Have You Checked Out?

This is your B moment. Your moment to be still…to be fed by the Word of God…to be grateful.

Scripture reference: 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

Transcription:

Today I am asking a question: Have you checked out?

The latest cover of the New Yorker magazine gives you a snapshot of the toll a pandemic can have on one’s daily living. Picture this: a woman is seated at her dining room table, glaring into her laptop. She has a martini in one hand and her cell phone in the other. 

The floor space around her feet is cluttered and also tells a story. Amidst the stack of papers and used masks and gloves, I also see a pair of dumbbell weights, which means her dining room space has also become her workout space. Also situated at her feet is her cat and multiple Amazon boxes. 

If a picture is worth a thousand words, here’s two: checked out.

When I turn to the Scriptures, I think about Timothy, who wanted to give up after false teachers infiltrated his church. The lady on the magazine cover chose to mask her pain. Timothy wanted to give up.

Your way of dealing with pain may be entirely different. Pain can bring about a sense of disillusionment that causes you to respond in ways that are all rooted in fear. 

Here’s what Paul reminded Timothy of from his prison cell—and which is still relevant today: God did not give us a spirit of fear. The next time you choose to check out, hold onto these words: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

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So today, check back in.