Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayer?

Accessible Success Posted on by

It’s a question many of us have asked.  We may or may not have been followers of Jesus at the time. Some deep desire or some terrible pain drove us to call out to God.  It may have been a tentative prayer, or one drowned in many tears. Maybe it came out with anger born of the pain. However heartfelt, it seemed we were not heard.  It might have been for relief from some kind of suffering, a prayer on behalf of someone we love, or just something we really wanted.  Does it matter?  Why does He remain silent?  How can we believe that He loves us in the face of such apparent indifference?  If He’s really God, why are we suffering in the first place?  What follows is in part the result of my own efforts to answer these questions.

The truth is I cannot answer them fully.  I can’t even answer the one in the title with any degree of finality.  In part that is because the answer will depend on your own relationship with God.  I’m not attempting to give you a comprehensive list of the reasons why God may not be answering your prayer.  It is necessary to provide some, but the objective is not to give you a list of things you can check off so that you can get your answer.  If I am able to help you uncover something that you need to address, by all means do so, but there are no formulas here that will guarantee that God will do what you ask.

Instead, I want to help you see the question differently.  What prayers can you know that He will answer?  What can interfere with communication between you and your lord?  We will look at a number of passages from the Bible.  (All quotations from New American Standard Version.)  Some of us will know them quite well.  They seem to mock us.  We can’t see how they can even be true.  If they are, then it must be something wrong with us.  Words that should encourage and empower become words of confusion and condemnation.  This should never be.  What if we are misreading them?  What if we are taking them out of the context in which they were written?  In many cases, I believe we are.  I hope that by providing the context I can help you change the way you think about prayer and God’s answers to it.  I hope to encourage you to come to a place where you and God are in full agreement.  Then you will see answers to your prayers.  They may not be the answers you’re imagining now.  They might not even be answers you like, but as we learn to walk in harmony with His Holy Spirit, we will find that in those cases we can still trust Him.  He is the sovereign Lord, and He is good!

As I wrote in the book, I think we misunderstand the purpose of prayer. It is not primarily a means of petition. That is only part of it. The objective of prayer is to deepen our relationship with the One to whom we pray. Petition is expected, even invited, but if our objective is only to get what we want, we are likely to be disappointed.

The first thing we must address is that thing no one likes to talk about.  It covers a lot of territory, because it involves anything that falls short of pleasing God.  We call it sin.  It should go without saying that we must confront willful sin.  If we are in open rebellion against God, how can we expect that He would answer our prayer?  When you were a child, did you think it would be a good time to ask for something when you had done something wrong, and you knew your parents knew about it? God always knows about it. Guilt severs communication both ways.  God’s holiness means you can’t be in His presence that way.  Your conscience will make it unlikely that you will even try to come.  The bad news for us is that we cannot be perfect enough.  The good news is He made a way through His sacrifice so that we come to Him by His blood.  When we come to Him in repentance and submission, He will show us those things we still need to address.

Now we come to the matter of faith.  This is where so many of us struggle.  Much has been said on the subject, so I first want to narrow the scope of the discussion a little.  I am not tackling the subject as it relates to salvation.  Faith is what it is, but in this context, we will address it as it relates to belief that God will do what it is we ask Him to do.  Given that, you might find the first reference strange since it is in the context of salvation, but there’s a reason for that.  It will become clear as you read on.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17

Rather than address ways in which you may have seen this interpreted before, I want to draw your attention to one thing.  “Word” in the verse above is translated from the Greek “rhema.”  Whenever this word is found in the Bible, it refers to the spoken word.  You’ll find it translated into various English words that all have to do with speech.  Another Greek word that you will find translated into the English “word” is logos.  It can refer to the written word, or in the case of Jesus, the incarnate Word of God.  For this study we’ll focus on rhema.

This is important to us here because it helps us understand the origin of all faith.  That is, the spoken word of Christ to our hearts.  I am not saying that we have to have heard actual verbalized words, but we have a knowing in our hearts that God has spoken to us.  If we have not heard from Him, it means we are not of Him (John 8:47.)  Now we have the foundation for understanding one of the popular passages about asking and receiving from God.

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

John 15:7

“Words” here is from rhema.  When we are living in submission to Him and hearing from Him, we are then able to ask and receive.  By His words we ask, and by His words we receive.  His word living in us provides the faith and the power.  We are asking for what we wish, but our wishes have been conformed to His!

We do have the words that He spoke in the Bible, and it remains our source for evaluating the words we hear.  The Bible helps you determine whether you heard the Holy Spirit giving you a rhema, or some other spirit giving you a lame-ah.  Always test what you think you have heard by checking it against the written word.  They will never contradict each other.

Over the years, I’ve heard some teachers speak of faith and doubt as if they watched too much Star Wars.  Faith and doubt are not opposite sides of some mystical force that we can master.  We are instructed in no uncertain terms not to doubt, but what is it that we are not to doubt?  Some things we do well to doubt, at least until god has given us understanding.  Let’s look at another passage that might seem a little hard to swallow.  Jesus makes this statement after his disciples take note of a withered fig tree that Jesus cursed on the previous day.

23“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”

Mark 11:23-24

Keep in mind now the context and wording of the text we read before.  From where does this kind of faith come?  It comes from hearing the “rhema”, the spoken word, of God.  This mountain moving faith comes from a certainty given to us by the Holy Spirit that He wants that mountain to move!  Faith is not a force that exists to serve us.  Faith is a gift from God that is given to us to serve Him!

