Overcoming with Christ

Overcoming with Christ—this is the name of a book my father, F. Burleigh Willard Sr., wrote a number of years ago and published in 2008, while he was living with me. I’m thinking about it today because my brother, Frank (FBW Jr.), called me this morning to order six copies for members of his church.

Here’s how that came about: Frank and Jeanne have been attending a bible study on the book of Revelation. Frank mentioned to their teacher that his dad had written a book on the message of Revelation. In fact, he loaned his copy to the teacher, and this instructor had used material from it. When the teacher mentioned the book to the class, six people wanted copies. Happily, I found that many copies in the "signed books" box in my garage.

. . . Such a sad fact that I did not think to have Dad sign all of the stockpiled books while he was able! Last Christmas, he signed about seventy cards (“Grandpa Willard,” “Uncle Burleigh,” etc.). It took him a couple sessions. It was not long afterwards that he was unable to even endorse a check. Now that Dad has graduated to heaven, a signed book is a precious commodity.

But let me tell you more about his book (one of five we prepared for publication while he lived with me). It is a unique study of the book of Revelation. A long-time friend of Dad’s, Bishop Emeritus Robert F. Andrews, of the Free Methodist Church of North America, describes it this way:

As I read Overcoming with Christ, all in one sitting, I seemed to hear a great choir in the background. Like the King of England listening to Handel’s Messiah, I want to stand!

While other scholars have approached the last book of the Bible with slide-rule and calculator, hoping to decipher a “playbook” for the “End Days,” Willard inductively uncovers a “Divine Oratorio” that not only enabled early Christians to sing victoriously while being thrown to the lions in the Roman Coliseum, but also assures overcoming victory to the followers of Jesus who face the evil forces of Satan in our lives today.

And that’s truly what the book is like—inspiring, encouraging. It is a helpful read for individuals . . . and a valuable resource for a group bible study. Incidentally, when my sister, Emily, used it for a bible study, she designed study sheets to use with it. Dad also handed out a couple worksheets to members of a class he taught in my church. These study materials are available for individuals or groups.

It makes my day to know that Dad’s books are still going out to spread the word about the Revelation message he loved so well.

Back on Track

Upon further meditation on Rev. 3:15-20, I realize that Jesus was modeling the attitude we can take toward ourselves, when we fail. [See yesterday’s Journal for this passage from Revelations and for reflections on Jesus’ attitude toward the Laodiceans.] We can either kick ourselves for our failure for days on end, becoming more and more discouraged and full of self-hatred. Or, we can quickly choose to forgive ourselves and draw on the goodness of God, which resides in us through the Holy Spirit, to get back on track—or even step up to a new level of maturity.

I see two principles at work in the person who quickly gets back on track with the Lord after realizing his failure. One is a healthy, proactive mindset (as opposed to an unhealthy, reactionary mindset). A reactionary person reacts to failure with emotions, angry remarks, sulking, avoiding anyone who knows about his failure. As long as his embarrassment lasts, or as long as anyone seems to remember his failure, he seems powerless to regain a grip on his life. A proactive person does not allow his emotions or the attitudes of others to have such a strong effect on him. He takes responsibility for the situation and—in spite of what he feels or others are saying—takes some forward-thinking actions that will get him back on the road to success. –It is especially easy for a Christian to be proactive. All he needs to do is “open the door” to the Lord who is ready to encourage and enable him to change course (Rev. 3:20).

The other principle that helps a person quickly get back on track after a failure is humility. We might think that wallowing in regret is a sign of humility, but it is not. It is a sign of pride. If we are that shocked about our failures, we have too high an opinion of ourselves! A humble Christian knows that “nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature” (Rom. 8:18). A humble Christian knows that the whole secret of Christian living is “not having a righteousness of my own . . . but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith” (Phil. 3:9). The humble Christian is more concerned about getting back in right relationship with God than she is about saving face.

Steve Gray, pastor of the church in Smithton, Missouri, which experienced such revival in the 1990’s, made a statement when visiting our church which utterly melted my heart. Quietly he confessed the effect that revival had had on his heart, saying, “I’d rather be good than be right.” How relieved our Lord must be when we are more concerned about being good again, than grieving that our past attitudes and deeds weren’t right.

Just think of the potential for growth and maturity if we react to every rebuke from the Lord by quickly forgiving ourselves and allowing him to encourage and restore us! Think of how much better we will feel about ourselves if we see ourselves as Jesus does—as beloved children, whom he does not see as being “bad” but as promising works in progress.

Note: The proactive approach to life is one of the concepts thoroughly and helpfully described in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. I highly recommended them both. The teen version is downright entertaining--and very enlightening, just like the "adult" version.

Unexpected Kindness

I would not have wanted to be a member of the church of Laodicea when the Apostle John sent to it this message from Jesus:

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see (Revelation 3:15-18).

How embarrassing! How terrifying to know that this was their evaluation by Jesus himself!

But notice what immediately follows:

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me (Rev. 3:19-20).

To our thinking, it might seem as if Jesus switched gears. First, it seems, he was fed up with them. Then, his heart softened a bit. But, no--Jesus states that the whole message was prompted by love.

First, love compelled him to set them free from the deception that was alienating them from him and thus causing them to become increasingly ungodly. Secondly, he quickly assured them that he loved them as much as ever. (Didn’t he initially make a way for them to come to him when they were still sinners? Rom. 5:8.) Then, lest they were still reeling with shame, maybe even ready to run away and quit trying to be a Christian, he stepped close and said, “I’m right here at the door of your heart. Not to condemn, but to bring you right back to where you were before, in loving and obedient fellowship.”

When I worked in the church nursery, I was given instructions on what to do if a child was hurt. The final instruction was to ask for the parent to come in and hold the child for a bit, to establish the child’s emotions again. This passage shows Jesus’ tender concern that we not become overwhelmed by the revelation of our faults. He wants us to be strengthened by the knowledge that he is rooting for us all the way as we set out to do better. And, in the light of such acceptance, support, and affection, who wouldn’t do anything to please him?