“[God’s mercy toward Nineveh] displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, ‘O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’” [1]
One of the first funerals I conducted upon assuming the pastorate of a previous church was a service for a man who had committed suicide. The man, despairing as result of unrealised and unattainable ambitions, attempted to end it all. The man lingered for a long time before death at last released him. After weeks of suffering, he finally succumbed to his wounds. His family was devastated by his actions. Somehow, the minister was expected to help survivors pick up the pieces and make sense of the devastation his actions had imposed.
There was no sense of “celebration” for that funeral, as might be witnessed in other situations. The service was an especially sobering occasion. As the minister conducting the service of remembrance, I seized the opportunity to remind those present that day of the tenuous nature of life, explaining that we are not capable of judging those who have made the decision to take their own life. There is a perfect Judge who knows the heart; we must leave all judgement to Him. However, I did emphasise the responsibility each of us bears to lift up the fearful, to encourage the discouraged, to be sensitive to the struggle others that face in daily life.
Suicide is a topic we preachers seek to avoid. However, we should speak more of the issue. The number of suicides in the United States increased 24 percent between 1999 and 2014. After 2006 the increase each year jumped between one and two percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Let those numbers sink in before weighing what comes next. The biggest jump was among adolescent girls and men aged 45 to 64. [2]
These statistics mirror the situation observed in Canada. Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in Canada. Suicide accounts for almost 4000 deaths each year. [3] For children and youth, and for young adults as well, suicide is the second leading cause of death. [4] For every suicide recorded, we are told that thirty-three attempts at suicide were made. [5] I would contend that these statistics are shocking. Consider, as well, that by a figure of almost three to one, males are more likely to commit suicide than are females, though females are almost twice as likely to attempt suicide as are males. [6] For every suicide, seven to ten people are profoundly affected. [7] Clearly, suicide is a problem; and the churches are not immune to this growing problem.
A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics journal reports that the number of children under the age of eighteen who visited emergency departments between 2007 and 2015 as result of either a suicide attempt or suicidal ideation doubled during that time period. [8] The lead author of the study is a pediatric emergency room physician at Montreal Children’s Hospital of McGill University Health Centre. He comments, “We are seeing an acceleration of this issue, and I worry that we have not yet seen the peak.” [9]
A news item encountered during my morning reading first stimulated me to develop this message. The report detailed the death of a minister at his own hand. Reading the item, I became aware of a growing number of ministers of the Gospel who have committed suicide in recent days. [10] We can’t just write off these reports as desperate moves from preachers who have a lack of faith. You see, I’m not speaking about ministers of liturgical congregations, or those who identify as theological liberals—I’m speaking of Evangelical ministers. A sufficient number of pastors of evangelical congregations are taking matters into their own hands that some have compared what is taking place to a spiritual storm, a catastrophe of major proportions. In a surprising number of instances, these are pastors that would be considered extremely successful. They pastored large congregations that were the epitome of success in the Evangelical world.
Pastors are people. Sometimes we forget this truth. Our tendency is to elevate the man of God as though we expect him to walk on water—at least until he upsets us. However, pastors grapple to overcome the same struggles that characterise the whole of humanity. Pastors can be elated when matters are going well, (something that doesn’t happen all that often). By the same token, pastors can become depressed and despondent because of the work to which they are appointed. They can be discouraged and need encouragement. Preaching is demanding work. The message of God is almost always an emotional event for the preacher. When the man of God delivers a message that he knows hurts the people whom he loves, or when he brings a message that he even thinks hurts the people of God, I can assure you that the preacher feels the pain of that action—and the pain can be acute.
Let me confess a truth that can be easily overlooked by those seated in the pew—pastoring is a lonely call. When I first entered into ministry, one mentor counselled me not to make close friends of any member of the congregation. His rationale was that close friendships would only lead to misunderstanding and conflict in the congregation.
I rejected his counsel, but I’ve lived long enough to realise that what he was saying has more than a ring of truth. I’m not convinced that he was right, but I do recognise that his counsel was worth considering. Christians are not immune to feelings of jealousy, and some who feel they are not the close friend of the pastor will become jealous of those they feel are favoured. At other times, in an effort to strike out at someone in whom they are offended, an individual will strike out at the pastor because she believes the one that has angered her is a close friend of the pastor. It is as if striking those close to the person that angered her will somehow bring revenge.
