I thought I was pretty set for Monday. As early as Saturday night I went ahead and reached out to my cousin Erick, who was also my dentist – I needed him to take a look at something in the back of my mouth that felt like an infection. Gross, I know. But anyway the appointment was set for 10am… but unfortunately, last Sunday afternoon my team reminded me that I also had a commitment to dress up all fancy and to talk to the Junior and Senior High kids for the special Baccalaureate edition of the ‘Chapel Time’ I participate in – which was, when? 11am, Monday.
Whoopee, I thought – I’d hightail it over to church and park the car there (because the local number coding scheme prevents me from parking any closer to the central business district), commute to cousin dentist Erick, and then try to make it back to be on time for the talk with the kids.
Come Monday, I was pretty late in setting out, and made it to church mere minutes before 10am. Not good. I had to confirm that I was only needed in the service from 11am onwards, and rushed on out to catch a ride to the dentist. Fortunately, my good cousin completely forgot about our appointment and re-scheduled for 1pm, later that day.
Awesome, I thought. But I suppose with all the pressure of it being the last message I may share to some of the folks in attendance, it wasn’t as if I had everything figured out. I mean, I was thinking of the right verses to use since the night before, down to the worship proper, just before my turn to speak.
But I thank God, because in all things, we’re able to pray… and I’m pretty sure I mouthed a couple of words to Him before deciding on this message, from these verses.
Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
1 Samuel 17:45
I found it prompt to state a point that I kept on repeating to these folks; it may have sounded redundant, but it was for the very last time, and I figured it would count for something: We’re not saying that you shouldn’t fear. We’re saying that you take on the fear is it comes. You can be afraid off of what you see, based on what happened to you in the past, or what is happening to you at the present. Or, you can be fearful based off of what you don’t see, but what you imagine in your own mind, or what scenarios you conjure for yourself as possibilities in your future.
We’re not saying that you should avoid thinking about these thoughts and drown it all out with positive thinking… but do take note, we also aren’t saying that this fear is going to be a permanent state of mind. Take the example of David, who not only looked at Goliath (instead of avoiding him), but spoke to him man to man.
And take note of his words – in mentioning Goliath’s weapons he was saying that he was acknowledging that his opponent was heavily armed and most likely very capable in using one or a combination of them; One thing we learn here is that David was essentially aware of the reasons why he should be afraid. And chances are, he wasn’t afraid – why? Because after intentionally speaking his observation to the giant, he didn’t stop there – He says that he himself comes, not merely with a staff, a sling, and a couple of smooth stones, but more importantly, he comes ‘in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom (Goliath) has defied’.
The thing is, with us, we may be fixated on our surroundings, or the details of our circumstances, or the complexities surrounding our situations; but we aren’t merely operating in response to these things. Remember that Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, paid such a great price, that as David said, so we are able to say, before every undertaking, that we, too, come in the name of the LORD of hosts.
I told the kids that their fears were temporary, but their Savior is forever. I told them to go forth – not in fear, but in perfect love, as Christ has loved them.
Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home;
for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
Proverbs 24:15-16
They ought to go forth, and they ought to do all things acknowledging the many reasons to fear, but knowing that they have Christ with them, no matter what. And I reminded that that though Christ was and is always with them, it’s not as if they would never make a mistake. I reminded them that the opposite is true – it is inevitable that they will be making a lot of mistakes, and a good number of them, they’ll do because they want to do it.
But I reminded them, just as this verse states, that if they go forth without fear, and make the greatest of mistakes even in that state, well, they ought to know that the same Christ who was with them in their approach is also just as close to them when they fall.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:18-19
And I think that was the greatest point I had to share to these fine young men and women, to wrap up this school year – that they shouldn’t think that God is nowhere to be found, in their fears and in their mistakes. In fact, the opposite is true – because of what Christ has done, they ought to know that the Holy Spirit reminds them, convicts them, of their righteousness and therefore their constant being with God – ESPECIALLY in their fears, and in their mistakes.
Never fear. Keep getting back up. Move in love.
To be honest I don’t think I was in my full and perfect form as I spoke to them yesterday. I was anxious myself, especially since I knew that some of these folks whom I’ve enjoyed spending my time with – well, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be seeing them again next school year. We may have exchanged contact information (they were surprised to see I was on Discord), but it wouldn’t be the same. I still am pretty anxious, considering that I will definitely be spending time with some of them for the very last time (at least for a long time) in tomorrow’s annual School Banquet – the one event that’s supposed to be an exclamation point to signal the true end of the school year. These kids wanted to have a selfie with me during our last Chapel Time (not this one I was talking about but the one before that) – and I think I’ll have a final one with them tomorrow.
Couldn’t help but say I’m gonna miss those folks. But I only pray I left them with something. That I trained them in the way they should go.
And in closing this article, it is my prayer that I continue to improve in doing exactly that – to train them in the rhythms of grace, the Gospel of Christ; no matter how old or young they are.
I have a hell of a lot more to write. I was just happy to get this one out, to get things started.
Until the next post (coming very soon), God bless you.
JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
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