December 18, 2024

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

Crowned Sinner

The enemy’s two favorite tactics—ego and shame—are on opposite ends of the spectrum and the deployment of them switches from one to the other at lightning speed.

In one moment, you are tempted to believe the whispered appeal to ego. This is the thought that your ways are highest, and your reasoning and intellect the best. It is an attractive appeal, but at its root is the idea that you are greater than your God.

It is a tactic countered by Truth: “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Is. 55:8-9).

But beware, your appropriate acknowledgment of this Truth and the humbling of your ego beneath the authority of your God is very likely to be followed by the inverse accusation of shame from the enemy: “Who are you to have such thoughts? You should be ashamed of yourself!”

It is astonishing how fast one accusation switches to the other when met with initial resistance. But in reality, both accusations are aimed at the same goal, which is convincing you to focus on what is right or wrong with you rather than on the work that God has already accomplished for you!

The Truth when confronting the tactic of shame is this: God has made you “a little lower than the angels and crowned [you] with glory and honor” (Ps. 8:5)!

It is not true you are greater than God!

It is also not true you are therefore saddled with a burden of shame!

Quite to the contrary, the abounding and unbridled Truth is that the God who is greater than all saw you in your sin and chose to crown you with His glory and honor!

The enemy deploys ego to convince you God is small. He deploys shame for the same reason—to suggest your sin is greater than your God. He deploys these tactics repeatedly and often in the same breath.

They are both absolutely and wholly untrue.

Your God is great. He is greater than both your ego and your sin, and you are liberated to lay aside your shame and rest free of ego within the expanse of His power.

It is not about you. You, like me, are a sinner.

It is about your God. And His Truth is this: He has crowned you! Your defining characteristic is not your sin, but rather His glory and honor that crown you!

U.S.

Shootings

Three people are dead and several more injured after a 15-year-old girl opened fire in a private school in Madison, Wisconsin. The deceased include a teacher, a teenage student, and the shooter. A second-grade student was reportedly the first to call 911 after shots were fired inside Abundant Life Christian School. Authorities have identified and named the suspected shooter and are still working to determine a motive.

Meanwhile, the 26-year-old man accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has retained a high-profile defense attorney. The suspect is charged in Manhattan where the crime occurred, but is being held in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he was located and arrested. One of the first legal questions to be decided is whether he will be extradited to New York for prosecution.

Analysis and eternal perspective: It is so hard to see the beautiful in these stories. The True seems a bit more straightforward: Each of the deceased is a precious soul created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27) and the taking of their life is an evil act that violates God’s law (Ex. 20:13) as well as man’s law. The shooter in Wisconsin is dead, but the pursuit of justice for the alleged shooter in New York will take some time to play out.

It will also take time—assuredly until eternity—for the families of the victims in each case to work through their grief. The separation and the loss they now walk through is a devastating consequence of the brokenness in our world.

As Jesus followers, we can and should do several things to view this story through the lens of the beautiful: 1) We should pray for the families of the deceased, that they would be comforted and the memories of their loved ones would be cherished, 2) We should be reflective about how to mend the personal and collective fissures evident around us that eventually lead to such evil, and 3) We should treasure every day with our loved ones as though it could be our last on this side of eternity (Ps. 90:12). This best enables us to apply ourselves to the things and the tasks that are secure forever.

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).

The Equipped

The Gift of Belonging

The Equipped is turning two years old over the holidays! What a joy it is to walk with you, and to intentionally consider all things in our sometimes-chaotic world through the lens of the True and the beautiful. This endeavor is easier and more fulfilling when done in community. This Christmas, give the gift of belonging. Forward this email to a friend and invite them to join us in 2025. Also, would you help grow The Equipped by choosing to join our paid subscribers? This special group enables The Equipped to exist and expand our collective reach. Thank you!

World

Impeached and Suspended

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been impeached and suspended by an overwhelming 204-85 vote in the National Assembly. The action was instigated by Yoon’s six-hour invocation of martial law two weeks ago, which he claims was in response to the parliament behaving like a “den of criminals.” The suspension puts Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in power while the Constitutional Court decides whether to restore or permanently remove Yoon.

Analysis and eternal perspective: It is easy to forget when we have not personally experienced it, but history and God’s Word are both very clear about governments of men: They are temporary. Nations and rulers rise and fall (Acts 17:26), and only the eternal Kingdom is forever (Ps. 9:7).

The current tumult in South Korea is sudden and surprising on one hand, but not all that unique if compared against a wider view of human history. It feels jarring that a situation this chaotic is possible in a relatively stable and peaceful democracy, but that reality should inform the way we interact with our own governance.

For those of us living in a democratic self-governing system like the United States, this story reminds us how fleeting stability can be and encourages us to be constantly inclined to strengthening our republic.

For those living under less democratic governance, this story is a reminder that, while earthly freedom is certainly worthy of pursuing (Gal. 5:1), our ultimate realization of liberty will be fulfilled in eternity (Rev. 21:1-5).

U.S.

Drones, Drones, and more Drones

Drone sightings in the United States are on the rise, particularly in and around the New Jersey and New York regions. Unsurprisingly, many of these “sightings” have turned out to be planes or stars, but officials acknowledge a large “ecosystem” of drones, with more than one million drones legally registered in the United States alone. A growing (and bipartisan) number of officials are calling for a deeper investigation into—and increased transparency about—the origin, ownership, and capabilities of drone flights.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Drone technology—like every other technology—is a two-edged sword. On one hand, drones provide tremendous capacity for both recreation and innovation. On the other hand, they also present significant potential for invasion of privacy and security threat. The current debate is surely to include not just what (if anything) should be done about the increased drone activity, but also who should be responsible for doing it.

Your responsibility as a Jesus follower is to be aware of the world around you but focused on that which transcends it. Drones—and other technologies—might well present you with ways to expand your horizons and creatively walk out your ambassadorship of Jesus! It is simultaneously likely you will experience some negative ramifications of technology. This is one of the most critical demands of the time into which you were born and for which you were designed.

Remember, a story like this will create a huge number of theories, but the mind of Christ enables you to operate not from a place of fear, but with power, love, and clear thinking (2 Tim. 1:7).

The Beautiful

A Pleasing Aroma

There is little as welcoming and comforting as the sweet smell of baking filling the home (Christmas cookies, anyone?). The process is not without a mess (sometimes intentionally!), but the end result is oh so worth it! What a beautiful reminder that God sees us not in our sin but rather as a pleasing aroma to Him!

“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing” (2 Cor. 2:15).