I may doubt my understanding of what I read in the Bible.  I may not doubt that it is true.  I may doubt what I’ve been told that God has said.  I may even question whether I have truly heard from Him in a particular matter.  But if I have come to know that He has spoken to me, I dare not doubt His words!  This is the doubt that He condemns.  And yes, I have been guilty.  I pray that it will not ever happen again.

There is something else we are told we should never doubt.

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:5-8

This is another one that often becomes a flail in the hands of the irresponsible to wound and discourage God’s people when they are already struggling.  That is a sad thing, because it should serve the opposite purpose, to strengthen resolve in the face of adversity.  Consider the context.  James has given us the tools by which we overcome adversity.  First, he tells us to face it joyfully, then gives us the key.  We ask for God’s wisdom, not doubting that He will generously provide.  There’s no promise of prosperity or even of relief here.  There is promise of the supernatural wisdom we will need when trials come our way.  This we cannot doubt if we want to endure.

Later on in his letter, James addresses another problem that can prevent us from getting the answers we seek.  We often hear part of this quoted, but not the rest of it.  It hardly seems this could be written to a church at all, but I think he is speaking as much about the condition of our hearts as the actual crimes he describes.  Is murder so harsh a charge when we consider 65 million abortions?  How many of the guilty fill our pews on Sunday?  How many more are guilty by association and inaction?

1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

James 4:1-3

This hit me a few years ago.  I prayed for healing most of my life.  I wanted desperately to see as others see.  The question finally occurred to me, “Why?”   I didn’t like the answer.  I came to the realization that all of my real motivations were selfish.  I might have talked to God about all the things I could do better for Him if I could see better.  But when I considered how I thought about it at other times, it was all about me.  I lusted for the freedom available to those who can drive themselves.  I railed against the inconveniences imposed upon me by blindness.  I imagined all these wonderful things that would be possible if only I could see.  I wasn’t fantasizing about going on mission trips, just road trips.  I didn’t imagine delivering food to the hungry.  I imagined speeding around town in a fancy car.  I wanted to see for me!

James addresses this in the context of disunity within the church.  We would do well to consider it as we address issues of conflict.  The other message that comes through quite clearly here is that God isn’t into granting our selfish desires.  Healing may be considered a good thing, but he is under no obligation to grant it just because we want it.  What if we’re praying for someone else?  Doesn’t that change things?  What if it is because we love them?  Still the question has to be asked.  Is it their suffering we’re most concerned about or our own?

Please understand that I would not dare to say to anyone that his or her heartfelt prayer for a loved one is really a selfish prayer and that’s why the answer isn’t coming unless I got that word directly and clearly from the Holy Spirit, and I’d have to really, really be sure.  I would certainly be offended if someone said that about my prayers for my wife. Sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers because He knows better than we do.  In those times we have to trust Him.  Having clarified that, we should examine our motivations.  Now, let’s look at one more passage about asking.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

John 14:12-15

We like verse 14 but look at the context.  It’s right after he has said that we will be doing His works.  When we’re doing His works, then we can expect that He’ll grant what we ask.  The end of the passage goes with the rest of it.  We show our love for Him by keeping His commandments.  Then we can look for answers.

But wait; there’s something else here!  He says these requests are to be made in His name.  That doesn’t mean that all we need to do is append “in Jesus’ Name,” or “in Your name we pray” to whatever we want and expect Jesus to perform like a genie.  It means that when we are operating under the authority of His name, then He will do whatever we ask.  When we appropriate His name for our own purposes, however noble we may think them to be, we take His name in vain.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”

Matthew 7:21-23

Jesus gives us the reason why He does what we ask.  It is not for our glory.  It is not for our comfort.  It is not for our prosperity.  It is for the Father’s glory.  What that means is material for another study, but you get the point.  It’s not about us.  He loves and cares for us.  He knows what we need even before we ask.  We’re even told to ask.  We just need to remember who it is we’re asking.  Doing His work, submitting to His authority, obeying His commands, walking in love, we will see our prayers answered.

Again, there is no formula that will result in God always answering Your prayer, but there are things you can do to clear the way.  Deal with the obvious sin.  It separates you from God and He is not going to listen to you.  That said, it is interesting that Jesus did not address repentance as the first item of business in the prayer that He taught His disciples.  I am conjecturing here, but I think that’s because repentance was not at issue.  His disciples asked Him how to pray.  It is reasonable to posit that rebellion is not present in someone who genuinely desires to connect with God.  But forgiveness does come up.  As you spend time in prayer, the Holy Spirit within you will begin to draw your attention to the sin you are not even aware of.  It’s the stuff that’s down deep and hard to get out.  He especially makes a point of unforgiveness.  In Matthew’s gospel it’s right after the prayer (Ch. 6.)  I’ve chosen another one because of our subject and because it adds context to the verses we looked at earlier.  It all goes together.

“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.”

Mark 11:25

Now pray.  Keep praying.  Pray from your heart.  There’s no harm in reciting “The Lord’s Prayer,” but this is just a model to follow.  Pray until you hear from Him.  Ask Him for your heart’s desire.  Keep asking.  But then try something else.  Try asking Him for what He wants.  It sounds strange, but the objective is to bring those two things together.  When our hearts line up with God’s heart, things happen!

This is not a sprint.  It’s a marathon.  It will take time and discipline.  We say we don’t have time, but if it is truly important to us, we make time.  Is our answer really important to us?  Should it be?  I’m not so sure.  What we really should be seeking is the source of all answers.  I don’t want to be a petulant child constantly demanding his own way.  I want to be a devoted child, constantly seeking to please my Heavenly Father.

