“what if…” to “even if…”

Esther, and the Hebrew boys in the book of Daniel were very clear in their conviction and position that God is the One that they worship over any other and that He is the One to fear beyond any man. This conviction brought them to a place where it meant that their action, or inaction meant that they could perish or were put to death by fire.

This shows us incredible examples of what a life laid down unto death looks like. And this is inspiring and what we would desire (as followers of Christ).

But how about the small decisions in life. How about instead of desiring the bigger gestures, that we begin where we are.. 

I have been thinking that maybe our resolve may not look like “even if I perish..”, but it could look like “even if… I look like a fool.. I will contend for the promise that God has given me”, or “even if… this person does not get healed right here and now, I will pray for them with faith that God is Jehovah Rapha- the One who heals”, it may look like “even if… I am rejected, I will share with those I love that Jesus is their Creator God who loves them”.

We are sometimes fooled into thinking that it is the big gestures that are fancy and meaningful, but actually it is the small and consistent choices that build a whole person and speak louder.

Perhaps we can die for Jesus, but can we die daily for Him? Can we take the small risks of faith that make up steps towards a greater understanding of who He is?

This is the challenge of a life of faith in Jesus Christ; do we believe in Him fully, and will we take risks “even if…”?

Let us not be people who think, “what if… He doesn’t show, I have it wrong, they may hate me, I may look like a total nutcase…” and be people who speak that “even if……”. 

Let us take the small risks/opportunities/decisions that builds a big faith.

Esther didn’t perish at the sword of the king but ended up seeing a total 180 degree turn of events. The Hebrew boys were put in the fire but came out of it! Unharmed and with their king seeing that there was another One with them! This also caused a 180 degree turn around!

Whether we perish or not, or look like fools or not, let us live for the Audience of One.

the kids got it right

I was watching a clip on social media about a dad dressing up as a ‘real life’ dinosaur as his kid and friends loved dinosaurs. Unfortunately it didn’t go as planned and as soon as the dinosaur came into the room, all the kids ran away screaming looking for somewhere to be safe!

As I watched, and am pondering so much about where the fear of the Lord has gone, I think about how amazing this example is.. Kids love dinosaurs and play with them all day long. They get to know about them and from this knowledge, when a ‘dinosaur’ comes into their presence, they know that it is healthy to fear it.

As followers of Christ, we seem to have so much of the ‘playtime’ and enjoyment of getting to know Him and yet lack the fearsome wonder of His Holiness and majesty. He is the One that allows the sea to crash and threaten to a certain boundary and no more, and is the One who can destroy the soul of a man.. And yet we hold Him with such casuality and chill.

We must have the sense that to fear God will actually bring into perspective everything else.

When I say fear, it is about ultimate respect- not cowering away. It is not a fear of an abuser. This kind of fear is toxic, damaging and the opposite of life-giving. When we read God’s Word we get to know that He is a God who loves us. When we fear Him we choose life and wisdom, blessing and a place of refuge.

We have respect and healthy fear of many things- like the roaring waves, the lion, the doctors report etc, but all of these need to come under an ultimate fear and respect that there is One greater than all.