Because pastoring can be lonely, it is possible to drown out the voice of God. By that, I mean that it is possible to become so absorbed in the conflict du jour that we forget our calling and fail to look for the revelation of the mind of the Master. Whenever a Christian begins to focus on the battle rather than focusing on the Lord who fights for us, that saint is moving toward a crash. When the crash comes, you may be assured that the evil one will seize the advantage.
WHAT LEADS TO THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE? How is it possible for a Christian to entertain thoughts of usurping the place of the LORD God? When you think about it, to even contemplate suicide is gross arrogance. Thinking of suicide is tantamount to saying, “God, You made a mess of things. Events are so out of control that nothing is left but for me to take control and put an end to the mess.” What arrogance! What chutzpah! It is bad enough when any mortal comes to such a conclusion, but it is the height of hubris when one who claims the Name of Christ makes such an assertion. And yet, some of God’s most powerful servants have surrendered to despair, even asking God to kill them!
I don’t know that any of the preachers in the Word of God ever took their life, but they did arrive at the point of desperation, wondering whether they would survive. Paul, and the missionary band that travelled with him, reached a point of despair on at least one occasion. Writing the saints of God in Corinth, the Apostle spoke of the desperation they experienced when he wrote, “We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death” [2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-9a].
We know that after the fact Paul was able to look back to assess why these servants experienced the pressure they faced. He would write, “That was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” [2 CORINTHIANS 1:9b]. Perhaps the Apostle was recalling what had happened in Ephesus when a man named Demetrius raised a fuss because the missionaries were so successful in presenting Christ as Master over life. The genesis of this riot, for that is what we must call it, was the loss of income for the guild that made silver shrines of the goddess Artemis.
Demetrius delivered a wrenching plea to fellow silversmiths who made images of various gods and goddesses. His speech was incredibly effective—so effective that it precipitated a riot during which multiple silversmiths dragged a couple of Paul’s companions into the theatre, threatening their very lives. The situation was sufficiently dangerous that the missionaries were forced to leave and depart for Macedonia. The entire account is provided in ACTS 19:23-20:1.
At other times, however, great men have become so desperate that they actually prayed, “O Lord, just kill me.” Elijah serves as an example of one of God’s choice servants who actually asked the Lord to kill him. You may recall how the Word reveals Elijah’s despair. “[Elijah] went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.’ And he lay down and slept under a broom tree” [1 KINGS 19:4-5a].
It almost appears that Elijah lay down, exhausted as he was, expecting to die as he slept. Of course, that didn’t happen. God had other plans; but God’s goodness doesn’t change the fact that this great man of God wanted to die. I don’t mean he was just a little discouraged and simply spoke out of turn—Elijah wanted God to kill him! This was not some momentary embarrassment such as we might experience when someone ignores us; Elijah was experiencing an eclipse of faith. He was in the grip of extreme discouragement. His emotions were running wild. And that is always a dangerous place for the child of God to be. It is impossible to think, or to trust, when your emotions rule; panic begins to rule your mind. What is needed is precisely the thing we are least likely to do—take a deep breath, step back and carefully think through what is happening!
In another instance, Moses hit the skids and asked God to kill him. The people were grumbling, a seemingly regular form of entertainment for casual participants in the religious scene. In this instance it was the rabble, the mixed multitude, the non-Jews who had attached themselves to the assembly who instigated the complaining. They were complaining because they had to eat manna! They wanted fish, and pickles, and melons, and leeks, and onions, and garlic. Apparently, they missed halitosis and heartburn! The grumbling became so burdensome that Moses despaired. We read, “Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased” [NUMBERS 11:10].
Moses had enough! At last, he complained to the Lord. Listen to Moses’ complaint. “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness” [NUMBERS 11:11-15].
This great man of God was exhausted from providing leadership without help. He was worn out from a lack of affirmation from those for whom he was expending his energy. Moses needed just a few people who would express gratitude for all his effort. Failure to appreciate the work of those who lead is a toxic contaminant any time it is present.
Of course, we know of Jonah. The prophet noted for piscatorial transportation to a wicked city was greatly used by God to bring revival to that city. Do you note a pattern developing? After great success, the servant of God is susceptible to discouragement, to disappointment, to being ruled by emotions. That is a dangerous place for the child of God to be. Among other reasons, if Satan doesn’t take advantage of our exhaustion, our own fallen nature will lead us into danger. We want to dictate how things will work, but that isn’t our prerogative; we are servants of the Most High God, not despots or potentates. We are not in control of matters. God reigns!
Therefore, we read the account provided in the Word, the account provided in our text. “[God’s mercy toward Nineveh] displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, ‘O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ And the LORD said, ‘Do you do well to be angry?’
“Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, ‘It is better for me to die than to live’” [JONAH 4:1-8].
Don’t neglect the fact that Jonah was a patriot. He was assigned a difficult responsibility. He burned with passionate hatred of the Ninevites. The Assyrians were a cruel, vicious people who would be a continued threat to the LORD’s people. God assigned him to go to Nineveh with a message calling them to repentance for their cruelty and to faith in the Living God. From Jonah’s perspective, this was somewhere beyond casting his pearls before swine!
I don’t know that we can really grasp the sense of disgust this prophet of God must have felt. Perhaps the closest we could come is to imagine that God appointed us to go to Nigeria, to the people of Boko Haram, to preach against their wickedness. It would be akin to God appointing us to go to the Philippines to preach to Abu Sayyaf, warning them of God’s judgement. It would be like if we should be divinely ordered to go to Afghanistan to preach to the Taliban. You get the idea. We would draw back in horror at such a situation, believing that surely God had no idea of what He was doing. And yet, that is what God appointed Jonah to do.
In the bitterness of our own daily struggle, we are prone to forget a significant truth—Christ died for these violent, evil people as surely as He gave His life as a sacrifice for us! If your tendency is to argue, “Let them clean up their act and then I’ll be glad to obey the Master’s call,” you undoubtedly are able to identify with Jonah before he was given a ticket for a unique ride through and under the waves. The Word of the Lord given through His Apostle still confronts God’s people, “If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” [ROMANS 5:10].
This statement of God’s mercy while we were enemies follows hard on the fact that Christ didn’t die for good people—He died for wicked people. Paul states the case in this way, “While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” [ROMANS 5:6-8].
In the case of Jonah, the source of disappointment was his own heart. Jonah wasn’t depressed or despondent; Jonah was angry. That fourth chapter opens with the words, “It displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry” [JONAH 4:1]. “It?” If we know what “it” is, we will know the source of Jonah’s anger. “It” was God’s mercy demonstrated toward the Ninevites. In the final verse of the previous chapter, we read, “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it” [JONAH 3:10].
Jonah was well aware of God’s mercy. He was a citizen of a nation that had been delivered by the Living God when they were slaves, a people without a future. When Nineveh turned toward God, led by the king who covered himself in sackcloth and sat in ashes, Jonah was angry with God, and he complained to God, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster” [JONAH 4:2].
I’m reasonably certain that Jonah wasn’t particularly pleased in making his observation. His very success was the reason for his disappointment. There is more than a hint of accusation toward the LORD. His disappointment was so real that he prayed, “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live” [JONAH 4:3]. Jonah didn’t want to be known as God’s instrument of mercy to these hated, vicious people—he wanted to be an instrument of judgement.
The disappointment of knowing in his heart that God was merciful had driven Jonah to attempt to flee from obeying the LORD. And after God relented of delivering judgement because the city repented, Jonah’s spirit was even more bitter. Jonah saw God’s mercy in this instance as an unmitigated evil. He knew that ultimately Nineveh had sufficient power to destroy Israel. Jonah realised that Israel would one day face Assyrian conquest. He could only see the instrument of God’s judgement and not the evil of his own nation that mandated judgement.
Isn’t that the story of our lives? We struggle with God’s mercy when we know that His mercy toward others may well result in pain for ourselves or for those whom we love. We don’t handle that knowledge well. We become so focused on our own ease, despite the fact that we deserve judgement, that we are angered by God’s mercy. We want God to save nice people, people like us, people who do not threaten us. But we are less ecstatic when God shows mercy to people that we don’t believe deserve mercy!
GOD’S RESPONSE TO A FOOLISH REQUEST — Few of us tolerate foolish requests; we don’t humour fools. At some time, we have each likely heard the pitiful bleat, “I just want to die.” Usually, we ignore the pitiful bleat, dismissing it as whining. However, if we think the person is serious, we are either paralysed—unable to respond and silenced by the enormity of what is said, or we overreact, responding with force to dissuade the individual from acting on their impulse.
God is not like that, He neither ignores us nor does He force us to bow to His will. Instead, He ministers to us. God ministers to His wounded and weary saint. In the case of Elijah, the LORD allowed the exhausted prophet to rest before providing him with nourishment for the journey that still lay before him. Rest and refreshment was precisely what Elijah needed. A pep-talk or being berated for his fear would only compound the eclipse of faith he was experiencing at that moment. Only when the prophet was strengthened and rested did the LORD confront him with what needed to be done.
