I would have said that I believed in Jesus long before I actually did. I believed in Him like I believed in Napoleon. In other words, I didn’t completely reject His existence. But surely there’s more to it than that.
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faith
“If there is a God, surely, He’ll just forgive everyone. The idea of judgment is just religion trying to scare people.” Ever heard that? Ever thought it yourself? It seems reasonable, right? Or does it?
Stress affects all of us in different ways and it comes from different directions. But when stress is constant and not released, researchers say that it results in anxiety, depression, digestive problems, headaches, muscle tension, and heart disease. Obviously, monitoring stress and finding relief from it is something that needs to be on our radar. What’s fascinating to me is that recent research points in the same direction that the Bible has prescribed for thousands of years.
Why doesn’t our resolve bring greater change? Why do we struggle to follow through? The Bible doesn’t address the topic of New Year’s resolutions directly, but it does give two formulas that explain why they often fail and how to approach them differently
When we decided that it would be cheaper to pump our own gas than have someone do it for us, the calculation was that it was gas that we needed, and the people involved were just a wasted expense. The same value judgment went into ATM machines and self-serve kiosks. It’s only natural that we would be tempted to see church through the same lens that we see gas stations, banks, and grocery stores.
It’s amazing how many things we accept on faith. In science class, we’re taught about the existence of molecules and dark matter, and we all nod our heads in acceptance. In history class, we learn about the lives of Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte, and no one questions their reality. But when it comes to the existence of God or the life and message of a person like Jesus, the standard changes. We need evidence and confirmation. And rightly so. We recognize that there’s more at stake. The challenge is to figure out what that evidence might look like. What could God, if He exists, do to convince us that He’s real?
Pascal’s wager is a famous idea that employs game theory to help people to think through the implications of countering the offer of Jesus’ good news with a response like, “I just don’t have the faith to believe.” The wager asks a person to think through their response to Jesus as they would a bet or any other important decision. He lays out a cost-benefit analysis for people to consider.
Many Protestants assume that Catholics teach that you need faith and works to be saved. Catholics, similarly, often assume that Protestants teach that works are irrelevant to salvation. The reality for both is more nuanced.
There’s a tendency to oversimplify people’s reasons for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Some people are late adopters with everything. They don’t rush into any decisions let alone ones with such big consequences. Others fear the reliability of a vaccine development process that feels rushed. For others, the decision has been influenced by political division and mistrust. Unfortunately, a huge amount of misinformation has also clouded people’s thinking.
I have deliberately avoided speaking about vaccines because I feel it’s a medical decision and therefore best made in consultation with your doctor, not your pastor. There are some Christians however who have avoided getting the COVID-19 vaccine for spiritual reasons. While believers may disagree on the application of biblical principles, I don’t feel that I’m doing my job as your pastor if I don’t try to make clear some of the related teachings of the Bible, as best I understand them.
A few weeks ago, we hosted several mental health professionals for a seminar entitled, “Renewed not Defeated: How to End the Pandemic Mentally Healthier Than You Started.” As I listened to the speakers, it struck me how complex mental health is. They talked about physical factors like diet, exercise, and chemical imbalances. They talked about social factors like isolation, group involvement, and safe relationships. They talked about factors related to trauma and abuse. They talked a lot about what I’ll call wisdom factors. When we believe things that aren’t true and develop habits that are unwise, it affects our mental health. They also talked about how God can help. Let me share what I learned and how I relate.