Category: Life & Lessons

Mighty Presumption (How the Mighty Fall Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

Saul was a tall, handsome young man from a wealthy Israelite family (1 Samuel 9:1-2). He was the prototypical eligible bachelor, the B.C. Ryan Seacrest. And God chose him to be the first king of Israel.

The prophet Samuel anointed Saul and gave him an incredibly detailed list of signs to confirm his calling (1 Samuel 10:1-7). His parting words were, “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do’” (1 Samuel 10:8).

Flash forward a week later and Saul and his troops were stationed in Gilgal. Tens of thousands of Philistines troops had gathered like storm clouds less than ten miles away. The Israelites were scattering in fear, literally hiding under rocks and inside tombs (1 Samuel 13:6). And the appointed time for Samuel to arrive had come and gone. So Saul took matters into his own hands and sacrificed the offerings reserved for Samuel himself (1 Samuel 13:8-9).

As soon as Saul had finished offering the offerings, Samuel arrived. The prophet rebuked the king saying, “How foolish! You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command’” (1 Samuel 13:13-14).

How the Mighty Wait

There was a very important lesson that God was trying to teach Saul in this situation, and that was the importance of waiting on the LORD. As leaders, we are taught to be proactive, not reactive. We are taught to do, not wait. But waiting is exactly what God wanted the newly elected king of Israel to do.

Psalm 27:14, a Psalm written by the “man after God’s own heart,” says a very peculiar statement, “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” Sometimes the most courageous action we can do is wait. Insecure leaders need to control every situation. They think that if they don’t do something, everything will fall apart. But secure leaders know that God is faithful. They believe that when God said He is “good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him” (Lamentations 3:25), He meant it.

How the Mighty Submit

The second important lesson that God was trying to teach Saul was the importance of obedience. In 2012, UC Berkely conducted a study that verified that the rich and powerful are more likely to break the rules than those of lower social economic classes. They believe they’re above the law, the ones who set the rules of the game rather than obey them.

This same mindset applies to many leaders. Saul knew the command he received from the prophet Samuel. God said wait, but Saul thought he could be the exception to God’s command. But no leadership exists apart from the LORD, who we all must submit to (Romans 13:1).

Conclusion

Wait and submit. People don’t usually associate these two verbs with good leadership, and clearly these two guidelines don’t apply to all situations. But the greatest leaders know when to wait, and the best guides know when to follow.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Walking in an Afghan’s Shoes

By Ife J. Ibitayo

In the past couple weeks, stories on the plight of the Afghan people have filled the news. I’ve never seen anything quite like this. In the space of a few short months, an extremist Islamic regime toppled a US-backed democratic government. And the crisis continues. Many Americans are waiting with bated breath to see if our troops, our citizens, and our interpreters will safely escape the country. But those important individuals represent only a tiny fraction of the nearly forty million people who live in Afghanistan today.

In Another’s Shoes

Some have spoken of the value of “walking a mile in another person’s shoes,” but very few of us will have that experience unless life forces us to. There once was a young lady who had a crush on me in college. We had been good friends for over a year, but I just didn’t feel the same way about her. I saw the frustration in her eyes, heard the sadness in her voice. I witnessed her pain, her near rage, but I couldn’t relate to it.

Flash forward nearly a decade and I understand it all to well (see “Heartbreak Hero”). Soon after my own heart-rending experience, I was tempted to call her up and beg for her forgiveness. I’d do anything to heal her anguish then because I wish someone could heal my pain now. By sharing a similar experience as her, I gained unparalleled empathy for her.

Conclusion

Here in the United States, we’re fortunate. It’s practically inconceivable that our own democratic government will be usurped by tyranny. It’s unlikely that we’ll have terrorists storming our homes, threatening our safety. We’ll probably never find ourselves trying to escape the United States for our dear lives. But imagine if we we were? Imagine if you were?

I don’t know what I’m asking for us to do. Whatever it is goes beyond shaking our heads and clucking our tongues, beyond political parties and impeachment. It may begin with fasting and prayer. It may end with money wiring and a plane ride. But let it be something. We may not be cramming into planes to escape the only country we’ve ever known, but other people just like us are. If we never end up marching the streets of Kabul to protest extremism with them, we can still be Jesus’ hands and feet to the refugees that come to us.