Elijah was removed from the immediate threat, God shielding His prophet from danger, providing him opportunity to rest and ensuring that he received nourishment. Only when Elijah was somewhat refreshed and relieved did God allow him to continue the journey. It is easy to overlook the fact that Elijah was pushed by God Himself to undertake this journey. Elijah’s fear was the basis for God’s intervention to impel him toward a cave on Horeb, the mount of God.
When I read the angel’s invitation, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you,” I see a reminder that God is in control. A journey implies a destination. Preparation and supply during the journey indicates that God both approves of the journey and is guiding. Elijah allowed fear to overwhelm him; but even in his terror, God was overseeing His servant. Know that even when you are terrified, God is watching over you because you are His child. Though terror may stalk the highways of your mind, yet as His child, you can testify:
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
[PSALM 4:8]
God responded to Moses by providing leaders to share in the burden of leadership. To be certain, God did kill off many of the grumblers, something that He does even in this day, but the important point is that God provided help for the weary leader.
God’s response to Jonah was somewhat different. The LORD would show this pouting prophet kindness. God’s purpose was not to refresh Jonah, but to instruct him. Jonah was not alone in wanting to destroy those people who offended him. In fact, I daresay that the spiritual descendants of Jonah persist among the faithful to this day. On one occasion James and John were offended because a Samaritan village would not receive the Master. The two brothers asked Jesus if He wanted them to destroy that Samaritan village. “Lord, do You want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them” [LUKE 9:54]? Listen to Jesus’ answer. “[Jesus] turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” [LUKE 9:55-56 NAS 95].
I have no doubt that the Sons of Thunder would have been proud to boast of their power in destroying a village of those hated Samaritans, just as Jonah would probably have gladly taken responsibility of pronouncing doom to the city of Nineveh. We seem to boast of our power to destroy, though we are less excited to employ our power to save. People are not likely to praise us because the lives of hated people are transformed, but destroying a city—that is memorable! It is especially memorable if the city happens to be home for people we hate! We equate their destruction with power; it excites us to put ourselves in the place of judge and executioner. “Don’t mess with us” is the message we honour.
Jonah held out hope that God would yet destroy Nineveh. Though the piscatorial ride had cost him nothing, he had no money. Thus, he would be unable book passage back to Israel, and he likely had no desire for another fishy ride home, so, he decided to just hang around, hoping to be a witness to the city’s destruction. He went out of the city and made a booth, a place where he had some shelter. From that vantage point he would be able to see what happened next. It is apparent that he was hoping against hope that God would rain down fire. However, that is not what happened.
We read, “The LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant” [JONAH 4:6]. Isn’t it interesting how things over which we have no control can either cause us to rejoice or leave us devastated! The LORD appointed a plant to grow up, providing shade for the pouting prophet.
In the hot, desert environment in which Jonah found himself, he would undoubtedly welcome whatever shade he might find. When God appointed the plant to grow so miraculously, Jonah surely welcomed the relief the plant provided. In fact, we one translation informs us that, “Jonah was happy—indeed, he was ecstatic—about the vine plant” [JONAH 4:6 ISV]. I suspect that Jonah wasn’t so very different from us. No doubt he congratulated himself at his good fortune. We would likely be on solid ground in speculating that he imagined that God was really smiling on him—and God had smiled on him!
One great danger of being controlled by your emotions is that you can become depressed just as readily as you can be overjoyed. Jonah was ecstatic, but during the night, “God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered” [JONAH 4:7]. Talk about a one-hundred-eighty degree turn in his emotional state! The sun beat down, as it always did, but now there was no shade to protect Jonah. So, he asked God to kill him. “It is better for me to die than to live” [JONAH 4:8b]. Now, that is some kind of mad! “Just kill me!”
There are some people here who have said, “Just kill me.” I’m not certain it was always said in jest. I’m so glad that God doesn’t listen when we make such foolish requests. Sometimes, as was true in the case of Jonah, God will interact with His child to open their eyes to see as He sees. Jonah was focused on what he wanted. Rather than demonstrating humility in the presence of the Living God, Jonah was certain that he knew what needed to happen. Too often you and I are convinced that we know what needs to happen, and we are prepared to tell God what He needs to do.
Jonah needed to learn a lesson. Perhaps he had been daydreaming during the lectures on compassion and empathy during his days in the school of the prophets. Perhaps he was absent that day; perhaps he was just getting over the chicken pox and never heard the lecture. Of course, I’m being sarcastic in making these suggestions. The LORD wanted His prophet to begin to think as God thinks, so the Lord GOD began to interact with Jonah.