In the end, what we have to do is trust and obey like the old hymn says.  Our will must bow to His.  Jesus Himself demonstrated that for us in the garden when He said, “not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) He got His answer.  The Father’s will was done.  His name is Yahweh.  He is all-powerful and all-knowing.  He is the sovereign creator of all existence.  He may not be questioned or second-guessed.  He is also good.  He defines what good is.  There is no other standard.  Thus, we can trust Him always to act in accordance with His good nature, even when what we see and experience is not good.

God never promised to give you everything you want.  Most of us come to understand at some point in our lives that this is a good thing.  He never promised you would be free from trouble.  In fact, He said the opposite.  He did promise that He would always be with us.  He did promise us life eternally.

27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

John 10:27-28

Sometimes the answers don’t come.  Sometimes they aren’t the ones we wanted.  Sometimes they take a long time.  Sometimes they come in ways we never could have imagined.  I’ve had all of the above.  So, what do we do?  We keep praying, keep serving, and keep trusting.

The H Word

Accessible Success Posted on by

I choose to laugh.  The alternatives are not productive.  Anyone living with an obvious disability has experienced it.  People go into verbal contortions to avoid using certain words deemed to be insensitive.  Sometimes I just tell people I’m blind now.  It’s easier to say. It’s true for legal purposes and functionally true in many situations.  I’ve used the term visually impaired most often I suppose because it’s more accurate and my dad used it, but that doesn’t sound much better.  “Almost blind” is my new favorite.  It’s the closest I can get to the truth of the situation, though I don’t think of myself that way.  This is all I’ve ever had, so to me it’s perfect vision.

I think the most uncomfortable appellation I’ve been saddled with is “sightless.”  I had never heard that one before at the time and thought no one else would have used it, but now I know others who do, some of them in fact sightless. So, there’s one less reason to take needless offense. I’m a big fan of calling a thing what it is.  All of us facing some kind of mental or physical insufficiency are lumped into one big category that has also acquired various politically correct labels over the years.  We’ve been disabled, a term I still use for the sake of peaceful coexistence.  We’ve been physically or mentally challenged.  We’ve been people with disabilities.  Then there are the real aberrations such as “differently able.”  What on earth is that supposed to mean?

My preference is probably the most politically incorrect of the bunch.  I think “handicapped” is actually the best word.  A common objection to this word is that it has its origin in the idea that people with disabilities had no option but to beg.  They had a cap in hand.

First, this is not true. Second, we get way too wrapped up in what was instead of what is.  Even if the supposed history of the word was correct, no one understands it to have that meaning today.  Generally, we know it to refer to one of two things.  It is either an adjective describing a person with a disability, or a noun used in competition to name an encumbrance placed on a contestant to equalize the field.  In fact, the latter is the true history of the word.  The handicap is put on the best horse to give the others a chance, so why would I resent that?  Bring it on.  I’m still going to win.

Why Wait?

Accessible Success Posted on by

I used to say that my new year’s resolution is to make no resolutions, and I always keep it. I don’t use this joke anymore, because it occurred to me that to say that I resolve to make no resolutions is a logical impossibility. I can’t bring myself to ignore that.

I’ve never been much for letting the calendar control my life, so I was delighted to find justification for my annual new year’s negation. It turns out New Year’s resolutions are derived from ancient Babylonian and roman customs. The tradition is firmly rooted in pagan practice. Unlike celebrations such as Christmas and Easter, which have adopted some questionable practices but owe their existence to Christianity, the New Year celebration has no Christian foundation. Add to that the well-known inaccuracy of historical methods of marking time, and you can see that there is no reason to treat New Year’s Day differently than any other day.

There is nothing wrong with New Year celebrations or resolutions. Like most things not specifically addressed by God’s word, they are a matter of personal conscience. God is concerned with what is in your heart. As for my wife and me, we plan to sleep in the new year.

Looking through research on New Year’s resolutions, the thing that strikes me most is that they are almost entirely self-focused. Fitness and finance top the list. While self-improvement is certainly a worthy goal, I wonder what would happen if our resolutions became more outwardly focused. What might the resolutions of a dedicated Christ follower look like? Jesus being our model, we’re all going to fall short, but that doesn’t mean we stop trying.

Are you making resolutions for 2024? If it’s worth doing, don’t wait for the new year. Start today!

Christmas Reflections

Accessible Success Posted on by

My thoughts and feelings about the Christmas season have changed over the years. Like most children, I looked forward to it growing up. We were told the truth about Santa, but we were not forbidden to pretend. There were still presents. Both sets of grandparents were within driving distance. We’d go to Mom’s family on Christmas Eve and Dad’s on Christmas Day. Mom’s family would come in from all over. There were lots of people, so we all drew names and bought for just one person. Dad’s mother, Grandmamma to us, always had something for everyone. She planned for Christmas all year. Months in advance she’d start asking what we wanted, and if I’d been smart enough to pick up on it she would sometimes give away the secret. My favorite present was probably the bike that I got at eight.

I remember the first year I had a little money of my own. I was in school away from home. I bought something for everyone. They were a bunch of cheap trinkets, but everyone seemed to appreciate the thought. By the next year, my life had taken a drastic turn, which you can read more about in the book. Every part of life came under scrutiny in an effort to find out what was of real value. Christmas as we practice it seemed to come up short.

Much has been written about the timing and traditions surrounding the holiday. I have been in the thick of it, but now I have come to the conclusion that the arguments accomplish little of use. Some traditions (though possibly fewer than we have been led to believe) do have pagan origins. However, few people who practice them today have any association with those roots. I believe that God is most concerned with the intent of our hearts. If we do what we do in genuine worship to Him, I believe He is pleased. That said, I do take issue with the practice of teaching children to believe in Santa. We give Santa God-like qualities and then children learn that we told them a pack of lies. How then do we expect them not to question what we tell them about Jesus?