“‘Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

“‘Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”

“‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. ”’”

(Matthew 25:34-40)

The God of the Incredibly Ordinary

By Ife J. Ibitayo

If Disney has taught us anything, it’s that life should be incredible. Our prim, perfect neighbors are superheroes, and our evil math professor is a nefarious villain. We’re the protagonist, of course, waiting for our adventure to begin. But for some reason we’re still in the prologue.

Prophet Isaiah said, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it” (Isaiah 43:18-19)? But I don’t. There must be something more than my ordinary desk job on a typical weekday, staring out my window at the setting sun.

Finding the Incredible in the Everyday

Sometimes it feels like God is mysteriously absent from the present. It’s easy to find Him in the past if you read the Bible. He parted the Red Sea, deposed kings, and walked among us. According to Scripture, God worked incredible acts thousands of years ago. And God has promised that He will do incredible things again. He will descend from on high, riding on a brilliant white horse—like every romance lover’s wildest dream—and He will slaughter all His foes in a final, glorious battle (Revelation 19:11-21). He will wipe away every tear from our eyes and make all the wrong things right. But what is God doing right now?

He is our sustainer, our provider, and our healer. When the Bible ascribes titles to the LORD, they are not spoken in the past or future tense but the present tense. He is our Prince of Peace (Isaiah 53:5) in the middle of our present chaos. He is our Mighty Warrior (Zephaniah 3:17) in the battles we’re fighting today.

Finding the Incredible in the Ordinary

I’ve also come to understand that the ordinary is not the same as the mundane. Author G.K. Chesterton once said, “Perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, ‘Do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon.” God has seen countless sunrises and sunsets, yet He never grows weary of seeing them all over again.

Yet I all too often do. I ignore the warm orange sun descending below the horizon, splashing bright reflections on the pond across from my apartment. I forget about the thousands of bright flowers growing in the soft grass lining the streets I bustle over. Large black headphones block out the chorus of serenading songbirds as I hurry on my way. And I’m even too preoccupied to really listen to my bumping jams. Every day I neglect the wonder of the Creator in every moment.

Conclusion

The prophet Elijah had an indescribable encounter with God. In the lowest season of his life, the LORD spoke to him. He sent a tornado, an earthquake, and a wildfire, but God wasn’t present in any of these great acts. Instead, He came in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13).

We want God to wow us, but He wants to woo us. His love letters are subtle yet incredible if we take the time to read them.

“In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.”

(Psalm 19:4b-6)

The Distance Between Our Foundation and Our Cornerstone

By Ife J. Ibitayo

Even when my parents were struggling to make ends meet, my mother still insisted on sending me to a Christian private school. She hoped to instill in me a love for Christ through consistent messaging at home, at church, and at school. Now my faith is deeply personal, and those early, formative years planted the seeds for it.

However, I didn’t embrace my faith as my own until middle school. When I was transplanted from a private school to a charter school, my new classmates challenged my faith. They forced me to do some serious introspection and answer, “What is the foundation of my faith?” Without that jolt, I’m not certain when, even up till now, I would have answered that question.

A similar shift is occurring throughout the United States. For centuries, the USA was known as a Christian nation. We used to be “one nation under God.” Now we’re many nations under many gods all sharing the same flag. Numerous Christian values that formed the atmosphere we breathed have been uprooted, and we suddenly find ourselves surrounded by strangers.

It’s a bit like senior year of high school. We were on top of the world, but now we’ve “graduated” and find ourselves at the bottom again. The many bastions of society that we took for granted in earlier years have been overturned. Mothers’ right to choose has silenced unborn babies’ right to live. Fluid gender identity has transplanted fixed biology.  And many Christians are furious. In rage, they’ve leapt onto their social media accounts and stormed the ballot boxes to reinstate the sacred principles they believe form the bedrock of Christianity.

