Pessimism

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which one can say,
"Look! This is something new"?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
There is no remembrance of men of old,
and even those who are yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow. Ecclesiastes 1:9-11

You often hear people pessimistic about the times in which we live. "this economy is killing me…", "kids just don't respect authority…", "the moral fabric of this country is decaying…", "No one knows how to put in a hard day's work anymore…", "it's so much harder for kids growing up these days…", "I don’t know how my parents could manage to live on just 1 salary". Admittedly, I can find myself thinking this way sometimes. And I wonder, are times really worse or do I somehow recall the past with rose colored sunglasses. Perhaps things weren't really all that different when I was a kid. Maybe I just remember it as more wholesome than it really was. After all, no matter when you grew up, the same sins still existed. Since the garden, there's been pride, greed, lust, envy, etc. Perhaps what changes is the degree to which society calls evil good and vise versa. The mistake is to somehow think the rules have all changed and the world is totally different. . I love the following quote:

"In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these." ~ Paul Harvey

To think things are so much worse today is to presume you know what it was like to have lived in some of the really bad times in the past. But ultimately, that kind of thinking is what can paralyze your effectiveness here and now. You are uniquely gifted and purposed by God. Don't let pessimism hinder your zeal for that purpose. Think about this during your prayer times this week.

Have a great week and a great fast.
Your brother,
Bob

How it Began

Back in 2003, I was involved in the men's ministry at the church I attended. This weekly fasting and prayer topic developed out of that ministry. Long story short, it started when I volunteered to support and organize a few men who had decided to fast and pray for a selected topic every Wednesday. My role was writing the weekly topic and distributing it to all the participants via e-mail. Over the years, the number of participants has grown. Likewise, it has evolved. It is no longer a men's ministry. The number of women who now receive the weekly topic rivals the number of men. Additionally, not all who receive the topic choose to fast on Wednesday. They simply use the weekly topic as a tool to learn and grow.

There are several reasons why I am now moving this topic from e-mail to blog format. First, in the past I've spent quite a bit of time managing the e-mail distribution list. I no longer need to do that. Second, I think the web format allows more people to access the topic. Third and most important, the blog format allows participants to weigh in with their thoughts on the topic. I think it allows God to speak to us by speaking through any and all of us. In the coming weeks and months I hope to post all of the historical topics all the way back through 2003. It's my prayer that these topics bless you, and in some small way, help you grow in your relationship with Christ.

Your brother,
Bob