Quit Looking At The Waves

In Matthew's recounting of the story of Jesus walking on the water to reach his disciples who were struggling in the midst of a storm, Peter starts off quite well.  When the men at last recognized Jesus, "hair-trigger" Peter asked the Lord to invite him for a walk on the water, and the Lord did so.  It must have been a bit tricky even getting out of the boat, which would have been rocking to and fro, but when he did, he found himself supported by some supernatural surface tension, like a mosquito in a bucket of water.  If you think about it, he may have felt more sturdy standing on the water than he did in the boat.  Surely he was still aware of the wind and waves - he hadn't forgotten those - but for a moment the force of his attention was on Jesus.  As he made his way toward Jesus, all was well...until he started looking around. When he took a good look at the wind and waves, in a sense switching his faith from Christ to them, he started to sink.  D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones brings the point home in Spiritual Depression:

The first thing we learn here is that we ourselves sometimes produce our own doubts.  None can dispute but that that was the trouble with Peter at this point.  He produced his own doubts by looking at the waves.  He led himself into difficulties which need not have arisen...Peter by looking at the waves himself produced the doubts.  Let us be very careful here.  We often lead ourselves into depression, we lead ourselves in doubts by dabbling with certain things which should be avoided.

  Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we must take care that we don't give our windy, wavy circumstances and pressures too much attention.  Of course they're overwhelming, but putting our faith in them is always, and only, a downer.  Let's keep our focus on the sure and certain person of Jesus Christ, and His hand that is always ready to reach out and pull us up.

Irritability

Ouch.  I don't get visibly, overtly angry at people as a rule, but I can sure be irritable in my spirit.  And that's just no good.  It usually shows up when I'm tired or stressed or hurt.  Phil Ryken here explains that irritability can actual be a form of hatred.

What's Your Nickname?

Got a nickname?  Mine is Blainemonster.  Picked it up back in Bible college from a good friend named Jonathan who is now a pastor, as I am.  In fact, it was Jonathan that not only bestowed the title "Blainemonster" on me, but also the name of "Brettmonster" on our mutual buddy Brett.  Brett is now a missionary, but when we see each other, the "monster" always comes out. 

I'm not really sure why Jonathan dubbed the two of us monsters - it might have been because of the way we worked so hard at putting a new roof on the church we were renovating during that long, hot summer in Shreveport back in 1989.  Whatever the reason, it's a funny nickname for us both, because neither one of us has the disposition to merit such a title as "monster."  Honestly, we're both fairly reserved, and you might even say gentle.  But I'll take "monster" over "bunny" if I have to have an appendage on my name...

For my part, anyway, the moniker stuck and has become my name wherever I happen to be on the internet or Instagram or email or whatever.  Works for me.  But let's talk about somebody else's nickname.

Think for a minute about a fellow named Blindbartimaeus.  You know the story from Mark 10 and the happy result:

 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Verse 52

Since Jesus healed him, calling him "blind" doesn't fit who he is anymore than "monster" fits who I am. 

Nevertheless, we know this story as the story of "Blind Bartimaeus."

There are other people in the Bible we could bestow with nicknames - once-appropriate but now out-of-date appellations due to an encounter with the grace and mercy of God:

Saul the Jesus Hater.
Matthew the Greedy Tax Collector.
David the Adulterous Conniving Murderer.
Magdalene Mary the Prostitute.

And what about this person right here: (your name) the (sin).

Isn't it nice that with a new identity comes a new name?

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.