April 30, 2025

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

The True

Do Not be Afraid

Your email inbox is out to get you. I mean that quite literally—the intent of much of the correspondence sent to you is to grip you with fear. If you don’t believe me, scroll through the recent subject lines from your trusted news and information sources, and you will undoubtedly find all manner of alarmist and fear-based subject lines like:

“UNDER ATTACK!”

“THEY ARE OUT TO GET YOU!”

“EVIL!”

“IT’S ABHORRENT!”

“IT’S YOUR LAST CHANCE!”

If you are to believe your inbox, it is time to panic. To be very candid, your ability and mine to faithfully walk out the mandate of the Gospel will depend on how we respond to this barrage of messaging telling us to be afraid—to be very, very afraid.

First, why is the above true? Why is it that a huge portion of news and information sources consistently lead with fear-based messaging?

It is true because it works! Fear-based messaging drives click-through, and increases engagement. A friend recently put it this way to me: “You need a good bogeyman to get people to engage.”

My friend, we can cry foul all we want about the constant alarmist messaging around us, but it will continue as long as it continues to work. You and I have the power to change this reality by proactively deciding to avoid engaging with fear-based tactics (and then acting on that decision). Trust me, the news and information sources will provide more of whatever is working, and fear-based messaging is what many of us are currently rewarding.

But why, you might ask, should The Equipped community be so convinced this fear-based approach is harmful? After all, it is rooted in something that is certainly true—the world around us is hostile to the Truth, and therefore hostile to those of us who are committed to it (Matt. 10:22). So why shouldn’t you be appropriately afraid?

Are you ready for this, friend? I truly believe it is one of the most critical truths for you and me to take hold of—and to live from. Why should you resist fear with the greatest of intensity?

Because Jesus told you directly, clearly, and repeatedly, “Do not be afraid!”

Do you feel alone?

God says, “Do not be afraid—I am with you” (Is. 41:10).

Are others out to get you?

God says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9).

Are your enemies conspiring against you?

God says, “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6).

Do the circumstances of life seem too difficult?

God implores you to say, “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Ps. 118:6).

Is it difficult to believe your God is greater than the very real and visible storms in your life?

Jesus says, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Matt. 14:22).

Finally, when Jesus rose from the dead, what were the first words of the one dressed in white to the women who were looking for Jesus?

“Don’t be alarmed . . . You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here” (Mk. 16:6).

My friends, it is one of the most repeated commands in scripture. You are simply not to be afraid. Further, it is not the absence of evil that empowers this command. In fact, implicit in every one of the commands above is the presence of evil. Your inbox is correct on this one narrow fact: Evil is real, and you are its target!

But every Jesus follower should hear and take seriously the command of Jesus that much of the messaging in your inbox will intentionally omit. Jesus, because of a power greater than all that comes against you, says plainly to you today:

“Do not be afraid.”

U.S.

Judge Arrested

A county circuit judge in Milwaukee, WI was arrested and charged with “concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest.” The judge, Hannah Dugan, after being alerted to the presence of immigration law enforcement officials outside the courtroom, allegedly escorted a criminal defendant out a non-public jury door in an attempt to help the defendant evade arrest. The defendant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, was in court on charges of domestic battery, and was taken into custody after a short pursuit on foot. Judge Dugan was taken into custody the following morning, charged, and released after an initial appearance in court.

Analysis and eternal perspective: No person should be above the law. It’s a refrain we draw from biblical principles (“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” Lev. 19:15), and repeat often here at The Equipped. Even so, it remains one we are all prone to selectively set aside or deprioritize when convenient for a political narrative.

Unbridled authority is a constant threat because of human nature. Jeremiah 17:9 puts it this way: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Because of this truth, it is imperative that even the powerful—perhaps especially the powerful—are not above the law. As Jesus followers, we should fervently hold to this truth regardless of whether we view the public official in question favorably or unfavorably.

Simultaneously, the American form of republican government intentionally pits multiple repositories of power (three co-equal branches of federal government, as well as a division between federal and state authority) against each other. The Founders chose this structure to prevent any one power from becoming so large as to overcome the others. It is this principle that makes clashes between the divisions of power (in this case the executive and judicial branches) so acrimonious.

Regardless of your view of immigration law and policy, Jesus followers should recognize and defend both the truth that nobody is above the law and the reality that a division of power is a safeguard for all.

U.S.

Mostly Done

Elon Musk is stepping back—though apparently not fully away—from his leadership role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk said his job at DOGE is “mostly done” and plans to focus most of his time going forward on his private companies. The White House says DOGE will continue to function without Musk’s round-the-clock guidance. Musk’s quasi-departure comes as the Trump administration hits the 100-day mark since inauguration, and as legislators on Capitol Hill work to draft and enact “one big, beautiful bill” through a process called budget reconciliation.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Once again, there is every temptation for your view of Musk and his work at DOGE to be mostly formed by your policy and/or partisan persuasions. In some respects, this is appropriate, as the American republican form of government vests a great deal of authority for setting policy in the people temporarily wielding power as a result of elections.

Even so, as a Jesus follower committed to viewing events in your world through the lens of the True and the beautiful, you should strive to view the work of DOGE through an honest, substantive lens, and to view Musk—and every other public official—through the beautiful lens of God’s great love: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

As a practical matter, the fate of spending changes made by DOGE—both up to now and after Musk’s departure—will depend on the decisions of current and future Congresses and presidents. The power of the purse resides in the Congress, and each administration has its own ability to administer funds appropriated by Congress, so it will take some time to fully understand the impact of Musk and DOGE.

World

Explosion in Iran

The death toll is rising after an intense explosion and subsequent fire at the Shahid Rajaei port in Iran. At least 70 people are reported dead and more than 1,200 injured as a result of the blast, which is believed to have been caused by improper handling of fuel used for Iran’s ballistic missile program. While the Iranian government is notoriously close-lipped about its weapons programs, the consensus among world authorities is that the fuel was sourced from China and being used to restock Iran’s missile supply after it launched attacks on Israel in support of Hamas.

Analysis and eternal perspective: A story like this one highlights what can feel like competing truths: 1) The consequences of evil are weighty (Ecc. 12:14), and 2) Our God desires that none would perish (2 Pet. 3:9).

There is little disputing the evil actions of the Iranian regime in recent years. It has mostly used proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah to do its violent bidding but has recently engaged more directly through its ballistic missile attacks on Israel. This story is an ominous reminder of the peril that accompanies such activities. It is also a somber example that man’s actions can have devastating impacts on many whom God loves and pursues. As Jesus followers, let’s allow this story to redouble our efforts to share the Good News of the Gospel with those who need it.

The Beautiful

Filling

Apricot Gazpacho. It’s delicious, it’s beautiful, and it’s just plain fun to say! It is also the visual prompt for this week as we consider how to rid our lives of fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 clearly instructs us to both avoid accepting a spirit of fear and also to instead be infilled by three things: power, love, and a sound mind!

My friend, it is not an abstract instruction. It is very precisely how we lead transcendent lives..

The best you can do pales in comparison to what God’s power can and will do through you (Philip. 4:13)!

The world will know God not because of your great prowess or intellect, but because of the way you love them out of the overflow of God’s love in you (Jn. 13:35)!

Finally, when you tune out fear and tune in God’s holy Word, the mind of Christ will continually lift your entire being (1 Cor. 2:16).

You were not made to fear! As you reject fear, be sure to fill that void with power, love, and a sound mind!

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).