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ABUNDANT LIFE-SECURITY

May 2, 2010

    One of our most basic human needs is the need for security.  Fear and uncertainty destroy us. Shokoi Yokoi, a Japanese soldier on Guam, spend twenty-eight years in a prison of fear.  When American forces arrived, he ran into the jungle and hid.  He later heard that the war was over by reading a leaflet that was dropped, but still, he was so insecure that he stayed in his cave. 

    For over a quarter of a century he came out only at night.  He existed on frogs, rats, and mangoes.  Finally, some hunters convinced him that it was safe to leave the jungle.

    People said, “What a waste of life, being so afraid that he ceased to live.”
    Yes, it’s a waste and it’s shocking, but it’s also very common.

I.  THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF INSECURITY.

    The negative effects of insecurity are serious.  We don’t grow or learn or serve or produce fruit when we’re nervous and unsure.  And, unfortunately, everyone is unsure at times.  Everyone has anxiety and crises and traumas.  No one lives a pain-free life.

    Paul expressed it well, saying, “There was no rest for us.  We were troubled on every side.  Fightings without and fears within. (II Cor.  7:5, amp)

    Such insecurities are really the root of all evil.  Insecure people are like the man with the one talent who hid it in the ground.  He was reluctant to try because he was afraid his master would punish him for failure.  But Jesus condemned him as an unfaithful servant.  (See Matt.  25:24-28).

    Also, insecure people are prone to follow any con-artist or charismatic leader that comes along simply because they don’t want to take personal responsibility for their own behavior.  But, perhaps the most destructive thing about insecure people is  their critical and judgmental attitudes.  Since they don’t feel adequate, they play the “see-saw” game.  They try to put themselves up by putting others down.  They hope that God may be grading on the curve and will therefore overlook their flaws if they can make someone else look worse.

    It’s obvious that most hostility and prejudice and even violence stem from fear.  Insecure people become overly defensive and even paranoid.  Every shadow becomes an enemy.  A pastor told of walking through a new building project.  The staff and the construction crew had left and it was getting late.  He tiptoed over the debris and noticed a room he’d never entered before.  When he walked in it was dark and he waited for his eyes to adjust.  That’s when he saw the other man in the room with him.  He said, “Sir, can I help you?” which really meant, “What are you doing here?”  But the stranger didn’t answer.  That’s when the pastor noticed that this person looked very unpleasant, so he repeated, “What are you doing here?”  The man still didn’t reply.  The pastor began to think that he was in serious trouble, so he reached for the door.  When he did, he realized that he wasn’t in the room with another man at all.  He was in the room with a mirror.

    That’s what happens to us when we’re insecure.  We become our own worst enemy.  We second guess our actions.  We hesitate over decisions.  We doubt our salvation.  We miss the joy God offers.  Jesus came to give us abundant life and no one can enjoy an abundant life without security.

II. THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF SECURITY.

    Security is one of the most precious and productive benefits of the gospel.  In fact, security is essential for an abundant life because there are many positive effects of security. 

    Secure people are opposite to insecure people.  If we’re secure we can try different things and feel free to take risks because we know God will understand if we fail.  We aren’t tempted to follow gurus like Jim Jones because we have a perfect leader to guide our lives.  We don’t have to wear masks and hide flaws and deny weaknesses because we know God loves us unconditionally!

    Absolute assurance is one of the greatest blessings of our faith.  Jesus promised total security.  He said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never die, and no one can steal them out of my hand.  My Father gave my sheep to me. He is greater than all, and no person can steal my sheep out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29).

    Secure people can enjoy daily life because Jesus said, “Our heavenly Father knows about our needs” (See Luke 12:29-32).

    In fact, saying, “Do not be anxious!” is not a mild suggestion.  It’s a command!  Jesus said, "Do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt.  6:25,33, nas).

    Secure people can even face an uncertain future because Jesus said, “Do not be anxious for tomorrow” (Matt.  6:34, nas). 

    Always dreading a recession or loss of a job or an earthquake are useless fears that destroy our happiness and productivity.  Now, Jesus wasn’t saying we should not prepare for problems.  He never advocated an irresponsible or lazy lifestyle.  But to live, day after day, distracted with worry wastes both time and energy.  It also limits our ability to serve and takes a heavy toll on our health.

