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As I sit here writing, I gaze across a southwest desert landscape as the sun sets behind my back. It is quiet and a distant mountain range looms above the dry landscape. It is silent except for the occasional call of a quail and the sound of coyotes likely finding a meal. We have a small fire going to keep us company. There is no polarization here and it is quiet as God speaks to us through the moment. God’s creation just breathes in and out serving as the second revelation to all who venture into this wild country. I am at peace with God and His creation and quietly reflect on why there is so much division in our world and in our society.

Currently I am reading Francis Chan’s latest book, Until Unity. I was so impacted by it the first time around that I started reading it a second time and concurrently going through his daily bible reading on the book. The point of the book is the divisiveness that occurs not only in our society but even more so among those in the Christian faith. He rightfully points out that we are most divided faith group on earth. We have thousands of denominations and ministries each believing their theology or methodology is superior. Then we quietly circle the wagons among those we concur with and decide with pride that our way of thinking is right or best and that others are wrong. But is this healthy and even more so is it even biblical? Does God desire for us to pull back and huddle with those we agree with and isolate ourselves in such a way that divides us from others in the Christian faith? Francis believes the answer is no and I concur.

Some of the things that may divide us as people of faith also divide us as a society. One Christian may be a strong proponent of taking care of the environment and may even make his living doing just that. Another Christian may call all environmentalists, liberals, as if it is a sin to care about creation but with no biblical support to indicate there is anything wrong with those principles. In fact, the bible calls us to be good stewards of the environment and after all there are only two ways he reveals himself to us, one being through His creation. How can it possibly be that being a strong advocate for the environment puts us at odds with our Christian faith or even with other Christians? We should all be advocates for the environment provided we don’t put it above the creator.

Other ways we may differ in principle may be by taking care of those less fortunate. I am often guilty of not being sympathetic to those who I feel just are not working hard enough. As an American, the value of hard work is a number one priority for me and there should be no free handouts. On the other hand, what about those who just have not been given the same opportunity? Shouldn’t we show some type of sympathy for those who are less fortunate and where should we draw the line? Regardless of how we come to answer that question, how others view this problem is not necessarily wrong and should not be a cause for division. There is nothing more biblical than taking care of the poor, widowed and orphaned. It’s not a sin to care.

Perhaps nothing is more divisive than our own arrogance, particularly when we believe intellectually that we are superior somehow to others. Either with our theology, our thought process or our political beliefs. No matter how much we may know about the Bible or how much we think we may know about God, have we really stopped to ponder how much we don’t know? God is the creator of the universe and sovereign over all of creation. How can we possibly set ourselves above others by thinking that we know everything there is to know about a God so big?

Francis makes the point that our Savior was crucified to end our divisions, commands us to be united and says we will impact the world when we become one. How the body of Christ unifies makes all the difference in the world in our witness to the world. We can’t just go back among our circled wagons and talk about how deceived our brothers and sisters are in deep criticism and expect others to follow our savior with that as an example.

How should we then unite as a body of Christ not just within our own church but the entire Christian faith? Like most things that involve sins of man, we must put aside our pride and take on humility. Humbly bow before our Creator, putting Him as the focus of our entire being and to love our brothers and sisters as Christ loved us by dying on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins.

Now back to the quiet world of my creator as the sky turns black and the heavens open up for all who are willing to gaze upward at His grandeur. My prayer is that all of us would take the time to let the Lord speak to us in scripture and creation instead of the divisiveness of mankind.

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought." – 1 Corinthians 1:10

Reg Sommers has a friend, an elderly widow who lives on social security income, in a small mobile home south of Moriarty. She has COPD and is on oxygen.

We were rejoicing with her that she had made her last payment on her little pickup. Then, two weeks ago, she was driving to get some groceries at Smiths, and her truck got stuck in low gear. She called AAA and waited. When the rescue tow truck arrived, they checked her truck, and advised her that it was the transmission. She was told she needed a new one, and they towed the vehicle to a shop in town.

The following weekend Reg told her he would pick her up and take her to get groceries and then take her home, since she had no wheels. When they got out of Smiths and into Reg’s truck Barbara broke down in tears, feeling hopeless as to how she could pay for a new transmission. Reg told her to look at the birds, and at the flowers of the field, asking doesn’t God take care of them? (Luke 12) He encouraged her that God cared for her way more than them. So, not to worry, because God would take care of her. They prayed, putting the whole situation into the Father’s hands.

A few days later Barbara got a call from the mechanic’s shop, notifying her that they had driven the truck around and couldn’t find anything wrong with it. So, they would bring it back to her and not even charge her for their diagnostics time, for a “zero balance”.

Praise God for His faithfulness to the birds, the flowers and the needy widows in this world! He is a good, good Father. And He still answers prayer.

I vividly remember driving home from youth group with my friend Tristan one night in the spring of 2015. We were both eighteen, and about to move to Las Cruces to attend NMSU. Tristan and I had known each other since kindergarten, and had been through a lot together. We were both technically graduated and had been taking dual-credit college courses at CNM for a while, but our upcoming change of scenery was the real cliffhanger for us. I remember excited anticipation hanging in our conversation that night over the roar of Tristan’s Jeep as we both agreed that our lives would never be the same.

Today, there’s so much I would want to say to graduates about to take the same leap I did just a few years ago – a lot more than can be said concisely. So, graduates, for your reading convenience, here are a few quick(ish) pointers from someone just a few strides ahead of you:

• Use your freedom well… by remembering what “freedom” really means for you

After high school, no matter where you go or what you do, you will have more control over your life than ever before, and it will be tempting to remind yourself that you can make your own decisions (which you can and should), but therefore invest your time into whatever promises you the most pleasure and success. In other words, “follow your heart”. Guard yourself against this.