Our Cornerstone

But that was not the focus of Christ, our true cornerstone. At the start of His ministry, Jesus described His purpose here on earth as “preaching good news to the poor, proclaiming freedom to captives and sight to the blind, setting free the bound, and declaring the favorable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). To put it another way, Jesus’ mission was not to transform the government but to transform the governed. He was focused not on policy change but heart change. He spent far less time with the governmental and religious elite of His day and far more time with the destitute and downtrodden.

Now Jesus was angry too. But He directed His anger at the conmen who’d taken up shop inside His holy temple (Matthew 21:12-13). He had no patience for those who saw the gospel as a means of gain rather than great treasure in and of itself (1 Timothy 6:5-6). But toward the lost—the prostitutes, the tax collectors, and foreigners, Christ’s primary response was compassion (Matthew 21:14) and friendship (Matthew 11:19).

Conclusion

Anger is justified. There is quite a bit to be angry about from this past year: the lives this virus has cut off, the dreams this pandemic has shut down, and much more. America is changing significantly in many uncomfortable and frustrating ways. But we should let that anger drive us to love others more, not less. We should use our hands to vote, but then we should use our fingers to help.

1 John 4:18 says, “perfect love drives out fear.” It has the power to drive fear out of the hearts of immigrants who’ve moved into our neighborhoods and just maybe out of our own as well.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

(James 1:27)

The Better Testimony (Returning from Exile Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1, “Exile Mentality”, click here.

I’m still a young man, yet I’m already haunted by some of my past mistakes. I was a horrible roommate back in college. I’ve had so many snafus with my little brother that it’s a wonder he still (sort of) likes me. And I’ve failed as a leader so many times that I’ve lost count. But while I was mulling over my mistakes, a little-known story from the Bible came to my mind.

Terrible Testimony

After the Israelites returned from exile, a prophet named Zechariah began to receive visions from God. In one of these, he saw Joshua, their high priest, standing before the LORD. He was covered with feces, and Satan stood right beside him, prosecuting him in God’s courtroom (Zechariah 3:1).

Just like Satan, our haters cut us down with hurtful words. A father glowers at his son and mutters, “You really are useless.” A coach snipes at one of her bench players, “You’re always going to be sitting there, so why don’t you just quit?” And that’s just the voices without. The voices within tell us far nastier things. Every voice we hear seams to have a worse message than the last.

Transformative Testimony

But there is one voice that has a far better testimony. God verbally backhanded Satan, declaring, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you” (Zechariah 3:2)! God silences all the voices that speak against us because He speaks for us. As Apostle Paul said, “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31)! If God, the righteous Judge of all creation, doesn’t condemn us even Satan himself can’t!

Secondly, God doesn’t just silence our enemies, He speaks kind words of encouragement over us. Note that God is the “Lord who has chosen Jerusalem.” Just like God chose Jerusalem as His holy city, He’s chosen us too. We are His adopted children (1 John 3:1) and His beloved bride (Revelation 19:7-8). We are His prized possession and the apple of His eye.

And there’s still more. God doesn’t just change what we’re called, He transforms who we are. God told the heavenly beings standing by the excrement-covered high priest, “Take away his filthy garments and clothe him in pure vestments (Zechariah 3:4).” He trades our rags for riches. He grabs us off the bench and thrusts us into the game. He changes our story.

Conclusion

But in spite of our new identity in Christ, we are free to return to our filthy rags. We’re like dogs licking up their own vomit when we torment ourselves with memories of our past mistakes. Just as God cast our sins and mistakes as far away from us as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), we must fling away the labels that others put on us. We must remember, daily, who God’s called us to be. We must encourage ourselves with the better word God speaks over us: “my friend, my child, my beloved.”

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

(Romans 8:15-16)

Exile Mentality (Returning from Exile Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

Exile is a season of displacement. The regular rhythms of life are interrupted, and we are sent adrift physically, emotionally, and spiritually. COVID-19 caused a form of exile for all of us. Our day jobs were interrupted. Our plans were cut off. And our communities were scattered.

But now, vaccines are rolling out; cases are dropping; and fellowship is returning. Our physical exile is ending, but many people are still holding onto their exile mentalities.  Exile mentalities are the corrosive thought patterns we established to cope with our unfortunate circumstances. Three of the most common are isolation, scarcity, and deferment.

