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13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NIV
We as Christian must walk the walk and talk the talk as Paul instructed but right and easy are not synonyms. Doing the right thing in a fallen world is seldom easy but it is always right. So how Paul?
Let’s take a quick journey back in time to the Old Testament to Nehemiah if you are like me and your fingers take a field trip in the bible find Ruth, and Nehemiah is hidden right before her. Nehemiah received news of the state of Jerusalem’s city and specifically the walls which stood as protection, this Holy city was in shambles. Nehemiah prayed for several days, and he felt the call to respond but this wasn’t without adversity, Nehemiah was in Persia. He needed to get permission from the King and then make the journey to Jerusalem. Susa was located over by the Persian Gulf, and Jerusalem sits on the Mediterranean Sea a bit of a jaunt, to say the least. The Lord is good, and when called He will equip and that is exactly what he did. Nehemiah made it to Jerusalem, found the condition of the wall, the people were vulnerable to attack he gave them hope and led them on a rebuilding effort. God is in the business of working through people!
17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
Nehemiah 4:17-18 NIV
There is a critical takeaway in these verses, trusting God doesn’t mean we do nothing, it does not mean that when faced with a fallen world we just allow sin and injustice to overtake us. We are the Lord’s army, we are the hand and feet of Jesus, and God is in the business of working through people when called to act we must act. God is faithful. I do not spend much time following the news. It is not good for me to witness the shredding of our Nation at the hands of sin and darkness. I must guard my heart, refusing to allow this world to harden it. There is much work to be done and none of which can be accomplished with a heart enshrined in bitterness or hate. It is easy to assume you need a hardened heart to navigate this fallen world, a layer of protection around your heart to repel the penetrating blows of society. I once lived that way, but the Lord through scripture showed me the error in my thinking. The heart was never intended to protect. It cannot manifest the love of Jesus from under a shell of suspicion, doubt, and hate. The heart is vulnerable by design and just like the occupants of Jerusalem it must be protected and guarded. But the heart is not protected by walls that smother love but by the full armor of God.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV
Nowhere in those verses does it tell us to sequester our hearts in granite to prevent hurt. The armor of God is more than sufficient! Furthermore, we must protect fellow Christians by staying close together and strengthening each other in fellowship. As Nehemiah and the workers waded through the destruction to painstakingly rebuild the wall around the city, they did not take for granted their surroundings, the watchful eye of the enemy poised to attack. You can trust God while still taking reasonable precautions in a fallen world. Take inventory of your heart. Has it been hardened by disappointment hurt and suffering? Call out to Jesus, ask for healing, confess your heart has grown weary and you need Him. Feel the transformative power of the blood of Christ upon your life, rest confidently as he heals and makes new. Now guard your heart, with the armor of God, continuous prayer, and a Christian community. The Lord is good, and he will provide.
13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NIV
Amen