From Galatians 5,

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (v. 13)

It’s easy to gather from the second half of this verse that we should not use our freedom for selfish personal gain. However, the first half is just as critical, because it connects this to the argument Paul has made through the rest of Galatians – in short, that the definition of “freedom” for us as believers is freedom in Christ from our former way of life. We are free as children and ambassadors of God’s kingdom, and should therefore not follow our heart, because it is deceitful and sick (Jeremiah 17:9), but rather, “walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). In other words, make decisions on how to use your time and effort based on the text of the Bible and leading of the Holy Spirit, and allow no other force to have greater leverage in your decision making.

• Keep good company

By “good” company, I mean strong, grounded believers, as your core group of friends, who will support you and keep you sharp (see Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). If you are moving away soon, I cannot stress enough the importance of IMMEDIATELY finding a new church home and becoming involved.

During my college years, I made the mistake of never becoming well rooted in a particular church, instead substituting it with my college ministry. I had a great community of friends in that ministry, grew a ton through it, and highly recommend it to anyone shipping off to a university soon. Having solid believing friends within my ministry got me through some incredibly tough times in those years. Nonetheless, what I did was risky, because as good as my ministry was, it cannot stand in for a church. I could have greatly benefited from the counsel of older, wiser men within the context of an organized local body of believers, not to mention wonderful families who probably would’ve loved to make me feel at home away from home had I given them a chance by actually showing up. Heed the words of Hebrews 10:24-25 by never neglecting your regular time together with other believers.

• Don’t be afraid to say “no”

In this chapter of life, there will be many people, organizations, and activities that demand your attention. Not all this stuff is eternal and worthy of pursuit, nor do you have unlimited bandwidth. So, nail down your single apex priority (loving and serving God while loving and serving people), and don’t hesitate to take the saw to branches that divert momentum away from this, because you WON’T be able to maintain both (see Matthew 6:24). This might mean losing friends (or never making certain friends to begin with). This might mean not studying all the time. This might mean missing out on what the world sees as “fun”, or opportunities to further what it refers to as “your future”.

Don’t hear me wrong – you should seek to do well in everything that you do:

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men…” (Colossians 3:23)

But, never forget Who you’re here for and the only thing that will give you a truly lasting return on your investment:

“…knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” (Colossians 3:24)

I might add – also don’t be afraid to say “no” to yourself – to your pride, hesitancy, and fear. In short, my life would likely look very different today, in a very good way, had I not allowed these three vices to get in my way.

The handful of years following my high school graduation was a dramatic, growth-rich, transformative time of my life, but I can’t lie by saying it was easy. In fact, the worst bouts of emotional pain I have ever experienced, by a long shot, occurred between age 18 and 22. However, don’t let this scare you. Done with care, you can expect many great things coming your way.

Wherever you end up, graduates, always know that you are loved, prayed for, and always welcome back home. I’ll leave you with Paul’s confidence:

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

If you are feeling weary in this season, you are not alone. I see you. If you listened to Pastor Frank’s sermon last week you may remember he talked about what to do when you are done fighting the fight, when you are weary. A practical step to take is to refresh yourself with the truth of God’s word. This week I wanted to give you seven verses to refresh your soul.

1. Psalm 73:26

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

2. Proverbs 18:10

“The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.”

3. Isaiah 40:29-31

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

4. 1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

5. Psalm 23:1-4

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

6. Zephaniah 3:17

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

7. Romans 8:38-39

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Click here to listen to Pastor Frank's Sermon from last Sunday, “A Land to Call Their Own” from Joshua 13-19.

Friends, we cannot wait until life is uncomplicated or less stressful to decide to choose joy. Life will always have complications and struggles. God has not promised life will be easy or that it will always make sense to us. God has promised that in His presence we will find joy. 

Here are 10 ways you can experience and choose joy TODAY regardless of your circumstances:

1. Choose to open your Bible. Reading the Bible nourishes your spirit and draws you closer to God. When have you ever opened your Bible and later thought, “I regret doing that, what a waste of time”?
2. Choose to take a walk in the woods. In Japan, scientists have taken hundreds of individuals on “forest walks” and measured a variety of bioindicators related to stress before and after. They’ve found that walks reduce cortisol levels, diminish sympathetic nerve activity, and decrease both blood pressure and heart rate. I do not think this is an accident but rather a gift from God!
3. Choose to pray. Pray about your lack of joy and ask God to help you to choose joy today! Pray for those who have hurt you, for those who annoy you, and for those who you love dearly! Praying reminds us who is in control and helps us take steps towards not only trusting God but also towards loving one another better.
4. Choose to give a family member or friend a hug. This is our modern version of the “holy kiss”. (Romans 16:16, 1 Thess. 5:26).
5. Choose to say thank you. A simple text to a friend or thank you note popped in the mail will not only brighten the recipient’s day but will also help you to focus on being thankful for those God has put into your life.
6. Choose to let go of other people’s expectations. I have recently gotten into the habit of reminding myself daily that today it is my job to please God, no one else.
7. Choose to immerse yourself in God’s word and take a break from social media. Multiple studies have shown links between social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, and loneliness. We often find ourselves entrapped in a cycle of comparison and feelings of inadequacy.
8. Choose gratitude. Choose to thank God for even the mundane things in your life.
9. Choose to live life in the present. We often find ourselves living for the next big thing; the next vacation, the next big purchase, the next exciting news and because our focus is on the future, we forget to be fully present in our lives right now! Choose to let this go and live in the current moment!
10. Choose Grace. We often forget to have grace for ourselves. No one is perfect except for Jesus, show yourself grace when you make a mistake.