Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8
Lately I’ve been reading about the emotional toxicity of our culture in Mark Sayers’ insightful book, Reappearing Church. Emotional toxicity…what perfect words to describe that which dominates the evening news, social media feeds, the blogosphere. Sayers goes on to list key factors which promote this emotionally feverish atmosphere including:
Sadly, Christ-followers too often find themselves in the same self-destructive quagmire. But what if Jesus’ people took a proactive approach by examining the areas of our lives over which we have the ability to effect change? What if instead of joining in the feeding frenzy of emotional toxicity, we became agents of change, renewal, hope? How do we do that? I hate to seem overly-simplistic, but I truly believe there is no more profound answer than this: practicing the presence of God. Having just finished a 9-month journey through the Old Testament Story of God, I am especially aware of just how important a role God’s presence plays in the renewal of God’s people. We see it in the visitation of God’s presence before Moses (Ex 34), in the peaceful beauty of the shepherd’s presence (Ps 23), in God’s protective presence with Daniel’s friends (Dan 3), and in God’s transformative presence among returned exiles (Ez-Neh). Renewal as an antidote for emotional toxicity is all about experiencing the presence of God in our lives. If we would experience and share such renewal, we must prioritize His presence. And yet, the hectic, frenetic, distracted pace at which our culture operates militates against this most-needed cure to such toxicity. Ironically, the very coping mechanisms we embrace in avoiding emotional toxicity—entertainment, activity, pleasure—are often the things which keep us from the most powerful remedy for toxicity…communion with God. As a pastor, I must confess that I am no less susceptible to the frantic pace and the wearying effects of toxicity in our culture. I too struggle to practice the presence of God in daily life. This is part of the reason I am taking a sabbatical this summer. It provides me with a unique opportunity to embrace Simon & Garfunkel’s challenge, “Slow down, you move too fast.” For some people, the pandemic has simply piled on to our “things to do” lists, adding more pressure to life. For others, the pandemic has been a bit like a sabbatical—disrupting the usual, frenetic pace and forcing us to contemplate our priorities. What is important, however, is not the nature of such a disruptive event, be it sabbatical or pandemic or a life-changing experience, but our response. Disruptive events provide the opportunity to recalibrate, reconsider, reprioritize. We can seize such opportunities to draw closer to our Creator, experience spiritual renewal, and become agents for renewal. As Sayers challenges, “Live with a peaceful presence in an anxious system, and you will become a healing agent of renewal.” Couldn’t our world use a few more healing agents of renewal right now? Yet it doesn’t depend on us becoming “better, stronger, faster,” but upon walking with God. As was true for Israel, is true for us—renewal comes through God’s presence. Again, Sayers writes, “I believe that we can only become agents of renewal, we can only get the required distance from toxicity, when we turn not to our inner values and vision, nor the opinion of others, but rather to the presence of God, who wishes to fill and inhabit us—for us to partner with Him as He floods the world with His presence.” Do you want more renewal in your own life? Daily draw near to God! Do you want to be an agent for renewal in your family, your church, your neighborhood? Daily draw near to God! For as James 4:8 makes clear, if we come near to Him, He will come near to us. That is quite a promise, but one we must lean into in these strange days.
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Dan GannonDan has ministered at Renton Bible Church, with his wife Debbie, since 2003. Archives
June 2022
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