Isolation

COVID taught me to fear others. My coworkers, my neighbors, and even my friends could be invisible carriers of a disease that could literally take my breath away. So, like the rest of America, I shut myself up in my house. Now infections are down and vaccinations abound, but still some choose to remain trapped indoors. And others have just become so accustomed to living apart that they don’t want to put in the effort to journey together.

But the Word says, “Don’t neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another” (Hebrews 10:25a). Community is not a suggestion but a command from God. I’ve found that it’s only in the presence of other people that I can truly see myself clearly. By their encouragement and exhortation, I become a better man. And I know this truth is true for you too.

Scarcity

Once COVID struck, I was amazed at what I saw at grocery stores. Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and sanitizing wipes vanished overnight. I’ve never been much of a hoarder. But when COVID struck, all that changed. I snagged that last paper towel roll like I was Swiper. I piled high the ramen like I’d never see the light of day again. I focused on putting myself first so that I wouldn’t find myself wanting.

But the Bible says, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:16). Just as supply chains across the country adapted to scarcity by increasing their output, so should we. As we’re leaving the leanness of COVID-19, we should abound in generosity. There are still many people out there who are still suffering from the consequences of our scarcity mindsets.

Deferment

Lastly, COVID-19 put a lot of plans on hold. Businesses didn’t launch; vacations weren’t taken; and projects weren’t attempted because the timing was no longer right. Now COVID hasn’t vanished. Many places around the world will continue to feel its impact for years to come. But 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Who knows if now is the time when your computer app will be able to find a niche in the crowded marketplace? Who knows if now is the perfect time to take time off because business is slow? Who knows if now is the time to do whatever it is that God has laid on your heart because the season we’re living in will never come again in our lifetimes?

Conclusion

Exile is difficult and frustrating and so is returning from it. But just as God is with us on our mountaintops and our valley lows, He’s also with us on the steep slopes in between. And He’s holding our hand every step of the way.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Door of Delayed Gratification (Healing House Pt. 3)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Pt. 1, “Reframing”, click here. For Pt. 2, “Foundation of Forgiveness”, click here.

One of the most important concepts my father taught me was the principle of delayed gratification. I learned that some of the best things in life can only be received by enduring patiently. This principle has served me well throughout my life. Study now, party later. Work now, rest later. Invest now, spend later. But somewhere along the way, this principle became my eleventh commandment: “Thou shalt not enjoy now. Thou shalt reap later.”

Abiding by this commandment is like being trapped inside on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The front door of opportunity is locked. And you know it’ll open some time, but you don’t know when.

Three of the most common mistakes people make when they are stuck in this situation are: 1. Wallowing in self-pity; 2. Trying to escape; 3. Working the day away.

Self-Pity

Self-pity is a temptation for all of us, especially for those who spend most of our time consumed by work. We’ve worked through the week. Heck, we’ve worked through most of the weekend too. But now we want to step into a much needed break, and the kid gets sick, COVID strikes, or that deadline bears down on us with a vengeance. Through our windows we can see everyone else walking their dogs, kissing their sweethearts, and lounging in the sun. Why can’t that be us? Why is that never us?

King David once said a simple yet profound statement, “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15). He said this because he trusted in the LORD’s absolute sovereignty. We don’t fully understand what lies beyond that door even when we really think we do. Even the most prescient among us can only predict the future with limited accuracy, but God knows it definitively. And He is working toward the one that will bring us the most joy and Him the most glory.

Escape

Secondly, we may be tempted to try to escape our situation. If we apply to enough job postings, we’re sure to find a better gig. If we buy a ticket to the west coast, we’re sure to find our way. As people say, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” But your will may not be God’s way.

For instance, it was not Joseph’s will to be sold into slavery (Genesis 37) or to be imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit (Genesis 39). But instead of chafing at his present circumstances, he made the best of them. Joseph was the best servant and the best prisoner because he understood that that was God’s lot for him at the moment. And God rewarded his faithfulness by making him prime minster of the most powerful nation in the world (Genesis 41)!

