Wisdom – Page 2

The Effects of Breakups on Culture and Christianity – Part I

May 16, 2022 | Christian Living, Dating, Relationships, Series, Wisdom | No Comments

Introduction

In the last century, there has been a shift in culture—a disruption in the status quo of relational interaction. Specifically, amidst the process of two people going from friendship to marriage. A new course has sieged the relational scene and is now dominating the arena, this course is what is known as dating. This paradigm shift has introduced a flood of new questions and concerns into all relationships across the spectrum—be it friendships, familial relationships, workplace relationships, or the actual romantic interest that is intended to lead to marriage (or not lead to marriage). The subtopic up for discussion here is the breakups that result from this dating paradigm. Although it has been over a century since the dating and breakup paradigms have entered society, counselors, pastors, and average church people are still ill-equipped to handle them; consequently, this topic needs to be analyzed, processed, and addressed through a proper, psychological, and biblical lens.

Context—A Burden Carried

With the shift in courtship, romantic interest, and dating storming the culture, inevitably the church is seeing the effects of this young paradigm as well. There are countless divorced people, widowed spouses, young adults, and teenagers that have been reared knowing nothing but a romantic pursuit that is filled with rejection, risk, heartbreak, and turmoil (Young and Adams 2001, 60). Breakups seemingly strike these demographics in ways that are detrimental to their hearts (speaking of the inner man; the thoughts, passions, desires, feelings, and wants) and relational health (Thomas 2021, 30-41). Sadly, breakups have been normalized as if people are expendable, as if hearts are not fragile, as if relationships are for individuals. This culture that has been created around serial dating—a term used in Jonathan Pokluda’s new book, Outdated: Find Love That Lasts When Dating Has Changed—has produced serial breakups and is leaving the church in great need (Pokluda 2021, 171). Through a proper biblical lens, there is hope for those ransacked by this paradigm shift and the negative effects thereof.

A History of Dating—Briefly Covered

The history of dating is easily tracked given the slim amount of time that society has had to adapt to it as a regularity; however, there are not many easily-accessible resources on the history of dating. Dating finds its origins in the early 1900s, storming the forefront of culture and publicity in the 1920s (Getlin, 2016). Larry Getlin makes note of this in his article, commenting on the primary source that will be under review in this section, Labor of Love: the Invention of Dating. One fact worthy of noting is that Labor of Love: the Invention of Dating is a history of the dating paradigm from the perspective of a feminist, Moira Weigel. However, there is still much to be gleaned from her comments and research about dating and its origins.

The concept of dating formed as an alternative and outflow from a classic courtship model; some time will be spent on the differences and contrast of these two in a later section of this writing. A “need” seemed to rise for women as society began to see women going into cities—leaving homes, farms, and small businesses—to work jobs in mainstream companies. Moira Weigel would define dating as, “the form that courtship takes in a society where it takes place in a free market” (2016, 7). To Weigel’s point, as America was shifting in its culture, romantic pursuit began to inadvertently adapt. No longer were traditional parents setting up their children through family members and matchmakers, like in the Old Country where a community was the controlling element of courtship (Weigel 2016, 14). Courting and dating are used in modern days nearly interchangeably, but this is not the truth. The two are drastically different, and understanding this difference is key in obtaining a solid perspective of dating in its roots.

It is important to understand the heart behind dating as well, referring to the motives and intents that dating spawned from and ushered people towards. Weigel summarizes this by stating,

The old-fashioned practices of chaperoned courtship and calling had drawn clear lines between the worlds of men and women. Dating undid them. It took courtship out of the private sphere and into the public places. It transferred control over the process from the older generation to the younger generation, from the group to the individual, and from women to men. (Weigel 2016, 20)

One will notice the three major contrasts that Weigel takes note of in the final sentence of her paragraph. There was a reluctance toward any form of Biblical authority. No longer did young people want to be told by their parents who to marry. No longer did people want to have others holding them accountable in a family-group setting. No longer did women want to be the ones submitting to men in the leading of the courting process. Though there are without doubt some good notes to be taken in terms of individual discernment and mutual interest regarding romantic pursuit, there is an obvious sense of rebellion that had awoken as society shifted from courting to dating.

