How do you respond to stress?
Ahaz was one of the worst kings of Judah. Look at 2 Chronicles 28:22 – 23 (here at Bible Gateway). Note Ahaz’s response to stress. Rather than turning to the Lord for help, he went farther away from Him.
He sacrificed, worshiped, other gods. Not only other gods, but the gods of one of the enemies that had defeated him in war. His reasoning? Their god must be stronger, because they beat me.
Ahaz had god envy.
He did not get that the reason he lost was that the Lord had caused that defeat to discipline him, 2 Chronicles 28:19 (here at Bible Gateway).
Thinking through this I wondered if and how I do the same thing. How do I turn to my enemy’s god when I am in distress? My enemy is the ruler of this world, Satan. He has set in place systems that reward those who seek them, wealth, power, influence, popularity, immorality, escape through mind numbing pharmaceuticals or “brain candy” entertainment.
Pursuit of one of those might constitute god envy...
Rather than turn to the Lord when he was under stress, Ahaz sought relief from other sources. If I do not immediately turn to Him, when I am in distress, I am doing the same. Regardless of whatever I choose to do to ease the stress other than turning to Him, I am following Ahaz’s example.
There have been a multitude of opportunities to deal with stress in this past year. In many of the cases I have, by His grace, turned to Him. But there are times that I have chosen to escape by reading essentially useless books, or watching movies that require no thought.
By His grace, I will choose better.
Ahaz was one of the worst kings of Judah. Look at 2 Chronicles 28:22 – 23 (here at Bible Gateway). Note Ahaz’s response to stress. Rather than turning to the Lord for help, he went farther away from Him.
Ahaz had god envy.
He did not get that the reason he lost was that the Lord had caused that defeat to discipline him, 2 Chronicles 28:19 (here at Bible Gateway).
Thinking through this I wondered if and how I do the same thing. How do I turn to my enemy’s god when I am in distress? My enemy is the ruler of this world, Satan. He has set in place systems that reward those who seek them, wealth, power, influence, popularity, immorality, escape through mind numbing pharmaceuticals or “brain candy” entertainment.
Pursuit of one of those might constitute god envy...
Rather than turn to the Lord when he was under stress, Ahaz sought relief from other sources. If I do not immediately turn to Him, when I am in distress, I am doing the same. Regardless of whatever I choose to do to ease the stress other than turning to Him, I am following Ahaz’s example.
There have been a multitude of opportunities to deal with stress in this past year. In many of the cases I have, by His grace, turned to Him. But there are times that I have chosen to escape by reading essentially useless books, or watching movies that require no thought.
By His grace, I will choose better.
Great - and such and appropriate post! Some months ago I began to realize this is exactly where I was living. I had through the years of my life as a believer read and several times studied Hebrews 12, and in reality all 29 verses apply to what you are talking about. (Thank you for this stunning example of Ahab.). But I must say I had not consciously experienced anything like I considered was the Hebrews 12 kind of discipline. I had experience many times the discipline of men, but I always sensed there was more to it than that.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago an event shook my life (NOT my faith). After the shock began to wear off and I was enabled, even compelled, to process this event in every way I knew or could gather how from others, I v-e-r-y slowly began to suspect God had been trying to speak to me about something in my life in the previous few years He wanted to help me deal with. And He was doing it by a couple of means, one using a particular person. But as I became honest with my self I began to realize I had refused to acknowledge and confess it to appropriate people, but also God Himself.
Extended meditation on Jacob's example of wrestling with God in Genesis 32 slowly opened my understanding of his, and my need to deeply repent and seek God's face as you related for forgiveness and (hopefully) eventual emotionally healing. (I must say here I fully understand God's grace and my full righteousness in Christ) And I began to understand Luke 11:15 f.f. I am the 'unworthy son' who needed to come to the Father and repent; He would accept me as that long-suffering father in Jesus' parable did.
There were other streams, truths from Scripture and my times with God of course. And I am so thankful for the years of attempting, at least, to ground my life on these many principles.
I now fully believe that had I been willing to acknowledge and repent of this issue in my life, and start to begin the journey of seeking His help on it, this disciplining (NOT punishing) event would not have taken place.
My journey is not over; and it won't be over - here. As one of my godly mentors reminded me just last week, "We are not perfect, but we are being perfected." And will be until we meet our Savior and are instantly (finally!) and permanently transformed into His unimaginably glorious image! Halleluah