July 9, 2025

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

The True

Sit or Serve?

It is a difficult concept for me to fully understand and yield to, and it presents itself in the form of a question. Perhaps you can relate. The question is this: Should I sit or should I serve?

At the risk of eliminating any suspense, the answer is yes. Yes to both. Yes and yes.

You should absolutely live a life of service. Jesus embodied this for you all the way to the cross and by way of the foot-washing basin (Jn. 13:1-17).

You should also live fully content to simply sit at the feet of Jesus. Psalm 27:4 describes this as a singular desire to “dwell in the house of the Lord” and to “gaze on [His] beauty.”

So how do you do both? How can you and I faithfully heed the call to both sit at the feet of Jesus and serve those He has called us to? Those are very much opposite postures in my mind—one is sedentary and stationary while the other is mobile and action-oriented. As a result, my human mind computes these two things as one or the other. Perhaps they are both good things, but I can only do one of them at a time.

This assumption is at first glance reenforced by the biblical story of Mary and Martha—a story that quite possibly came to your mind when you first read our headline question. In the familiar narrative, Mary chooses to sit at the feet of Jesus while Martha chooses to serve and prepare the house. When Martha confronts Mary, Jesus is clear that Mary’s choice is the better one: “‘Martha, Martha,’” the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’” (Lk. 10:41-42).

Jesus validates Mary’s choice. Jesus was present, and there was no better way for Mary to spend her time than to simply sit at his feet.

It is also unequivocally true that every follower of Jesus was about to be called upon to serve in the most intense way imaginable. Jesus would be crucified and each of His followers would have a choice: Would they openly serve others by acknowledging an association with the crucified one? That service would come at a great personal cost, and many followers of Jesus would by martyred as a result of choosing service.

When considering the entire narrative, both of the following seemingly incongruent statements are in fact true:

“It is enough to sit at the feet of Jesus.”

“Sitting at the feet of Jesus will lead you to ultimate acts of service.”

My friend, you don’t have to fret or stress or worry about “doing enough” for Jesus. He invites you to simply sit in His presence. He desires your trust and your yielding to the truth that He and He alone is enough. You don’t have to add anything to who He is to be prepared for what is to come.

In this way, sitting is the far better choice.

But don’t be deceived into believing that sitting at His feet occurs to the exclusion of serving with Him. Far from it! If you are content to simply linger in the presence of Jesus, you will find yourself also in the presence of the needy, and in possession of a proverbial foot-washing basin, and ultimately carrying your own cross (Matt. 16:24-26).

When you sit with Jesus, He will also invite you to serve with Him.

On the surface, this may be intimidating. But in reality, it is intensely beautiful and immensely reassuring.

You don’t have to scramble to prepare. You can be fully content to sit at His feet. In fact, it should be your one desire.

As you sit, you will know more of His heart and His being. You will be drawn into His character, and you will naturally participate in His actions. To put it simply, by sitting with Him you will also serve with Him.

It is not of your doing, but His.

Should you sit? Yes. You should be fully content to sit at His feet all the days of your life.

Should you serve? Yes. As you sit at His feet, you will find yourself serving with Him. It is a wonder beyond your finite mind, as sitting and serving are not opposites but rather wholly intertwined. They are yes and yes.

U.S.

Flash Flooding in Texas

More than a foot of rain in the overnight hours caused massive flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country on Friday. More than 100 people are confirmed dead, and a large number remain missing. Kerr County was the hardest hit, as youth camps along the Guadalupe River were swamped by deep rushing water in a matter of minutes. At least 28 children are among the deceased, with another 11 unaccounted for. Dick Eastland, director of Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, died trying to rescue and evacuate campers, while a counselor from the camp remains among the missing.

Analysis and eternal perspective: A wall of water in the night. That is the description many survivors used to describe the harrowing flooding. As search and rescue operations continue, there will also be a review of how to better prepare for a future flooding event, and particularly a necessary evacuation effort.

We in The Equipped family should respond in at least three ways:

Pray – “Mourn with those who mourn” (Rom. 12:15). That might sound like a strange verse to pair with a reminder to pray, but scripture regularly implores us to share empathetically through prayer the burden others are carrying. Even Jesus, facing his own imminent death, simply desired the relief of a shared burden (Matt 26:36-46). As you pray for those impacted, share their burden of mourning.