This history is crucial when discussing breakups; without it one cannot grasp the full scope of where and how breakups entered the timeline of romantic pursuits. A couple more noteworthy facts should be mentioned before moving on. First, the term dating was coined in 1896 by a writer named George Ade. Ade wrote in a weekly column for The Chicago Record and wrote a story in which a young man confronted a girl who began to see other men. In the story, the young man is recorded as saying, “I s’pose the other boy’s fillin’ all my dates?” (referring to the dates on the calendar)—thus the “date” was born (Weigel 2016, 12). Last, dating was viewed in a very negative sense by much of society as it began to come to the forefront of romance in the early 1900s. Weigel writes extensively about how women were viewed, but Getlin summarizes her records well in his article. He says, “When those single women, stripped from their dependency on fathers and husbands, began to be courted in public, police, politicians, and civic leaders were alarmed” (Getlin, 2016). Much more could be covered on dating and its origins. The grand takeaways for the sake of this writing should be that dating was an adaptation and mutation of a prior form of romantic pursuit known as courtship, the heart of dating was not one of godly origins, and dating was not viewed in a positive light by the mainstream media for decades.

References

Bancroft, J. “The Endocrinology of Sexual Arousal.” joe. BioScientifica, September 1, 2005. https://joe.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/joe/186/3/1860411.xml.

Baucham, Voddie. What He Must Be…if He Wants to Marry My Daughter. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2009.

Buss, David M. 2019. “The Evolution of Love in Humans.” In The New Psychology of Love, edited by Sternberg, Robert J., and Karin Sternberg, 42-63. Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Cloud, Henry, and John Townsend. Boundaries in Dating: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Relationships. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000.

Eggerichs, Emerson. Love & Respect: the Respect He Desperately Needs. Nashville, TN: Integrity Publishers, 2004.

Eisenman, Russell. “Scientific Insights Regarding the Orgasm: Europe’s Journal of Psychology.” Scientific Insights Regarding the Orgasm| Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 2008.https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/430/html.

Eldredge, John, and Stasi Eldredge. Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010.

Eldredge, John. Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010.

Farrel, Bill, and Pam Farrel. Single Men Are Like Waffles, Single Women Are Like Spaghetti: Friendship, Romance, and Relationships That Work. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Pub, 2008.

Field, Tiffany. “Romantic Breakups, Heartbreak and Bereavement-Romantic Breakups.” Psychology. Scientific Research Publishing, July 25, 2011. https://www.scirp.org/html/6296.html.

Getlen, Larry. “The Fascinating History of How Courtship Became ‘Dating’.” New York Post. New York Post, July 26, 2017. https://nypost.com/2016/05/15/the-fascinating-history-of-how-courtship-became-dating/.

Harris, Joshua. I Kissed Dating Goodbye. Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2003.

Lane, Timothy S. Sex before Marriage: How Far Is Too Far? New Growth Press, 2009.

Ludy, Eric, and Leslie Ludy. When God Writes Your Love Story: the Ultimate Guide to Guy/Girl Relationships. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books, 2009.

Masonheimer, Phylicia. Stop Calling Me Beautiful. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, U.S, 2020.

Parrott, Les, and Leslie L. Parrott. Saving Your Marriage before It Starts: Seven Questions to Ask before–and after–Your Marriage. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015.

Pokluda, Jonathan, and Kevin McConaghy. Outdated: Find Love That Lasts When Dating Has Changed. Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2021.

“Psychology.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, 2021. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychology.

Thomas, Gary. The Sacred Search: What If It’s Not about Who You Marry, but Why? Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2021.

Unger, Merrill F. The New UNGER’S Bible Dictionary. Edited by R. K. Harrison, Howard Frederic Vos, and Cyril J. Barber. Moody Publishers, 2005.

Weigel, Moira. Labor of Love: The Invention of Dating. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016.

Young, Ben, and Sam Adams. The One: a Realistic Guide to Choosing Your Soul Mate. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers, 2001.

By hunter.see

The Rarity of Wisdom

November 1, 2021 | Wisdom | No Comments

Why is it that wisdom seems so rare? Why does it seem like common sense just isn’t so common anymore? I propose an answer, that answer? — Us.

We prefer the opposite, the antithesis, of wisdom. You see, wisdom is simple. Wisdom is easy. Wisdom is the principal thing. Wisdom has answers, sometimes at a moment’s grasp, and other times in the vague distance of our vision. So why don’t we like this simplicity? Why don’t we walk in this wisdom? Why don’t we choose the often obvious and easy route that wisdom offers us? Why do we take the hard route? There are a few reasons that come to my mind.