Initially, the LORD challenged Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” Does it disturb you that this plant you have come to enjoy died?
Without even thinking, this prophet who had been used so powerfully, groused, “Absolutely! I’m so angry I could die” [JONAH 4:9 ISV]!
The LORD pointed out an inconvenient truth as He gently rebuked Jonah. “You were upset about this little plant, something for which you have not worked nor did you do anything to make it grow. It grew up overnight and died the next day. Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than one hundred twenty thousand people in it who do not know right from wrong, as well as many animals” [JONAH 4:10-11]!
Jonah, just as is true for us, became comfortable with something over which he had no control. We do something similar when we depend on weather conditions, when we trust economic conditions, when we focus solely on things over which we have no actual control. I am not advocating that we should never make plans; I am, however, cautioning that we must always think in terms of contingencies.
We know general patterns of weather—it will be hot in the summer months and we can expect snow in the winter months. We know that the May long weekend will almost inevitably be wet and cool! Opening day for moose will almost always be warm enough that we don’t really want to drop an animal. It is true that summers can be surprisingly cool at times and it can snow in any given month, but we do have a general idea of what to expect. We know the general trend of the markets is that equities can provide a good gain, but they can also lose ground rapidly at times.
Perhaps we need to be reminded of the words of the Master. “I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” [MATTHEW 6:25-34].
The people of God must be warned against either exhausting themselves or attempting to impose their expectations on the Lord and His work. We must not permit ourselves to exhaust ourselves so that we lose sight of the goal. We must encourage one another to draw on the strength that only the Lord can provide; we must not begin to rely on our own strength. The Lord’s people must not begin to attempt to engineer the outcome of the work we perform in the cause of Christ the Lord. We must be careful to permit the Master to oversee our labour, to direct the work we do so that His will is done. Isn’t that the prayer we were taught to offer?
“Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.”
[MATTHEW 6:10]
REGAINING OUR FOOTING — If Satan seizes the advantage, we need to know that we are facing a foe that we can never defeat in our own strength. Martin Luther understood the issue quite well when he wrote the second stanza of the great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle. [11]
We may not exhibit courage perfectly, but we do stand strong. However, the downside of courage is that such bold stands exhausts us. We have a finite amount of courage available; when that boldness has been repeatedly drawn upon without refreshment, we will collapse.
I know that among some of the followers of Christ, there is a sense that we don’t face great demands such as may be faced in other lands. Secretly, we imagine that if we did face serious challenges to our faith and practise, we would stand firm. We have each heard fellow believers asserting that should persecution come, they will stand, even if it means standing alone. However, I suggest that we have opportunity to stand against wickedness each day.
When colleagues and neighbours speak approvingly of the destructive practise of aborting the children whom God gives, have we no opportunity to voice our dissent? When friends argue for normalising moral perversion in our world, should we remain silent as though giving tacit approval of what is done? When harsh words are spoken against refugees—and I am speaking of those who have truly been persecuted and fled to our nation for refuge, do we speak up to affirm compassion? Do we inconvenience ourselves for the downtrodden and the despised living on our streets? When it is unpopular to defend justice because those with whom we are speaking are angry, do we offer a voice of moderation, pointing others to look to God’s Word? When colleagues at work tell a salacious story, or when they make a slighting remark concerning someone of the opposite sex, are we silent? Or do we speak up to tell them that such speech is degrading and dishonourable? We have opportunity to oppose wickedness each day of our lives. Whether we oppose the evil that stalks the land or tacitly approve of it is another matter.
We need to recognise that we are most vulnerable after we have stood firm in a contest. We must realise that in our firmness, though we may have won a great victory, we will be exhausted. Exhilarating? Assuredly! The overpowering scent of victory is heady stuff! Winning a contest for the cause of righteousness is wonderful, so wonderful that it can shove from our mind all other thoughts. In fact, it is difficult to remember that it was the Lord who gave us the victory. We will often imagine that we gained the victory in our own strength.
However, experience reminds us that the exertion we have put forth and the victory we gained may well leave us vulnerable, exhausted and in need of rest and refreshment. I’ve often said, and I firmly believe, that sometimes the most spiritual act we can perform is to take a nap. At other times, the most spiritual act for a follower of Christ the Lord is to go on a picnic with the family, or to rest while reading a good book, or to spend time playing with your children. I’m preaching to myself at this point! It is not sinful to refresh oneself after exertion.