Are we celebrating Christmas in honor of His birth? Let me answer with an illustration. It’s your birthday. We’ve been planning for it for more than a month. Excitement is everywhere. People you don’t even know are rushing around the stores picking up gifts. The big day finally comes. Where are the invitations? There are parties in your honor everywhere, but you haven’t been invited to any of them. All those presents weren’t for you. They were for other party guests. Nothing that you wanted was given to you. At most of the parties your name doesn’t even come up. That is what we call celebrating Jesus’ birthday.

Much good is done during this time of year. Jesus does get a little of what He wants, but I think it’s safe to say that our primary concern is ourselves. Let’s try a different kind of celebration this season. Involve yourself and your family in giving Jesus something He would like to have for His birthday. How does one give anything to the God of the universe? Jesus said, “…Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” (Matt 25:40 NASB 1995) Maybe you involve yourself in a traditional benevolence activity such as providing food for the hungry, or maybe you invite someone to your home who has no place to go. Maybe you give a special gift to the charity of your choice. The possibilities are limitless, but I suggest that the more personal you make it the more meaningful it will be. God made us in His image. He is a loving and giving God, so we are most fulfilled when we love and give.

Now I embrace Christmas time, though still admittedly with a bit of reluctance. At no other time of year are people more open to hearing the good news that we are celebrating. It’s a golden opportunity. Let’s take it! Jesus’ favorite present is a new member in His family.

Share a merry Christmas!

Love Revealed

Accessible Success Posted on by

I sought for love.  It poured upon me like rain, but I did not know it.  I read The Book.  I searched the words of love’s author, but I did not understand them.  I toiled for love.  I thought to make myself worthy, but it would not yield to my striving.  I searched within.  I would find something to sell for it, but it cannot be bought.

What cannot be given unless first received yet cannot be received unless first given?  What can be shared only if already held by more than one?  What is infinitely complex yet childishly simple?  This is the mysterious gift that we call love.

Oh Love, why do You dwell silently beyond the reach of man?  His heart yearns for You even though he may not know it.  He was maid by You and for You.  He cannot live without You.  You are here, but how can we see You?  You made for us a way, but how do we find You?

I sought for love.  In a desert of my own making, I looked to the sky, and allowed a single drop to pass through my parched lips.  I read The Book.  In a valley of despair the truth began to refresh a dying spirit.  Love moved me.  I could not be worthy, and yet it came to me.  I searched within.  I found a gift I knew not of.  I knew that I could give it away and yet keep it.

What is the form of a thing without shape?  How can a thing be shown that cannot be seen?  Can glorious purpose be fulfilled by a mere lump of clay?  Such did He decree, and such did He become.

Oh Love, You came, and lived within the reach of Man.  You yearned for us, and showed Yourself that we might know it.  We were made by You and for each other.  You are here in these tents of flesh.  Your Spirit shows the way.

Every cord that binds us together is an expression of Your love.  It is in the doting father, the trusting child, the bond of friends.  Some of these things I know.  Some I may not know on the earth, but I have no lack.  For you have given me a lover, so that I may see how I love You and how You love me.

Exquisite hands move over my skin.  I am caught and I never want to get away.  I melt into the embrace.  Long fingers are laced with mine on the table, and I begin to see.  There is no greater love than this, except that love which made it.  My beloved will always be beautiful to me, for the love we share is eternal.

Peace on Earth?

Accessible Success Posted on by

This time of year, we celebrate the birth of our Lord, and we often read the story of His birth from the Gospel according to Luke, Chapter 2, concluding with verse 14, ““Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (LSB) Has anyone seen that peace?

I don’t remember the last time Christmas came around without some kind of controversy over its practice. From nativity scenes to red cups, we’ve always got something to fuss over. I’m not saying we shouldn’t ever fight for our faith, but I do think sometimes we do a poor job of picking our battles.

Maybe we need to think about how we are conducting ourselves in the face of mounting pressure from our own society and around the world.  How should we respond to the persecution Jesus Himself told us we should expect?  Is there a time when we should fight?  This isn’t’ about Christmas.  This is about following Christ.  What will we do when they really start coming for us?  This is petty stuff.  If we can’t handle this in a Christ like manner, we certainly won’t do so under real threat.  I think something He said might give us a clue.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:9-12 NASB

What comes to your mind when you hear the word, peacemaker?  Two very different images come to mine.  The first is that of a mediator.  I imagine someone who steps in and resolves conflicts; someone who knows how to get people to settle their differences; a diplomat.  The second and seemingly opposite image is of a revolver.  Where I picked up this little tidbit I don’t remember, but I looked it up and sure enough there’s a pistol, the Colt Single Action Army Revolver, that was dubbed the Peacemaker.  Sometimes that’s what it takes.

What we want to know is what Jesus meant.  The Greek word that we translate as peacemaker only appears twice in the Bible.  In the form used here, it was typically applied to the Roman emperors who enforced peace.  This led St. Augustine to give us the concept of just war from a Christian point of view.  If we are protecting peace or punishing wickedness, we may engage in violence.  Paul’s letter to the Romans (Ch. 13) provides further justification for this view, but the verses around Matthew 5:9 suggest that isn’t what Jesus is saying to us here.  For more insight, let’s look at the other place where a similar form of our word appears.

and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross…

Colossians 1:20 NASB

This is the foremost way in which we are to be peacemakers.  We are His representatives, carrying the message of the cross into every situation.  Wherever we find ourselves, we should be asking how Jesus can be brought into it.  Whatever human problem we face, Jesus provides the answer.  Without Him, there is no hope.  He made peace between us and the Father by His sacrifice.  His is the example we follow.