{Proverbs 4:7}

———-

One: We crave complication

Complication, we crave it.

Think about it.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and found yourself trying to make sure you remember every little detail (and the story goes ten minutes longer than it should)? How about when someone tells you something that is going on in their life and the cycle of “whose situation is worse” begins? How about you overthinkers? Do you bring more variables into the equation than is needed? We can all relate in some way, and there are many other examples that I am sure you could recognize in your own life.

So, how does this relate to wisdom?

Well, as I said before, wisdom is simple. There is simplicity in wise choices, answers, and decisions. Dr. John Delony once stated, “We have a cultural pathology, if you will—like a psychological issue—which is you solve things by adding to them. You solve things by getting another planner, going to get more candles, having a warm bath, yoga. We never think that we can solve things by taking things away, by stopping things.”¹ In my office at church, I have a Post-it Note on my computer that says, “Simplicity is the key to success.” Wisdom says, “Here’s what to do.” We say, “There has to be more to it than that.” Wisdom says, “Here is the path of least resistance to get to the designated outcome.” We say, “There has to be a more complex explanation and course.”

We try to find a different way of doing things. We try to make things out to be more than what they are. We try to make sure our situation has a myriad of intricacies woven throughout the minutia of our tapestry-life. After all, isn’t this what gets us attention? Isn’t this what draws the spotlight to us? Isn’t this what brings us the multitudes? The multitudes that so earnestly seek to help us solve this seeming conundrum that we have masqueraded as our life. This masquerade that is self-invented, self-focused, and at its root, is self-glorifying.

Complication, we crave it. We crave it because, without it, our hearts would be missing that pinnacle desire that resides in the fabric of its DNA—Self-glory.

{Proverbs 14:12, 16:25; Ecclesiastes 7:29}

———-

Two: We Hate Waiting

Wisdom often waits.

Yes, this one is a struggle, isn’t it?

Waiting implies patience. Patience implies trials. Trials imply struggling. Struggling implies fighting. Fighting implies the risk of defeat or rejection, and nobody enjoys that.

Wisdom calls us to bring every choice to a deciding period. That period could be five seconds (as most of our daily decisions are), but the big ones that we remember are the ones that often take us into what we know as seasons. Though seasons come and go, they nevertheless have their designated length. This is what we hate.

This length of time goes against our desire to want what we want now. We naturally reject the discipline that waiting requires. We want the harvest of righteousness without the time, patience, and labor that is required to have it. We rush. We run. It’s ingrained into us through our daily lives. Stress is our drug, and anxiety is our addiction. We yearn for it, and we burn in it. We would rather take the quick route than the one that calls for our hearts to rest and pause.

Wisdom often waits. We hate waiting because it implies, we are not in control of our situation and that something else is the one producing the results of our lives.

{Psalm 37:7, 40:1; Ecclesiastes 7:8; Hebrews 12:11; James 1:2-7; 1 Peter 1:6-9}

———-

Three: We are High-minded

Wisdom forces humility.

Yes, I know that word is tough.

Humility is ultimately the culmination of the patience and simplicity that has been previously mentioned. It is that lowly state, not just of demeanor, but of being. Inwardly and outwardly, humility affects its host.

Humility is intertwined and irremovable from wisdom. For wisdom does not come from within. It comes from without. Its source is not one’s own heart or default intuition. The source of wisdom is God. God is the All-wise. He defines wisdom and, therefore, wisdom flows from Him.

This truth is that without humility, we cannot have wisdom. Humility hurts. It seems that there are only two ways for us to be humbled in this pilgrimage of life: we humble ourselves, or God humbles us. Sadly, it is often the latter. Humility confronts us. Humility literally tears us down. Humility shows us who we are not and requires that we face that reality. Humility requires the ultimate sacrifice—the sacrifice of self.

Wisdom forces humility. Humility produces wisdom. To obtain wisdom, we must humble ourselves before God in submission to Who He is because of who we are.

