Look Up, Not Down

I remember listening to a radio program a few years ago wherein the host was reading the results of a survey of university and college professors from around the world. I found one of the results really interesting. Although they couldn’t put their finger on it, the vast majority of these professors felt that the world was escalating toward some sort of conclusion. Even non-believers felt that something wasn’t right. What in the world was going on? It’s true that sometimes, it feels like the world is spiraling out of control, but God has told us the end from the beginning (see Isaiah 46:10). In God’s great love and goodness, he never wanted us to be in the dark about what is happening in the world, so He told us— not to scare us, but to prepare us.

Know Where to Look

A friend recently said to me, “Donna, you want the American church to wake up. That’s your thing.” Well, I guess if there’s a “thing” to hang my hat on, that’s a pretty good one. Fear and anxiety have come in like a flood across the globe, and sadly, many in the church seem to be crumpled in a corner along with much of the world. The news bombards us not just daily, but every minute of the day, and it can be overwhelming. How do we make sense of so many things happening at once? Instead of looking inward, at social media, or to pundits, I’d like to encourage all of us to look deeper into God’s Word, so that when the news headlines scream at us that the world is falling apart, we’ll remember Jesus’ words in Luke 21:28: “Now when these things begin to take place, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”

When you read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, you will see that Jesus told us that one thing after another would be happening in the time prior to his return. There has never been a time in the history of the world where so many things are converging at once, but Jesus didn’t say, “When you see these things begin to happen be afraid, be very, very afraid!” Instead, he said, “Lift up your heads. Look up.” For all those who are in Christ, these are reassuring words. They mean that things are looking up to his return! When I was growing up, our pastor, a visiting pastor, or a missionary would say something like, “Jesus will be returning,” but as I became an adult, that message seemed all but lost. I don’t know why. The Bible calls the return of Jesus “our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13) and something we long for, not fear (2 Tim. 4:8).

Know and Teach the Word

Christ’s appearance isn’t frightening for those who are truly “in Christ,” but might be scary for those who don’t know him. As parents and grandparents, we need to teach the Word to our kids and grandkids, so they understand that Christ’s return isn’t a scary event for those are who truly his, but that God is going to make all things new (Rev. 21:5). We need to let our children know that God told us about the things that would happen in the time prior to Christ’s return, so that when they see or hear the news, it won’t scare them. They’ll understand all that is happening in light of Scripture and know that God is going to straighten out the mess. The Word should be so ingrained in us that our first reaction isn’t to fear or wring our hands in anxiety when the next big event happens, but to know the Bible says that “perilous times will come” (2 Tim. 3:1), but in those times that God is our “ever present help in time of need” (Ps. 46:1). Early church believers used to greet one another with the word maranatha, meaning “Our Lord come” or “Our Lord is coming.” In the midst of turmoil, persecution, and suffering, this word about the return of Jesus offered them hope, not fear.

Know Jesus—Don’t Just Know About Him

Because of technology, we are living in a world where countless people are teaching what Paul calls another Jesus and a different gospel and different spirit (2 Cor. 11:4). Jesus actually issued a warning to his followers in Matthew 24:4 when he said, “Watch out that no one deceives you.” The only way to let “no one” deceive us is to walk closely with Jesus and read Scripture daily. These false teachers who teach “another Jesus and different gospel and spirit” come in many forms: pastors, priests, authors, bloggers, speakers, celebrities, musicians, podcasters, and so on, and they never look or sound crazy. Paul said they “have the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people” (2 Tim. 3:5). Avoid them? But they’re so attractive, witty, and smart. Their messages are appealing and safe—God is loving and kind—so why should we avoid them? But when you listen closely, you will notice that false teachers won’t mention sin. Their goal is to simply know about God. Our goal should not be to just know about God, but to know him intimately. That can only happen when we know all of his Word, not just parts of it. God is calling this generation to dig deep into his Word and to press deeper into him.

The times we are living in are strange, to say the least—even the unbelieving world feels it—but God doesn’t want his children to be afraid. He has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Tim. 1:7). Fear comes from the father of lies. God wants to reassure us, and he wants us to know that things aren’t spiraling downward, as many believe, but are actually looking up to Christ’s return. Maranatha!

Donna VanLiere is the New York Times bestselling author of The Christmas Shoes, The Christmas Secret, and The Good Dream. Six of her books have been made into TV movies. She’s the host of the limited podcast series, Things Are Looking Up, about the exciting things our generation is seeing that previous generations didn’t. She travels as a speaker and teacher. Her most recent book is The Day of Ezekiel’s Hope. You can find her at DonnaVanLiere.com.