Slaving Away

Lastly, when the door we’re looking to step through remains shut, we may be tempted to dedicate all of our resources to work. We may think that our perpetual slaving away is the true mark of faithfulness. But King Solomon, one of the hardest working, most accomplished men in the Bible said, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2). For years, I lived under the lie that “rest is for the blessed”, that rest is a luxury. But there’s a reason that God included the Sabbath in the original ten commandments (Exodus 20:8).

We must remember that the house that we’re trapped in has windows. Even if we can’t go outside, we can appreciate the view. We can dust off the neglected treasures God has stored up for us in the attic of our homes. We can even take a nap. Even though some options are cut off from us right now, that doesn’t mean that we are left with none.

Conclusion

We cannot wrestle open the doors of opportunities in our life through self-pity, desertion, or overworking. The Bible says, “All my days were written in your book before I even came to be” (Psalm 139:16). This means that God knows when we entered this house, and He knows when we’re supposed to leave it. Until He opens that door, we should cherish all that we can today. And we should trust in the bright hope of another beautiful Sunday afternoon tomorrow.

“But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”

(2 Chronicles 15:7)

Foundation of Forgiveness (Healing House Pt. 2)

For Part 1, “Reframing”, click here.

By Ife J. Ibitayo

Perhaps the greatest virtue in the world is forgiveness. I can dole it out in spades when someone scuffs my shoe or bumps my shoulder. But what about when life gets real? For instance, when I was in elementary school, I told my best friends who my crush was. The following day, my whole class knew. A bully in my class tormented me for months with fake notes and prank calls. This kind of story sticks to your heart like glue.

When we’re hurt, our first reflex is to hold on to that offense. When others do us wrong, they owe us. When life does us wrong, life owes us. When God does us wrong, God owes us. Our unhealed wounds give us an ever-flowing well of gripes and complaints that we draw upon to justify our present unhappiness and discontent. It provides a refuge in a bitter and cold world.

Mold of Unforgiveness

But most of us don’t realize we’re acting this way. Unforgiveness is like mold. It creeps in slowly, silently. Then it poisons every relationship in our life.

I remember one man I worked for. He was responsible for some of the most painful years of my life. One day, as I was crying out to God about the pain he’d caused me, I felt led by God to ask for his forgiveness (see Isaiah 55:9-10). So I followed through. I asked for the man’s forgiveness and internally made the decision to extend forgiveness to him as well. But I spent the rest of my tenure under him stiff and on edge.

Just as I illustrated, our forgiveness will tend to be half-hearted or, at best, incomplete. The sage King Solomon once said that “if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head” (Romans 12:20). But our forgiveness often looks like just stopping short of “heaping fiery coals on their head.”

Opening the Door

Some have said that unforgiveness is like drinking poison and wishing the other person would die. I’d say it’s like lighting their house on fire, then realizing you’re the one trapped in the flames. When we let others go, we set ourselves free. We fling the front door open and let the driving rain of grace and mercy in.

But as I said before, unforgiveness is our natural reflex, and it’s largely invisible to us. Most of us have let roots of bitterness spring up within us (Hebrews 12:15) because of our ungrateful children or our combative spouse or our demanding boss.  But God is the Lord of reconciliation, and He has created us to be ambassadors of reconciliation at home, at school, and at our workplaces (2 Corinthians 5:18). He loves to reconcile the estranged.

The first step is prayer. Countless believes have shared stories about how their hatred melted into compassion when they began praying for those who have wounded them. The word says that “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:17), and that includes the power to crack hearts of stone, including our own. The last step might be initiating contact: a phone call, a coffee break, or even dinner.

Conclusion

Forgiveness must come first. All other foundations are shifting sand. Just as our relationship with God started with the forgiveness He gave us through the death of His Son, so does our relationship with everyone else. Let bitterness die; let forgiveness bloom; and start building well.

“’Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.’”

(Matthew 7:24-27)

Reframing (Healing House Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

A well-known pastor once said that “the church spends most of its time focusing on physical healing when the most important healing we need is emotional and spiritual healing. We can find joy with a broken body, but no one can find joy with a broken spirit.”

I’ve dealt with my share of physical ailments, from habitual headaches to nagging joint issues. But these pale in comparison to the emotional pain I’ve endured: crippling discouragement, crushing rejection, and corrosive loneliness to name a few. Yet my life in my ways has not been exceptional. We all have some measure of healing that we need from the LORD.