{Psalm 138:6; Proverbs 3:34; James 1:5-8, 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:5-6}

———-

I would encourage you to visit J.I. Packer’s writing entitled Knowing God, in the twentieth chapter, he introduces “six common pitfalls” of why we tend to not follow the leading of the Lord. They are:

Unwillingness to think.
Unwillingness to think ahead.
Unwillingness to take advice.
Unwillingness to suspect oneself.
Unwillingness to discount personal magnetism.
Unwillingness to wait.²

So, wisdom is rare… rare because, by nature, we are contrary to it. But there is hope! There is hope for those who desire to be contrary to our nature. For the Lord has promised to provide us with wisdom if we do one simple thing—ask. Thank you for reading. I love you all, and God is good.

Until we write again…..

In, for, and because of Christ,

V.S. See

http://daveramsey.ramsey.libsynpro.com/11302020-h2
Packer, J.I. 1973. Knowing God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press

By hunter.see

The Humbling Hand

October 25, 2021 | Wisdom | No Comments

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, and He will exalt you in due time.”

Life-changing. Soul-impacting. Heart-gripping. This verse was all of these things for me. I tread carefully into this post because it is a post about one of the most tempting topics in Scripture—humility. I prayerfully come to this post and hope that nothing that is said has any roots in pride masquerading as humility (what a conundrum). It was right around the final six to nine months of my time in the Army that the Lord pricked my heart with this verse. I was in a season of flux and discernment. I had plans for college, ministry, and life. None of them evil or misleading, I was sincerely striving to seek what the Lord wanted for me. It was around January of 2018 that I began to get an unsettled sense in my soul. (I mean that literally and practically; emotion, thoughts, and desires were becoming unsure about my plans.) This was something I only talked to my dad about. I didn’t want to come across like one of those young preachers that was trying to get out of going to Bible College, that wasn’t my desire. For about six months (during this time, having surgeries on both my arms and living with my pastor while recovering) I battled back and forth with what I was feeling. But the Lord was using this verse, 1 Peter 5:6 in a real way to teach me something…

{1 Peter 5:6}

———-

Humble: Human Responsibility

We often think of the word humble as an adjective, a word that describes someone or something, but in this verse, it is a verb. There is an action that is designated to mankind’s responsibility. Throughout Scripture, there seems to be an undesignated line between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Charles Spurgeon once said, “There is a will of God, and there is a will of man, but I dare not draw the line where the two meet.” This being said, for the sake of a discussion on humility, I have found in Scripture only two ways that a person can be humbled—either they humble themselves, or they are humbled by God.

“Humbling ourselves is only accomplished through seeing ourselves as we are in light of who God is.”

God expects this from us. God desires this from us. He actually calls us to it throughout the New Testament as we are called to live Christlike. Humbling ourselves is only accomplished through seeing ourselves as we are in light of who God is. In other words, because God is high and holy, we must see ourselves as light and lowly. This is illustrated by Isaiah, Paul, John, and countless other prophets and people throughout the Scripture when they saw a glimpse of God in His glory. I would submit to you that the major issue we have in struggling to humble ourselves is that we view God through a human lens rather than viewing man through a godly lens. That brings me to the final two sections of this post. I believe there are two major attributes of God that 1 Peter 5:6 teaches us that assist us in this humbling process.

{Proverbs 24:16; 2 Corinthians 12:9; James 1:2, 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6}

“…we view God through a human lens rather than viewing man through a godly lens.”

———-

Sovereignty: A Source of Rest

I believe the sovereignty of God has been used in the wrong way.

When you heard that phrase, “the sovereignty of God,” what was the first thing that popped into your mind? Did you picture a lofty deity who sits on a throne completely removed from our world and the cares thereof? Did you picture God with a scowl toward humanity for their choices? Or did you picture a God that has everything under control; peaceful, transcendent, in solace, not given to the emotional storms that you and I face, but simply … controlled? The sovereignty of God points us to a loving Lord who cares so much about us that He has guaranteed us that nothing will ever happen outside of His allowance and approval.

Peter presents this wonderful attribute of God as a primary motivation and reason for us humbling ourselves. If you take notice of the flow of the verse, it is not God Himself that Peter exhorts us to submit under—it is His hand. This implies control, a firm grip, a pointing guide, and a tender touch. James adds some insight to this when he says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord.” Not only do we submit to God’s hand of tender control, but we also submit to His unveiled sight. Take a minute here to grasp this… His eyes see everything. They see into your soul. They see in the darkness. They see everywhere at once. They see all of time at once. They see the beginning from the end, turn it around, and play it backward. They see every mistake you’ve ever made. They see every mistake that you will ever make. They see the pain that will come. They see the joy that will come. God’s sight has zero limitations to it.

