Lies, Truths, and Lessons
The Lie
Give thanks to the LORD and call upon His name;
and people around you will think you are nuts.
Keep your mind on the troubles at hand,
and pass around the latest rumors.
If you happen to think about God,
admire the dips who find comfort in their religion.
You can look for God and seek His strength,
but not now, there are more pressing matters.
“I remember you, God, very fondly;
but what have you done for me lately?”
—Psalm 105:1-5, Reversed Fractured Version
The Truth
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
—Psalms 105:1-5, NIV
The Lesson
If you base your life on yourself and your own fortunes, then you will be devastated by misfortune. When good times come, your ego will swell and you will do many callous things you will later regret. How hard is the fall of the self-made man! When he falls, he has no one to pick him up. Therefore be wise and be centered on God. Whether you have good times or bad times, they will pass away; but even in your hard times, God is there. Therefore, stick to the only Friend who always sticks with you.
The Lie
Consider it pure hell, my brothers, whenever you face all sorts of hard times, because you know that the testing of your faith messes everything up. This life is supposed to be painless and without challenge, because you’re already as good as you need to be, and you can’t get any better than this.
—James 1:2-4, Reversed Fractured Version
The Truth
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
—James 1:2-4, NIV
The Lesson
We speak of them as ‘bad times’ in the present tense and as ‘the good old days’ when they are past. Take a clue from this that there really are no ‘bad times’ for those who trust God, just challenging times when we are called to hone our skills.
The Lie
Whatever you do, it’s probably not the career you had your heart set on in the beginning. Therefore, work only as hard as is necessary just to get by. After all, it’s not as if you were working for God and you have some big prize coming.
—Colossians 3:23-24, Reversed Fractured Version
The Truth
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
—Colossians 3:23-24, NIV
The Lesson
When you were young, everyone said you had great potential. You knew you were a great person who would revolutionize the world and set the industry on its ear—or something like that. Then things didn’t work out that way, so you fantasized that it was a temporary setback; you were confident that your time would come. Now you are too old and it has not come, and you resent your vocational lot in life. You aren’t alone; that is everyone’s biography. The whole point is that you misunderstood what your true career was in the very beginning. You were called to a career as a great Christian, and if you reflect upon your life in that light you see a pattern of advancement in fits and spurts. It’s time to realize who your real boss is, it’s time to realize that your present job is not a setback but an assignment from your Lord. It’s time to throw all your energy into the task at hand, because Jesus pays a better wage than your employer does, although much of the work is the same. This is no time to complain about your unfulfilled hopes, this is no time to be a slacker; get to work!
The Lie
Be happy in good times, pray when you feel religious, if you forget to give thanks, don’t worry, we worship God, not Miss Manners. Don’t worry about the other times; sometimes things don’t go the way God plans.
—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Reversed Fractured Version
The Truth
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.
—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV
The Lesson
Even the worst of sinners is happy in prosperous times. Even a sinner prays in times of great distress. Even a sinner thanks God occasionally, such as when his football team wins. So how are you better than a sinner? If you truly trust God, then you can give thanks in bad times, because you are grateful that God sustains you then. If you are on a business trip, do you not call your family and talk with them when they are distant? So if you love God as much as you love your family, should you not call Him and talk with Him when He is distant? If a powerful person does something good for you, do you not go out of your way to make your gratitude known? So if God is more powerful than any person, should you not hasten to thank Him?
If you truly love God, there are no hard times or bad times and there is no bad luck. There are just times when your vision is limited or when God’s providence is sustaining you in a place where you aren’t looking. If you truly love God, and God loves you, He will look after you. If you hold that confidence, things aren’t so bad:
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth,
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. AMEN.
—an ancient hymn