    Once a Florida couple looked out their window and saw that the ground beneath the street had literally collapsed, creating a sink hole.  Tumbling into the ever-deepening pit were automobiles, sidewalks, and lawn furniture.  The building itself would be the next to go.

    Sinkholes occur when underground streams drain away during seasons of drought, causing the ground at the surface to lose its support.  Suddenly everything simply caves in, leaving people with a terrifying suspicion that nothing, not even the earth beneath their feet is trustworthy.

    We can’t live like that.  God knows we need to feel secure.  That's why "fear not" is one of the most common phrases in the Bible.  People who are secure have a permanent feeling of calm assurance.  Security helps us experience abundant life!

III.  HOW TO REALIZE SECURITY.

    Now, if all of us have such a desperate need for security, then how can we realize it in our daily lives?  Well, we are fortunate as Christians because the Scriptures give us many promises concerning security:

    The Psalmist said, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety" (Psa.  4:8, kjv).
    Later he said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Psa.  23:4, kjv).

    Then he said, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psa.  46:1, kjv).

    In times of crises, we can remember that God is with us.  Paul said, “Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can troubles or problems or sufferings or hunger or nakedness or danger or violent death? . . . But in all these things we are completely victorious through God who showed his love for us . . . Nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:35-39).

    It’s reassuring to know that even very bad things can be redeemed.  Our failures can be learning experiences.  Our sins can teach us humility.  Our sorrows can make us appreciative and empathetic.  That’s what Paul meant when he said, “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Rom.  8:28).

    You see God doesn’t change external circumstances.  Instead, He changes internal conditions.  A new father said, "One night we left our little son in the nursery and went to bed.  Soon there was a tremendous crash of thunder right above us.  I heard the baby scream.  I ran to his room.  I just knew a tree had fallen or a window had been smashed, but thankfully, he was just frightened by the noise.  After I picked him up, held him close and talked softly, he became quieter and began to relax.

    Now, I didn't do a thing to calm the storm that raged without.  Instead, I was able to calm the storm that raged within."  It's the same with us.  God doesn't still the storms without by stopping wars and crime and natural disasters.  Instead, He stills the storms within us.  Christ promised us his peace in the midst of a troubled world.  "My peace I give you . . . So don’t let your hearts be troubled.  Don’t be afraid"  (John 14:27).

    As Christians, we are members of God’s family, and a child’s relationship is permanently established by his birth.  A misbehaving child is not kicked out of the family.  Failure does not cancel his status.   Mistakes don’t nullify his welcome.  “A family,” said Robert Frost, “is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in!”

    An old story my father often told illustrates our absolute security as God’s child:  Once a preacher boarded a bus and sat down beside a young man.  They rode in silence for awhile, but the youth seemed so nervous that the preacher said, “Son, I’m a minister.  Can I help you?”

    Finally, the boy answered, “Yes sir!  I’ve got to talk to someone.  You see, about two years ago, I got drunk, hit my dad and left.  For the past two years I’ve been in all kinds of trouble.  But last week I accepted Christ.  The first thing I thought of was my parents.  I wrote a letter and said, ‘Dad, if you still consider me your son, I’d like to come back home.’  I explained that I’d be on this bus and if he wanted me to get off, I would.”

    The preacher was confused and said, “Son, how are you gonna’ know whether your dad wants you?”

    The young man replied, “Preacher, our house is right by this highway, and there’s an old apple tree in the front yard.  I told my dad that if they still loved me, just to have a white cloth in that old tree and I’d get off.”

    Then tears came as the boy said, “Preacher, I’m almost there, but I’m afraid to look.  What if they don’t want me?”

    The preacher said, “That’s alright.  I’ll look for you.”

    Soon a big smile came over his face and he said, “Son, you don’t have a thing to worry about.  There’s white cloths hanging all over that old apple tree.  And, that’s not all.  Your mom and dad are out in the yard waving a big white bed-sheet.”

    This is our story.  No matter what we’ve done; no matter how long we’ve strayed, that’s how God will respond to us! 

    So how can we realize this wonderful gift?  How can we feel secure and then pass that gift on to others?

    Well, in order to do this we must believe that Jesus offers us not only life, but abundant life!  And abundant life includes security
(WC1914)
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Copyrighted 2010 by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK.  PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THIS MESSAGE IN ANY WAY YOU THINK IS APPROPRIATE.  The only thing we ask is that you give credit for original material in PUBLISHED works. 

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Miles E Wesner