From the fear of being despised, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, O Jesus
First we asked to be relieved of desires. In the discussion of part 1, it was pointed out that that desires are truly more than just desires. They are more like ravenous longings we desperately crave to create an illusion of value of purpose. Now we will ponder what happens when we fantasize we have achieved some kind of esteem or personal value and we feel threatened to lose the good standing we crave. The desires relate to things we seek but fear will be denied. Now we will talk about the things we have we fear will be taken from us. I believe at some level we all suffer from these kinds of fears at least to some degree. Some of us face fears that might be nothing more than fleeting annoyances. Others live great portions of their lives being afraid.
Which one are you? Maybe the answer varies based upon the stage or characteristics of our lives at any given time.
What of these fears? Oh, I get it. Fear of humiliation and ridicule engulf me, much more than the others. Except being forgotten. In the blink of an eye, fear of being forgotten surges up to the top of the list. While we are all wronged, despised, calumniated or suspected at one time or another, they don't have the ability completed deflate the balloon we call ego.
When it comes to humiliation and ridicule, we all play the sport of heaping grief on each other under the guise of humor. I am myself guilty of giving someone a hard time as way of expressing feelings of affection. Curious how we deflect our genuine feelings in an effort to not risk offering something which might be rejected. Sometimes the give and take is just simple hi-jinks but not always. Sometimes something might be said that stings. Sometimes what might be said in jest isn't really humorous at all but rather is a poorly veiled sword thrust.
To be forgotten is the worst because to be forgotten is something that should only happen after being dead for generations. It is a unequivocally a tragedy to be forgotten. How many times have we witnessed people who stay in abusive situations rather than be alone and, they fear, forgotten.
Can we look to scripture to find some solace against these kind of fears? Where might we find some hope?
I have long relied on one of my Grandmother's favorites, Psalm 121. Let's pray it:
I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From whence shall come my help? My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; or your guardian to sleep. Behold, the guardian of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps.
The LORD is your guardian the LORD is your shade at your right hand. By day the sun will not strike you, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will guard you from all evil; he will guard your soul. The LORD will guard your coming and going both now and forever.
There is a curious thing about the first stanza. Most who pray the Psalm assume that when the psalmist is looking from the mountains. Think of the old movies. The hero's are surrounded. The enemy is closing in on them. Thinks look ever so bleak, the end is near. Suddenly the camera lens raises up to look at a distant hill. Dust clouds are rising up as a harbinger of a coming army. Help is coming! In a few more frames, the infantry, cavalry or tanks tops over the ridge and zooms down to the engagement. The tide of battle turns and all that was threatened is now saved.
Rousing story. Seen it a thousand times. OK, lets take another look. Picture the opposite happening. The good guys think they are safe when suddenly a war cry whoops over the top of the ridge and a 100 jillion bad guys plunge down the hillside toward the encampment. It is over less time then it takes a white man to eat lunch - as was the case for Custer and his hapless soldiers.
The inference is clear. The psalmist sense danger coming down from on high. Think about it. Even today it is a military objective to seize the high ground. It is easier to defend and it is easier from which to launch an attack. Our feckless writer is not expecting help from on high, he wonders where is help is coming from to defend him from what is about to land on him.
When we fear that what we hold dearest is about to be taken from us, our best help will always come from God. Always. Another curious thing about this, however, is this. It is in this exact moment of staring down the crucible we have to decide, to evaluate and to consider is if what is in peril is what God would have me choose to guard zealously?
Fear of humiliation or ridicule? I might be hearing some muffled laughing here. The message is we should not protect what we fear will be lost, we should answer the fears with a resounding shout, "Get away, go away and don't come back!"
Look to the psalm once more. The promise is for God to protect our soul. Everything is nothing more than a series of disdainful follies thrown before us to trip us by the other guy. You know the one. Ya, him.
God thank you for helping us to discern what we should hold and what we should discard without fear or distrust.
Which one are you? Maybe the answer varies based upon the stage or characteristics of our lives at any given time.
What of these fears? Oh, I get it. Fear of humiliation and ridicule engulf me, much more than the others. Except being forgotten. In the blink of an eye, fear of being forgotten surges up to the top of the list. While we are all wronged, despised, calumniated or suspected at one time or another, they don't have the ability completed deflate the balloon we call ego.
When it comes to humiliation and ridicule, we all play the sport of heaping grief on each other under the guise of humor. I am myself guilty of giving someone a hard time as way of expressing feelings of affection. Curious how we deflect our genuine feelings in an effort to not risk offering something which might be rejected. Sometimes the give and take is just simple hi-jinks but not always. Sometimes something might be said that stings. Sometimes what might be said in jest isn't really humorous at all but rather is a poorly veiled sword thrust.
To be forgotten is the worst because to be forgotten is something that should only happen after being dead for generations. It is a unequivocally a tragedy to be forgotten. How many times have we witnessed people who stay in abusive situations rather than be alone and, they fear, forgotten.
Can we look to scripture to find some solace against these kind of fears? Where might we find some hope?
I have long relied on one of my Grandmother's favorites, Psalm 121. Let's pray it:
I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From whence shall come my help? My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; or your guardian to sleep. Behold, the guardian of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps.
The LORD is your guardian the LORD is your shade at your right hand. By day the sun will not strike you, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will guard you from all evil; he will guard your soul. The LORD will guard your coming and going both now and forever.
Rousing story. Seen it a thousand times. OK, lets take another look. Picture the opposite happening. The good guys think they are safe when suddenly a war cry whoops over the top of the ridge and a 100 jillion bad guys plunge down the hillside toward the encampment. It is over less time then it takes a white man to eat lunch - as was the case for Custer and his hapless soldiers.
The inference is clear. The psalmist sense danger coming down from on high. Think about it. Even today it is a military objective to seize the high ground. It is easier to defend and it is easier from which to launch an attack. Our feckless writer is not expecting help from on high, he wonders where is help is coming from to defend him from what is about to land on him.
When we fear that what we hold dearest is about to be taken from us, our best help will always come from God. Always. Another curious thing about this, however, is this. It is in this exact moment of staring down the crucible we have to decide, to evaluate and to consider is if what is in peril is what God would have me choose to guard zealously?
Fear of humiliation or ridicule? I might be hearing some muffled laughing here. The message is we should not protect what we fear will be lost, we should answer the fears with a resounding shout, "Get away, go away and don't come back!"
Look to the psalm once more. The promise is for God to protect our soul. Everything is nothing more than a series of disdainful follies thrown before us to trip us by the other guy. You know the one. Ya, him.
God thank you for helping us to discern what we should hold and what we should discard without fear or distrust.
