It was early October 2011 and I had just had the greatest weekend ever. I had picked up fiancé, Sierra and we made the hour and a half drive to Cape Girardeau. We pulled into the parking lot of the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus and while overlooking the mighty Mississippi River I asked the love of my life to be my wife. Things could not get any better…then reality hit.
I had been working in the finance industry for a few months and was sitting in my office on a Thursday morning, and I was asked to do something that I just couldn’t reconcile with my convictions. I wish I could say that it was easy for me to hop up and say, “I can’t do this! I’m done!” But it wasn’t, and I didn’t. I went home and I was so afraid and confused. I went back the next day and informed my boss that I just couldn’t do it anymore, and he fortunately understood.
The whole event really sent me into a deep soul-search. I was blessed to have grown up in a solid, Christian home. Right and wrong were never blurry, so why was I so rattled, so upset? Undoubtedly everyone feels this way at one time or another. Sometimes we forget that “Christian” is synonymous with “Courage,” and that God created us and intended for us to be courageous.
Revelation 21:8 reads, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murders, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” [ESV]
Topping the list of what the world would say are really bad sins we find “the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable.” In the original Koine Greek cowardly means roughly the same thing as unbelieving. The way the passage is written and put together “cowardly,” “faithless,” and “detestable” are linked together.
When I was in Kindergarten I ended up on the business end of a see-saw. I was wearing my favorite t-shirt; it was white and had all of the “Power Rangers” on the front. When I glanced down what was once white was crimson. I was rushed to the local hospital; my father was holding me in his arms. It was then that I knew everything was going to be okay. My dad is a big man, and I felt so safe in his arms. If I feel safe, protected, and at ease with my earthly dad, what about my heavenly Father?
The prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 41:13, “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” [ESV] We find undeniable comfort in knowing that our God cares so much for us, he loves us and is willing and able to do what is best for us.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.” Psalm 27:1
