274 Serenity On A Troubled Planet

There are many aspects of life that we cannot change. We gained them either by luck, chance or providence. Examples are our race, gender, home language, social class, country of origin, and more. There are things we can change in life as a result of our choices and hard work. Health, wisdom, who we marry, how many children we have, friends we have, our attitude and more. There are blessings we get that we can be thankful for. But some things we are just fortunate to experience. For example I don't think God had any say in where I got born. If I were to say I was blessed to be born here then I would have to say that someone who is born in Calcutta is then cursed. I am not willing to go that far. There are any blessings God gives us and Jesus reminds us that God is impartial and send the sun and rain on the good and the bad. We conclude with two beautiful prayers. The Serenity Prayer and the Lord's Prayer.

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SHOW NOTES

Serenity on a Troubled Planet—Perspectives on Life

It is helpful to recognize different aspects of our lives. It leads to realistic expectations and contentment.

1. What We Cannot Change—Aspects of life that we had no influence over

Depending on a person’s culture or religion these aspects are termed luck, chance or providence.

Examples are gender, race, home language, social class, economic class, country, health at birth, I.Q., native talents etc. Clothes, children, toys, homes are often an attempt to detract from this inheritance.

The Pharisees would get up in the morning and thank God that they were not born women. Being male was the great blessing of God for them. Most of us would not praise God in this way.

We live in Canada not Somalia, Sudan or Bangladesh. This is a great advantage materially, physically, socially and spiritually. We also had no choice in our place of birth but were lucky or unlucky in this respect.

We have eyesight We could have been born blind or deaf or mentally challenged. There are those who are born blind, born with Down’s Syndrome, or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Spina Bifide or many other dysfunctions. It was not their choice but they suffer the consequences. What shall we call this state of life other than bad luck?

What shall we say about God and luck? If we say God has blessed us with eyesight for instance, what does it imply for those born blind? Are they cursed by God? Jewish theology believed all suffering was the result of personal sin. Jesus refutes this theology in Luke 13:1-5. In John 9 Jesus notices a man born blind and the disciples ask Jesus who sinned? This man or his parents? They had no sense of luck or chance even in a sinful world controlled by the devil (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). They were naïve and blamed all suffering on personal sin.

We may refer to all these factors that we inherited as good or bad simply luck. Now it is true that Hindu’s have the explanation of karma. We experience bad or good luck according to our performance in a previous life. But these are not Christian beliefs.

If we had been born on the streets of Mumbai or Kolkata, we would have probably been desperately poor and uneducated. We live in a world of sin, which means chaos and inequalities of every kind abound. If we claim what we have suggested as luck is providence or holy luck as God’s blessing then we must also say that God has then cursed those who do not have these advantages.

2. What We Can Change In Life—Aspects in life that we do have some influence on.

Some examples are health, wealth, wisdom, environmental care, marriage, children, friends, peace, attitude, inter-personal skills, education, and professional skills. There are of course more than these.

We can choose what we will eat and drink and if we will exercise. This has some influence on our health we cannot live much longer than 100 years of age. We all die in the end, even though we live ashealthfully as we can. Some of the good health we enjoy is the consequence of our wise choices. Good choices sometimes mean good consequences.

The Old Testament says it this way. Obey and God will bless you. Disobey and God will curse you (Leviticus 26). Jesus taught us that this one of the gods we invented. Believers do not think this way anymore. For secular people this Old Testament language is offensive since it portrays God as a petulant dictator. I was talking to an atheist this week who is familiar with the Old Testament and is alienated from God for this very reason.

Unfortunately Christians are used to the language of the Old Testament

and have no idea of how offensive these stories are to people who feel deeply about mercy and compassion in the world.

A disciplined life does bring rewards in most cases but discipled slaves were still slaves, howbeit good slaves.

By hard work and careful spending one can become wealthy in Canada. There are people in other countries like Malawi who have worked hard all their life and still only have enough food to eke out their lives. No electricity, very little health care, no vacations, no financial security and very little education.

3. Blessings (gifts of God)

Examples are life, love, beauty in nature, consciousness, choice, Jesus Christ, forgiveness, grace, salvation, eternal life, spiritual gifts, character beauty, Sabbath day ( Gen 2:1-3) and so on.

Abrahamic blessing

Gen 12:3 NLT “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 22:18 NLT “and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” The obedience references Abrams willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

Levitical Blessing

Numbers 6:24-26 NLT “The Lord bless you and keep you;

25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Psalm 1:1 NLT Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,

or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

Psalm 2:12 NLT Submit to God’s royal son,[a] or he will become angry,

and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!

Psalm 32:2 NLT Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,

whose lives are lived in complete honesty!Psalm 34:8 NLT Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Psalm 40:4 NLT Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols.

James 1:12 NLT God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Seven blessings of Revelation (NLT)

1:3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”

16:15 “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”

19:9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”

20:6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.

22:7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.

22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.

Jesus’ Teachings

Jesus was very different in his understanding. He taught that God blesses people unconditionally with rain and sunshine and life and salvation (Matthew 5:43-48). He also blesses us with the power to choose to love others, to show mercy and have compassion unconditionally as he did. His ideals and his views of the Kingdom of God as highlighted by the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12).

There are basic teachings of Jesus which give us insights that promote mental health and optimistic attitudes. As an example Jesus taught us that the devil is in control of this planet (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). This means we can cherish every moment of peace and joy because “the devil goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He is the one who “steals, kills and destroys:

(John 10:10). The implication is that we are not surprised by tragedy, misfortune and trauma. The are the order of the day on this world. We look forward to a new earth promised by God. In this perspective, while we work for peace and harmony, we know we can make the world a little more endurable but it will not be until all is made new.

Conclusion

In every life there is a mix of good and bad luck, consequences of choices and God’s blessings. We do ourselves and God a disservice when we do not distinguish between these three aspects. We can take some credit for hard work and perseverance and delayed gratification as we are not robots. We cannot take credit for luck and the blessings of God. When we come to worship, we can affirm God for what he

has given to us such as physical life, salvation, unconditional love and forgiveness, and an eternity with him in deepest intimacy.

Our prayers reveal the thoughts of our hearts. Sometimes shallow and mundane because we have been delegated to the task in worship and we have not thought much about our relationship with God. Here is one prayer of arrogance that we know about.

Luke 18:11 NLT "The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: 'I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector!'"

But there are other prayers.

Reinhold Niebuhr, an American theologian, authored the Serenity Prayer in the early 1930s.

God, grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,

enjoying one moment at a time;

accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;

taking, as Jesus did,

this sinful world as it is,

not as I would have it;

trusting that You will make all things right

if I surrender to Your will;

so that I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen. (My emphasis)

This is almost as good as Jesus’s prayer which he taught his disciples.

Dear Father in Heaven

I wish all people would admire and honour your character.

If only we lived your love on earth as it is done with delight in heaven.

Thank you for the food we enjoyed from your hand again today.Thank you for not listing our faults and failings but inspiring us to forgive and love others.

Thank you for never testing or tempting us but rather protecting us from the evil one.

Surely to you belongs the Kingdom of heaven, the power of creation and redemption, and glory of mercy and compassion, forever and ever.

Amen

Ian Hartley, October 2026