By T.J. Cheux
“I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die. Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary. Do not drag me away with the wicked — with those who do evil — those who speak friendly words to their neighbors while planning evil in their hearts. Give them the punishment they so richly deserve! Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness. Pay them back for all their evil deeds! Give them a taste of what they have done to others. They care nothing for what the Lord has done or for what his hands have made. So he will tear them down, and they will never be rebuilt! Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. The Lord gives his people strength. He is a safe fortress for his anointed king. Save your people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead them like a shepherd, and carry them in your arms forever.” (Psalm 28 NLT)
Media Messaging
We have been sold some interesting items by the media — toothpaste, socks and many different forms of chocolate — but do we trust them enough to ask them for advice? Do we place our future in their hands?
Perhaps we permit too much time to the media and to the narrative of the press, and certainly chocolate can sometimes be a welcome distraction. Yet what can we do differently to grant ourselves more peace? How can we change the narrative and our well-being?
The psalmist is pretty clear. He offers us hope in God: “The Lord is my strength and shield.”
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“The problem is not the politicians. It’s our perspective and where we place our power.”
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A Summer of Sports and Politics
The recent political debates and drama in the United Kingdom and United States have changed the narrative of a summer that would normally be focused on sports with the Olympics, Euros and Copa Americas. It’s almost as if the politicians didn’t want to take a back seat, to take control and interrupt the status quo.
The problem is not the politicians. It’s our perspective and where we place our power.
This summer we have a choice. We too, like the psalmist, have a daily decision to make. Will we follow the social media feeds, the political agendas, our countries’ sports performances, or the will of God?
Yes, that’s right! Will we place our trust in God and believe in Him?
We are invited by the psalmist to trust Him with all our heart. The psalmist reminds us that He helps us, and our hearts are filled with joy. We can burst out in songs of thanksgiving. The Lord gives His people strength. So let’s today renew our strength in the Lord.
Prayer
Father, help us (the helpless) defend us (the defenseless) and cleanse us (the unclean) in Jesus’ name. Be our Rock, our Shield and our Strength so we can place our trust in You again, O Lord. Do not let us become distracted, disillusioned or discouraged by what is going on in our world. Make us strong in You in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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T.J. Cheux — an elder in the Southeast Region Conference — resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, and pastors a quaint country church just outside metro Charlotte. He is the founder of Free and Fit that serves athletes with coaching and spiritual formation. He was called to spiritual ministry after beginning his career in inner-city London as a teacher. His experiences working with poor and marginalized communities, as well as affluent ones, activated his deep empathy for all kinds of struggles we face as humans in our modern culture. Answering the call to ministry, he has served as a youth pastor, ecumenical missionary, college campus pastor, high school chaplain, and more. He has a Master of Divinity degree from General Theological Seminary in New York City and a Master of Education degree from the University of Bedfordshire in the United Kingdom. He has certification in chaplaincy, coaching, spiritual direction and mental health first aid.
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