Reframing the Past

One of the first steps to healing is reframing the past. We need to actively and aggressively search for how God was working through the events that continue to haunt us.

Reframing the past doesn’t mean putting on rose-tinted glasses. The cancer really was that bad. Being fired really was unfair. We shouldn’t trivialize the suffering we experienced. Rather, reframing is our freedom to choose the aspects of our past memories that we focus on.

I’ve shared quite a bit about the past seven years of my life. If you’ve followed my blog for long enough, you might conclude that my undergraduate years were nightmarish, my graduate years were hellish, and my COVID year has been unspeakable. But there is another side to my story that I’ve done great disservice to.

Reframing My Past

While attending the University of Texas at Austin for my undergraduate studies, I entered into a deeper relationship with God than I ever had before. I grew in the amount of time I spent in His word and in prayer. I found solace and comfort as I poured my heart out to God every night in my closet. I found friendship and community that I didn’t ask for but really needed. God released the snares of pornography from my soul. And I received a world-class education that I’m still benefiting from today.

When I attended Purdue University for my graduate studies, God brought me into an intimate and special season with Himself. He spoke with me each day and uniquely guided even my most mundane of tasks. He protected me from harm and opened up doors at just the right moment. I accomplished amazing tasks in my last year that in my wildest dreams I couldn’t have imagined on day one.

Lastly, this past year God has again shown up strong. As I was freefalling into isolation, He caught me in His safety net of friends and families. He’s cheered my heart with small and big news. And He’s healed my body and spirit through the strangest of circumstances: from an old mentor that reached out to used books that I stumbled upon.

Conclusion

As long as we remember our history for the evil it brought us, it will continue to ensnare us. It’s like having an arm that broke long ago and snapping it out of joint every time we look at it. We have to courageously let go of the trauma of the past and embrace our hope for the future.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

(Romans 8:28)

The Good, the Bad, and the Theory

By Ife J. Ibitayo

Three words—Critical Race Theory—have sparked tremendous debate in the past couple months. One of the main questions that is being asked is: What is the point of history? “According to the American Historical Association and Fairleigh Dickinson University, 70% of Democrats say that the study of history should question the past, while 84% of Republicans say that the goal is to celebrate it.” But is the picture really so black and white? Tomorrow, on July 4th, should we laud the greatness of America or ponder its shortcomings?

The Good

The United States has an amazingly blessed and tremendously rich history. We stand on the shoulders of our founding fathers: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin to name a few. We evangelized the world through the centuries, from the sterling preaching of D.L. Moody to the thundering sermons of Billy Graham. We’ve innovated, revolutionized, and developed on land, air, sea, and even space. Time would fail me to tell of all the other great accomplishments that Americans have achieved. When I say I am proud to be an American, I say it with my whole being.

The Bad

Yet there is another side to this story, one that many Americans have been recently forced to confront. When our forefathers came to the United States, they didn’t “discover” a new and uninhabited land. They stole it from the Native Americans and wiped them out.

Rampant xenophobia hasn’t been aberrational and intermittent. It’s been baked into the very bedrock of our country from July 4, 1776. After our founding fathers went up to Philadelphia and wrote, “We hold this truth to be self-evident that all men are created equal,” they returned home to their wives and children on their slave plantations. We deported over a million Mexican Americans during the Great Depression to reserve jobs for white people. And while fighting to free Jews from concentration camps overseas, we relocated thousands of Japanese Americans to concentration camps at home. Just like the good, time would fail me to tell of all the great evil America has perpetrated as a nation.

Conclusion

Many who read this article will want to embrace the good and “move past” the bad, or they’ll neglect the great to focus on the evil. But God has called us to a higher standard. Just as the Israelites had an amazing heritage (Romans 9:4-5) and a tainted legacy (Psalm 106), so does the United States.

As we gather in our backyards to celebrate all things American, we should be willing to grapple with our shortcomings as well. And we should take time to thank God that He has preserved our nation for 245 years!

“Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created.”

(Psalm 119:90)