just going to let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Out in the dark I’m going to let it shine Oh, out in the dark I’m going to let it shine Hallelujah Out in the dark I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”

So, how do we assure that we are shining brightly and chasing the darkness as we walk out the life He has called us to lead?

It means keeping our light renewed and fresh; being sure we have oil in our lamps. When we see the ever-growing darkness, we must remember it points to the Lord’s soon return. As such, I believe Jesus would have us take heed as He taught in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25. Let me share that with you from The Message:

^1-5 “God’s kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn’t show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep.

⁶ “In the middle of the night someone yelled out, ‘He’s here! The bride-groom’s here! Go out and greet him!’

^7-8 “The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, ‘Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.’

⁹ “They answered, ‘There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.’

¹⁰ “They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.

¹¹ “Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, ‘Master, we’re here. Let us in.’

¹² “He answered, ‘Do I know you? I don’t think I know you.’

¹³ “So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.”

The call to be darkness chasers is one to keep our lamps lit and filled with oil as we ready ourselves for His return.