Yahweh has Remembered

I have begun preaching through Luke’s account of the events surrounding the birth of Christ. Last Sunday I preached from Luke 1:5-25–the announcement of John the Baptist’s birth.

Luke introduces us to Zechariah, an aged priest. He is married to Elizabeth, who came from a family of priests. They had spent their lives serving God faithfully through a very dark time in Israel’s history. They were blessed, but their neighbors probably thought otherwise: Zechariah and Elizabeth had no children. There was a painful stigma attached to those who were barren/infertile in those days. Their friends and family probably assumed they had failed to receive God’s blessings due to some secret sin. But Luke describes them as “righteous” and “blameless” (Luke 1:6).

Zechariah was granted a unique opportunity in his old age: he was chosen by lot to burn incense at the altar. He would go to the Holy Place within the temple. He would get to stand at the veil of the Most Holy Place and keep the incense burning. He would smell the fragrant smoke, which represented the prayers of God’s people.

It was here, at this holy moment and place, that Zechariah got more of a divine encounter than he had bargained for. He received a personal visit from Gabriel. He was understandably afraid, but Gabriel had some incredibly good news: Zechariah and Elizabeth would have a child. The boy would be named John, and he would be a prophet like no other. John the Baptist would prepare the way for Jesus Christ Himself.

I’ve been thinking about one particular detail of Luke’s account for the past few days:

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” -Luke 1:13

“Your prayer has been heard.”

Based on Zechariah’s response (vs. 18), he had not prayed for a child in a long time. I wonder just how long it had been.

I imagine it went something like this:

Zechariah and his wife married when they were young (it was common for women to be engaged by the time they were 15 in the ancient world). They thought they would be changing diapers within their first year or two of marriage. But those first years passed by with no sign of new life. Tearful prayers were lifted to heaven, but to no avail (or so it seemed at the time). More years went by, then decades. Zechariah’s prayers for a child eventually ceased as time and age suffocated all hope. He and Elizabeth were advanced in years, and they would have no heir to receive their rich spiritual heritage.

Zechariah had long since forgotten his prayers for a child by the time Gabriel showed up.

But God had not.

God would answer Zechariah’s prayer in a time and in a way that only He could. Zechariah and Elizabeth were graciously included in His story of redemption.

Zechariah’s name means “Yahweh has remembered.”

God remembers. God remembers our prayers–even those we have forgotten. Isn’t He amazing?

Redeeming my Time: Social Media

Introduction: add me up

I’ve used social media for a long time. I remember joining Friendster back in the early 2000’s when I was living in Manila, Philippines. I learned about it through the college students I was ministering to–it was another way to connect and interact with them. I have also joined MySpace, Multiply, Google Plus, Facebook, and Twitter since then. Some of these websites/platforms have gone extinct.

Social media has been a blessing to me. It is, after all, how I met my wife. It allows me to keep up with friends and family from all over the world. We especially enjoy sharing pictures/videos of our son to family that live far away.

I also use my Facebook page and Twitter to share quotes and links that I find encouraging and/or informative. Some of you are probably reading this post because I posted it on my Facebook page or Twitter account.

But social media does have some downsides. I can think of at least three:

The bad news can be overwhelming.

Social media allows me to get news updates from around the globe within seconds. It is good to be informed. But I am not God: my heart is not big enough to absorb all the pain and suffering going on in our world. I don’t think we were built to consume an endless stream of bad news, most of which we can do little about.

What’s even worse is that the before-mentioned bad news isn’t always trustworthy. Information is often presented out of context, or in some cases, completely falsified.

The vitriol that I often see expressed is discouraging.

Social media is the perfect place to argue with strangers you would otherwise never interact with. It’s the perfect place to say things you would never say to someone face-to-face. That’s exactly what I see happening much of the time.

It does not seem like most people post/comment online for the purpose of meaningful dialogue. Social media tends to be more of an echo chamber in which people post what they believe, and expect you to believe, about everything from theology to politics.

I cannot think of one mind I have changed, or one time my mind has been changed, through a social media discussion.

It can become a massive waste of time.

Social media can be a source of constant distraction. Whether it is mindlessly scrolling through posts or trying to keep updated on all  my notifications, I can easily waste too much time on it. This is time I can never get back–time that could be used on something more productive, fulfilling, and even eternally significant.

Steps I have taken to redeem my time

Paul admonished the believers in Ephesus to make the most of their limited time here on earth:

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
-Ephesians 5:15-16

With this in mind, I’ll share with you some steps I have taken to be a better steward of my time and to have more peace of mind. I’m not telling you that you have to follow these steps. I am simply hoping it will help you.

First, I try to avoid online arguments/debates.

I will occasionally discuss sensitive topics with people that I believe are genuinely open to discussion. But I refuse to get drawn into arguments online–I just do not see the point in it (as stated above).

I’ve taken this a step further: I have “hidden” comments on my posts that I know will spark a debate. I have also “unfollowed” people that post nothing but one-sided political commentary or links.

Keep in mind that I’m more than happy to answer questions people ask me through email or private messaging (which does happen). This was, in fact, a pretty significant part of my ministry back in the day. But there’s a big difference in responding to someone seeking my advice vs. arguing with someone who has already made up his/her mind.

Second, I try to be slow to react.

Truth and fairness are often swept aside in the rush to break stories quickly.  Even videos, which should capture events without bias, are sometimes shown completely out of context.

With this in mind, I have made a conscientious effort to be non-reactive in my approach to the news and opinions I encounter online. I consider possibilities other than whatever narrative is being pushed. I do research. The truth usually comes to light, and I do my best to wait for it.

Finally, I have turned off social media notifications.

“Once your brain has become accustomed to on-demand distraction . . .  it’s hard to shake the addiction even when you want to concentrate.”
-Cal Newport, Deep Work,

Cal Newport’s book was valuable in helping me assess the way I spend my time. I disabled all social media (and email) notifications on my cell phone after reading his book.

Having notifications constantly popping up on my cell phone was very distracting. It was kind of like having an alarm clock constantly going off that interrupted my train of thought. Disabling this feature has greatly increased my focus and productivity–this was especially helpful when I was writing my project for my doctoral work. I can always check messages and updates during breaks or down time.

A Work in Progress

I don’t practice all these steps perfectly, but I believe I am making progress. I have cut back on wasted time and become more focused on that which truly matters. I wish the same for you.

See Also: Facebook and Fidelity