Between God’s hand that is like the hand of a sovereign shepherd and his sight which has no veil or limitations, why do we struggle to trust Him? Wait a minute, trust? I thought this was about humility. It is. When I humble, submit, or lower myself under someone else, I am placing trust in that person’s position, but more importantly, their character. I am trusting who they are.

{2 Chronicles 16:9; Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 8:28; James 4:10}

———-

Good: It’s Who He Is

God is good.

I want you to ponder, meditate, and chew on that thought outside of the cliché that it has become. Think about those three simple words. Let them resonate within your soul. God is the subject, is would be the verb, and good would be the adjective. He is the embodiment and definition of all that is good. Let that sink in. Without this truth getting deeply understood and solidified in your heart, you will always struggle with the sovereignty of God. You will hit those rough seasons and go into one of two modes.

You will fight God. You will be angry with Him because “How could a loving God bring something so bad into my life.”
You will try some misconstrued submission tactic that turns into a calloused, cynical “get over it” mentality.

Each of these is dangerous and is combatted by who we see God presented as in Scripture. I will be clear; this is so thoroughly understood with a solid study of Systematic Theology. When you see God as presented in the entire narrative of Scripture, His goodness is undeniable.

Peter makes this clear in our verse today as well, though. After he tells us to “humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God”, He then reveals the purpose of God’s heart in this desire of His. Peter finishes the verse with, “that he may exalt you in due time.” I believe there is danger in falsely approaching this verse out of context and presenting it as if God guarantees to give you some level of prosperity or prominence in the world. But I also believe there is a balance to this clear and simple promise. God promises to take care of you.

Why?

Because He is good.

{Psalm 100:5, 135:3; James 1:17}

———-

I believe that the principles in this verse and that I have pulled out for the sake of this post are illustrated by men and women throughout Scripture. The major three that would come to mind are Joseph, Daniel, and Jesus. I encourage you to read the next verse in the passage as it highlights the two attributes that we have discussed thus far. 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him {resting in sovereignty}; for he careth for you {all that He will do is good}.” (Brackets added.)

There may not be another verse that more thoroughly infiltrated and impacted my entire being like this verse, and I want to be very clear that I have not attained some mark of humility. I will say though, that when we decide to humble ourselves and truly make a deep mental, emotional, spiritual, and even physical choice to walk under God’s hand, He will exalt us and take care of us. So, whether we are rising or falling throughout the seasons of life, we can rest in the knowledge that it is all under His mighty hand. Thank you for reading. I love you all, and God is good.

Until we write again…..

In, for, and because of Christ,

V.S. See

By hunter.see

The Righteous Rises

October 18, 2021 | Wisdom | No Comments

“For a just man falls seven times and rises up again.”

This verse is an encouragement to me. The “just” man in Proverbs is speaking of the man who walks in wisdom, always carrying out what the Lord is leading him to do. This is not a man who is deservedly righteous by his works, efforts, or deeds; no, on the contrary, this is a man who is righteous because of his faith in the God of all ages. He has been made righteous. Righteousness has been imparted to him. Because of this, comes righteous actions and choices in life (practical wisdom).

{Proverbs 24:16}

———-

Guarantee: Falling is Definite

Brace for the inevitable; it’s coming.

Falls in life will come. They are unavoidable. A fall could come in an array of various forms. Sometimes they come like a linebacker blindsiding a quarterback. Sometimes they come in ways that should have been predictable. Falls come in trials, struggles, sins, temptations, death, loss, pain, and a host of other choices, circumstances, and situations. The question is not, “Will they come?” Rather, the question to be asked is, “When will the next blow come in again?”

This truth, though possibly depressing to some, is a truth that we should rest in. We can find solace in the fact that this is reality. We can accept this as a guarantee and live in light of the amazing reality that God has provided the grace that is sufficient for any attack and fall that we face. This brings solace and peace into the heart of that one who is following Christ and submitted to the hand of God in their lives, for the holy God of Heaven and Earth is … good.