Within the single verse (Matt. 5:9) is both our mission and our heritage.  Our mission is to share His peace wherever we go.  His promise to us is that we will be called God’s children.  He will always be the firstborn with all of the rights and respect due His position, but we are called heirs with Him.  That’s a staggering concept.  Even though it’s right there in the scripture and you can read it below, I find myself a little reluctant to say it.  It seems presumptuous to even think it.  But with this priceless gift there is an expectation.

14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”  16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Romans 8:14-17 NASB

Time and practicality impose limits on how much I choose to quote, but I urge you to read at least the chapter from which this is taken.  It will provide greater depth to the point I’m making.  The key is in verse 14.  We must be led by the Holy Spirit.  In the verses prior we learn that it is a choice we make.  We choose to deny our lusts.  We choose to turn our focus to God.  We choose to learn to hear from Him and to walk with Him.  The reward is a closeness that allows us to call out like the beloved children we are, “Daddy!”  We don’t have to do it alone.  In fact, we can’t.  But he made us a promise before He left. 

26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

John 14:26-27 NASB

The Holy Spirit is the source of our peace.  That peace can guide us as we make decisions.  When it’s not there, we need to be asking why.  As we fulfil our mission, we must have the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  Without it, we will be at best inefficient and at worst harmful to His cause.

Now comes the hard part.  Our calling involves suffering.  We see it in the persecution Jesus speaks of in Matthew 5:10-11 and in the self-denial implied by Romans 8:17. We’re going to be rejected.  Jesus was.  What will be our response?  We might become angry at the injustice of our treatment.  We might want to do something about it.  Sometimes maybe we should, but we ought always to be checking our motivations.  Pride, revenge, and jealousy have no place.  If we are motivated by love, then we are more likely to be doing what He would want us to do.

How do we live this out?  What does it mean to be a peacemaker?  It means all of the above.  We should endeavor to quell conflict.  We should defend conditions that promote peace and resist evil.  Most of all we should seek to bring His peace to every person in every place in every situation.

We are told to pursue peace.  This is active.  The implication is that peace can be elusive.  We are not peaceful by nature and our world shows it.  One doesn’t have to pursue something that is easily found.  One doesn’t pursue anything by doing nothing.  To pursue peace is to actively participate in bringing it about.  It starts with us.  Look at how Peter says it as he then moves into a discussion of suffering as believers.

8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. 10 For, “THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. 11 “HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.

1 Peter 3:8-11 NASB

When we look for the source of conflict, a good place to check is within our own hearts.  Why do we say and do the things we do?  Why do people offend us?  What is the reasoning, or lack thereof, behind our reaction to the people around us? 

13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James 3:13-18 NASB

We may also be motivated by fear from a threat real or imagined.  Natural fear is not a bad thing.  God gave it to us to protect us.  We get into trouble when we allow it to control us.  We become paralyzed into inactivity, or we react to the threat in a way that is disproportionate to its gravity.  Neither reaction is likely to produce a peaceful outcome.

When is it appropriate to pursue peace through violence?  You might have heard reference to Jesus’ words in the Garden when he was arrested and Peter started slashing, “all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. (Matt 26:52.)  Was He saying that the sword is never appropriate?  A little confusion on Peter’s part might be understandable.  Just a little while before this Jesus had said, “…whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.” (Luke 22:36.)  If one should never use a sword, or a gun in modern times, why would Jesus say such a thing?

Consider the context of the incident in the garden.    Jesus has already told them what is to happen.  There is a time for fighting, but this wasn’t it.  I may be taking some inappropriate license here, but Jesus might have said, “if you respond to every provocation with violence, you will die a violent death.  Besides I don’t need you to defend me.  If I want out of this, all I have to do is ask and my Father will show them some real shock and awe!  But that would make a lie of everything He has said up to now.”

There is a lesson here about fighting by God’s rules.  When we go outside of His will, we invite catastrophe.  Sometimes the right move is to endure the wrong for the greater good.  But piece at any price is no peace at all.  There is a time to fight.  The challenge, for which we need the Holy Spirit’s guidance, is to know when and how.

As it relates to taking up arms, God has provided the authority and the commission to do just that in pursuit of justice.  That is what government is for.  If only it would stick to that.  Paul writes, “… it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.” (Romans 13:4)  Evil must be resisted.  If peaceful means are available they are clearly preferable, but we only compound the evil when we allow it to go unchecked.

Peace is always the goal, but it is not always reachable.  A few verses back in Romans we read, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” (Romans 12:18) There are times when it will not be possible.  We ought always to seek it, but we also need to be prepared when we can’t find it.  Start back at the beginning of chapter 12 for some good advice on how to maintain it, especially in personal relationships.

We are most effective peacemakers when we carry the peace of Jesus to those who do not yet have it.  There is no other path to true peace.  Without the change that He brings to our lives, our efforts will always fail.  They fail because we are selfish.  We end up pursuing our own interests at the expense of others.  We can even do this in the name of peace.  It makes us feel good when we think we’re doing good, so the good becomes corrupted.  Our pursuit of peace must always be rooted in the One who gives it.  The pursuit of holiness is part of the pursuit of peace.

