Several years ago I ran across the following article and ran it in our church bulletin. Since the real reason we suffer in this life very often involves our own pride and selfishness (at least for me, that’s true) I thought it would be a good idea to share these words of wisdom this week. I would like to give credit to the author, but I don’t know who wrote it. Here is what he wrote:

From World War II comes the story of a naval ship on patrol in the Atlantic. The Captain noticed a strange light shining through the fog. It appeared to be headed straight toward his ship.

“Signal that ship to change course ten degrees to the West,” he commanded. The reply came back. “Change your course ten degrees to the East.”

Indignant, the Captain responded, “I am the Captain; change your course.” The reply: “I am a seaman second class; change your course ten degrees.”

This time the Captain’s message took on the ring of combat: “This is a U. S. destroyer; change your course now or suffer the consequences.” The response was brief: “This is the lighthouse; change your course.”

In a world which attempts to say the reverse, it is humbling to realize I am not the standard, the ultimate, the center around which all others revolve. This is the classic sin par excellence: pride. Its opposite (humility) is a challenge precisely because I want to see myself as the Captain; all other lights give way to mine.

The Christian sees it differently. Because I am a servant, other lights take priority over mine. Because I am a disciple, the Teacher’s light takes priority over all others.

“But I have my rights!” Wrong. Servants don’t have rights. Disciples don’t worry about rights. True servants think only of serving. True disciples think only of learning from the Master. Talk of “rights” is whistling in the dark when the lighthouse is dead ahead.

Okay, this is me again. When I ran across this old article, I just had to put it in one of the Barnabas’ Notes issues. This is exactly what we do, isn’t it? We start thinking that things are a certain way (maybe it’s that someone is out to get me, or nothing ever goes my way, or this just isn’t fair) when in reality, we are headed straight for the deadly shore. I may even get angry with God for not protecting me when all along He had in mind that I endure a test to make me stronger. We forget that pride “goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling” (Proverbs 16:18).

It’s hard to imagine myself telling God that He had better get His act together when it comes to my life, but it’s hard to imagine that ship’s Captain saying the same thing to a lighthouse. He would only do that ignorantly, but he did it just the same. I would only be so disrespectful of God ignorantly, but that’s just what I’m doing (ignorantly or not) when I resist His will or act like I’m in charge and not He.

So, this week’s encouragement is “change your course.” You will find life a lot easier if you work with God and not against Him. It may not always feel easier, but what you think you suffer now for doing the right thing is far less than what you will suffer in the end, if you choose the easy way now. God wants you to be a slave to Him so you can be truly free because He loves you…and so do I.

Donnie Bates

“Just Do It” is the slogan of a large sports shoe company. You’ve heard of Nike, I’m sure. What you may not know is the significance of the name “Nike.” Nike is from the Greek language and it’s found in the Bible in some very important passages of Scripture. One of the most important verses where this word is used is Revelation 17:14: “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” The word “overcome” is the Greek word nike.

In the noun form, nike means “victory.” The verb form is, of course, “to overcome.” What the apostle John writes in Revelation 17:14 is that Rome and her allies (the great harlot, Babylon the great, and the kings who were allied with her) would make war against the Lamb. The Lamb is Jesus Christ. First century Christians were being persecuted by Rome. Many were dying. In fact, Jesus had told them to be faithful until death and He would give them a crown of life (Revelation 2:10). The reason Revelation 17:14 is so important is because this is God’s word of encouragement to those who were suffering, that He (and they) would win. The powerful enemies of God would wage war, but they would lose. And the reason they would lose is because they are fighting the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Well, what does that have to do with us? It seemed a good idea, in the face of the trials that afflict us so often, that we take a moment, look around at our lives, at what is necessary to survive; that we take a deep breath and…”just do it.” Let’s take a lesson from what the shoe company tries to suggest, but more importantly what the holy Scriptures say, and just do it. Listen to some of the places where this work nike is used. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). What a simple and direct command! There is nothing to debate or consider…just do it!

How about this one: “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). This one isn’t a command, but a simple statement of fact. Christians have overcome the spirit of the antichrists (those who deny Christ) and the reason they have overcome such opposition is because the Lamb is on our side. He’s not on the side of those who seem so often to be winning.

I know things look hopeless sometimes. Do you suppose that Christians of the late first century A.D. ever felt like things were hopeless? Would you have felt things were hopeless if the police kicked in the front door of your house tomorrow morning and took your whole family away because you are Christians? What if they just dragged them all out into the street, held swords over (or guns to) their heads and told you the choice was yours: you could deny Jesus or bury your family in the afternoon? That wouldn’t seem fair, would it? Things like this happened to our brethren almost 2,000 years ago, and Jesus told them to hold on a little longer, not until He saved their lives, but until they lost them. If they could do that, everything would be all right. If they could keep their faith in the face of the worst that the devil could throw at them, they would…nike. They would win!

Let me ask you, no, let me challenge you to ask yourself…what are you willing to suffer? Are you willing to suffer it all the way to the point of death, and beyond that point? Are you willing to die? A lot of people are not. They have to have everything just right or God isn’t being fair to them and they want out. Well, in that monumental struggle between the forces of the dragon (Satan) and the Lamb (Christ) in the book of Revelation, there are only two sides. There is no sideline where the neutral can watch and see who wins. You are either with the Lamb or you are with the dragon. For whatever it’s worth, my advice is…stick with the Lamb. He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates