Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear people.

The view to my right is spectacular. We’re in an upper room at the Surfrider at Depoe Bay—and the expansive view of clouds, rain, and ocean turbulence fills this big picture window. It’s not extremely rough—but I’m sure it’s rough enough to cause some passengers on that charter fishing boat that was earlier pulling in rockfish nearby to lose their breakfasts—and feed the fish.

I managed a morning jog on the beach. Becki didn’t go because we kind of ran out of time—and she was in charge of creating some breakfast for our gang. Later still, my attempt at flying a stunt kite on the beach was not very successful. Not enough consistent wind. Oh well.

Time to move this computer as they need the table for setting out the lunch fare. My cousin’s Korean wife is preparing some traditional BBQ. Smells good.

Blessings on the rest of your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

To fear or not to fear—that is the question. On second thought, maybe that’s not the best question. A better question is: Which brand of fear will you choose? There is clearly a right and healthy fear, as well as a wrong and destructive fear. Peter addresses both in this letter. For example, in chapter 1, he declares, “Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear” (1:17). That’s a good kind of fear. In fact it’s essential. But then as he gives instructions to believing wives, he says, “You are daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear” (3:6). That is a negative fear—and a principle that applies to men as well. And now Peter quotes from Isaiah who says, “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened” (3:14, quoted from Isaiah 8:12-13). In other words, throw out the bad and keep the good. So, what else is new in doing life with an aim to pleasing God?

Would you agree that a close synonym to bad fear is worry? Here’s a quote I just received from a pastor friend: “Are you worrying? We all deal with the sin of worrying. How true it is: ‘If you are worrying, you are not trusting. If you are trusting, you are not worrying.’ This message is for all of us.” Ouch!

When I read those lines to my wife, she, with tongue in cheek said, “Now he’s gone from preaching to meddling!” To call worry a sin could make us all squirm—because it can be allowed to be so commonplace to our lifestyles—and we tend to be so good at listing out reasons to justify it. But I’m afraid the shoe fits quite well. I mean, if we persist in doing something God says DON’T DO, what else can we call it?

We don’t have time to exhaust this idea. But let me briefly point out something strongly implied in Peter’s advice: BE AFRAID OF NOT BEING READY AND ABLE TO CLEARLY EXPLAIN TO SOMEONE WHO ASKS (AND/OR NEEDS TO KNOW) ABOUT THE REASON FOR THE HOPE YOU HAVE IN CHRIST—a hope that, of course, transcends fear and worry. And why is that important? Because if you can’t clearly explain it to someone else, you very likely can’t explain it clearly to yourself. And that could precisely be the root cause of your worry.

Suddenly, I think I have either made this too complicated—or too simple.