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

Hebrews 12:14) NASB

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul writes of himself and the other apostles as ambassadors.  This is a roll we all have when we commit ourselves to Him.  Just as ambassadors of nations seek to maintain peaceful relationships between those nations, we seek to establish peace on behalf of our king, Jesus.  The world has been at war with its Creator from the time of Adam until now.  He could decide the issue at any time.  He created us with a word.  It would take no more than that for us to cease existence.  It is His right to do so and it would be just, but He desired peace.  So He sent Jesus to do what only He could do.  He paid the reparations for our rebellion.  He cleared the war debt with one selfless act.  Our job is to make the offer of piece that He already sealed.  There’s no negotiation.  There are no secret deals.  The transaction is simple:  His life in exchange for ours.  We can either accept His offer or remain in exile for eternity.

When we understand our mission, “What would Jesus do?” becomes more than a faddish slogan.  It becomes the question we should be asking ourselves all the time.  Jesus always called sin what it is, but He reserved his harshest words for the religious leaders who should have known better.  I think we would find Him the same today.  I think He would tell us to put our own house in order and get about the business He put us here to do.

Because whatever the question, Jesus is the answer.  As we draw toward the end, we’re told things are going to get worse.  We can expect persecution.  We can expect rejection.  We can expect the state of the world to continue declining.  But we cannot cease doing what we have been ordered to do.  I wonder.  Would Moslem terrorists be shooting us in our own country if we had been more diligently sharing Jesus in theirs?  Maybe, but we’ll never know.  Would atheists in our schools, courts, military and government be systematically erasing the slightest hint of Christianity if our country had remained faithful to the principles that brought it into existence?  Would we be in fear of our own government if we had not believed the lie that God has no place there?  Would our jails be full and our streets unsafe if we had not abandoned the family that God ordained?  There are practical things that must be done to meet the challenges we face, but they will all fail unless hearts are changed.  Hearts are only changed by Jesus.

So as you go about your life this season and beyond, remember why you’re here.  Be a peacemaker.  Defend it when necessary.  Spread it everywhere you go.  You represent Jesus.  He was rejected.  We will be too, but never lose sight of the goal.  He’s not just the reason for the season.  He’s the reason for everything!

Disabling Fear

Accessible Success Posted on by

I don’t like the term, disability. I use it because I don’t want what I’m saying to get lost behind needless offence, but I’ve long felt that the word, handicapped, is more accurate. The charge that it refers to begging with cap in hand is false. Disability is not necessarily inaccurate. Whatever the condition that has earned us that label does take away some measure of ability. But if we say a machine or function is disabled, we mean that it doesn’t function any longer. A handicap on the other hand is just an impediment. It does not disable us. It only makes it harder in some way for us to win. It doesn’t stop us from winning.

I will keep using the word because I don’t want to inhibit communication of a more important message. It’s about a condition that can really disable us needlessly. I have discovered it to be more profoundly disabling than almost any physical state in which we might find ourselves. It denies us opportunities we would have otherwise had. It paralyzes us more surely than any accident or disease. That condition is fearfulness. The worst thing about it is that we can choose to conquer it but often choose instead to embrace it.

Fear is a God-given emotion just like all the others. It is given to us as protection. To have absolutely no fear is not bravery but foolishness. The problem with it, just like any emotion, is when we allow it to control us. If we allow fear to displace reason; if we allow it to become the sole motivator of our action or lack thereof, then it turns from protector to prison guard and it is a cruel master.

I have seen it play a devastating role in the lives of people facing disability, but it is certainly not limited to us. The opportunities lost to its clutches are too many to count. Careers that could have taken off never launch. Relationships that could have bloomed were never seeded. God-given talents never saw the light of day. It is a tragic waste.

For those of us with disabilities, fear has more weapons at its disposal. It’s easier to believe we cannot accomplish what we wish, especially when the world around us agrees! Few will argue with us if we say, “I can’t do that.” Additional dangers do exist. We might fall. We might get lost. We might fail for any number of reasons beyond those confronting people without additional challenges. Or, just maybe, we’ll succeed! One thing is certain. We cannot succeed if we never try.

Fear isolates us and then feeds on the isolation. In the absence of other perspectives, our own distorted view grows. Perversely we also become afraid to share it. Alone and immobilized by unseen demons, all that we might be is locked away and hidden even from ourselves.

Fear has a nasty habit of growing beyond its proper boundaries. There are real dangers to us, but often we magnify them. One weapon in the fight against fear is reason. Evaluate the real danger.  I know people who should be working for the DHS. They are experts at imagining the worst possible scenario for any given situation. It’s good to be aware, but apply some perspective to the situation. How likely is it to actually happen? Some risks are worth taking. If it does happen, how bad is it really? Chances are highly in your favor that the worst won’t happen, and that what does happen is quite survivable. If you fall, you may hurt yourself, but you’ll probably be ok. You might need help getting up, but there’s no shame in that. None of us gets through life without help from time to time.

If I cross the street, I might get hit, but I can minimize the chances of that by paying attention to my surroundings and obeying the traffic signals. It would be a pretty limited life if I refused to ever cross a street because I might not see an oncoming vehicle. I did get tapped once. It didn’t even knock me down. There have been other close calls, but I refuse to be bound by fear.

If I go to a new place, I might get lost. So what! As my wife is fond of saying, the world is round. I’ll get there eventually. I’ve been lost before. I consider it an opportunity for my own little adventure. There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes with finding my way again. And yes, if I must, I’ll ask for directions.

I don’t mean to say that I have conquered all fear. There are risks that logically I know I must take to move forward that I am still unwilling to take. Sometimes we do get hurt, and fear of repeating the experience can be more devastating than the direct cause of the pain. Sometimes it is difficult to separate reasonable fears from the unreasonable. Most of us prefer the safer path.