{Proverbs 24:16; 2 Corinthians 12:9; James 1:2, 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6}

———-

Finished: Falls Can Be Defeating

Down for the count—is that you?

Are you ready to throw in the towel? Have you quit mentally, and are you just going through the motions physically? Are you emotionally drowning and exhausted? Are you warring spiritually within while masquerading your religious façade for all to see? Even in the reality that was spoken of in section one of this post, there is another truth in this verse that can initially be discouraging. The verse states that a person may “fall seven times.” This is terminology that the author is using to illustrate being finished.

Done.

No more.

The fall was fully defeating this time. The number seven is often representative of the idea that something is complete or full circle. The concept here is that this person that Proverbs is speaking of has experienced a life of fall after fall. They have been knocked down time after time. You would look at them and mark them as having a “hard life.” They are those among us who think, “I don’t know how you do it and keep going.” We only see this though because of the last part of the verse that I want to discuss today…

{Proverbs 24:16}

———-

Resolve: Falls Build Determination

Resolve, a word of rarity.

Fortitude, equal in its exoticness.

Perseverance, a long-lost art.

Determination, where are you?

The just man is described as taking a very specific course of action. He always gets back up. Even when the falls and adversity come seven times over, he does not give up. This man, this kind of person can experience fall after fall, trial after trial, failure after failure, and sometimes even something that seems to fully defeat him. Often, he recognizes himself as his own worst enemy. Yet, every time, they get back up. As if he is in a boxing ring and strikes are barraging in from every angle *left jab, right jab, left hook*; *left jab, uppercut, left hook*. Over and over, the strikes rain, he goes to the ground in seeming defeat…

Then…

Rises.

Again.

Ready for the next round.

Wanting to? No; but willing to? Certainly.

Why?

Because he is a just man. Inside of him dwells a Spirit that provides him with strength, perseverance, endurance, fortitude, character, consistency, and a motivation to never go down because of the One he is serving. You see, those that are righteous, and living for the Lord by His power never give up. They fight, and they claw. They may be defeated, they may be left for dead, they may have their lives threatened, they may be thrown in prison, they may lose their health, they may fall into deep sin, they may be exhausted, they may be at their wit’s end; but the RIGHTEOUS falls seven times over, and always rises back up!

{Proverbs 24:16; Matthew 5:10}

———-

I encourage you to look at the lives of so many heroes of our faith that have gone before us, and you will find the trend of this verse in their lives and stories. Here is a shortlist for you to ponder:

Joseph
- Betrayed
- Pit
- Slavery
- Prison
- Forgotten
- But he kept getting back up.

Moses
- Kills a man
- Flees
- Lives with little purpose
- Is too scared to talk to Pharaoh
- Wanders in the wilderness
- Loses his temper
- Doesn’t get to ever go into the promised land
- But he kept getting back up

Joshua
- Battle after battle
- Victories and losses
- But he kept getting back up

David
- Is neglected by his family
- Doubted by his country
- Hunted by his king
- Falls into sexual sin
- Has another man killed
- Betrayed by his son
- His family pretty much falls apart
- But he kept getting back up

Solomon
- Lives a life of failures
- Lives a life running from God
- Lives a life serving himself
- But he kept getting back up

Daniel
- Pulled from his home
- Forced to conform to a pagan culture
- Told to not pray anymore
- Thrown in a lion’s den
- Serves under three different kings
- But he kept getting back up

Peter
- Walks on water and takes his eyes off of Jesus
- Sees the Transfiguration and gets correct by the Father
- Denies Christ three times
- Is thrown in prison
- But he kept getting back up

Paul
- Is blinded on the road to Damascus
- Has to prove himself to the believers in the churches
- Is beaten
- Thrown out of cities
- Left for death
- But he kept getting back up
Jesus
- Here is our ultimate example
- He took on flesh
- Was tempted in all ways of sin
- Was rejected
- Betrayed
- Denied
- Scourged
- Mocked
- Beaten
- Crucified
- BUT HE GOT UP AGAIN

I exhort you, look unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of your faith as your ultimate example. Thank you for reading. I love you all, and God is good.

Until we write again…..

