John 11:48 “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

This is the clearest sort of example of what happens when your focus is on the temporal rather than the eternal. These men had just said that Jesus was performing many signs that He was the Christ. Rather than rejoicing that God had sent the Savior, they were worried about what the Romans would do about what they might see as an uprising. They clearly feared Rome more than they feared God. In other words, they were proving that they were typical human beings! It is only when we shift our frame of reference and look at things from God’s perspective that we are set free from the anxiety that plagues our lives. From our perspective, we can’t see eventual consequences even for ourselves, much less for others around us. (Actually, its easier to be objective about others’ situations that it is about our own, but our knowledge and awareness are very limited.) In this particular case, the very thing the Jewish leaders feared did happen, but not because of Jesus and His followers. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD was in response to a rebellion fomented by people who insisted on doing things the human way, rather than accepting God’s way.

I’ve certainly had my struggles with this issue, and I’m surrounded by people with the same problem. As an individual believer, I need to keep reminding myself that God’s smart and I’m not, and He will never leave me or forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5, quoting Deuteronomy and Joshua) As a pastor, I need to get this message across to the believers. This is a struggle everyone has at times, but that doesn’t mean I’m to allow people to wallow in it. However, I’ve got to be careful not to try “fixing” people in my own strength and wisdom. At best, that accomplishes nothing, and it can be deeply wounding to them. Rather, I need to pray for them and allow the Holy Spirit to use me in opening their eyes to the Father’s love and faithfulness. This will be an issue as long as I am on this earth, and I need to not get tied in knots over it. That’s actually a reflection of the same problem in me!

Father, it’s easy to see when others aren’t trusting You and seeing things from Your perspective, and yet I turn around and do the same thing. Help me be faithful in prayer and intercession, but not try to carry people myself. As I told someone at Prayer Meeting last night, doing that simply guarantees my collapse! Help me be faithful, while letting You carry the weight. May we as a church grow daily in seeing things from Your perspective and releasing them to You, so that we will be unencumbered and available for You to use us however You desire, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!