If you are struggling with fear, there are practical strategies for overcoming it that you can turn up with a little research. There is no shame in asking for the help you need. I want to help you find the best weapons for winning the fight. They are available at any time, any place, and at no monetary cost. They come from one source, and there is none other so worthy of your trust.

That source is Jesus. If you don’t believe in Him, you may be tempted to stop here. You thought you might get some real insight and now I want to talk religion! I hope you’ll be willing to stick with me a little longer. I know what I’m saying is the truth. I can’t in good conscience leave Him out. There is nothing else I can give you that can compare. The rest of what I have to say comes from an unapologetically Christian perspective. It’s the only one I know. Can one succeed without it? The answer depends on your measure of success. I challenge you to examine the principles by which true success is achieved and to look beyond the temporal to the eternal. I think my book will help you do that. I won’t walk you through a ritual here, but I’d be delighted to talk to you if you want to know more about having a relationship with the God of the universe. It’s an awesome thing that He makes a way for us to do that!

So begins the exploration of faith. That word will mean different things depending on who you ask. The skeptic associates it with a belief in things which cannot be proven and possibly are not true. They may treat it as synonymous with religion or subdivision thereof. Faith in this form may or may not exist at all for them. The skeptic believes or thinks he believes only what can be proven. I confess that in many aspects of life I am among the skeptics. I don’t consider my faith all that strong. Now I’m using the word more specifically, I’ll come to that next. My faith in God comes as much from the faithfulness I have already seen from Him as it does from that which I have not seen.

Even among Christians you will find some radically different views on the meaning of faith. Some treat it as if it were some magical power. Obtain for yourself enough of it and you can rearrange the geography of the planet! Jesus did say that a very little faith is powerful enough to move mountains (Matthew 17:20,) but to understand that statement properly we need to consider everything else He said. That’s another topic, but I want to dispense with that view of faith so that we can consider it in a more personal and practical light.

That is, the trust that it implies. Some have called faith the opposite of fear. I disagree with that for reasons that will become apparent, but it is easy to come to that conclusion. One could do worse. When we trust someone, we are not afraid when we are with them. We believe that they will protect us and not harm us. When we trust in human beings, we will inevitably be let down at some point, but when we trust in God, we can be assured that even though we may not understand why He allowed something to happen, He means to bring out the best for us from it. That kind of trust is not easy to attain because of our limited perspective. Why suffering occurs in the first place is another topic for another day, but when we trust the creator of all things, we need not fear anything that may come our way. If we know him, the worst possible outcome still ends in eternal life with Him.

That is the hope that we have. It is a real hope, not a mere wish, which is what we often reduce the word to in modern language. We know the God of our salvation. What is there to fear? Calamity may befall us, but it cannot destroy us. We can take risks, because our reward is assured. We can dare to love, because His love never fails.

That is why I say that love is fear’s true opposite. In the Bible, John the disciple of Jesus puts it this way.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

John 4:18 NKJV

We will do things for love that we will not do for any other reason. Love overwhelms fear because it demands action. Love inspires trust, because we do not fear the ones whom we know to truly love us. When that one is The One, what or who would we fear?

Yahweh is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
Yahweh is the refuge of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1 LEB

Jesus tells us that we do not need to be afraid. This is a message spoken to His disciples just before he would be arrested and crucified. He speaks of the coming Holy Spirit, who lives in all who call Him Lord.

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

John 14:27 NASB

Because He loves us, we can trust Him. Because He loves us, we can love Him. In that trust and love we can find the courage to conquer fear and be all that He meant for us to be.

True Gratitude

Accessible Success Posted on by

Most people in the United States will celebrate Thanksgiving Day this week.  Though it has lost its true purpose for many of us and though some would like to take it off the calendar entirely, it is a wonderful thing that we still live in a country where a day of thanksgiving to the one true God can be celebrated.  We have much to be thankful for.

What is gratitude?  Is it simply a verbal expression of thanks?  That would be a good start.  In our culture of entitlement we tend to think we have a right to anything we need or want.  We don’t feel the need to give thanks for that which we consider our due.  True gratitude is more than words.  Here’s an example to explain what I mean.  I don’t see well enough to drive.  Public transportation sometimes doesn’t provide a way to get me where I need to go when I need to get there.  Suppose you respond to my request for help and give me a ride.  The least you will expect is verbal thanks.  Let’s suppose again that some time later you needed a little extra money to pay for gas.  You know that I most likely can spare the cash, but I turn you down.  How much was my gratitude really worth?  Even if you gave me your time and expense with no expectation of return, you’re probably going to be a bit less inclined to do so in the future.  True gratitude affects our actions.  We have been given many gifts, but the greatest gift by far is the life of the Son of God.  Jesus gave more than we can ever imagine to come as one of us to die for all of us.  True gratitude requires no less than our lives given freely to Him.  Learning what that means starts with a decision to do so and continues as long as we live.

Monday Makeover

Accessible Success Posted on by

Do you dread Mondays? Dread might be a little strong, but I have felt it too. The weekend is over. Whatever time you had to relax or participate in activities you enjoy is used up, and it’s back to work. Few of us have the pleasure of enjoying the activity that puts food on the table. It has to be done, so we drag ourselves out of bed and ace another week.

Does it have to be this way? Many a book has been written to say otherwise. They tell you to pursue your dream. They tell you that if you just try hard enough you can get there. They’re not all wrong. Many have been inspired to take the leap and have changed their lives for the better. But what if your path to peace doesn’t come from changing your circumstances, but from changing yourself?