In, for, and because of Christ,

V.S. See

By hunter.see

Seasons

October 14, 2021 | Wisdom | No Comments

How is your life right now? Freezing cold? Blazing hot? Is the sun shining, and are the birds beautifully singing their songs of Creation outside? Or are the tempestuous winds of ravenous circumstances and fiery trials raging against you? Are you light or burdened? Are you strong or weak? Are you thriving or struggling? Are you on the mountaintop that we call victory, or are you in the valley that we face in defeat? I ask these questions for two reasons: first, everyone is somewhere in the midst of that list, and second, wherever you are at, that is why I introduce to you, Seasons.

{1 Peter 4:12}

———-

Meaning: Times

What exactly are seasons? Have you ever thought about that?

Merriam-Webster gives a handful of definitions, the first being, “a time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature.” In Ecclesiastes 3, King Solomon lays out a wonderful manifest of a myriad of “seasons” that we face throughout the course of our lives. When he introduces this concept of different seasons, he defines the seasons as, “a time to every purpose under heaven.” In simplest terms, a season can be understood as a period or segment of time.

We understand this in our culture because we are used to a typical four-season rotation throughout the year. Each season brings with it its positives and negatives. Summer brings wonderful sunshine and family time but also heat and sunburns. Autumn holds a glorious array of color schemes but introduces the fierce winds and beginning of the cold months. Winter consists of beautiful snow, warm fires, and sometimes even school cancellations {amen}; while also possessing icy roads, and threatening blizzards. Lastly, Spring carries wonderful temperatures and captivating flowers, yet also plagues many with allergies. All seasons have their ups, and all seasons have their downs. Perspective makes all the difference.

{Ecclesiastes 3:1}

———-

Duration: Temporality

The honest truth about seasons in our lives is that they are not just times, but limited times. They come to an end. They don’t last forever. Yes, I’m talking to you. You who are at your wits end. You who cannot hold on any longer. But I am also talking to you! You who think the bliss of ease will last forever. It won’t, it is only temporary. You see, this is the beauty of the seasons in our lives; they come, and they go. Each one bringing with it a lesson and a growth opportunity to prepare us for the next one.

This principle of temporality is backed up in the book of 1 Peter. In case you are unfamiliar with the book, Peter is writing to a region that we would call Turkey in modern times. The Christians in that region did not have a local church to safely meet at because they were under heavy persecution and “manifold temptations” from the Roman government. They were running for their lives because of their faith. It is in verse six that we see this seasonal principle introduced. Peter encourages these suffering believers that they are “in heaviness through manifold temptations,” but that it is only “for a season.” This is encouraging language to the believer who may be hurting and struggling. It will not last forever. It is only for a limited time.

{1 Peter 1:6-9}

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Result: Triumph

Not to be over-zealous, but for the Christian, even if our suffering never ceases in this life, we know that there is a day of unparalleled triumph awaiting us. I don’t think I can say it any better than the classic hymn writer, Jim Hill:

“There is coming a day,
When no heart aches shall come,
No more clouds in the sky,
No more tears to dim the eye,
All is peace forever more,
On that happy golden shore,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

There’ll be no sorrow there,
No more burdens to bear,
No more sickness, no pain,
No more parting over there;
And forever I will be,
With the One who died for me,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

———-

I pray this has been a small dose of encouragement for your day. I hope that this has given you an adequate appetite for what will come and be seen from Seasons. Thank you for taking the time to read. I love you all and God is good.

Until we write again…..

In, for, and because of Christ,

V.S. See

References:

By Hunter

Introduction & Purpose

October 13, 2021 | Wisdom | No Comments

Hello, my name is Hunter See, and I am the author behind Seasons. I am excited about this opportunity that God has laid on my heart to endeavor into. About a year ago, a very dear friend said to me, “Hunter, you should write a blog!” When she said this to me, I gave the normal responses of avoidance, “I don’t have the time;” “it’s just not really my thing;” and “I’m not even a good writer anyway.” During this same time, I was taking a college course on Digital Media for Ministry, and within the scope of that class, there was a great emphasis given to blogging. So, I began to ponder on the thought. The idea did not truly solidify in my heart and mind until I went into a recent seasonal change of life. In the initial weeks of that new season, I began to have so many thoughts flood my mind; thus, I sat down and just started typing. Before I knew it, I realized, “Maybe I could do this.” I put a feeler post out on Facebook to see if anyone would even be interested, and I received some very positive and encouraging feedback. So, Seasons was birthed.