Tragically, contemporary culture is moving inexorably toward insignificance; modern western society is rushing toward cultural and moral senescence. Evil parades throughout the land, daring the righteous to object to its vile presence and the imposition of ungodliness on the people. Black robed tyrants and politicians drunk on the power they have usurped, endeavour to exclude anything remotely related to the Lord God from public discourse. Governmental dicta strive mightily to confine all religious talk to the confines of church buildings; and you only deceive yourself if you imagine that they will confine their efforts to restricting the Faith to our church buildings. Faith is ridiculed and the self is exalted to the position of a deity. It requires courage simply to be a follower of the Christ, to conscientiously seek to do what is right and honourable. Such knowledge disheartens the child of God, even discouraging that believer to the point of despair. And in our despair, we are tempted to cry out, “O Lord, just kill me!”
It would be an easy thing for the child of God to conclude that the battle is lost, that our presence no longer makes a difference. However, I believe that this is the moment for boldness in our walk. Too long have we urged followers of the Master to be courageous, to stand firm, and never witnessed the courage sought in the saints. Too long have we allowed ourselves as followers of the Christ to be silenced by the intimidating glare of secularists. We have failed in our efforts to stand firm, to be courageous, because we were encouraged to rely on our own strength. This one factor has ensured our failure to stand; we must avoid attempting to stand in our own strength. It is critical at this time that the people of God confess that our great need is Christ’s strength, the might of the Living God, and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
We need to hear the Apostle as he encourages us as followers of the Risen Lord of Glory. “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” [1 CORINTHIANS 16:13].
As those who have been redeemed, we must realise the urgency delivered by the Word, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” [GALATIANS 5:1].
We are instructed through the words of the Apostle as he encouraged believers in Philippi, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved” [PHILIPPIANS 3:16-4:1].
Hear the Word of the Lord! “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” [EPHESIANS 6:10-18].
Indeed, stand firm, saint of God. Don’t yield ground to the evil of the day. You must take care not to attempt to stand in your own strength; to do so will only ensure failure. Determine that you will resort quickly and often to the Lord that you may stand in His strength, that you may draw upon His might, that you may know His power. It is true that Satan flees at the sight of the believer who is standing in the strength of the Lord. No sword is devised that can defeat the people of God when we are standing firm in the Lord Christ. He is our Protector—our shield and our stronghold. He alone is our Fortress and our Deliverer. Child of God stand firm in the faith. Stand firm. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, “Why Pastors Are Committing Suicide,” November 23, 2016, The Gospel Coalition, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-pastors-are-committing-suicide/, accessed 31 January 2019
[3] https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/suicide-canada-infographic.html, accessed 31 January 2019
[4] Ibid.
[5] Dustin K MacDonald, Canadian Suicide Statistics 2016, http://dustinkmacdonald.com/canadian-suicide-statistics-2016/, accessed 31 January 2019
[6] Ibid.; Statistics Canada, op. cit.
[7] Statistics Canada, op. cit.
[8] Brett Burstein, Holly Agostino and Brian Greenfield, “Suicidal Attempts and Ideation Among Children and Adolescents in US Emergency Departments, 2007-2015,” JAMA Pediatrics, April 8, 2019, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2730063?guestAccessKey=eb570f5d-0295-4a92-9f83-6f647c555b51&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=04089%20, accessed 11 April 2019
[9] Reported by Jessica Mouser, “Suicide Related Visits to ER Double Among Youth,” April 10, 2019, https://churchleaders.com/news/348289-suicide-related-visits-to-er-double-among-youth.html?utm_source=outreach-cl-daily-nl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text-link&utm_campaign=cl-daily-nl&maropost_id=&mpweb=256-7771575-742210145, accessed 10 April 2019
[10] Emily Jones, “California Church Shocked After Pastor Commits Suicide,” 08-07-2018, http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2018/august/california-church-shocked-after-pastor-commits-suicide, accessed 8 April 2019; Jessica Mouser, “Pastor Succumbs to Suicide After Struggling With Mental Health,” January 29, 2019, https://churchleaders.com/news/342864-pastor-succumbs-suicide-mental-health-real-life-church.html?utm_source=outreach-cl-daily-nl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text-link&utm_campaign=cl-daily-nl&maropost_id=&mpweb=256-7593846-742210145, accessed 8 April 2019; Nathan Carter, “When A Pastor Commits Suicide,” 11.28.2018, https://www.9marks.org/article/when-a-pastor-commits-suicide/, accessed 8 April 2019
[11] Martin Luther, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” 1529