The key to facing Monday with gusto rather than gloom is not in changing Monday, but in changing the way you think about Monday. See opportunities rather than obstacles. Consider ways you can make the day better instead of things that make the day worse. Remember your purpose and take joy in fulfilling it. Maybe the job you’re doing right now doesn’t seem to have a lot of purpose in it, but there is purpose in every experience that we have. We can know this if we place our trust in a purposeful creator.

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was created secretly, and intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my embryo, and in your book they all were written — days fashioned for me when there was not one of them.

Psalm 139:15-16 LSB

There would be no extraordinary days without the ordinary. Keep doing what is in front of you. You do well to provide for yourself. You do well to provide for your family. You do better if you have something to give to someone else in need. We’re all looking for something more, and well we should, But do not lose heart on the journey. Each day is another step closer to your destiny, and if you are walking with Jesus, that destiny is glorious!

Christians Should Be Leading the Way to Accessibility

Accessible Success Posted on by

The word, “Accessible”, has added significance to those of us who have disabilities. When we want to know if something is accessible, we want to know if there are barriers to entry that will prevent us from making use of it and if accommodations have been made to remove those barriers. Though awareness has increased significantly over the past few decades, due in part to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, there is still much work to be done and Christians ought to be leading the way.

I struggle with how to present this in a way that does not seem preachy, whiney, or demanding. I am keenly aware that I am one who would benefit from these efforts. I suppose the best way to address that issue is to freely admit that there’s at least some selfish motivation in my writing. I only ask that you try to look past that reality and see the truth in what I am presenting.

I am not of the opinion that anyone owes me anything. Law or no law, I have no right to demand from you something that you are not willing to give. To do so is only to use the law to take that which does not belong to me. It may be an indirect taking, as in forcing you to spend money on an accommodation that you would not otherwise provide and benefits a very small number of people. I would still consider that a theft of your resources, and I have no moral right to do that.

With that out of the way, I find it disturbing that one most often finds thee barriers to entry among organizations that one would expect to be most sensitive to the needs of others. In many cases, it’s just a matter of ignorance. In others, there are other factors that are worthy of consideration, such as the cost of the accommodation relative to the number of people who will benefit, and whether there are alternatives that will meet the objective. I am going to focus on technology here simply because it is the area with which I am most familiar, and in general provides the greatest opportunity for progress at minimal cost. I will illustrate the point with my own experiences over the past few years. I will avoid naming specific organizations because my intent is to raise awareness and not to defame good people doing good work who just need to be educated. The issues I cite are not unique to Christian or conservative outlets, but they stand out in these cases since they contribute to the charges of uncaring hypocrisy.

As you may already be aware, I rely on screen reading software to translate the content on my screen into spoken words because I cannot see well enough to identify it without assistance. As technology has advanced, this has become an increasingly complex task. In the early days, the software only needed to read back the text output as it appeared on the screen. As text based programs became more sophisticated, the software needed to be able to determine which elements should be spoken and which ignored in order to present information to the user efficiently. It became necessary to provide ways for the user to customize what is read back in ways that made sense for the particular application and according to his or her own preferences.

Then came the graphical user interface and a whole new set of problems. Now controls might be represented by graphics instead of text. Things might be anywhere on the screen, and one is expected to find and click them with a mouse. Pictures may be used to convey useful information, but how is a software program to determine what the picture is for and whether it contains such information? The creators of operating systems and screen readers worked together to resolve these problems. They were making progress, but then came the wild west of the world wide web. Almost instantly, anyone could create content for anything. Standards? What standards? Part of the beauty of the platform lies in the ability to be creative. Standards exist, but no one has to follow them unless compelled by law. This presents a challenge for screen reader makers and users. Computer programs work by performing predefined processes on predefined input. If the input doesn’t follow the rules, the program will not handle it correctly. That’s where we get the term, “garbage in, garbage out.” That’s a real problem if the garbage was supposed to be the information a blind user needs in order to use a web site or perform a job.

In the early days of web development, it might have been said that one had to sacrifice visual appeal to produce an accessible web site. Many developers chose to solve the problem by creating alternative web sites for screen reader users. This often resulted in what has been termed accessibility ghettos. The alternative sites often lacked features available to those using the primary site. It created extra work for the developers as they had to modify two sites instead of just one. Consequently, the alternative pages often fell into disrepair.

The good news is that this is no longer necessary. If accessibility is considered in all phases of development, it is not necessary to compromise the visual appeal of a web page, and it doe not add significantly to the development effort. Software tools now often provide the necessary elements for designing accessible pages.

Even so, we continue to see inaccessible web sites and smart phone apps everywhere. I was particularly disappointed a couple of years ago after the events of 2020 & 2021, when social media censorship became so aggressive that many of us began looking for alternatives. Not one of the options I tried was really usable. Some of them were technically accessible, but their design was such that navigating through them with a screen reader was cumbersome and not worth the effort. The apps were no better and often worse. I frequently encountered unlabeled graphical controls and elements that seemed to have no method of reaching them that didn’t involve clicking with a mouse or tapping directly on them, a problem when the screen reader doesn’t even know they are there. Granted, these upstarts may not be able to afford and accessibility team such as Facebook has and X (Twitter) used to have, but had they had considered accessibility from the ground up, such a group might never have been necessary. I find the same challenges when using alternative news sites, video sharing sites, and streaming services.

When I wrote the book, I used accessibility and our experience with it as an opening to introduce deeper concepts that I hope will bring peace and purpose to those who read it. I also hoped that it might bring me opportunity to advocate for accessibility among people who should be at the forefront of such efforts but have not taken up the challenge. In most cases I truly believe it’s a matter of education, and I want to play a part in changing that.