Above, is the brief story behind the blog itself, so now let me introduce you to me and some of the explanation behind the subtitle and the underlying passion.

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Who: The Author

So, who am I?

As I said before, my name is Hunter See. I am currently a part-time youth pastor on staff at Keystone Baptist Church in Berryville, Virginia. I have been serving in the ministry here for nearly three years so far. I also am a graduate student at Veritas Baptist College, where I am working on my Master of Ministry with a concentration in Biblical Counseling. I am projected to graduate from that program in May of 2022 with a Bachelor of Biblical Studies with a Concentration in Pastoral Ministries. Before coming to Keystone at the end of 2018, I was in a very transitional season of my life. I had just finished my four-year term as a paralegal in the United States Army and moved back home to the Berryville area. It was during this transitional season that half of the heart behind Seasons was birthed (I just did not know it at the time).

The Lord saved me by His grace at the end of my senior year when I was seventeen. It was May 17^th, 2014. Interestingly, for about nine months prior to that, I had this strange urging in my heart toward preaching. Obviously, I was not saved, so I did not surrender to that calling; but, three months after God saved me (July 17^th, 2014), I did surrender to His call on my life. Then, three days after that, I left home for the Army. I was in the service for four years and plugged into an amazing church during the last three years of that time. Much will probably come in my blog from my experience during those times.

———-

What: The Content

So, what will you see in Seasons?

First off, you will see most posts laid out like you see this one. I am a man of organization, structure, and uniformity when it comes to the function of ministries. So, most posts will be laid out like this one. The beauty of organization is that it prepares the soil for abnormality to flourish. There will be times when, in order to get the importance or the impact of a post across, I will break the normal layout; but even that will have its purpose.

My posts will have a variety of flavors but will focus on a handful of different foundations. Sometimes, I may write a post from a message that I have prepared or preached. There will be other times that I may come across something in my personal devotion time with the Lord and write on it. At times, I may write deeply from the heart of what I am facing and going through. Being a twenty-four-year-old single Christian, I will probably write on dating and relationships as well from time to time; not as an expert, but as someone amid the fires that we call dating in our generation. Occasionally, I will write multi-part series from one post to the next. My heart toward this blog is that it will be real, raw, transparent, edifying, and growth-cultivating. I have an intense burden for wisdom-based living, so my posts will highly focus on the practical application and daily living-out of God’s direction to us in His Word.

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Why: Mission and Passion

So, where did this come from?

I gave a summary at the beginning of this post of how my heart was moved to write Seasons. Here, I would like to address the Bible-based philosophy behind the mission and passion that I have through this blog. You will notice that, though the blog is generically entitled Seasons, its full title is Seasons: Rising and Falling Under His Hand.

The idea behind Seasons being the title is woven throughout this post already. There is a steady trend and clear teaching in Scripture that life occurs in seasons. You will hear more about this in a more targeted post.

This subtitle comes from two passages of Scripture that have greatly impacted my life. One was used by the Lord during that transitional period of my life that I talked about at the end of my Army career; that verse is 2 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” The second of these verses is a very recently impactful one for me, it is Proverbs 24:16, “For a just man falls seven times, and rises up again, but the wicked will fall into mischief.” I will probably write two posts very early pertaining to each of these individual verses and their impact on my life.

One more thing that you will notice is the passion statement under the title of the blog, “Writing to the hearts of those who are in the valleys and on the mountaintops.” This is truly it … This is one of the primary reasons that I decided to take this step and try this blogging thing. I have a burden for people. I have been there. I have not been everywhere, but I have been there. I know pain. I know grief. I know loss. I know heartache and heartbreak. I know broken-home raising. I know failure. I know the valleys of loneliness and depression, and I know the mountaintops of overcoming sin and truly walking in spiritual victory. So, with the little experience that I have, I desire to reach the hearts of those that are in both places and different seasons of their lives.

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I apologize for the length of this post, but I wanted to do my due diligence to explain just what Seasons is. One last thing you will notice is that I will sign the posts as “V.S. See”. This is simply a signature that I wanted to take on for anything that I write, be it blog posts, poems, songs, or maybe books one day. The V and S are simply my middle initials, so there is nothing complicated behind it. Thank you for taking the time to read. I love you all and God is good.

Until we write again…..

In, for, and because of Christ,

V.S. See

By Hunter

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Category: Wisdom