Act – The devastation in the region is widespread, and includes loss of life, property, and homes. Numerous humanitarian organizations have deployed to the area. Consider giving of your time or resources to aid one of these efforts. Side note: It would be worthwhile to establish a long-term relationship with a trusted crisis response organization you could regularly assist in a personal capacity.

Reflect – You are not promised tomorrow. Even if you are blessed with tomorrow, each of us has a limited time here on Earth (Heb. 9:27). This story should be a reminder to not only prepare for that day but also to take an accounting of how you are spending each day between now and then.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16).

U.S.

Birthday Bill Signing

America’s 249^th birthday—July 4, 2025—was celebrated with fireworks, BBQs, and the signing of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” After months of negotiating and drafting, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate finally approved joint language just in time for the bill to be signed into law on Independence day. The 870-page bill went through numerous iterations, and both legislative chambers had dramatic drawn-out votes on the way to approval. The bill-turned-law makes significant changes to U.S. tax law, as well as spending programs.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Most of the discussion about the One Big Beautiful Bill will be around the pros and cons of it. Nearly everyone (including supporters) will have mixed reviews about the legislation itself. While it is more feasible to enact one large piece of legislation rather than dozens of smaller ones, the tradeoff results in a negotiated package in which there is something for everyone to both like and dislike.

For The Equipped community, America’s 249^th birthday—and the look ahead to the 250^th next year—is a prolonged opportunity to express gratitude for the earthly freedom you enjoy (many of us are Americans, while all of us live as ambassadors in this temporary home as we journey to eternity). It is also a perfect moment to re-center our focus on our primary mission—that of making disciples in every corner of the globe (Matt. 28:18-20).

No matter how you view the One Big Beautiful Bill, you have an awesome, breathtaking co-mission with the God of the universe. There is no higher calling.

U.S.

Church Endorsements

Houses of worship—including churches—may now endorse political candidates without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status. The change comes by way of a consent judgement agreed to by the IRS this week. The agreement provides clarity that a house of worship’s endorsement or opposition of a candidate does not violate the conditions of its tax-exempt structure (most houses of worship are legally organized as nonprofit and tax-exempt). Since 1954, a law known as the Johnson Amendment has prohibited such endorsements, but the IRS has generally declined to enforce the prohibition. This week’s judgement enshrines that non-enforcement into formal IRS policy.

Analysis and eternal judgment: God’s people—you and I—are to be about the purposes of eternity. Even our mind and our thoughts are to be on things of heaven (Col. 3:2). Within this absolute truth lives a tension of how to best prioritize God’s law over a man-made law that will constantly ebb and flow between various amount of alignment with eternal truth. Going one level deeper, there is a tension within that tension about how to properly steward our participation within man-made governing institutions.

Many churches and houses of worship will celebrate this week’s formal demise of the Johnson Amendment. In many ways, it reflects a proper prioritization of individual faith over man-made law. Even so, we in The Equipped community should consider carefully and soberly how to balance and steward our eternal and earthly missions.

We are certainly called to something much higher than political conquest. Our kingdom is an eternal one, and we should certainly avoid over-emphasizing political struggles of our temporary home. At the same time, there is wisdom in understanding the current times (similar to the tribe of Issachar in 1 Chron. 12:32) in order to impact them toward flourishing.

Let’s together endeavor to make an eternal impact toward flourishing. On one side, you will be tempted to stay out of the fray—political or otherwise. On the other, you will be tempted to over-emphasize political outcomes. The way of the Jesus follower is different than each of this. We are called to give all of ourselves for the love of God and our neighbors (Matt. 22:36-40).

You are not afforded the luxury of staying out of the fray. Neither are you limited by the bounds of man-made politics. Your mission is found squarely in loving God and in serving those He created.

The Beautiful

Tender Care

The God of the universe prioritizes your care and wellbeing! He invites you into caring for the weak because that act embodies what He does for you! He encourages you to rest fully in Him because your value is infinitely higher than the birds (or in this case, a duckling) for which He also provides.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:29-31).

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