True Prosperity

Down the road there is a new ‘church’ that openly states on its website, “We believe in divine healing and prosperity through faith in the Name of Jesus and obedience to His Word. These benefits are included in and are a part of our Redemption.” It’s sad to see how many people are drawn to listen to this false gospel in hopes that their life here on earth will get better. I have to wonder if they realize they are not worshiping the true God but an idol of health and wealth? Would they be more excited about winning the lottery than they would about Jesus’ return?

We’d all like to live comfortably and free from physical and mental illness, but that is not promised in Scripture. Max Lucado wrote in Tame Your Thoughts:

“Scripture makes three clear statements about affliction. First, there is no pain-free option. ‘In the world you will have tribulation’ (John 16:33 ESV)… Second, everyone does something with their pain… Numb it… Run from it… Third, pain displays God’s glory. We exist to make a big deal out of God” (ch. 10).

Job was a righteous man who had all kinds of wealth. But God took it all away as an illustration for all of us that our lives are not about how good and faithful we are, but how good and faithful God is. Our lives are not about us.

The prophet Isaiah said, “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’ But you were unwilling” (Is. 30:14). That verse led me to write the following in my prayer journal:

Israel was reluctant to rely on You, and often we’re not much better today. I’d like to know the future so I can be prepared for it, yet Your answer is “Trust Me.” I’d like to be strong enough and smart enough to deal with whatever comes my way, but You say, “My strength is perfect.” I’d like to plan all the details, but You say, “My thoughts are not your thoughts and My ways are not your ways.” Lord, help me trust Your plans, Your purposes, and Your power, because that is how You have designed us to function in Your world!

Health and wealth and knowledge and power might temporarily satisfy, but one Day soon God is going to ask each of us where our faith was really placed, for “no one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and money” (Matt. 6:24).

I’m relieved that faith isn’t proved by outward measures like health and wealth. If that were true, I’d constantly be worried about how much is enough. Instead, the pains, troubles, and losses in this world are a constant reminder that this life is not all there is. On that final Day, all those struggles will be forgotten like a passing shadow as we behold the glorious Light of the World. When He makes all things new we will get to enjoy it, but even then we’ll remember that none of it really matters compared to living in perfect relationship with the One who created us and redeemed us by His love and grace.

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him” (Is. 30:18).

 © 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

One Body

In the modern world, we can learn about things happening around the world in just a few seconds with a couple clicks on a screen. We are often lured to every variety of negative news—wars, disasters, accidents, or moral failures. But we also have connections with friends, family members, and other believers for instantaneous encouragement and prayer support. That latter aspect has caught my attention several times lately.

A quick look at my Facebook friend list includes not just family, classmates, and church members, but also a number of people I’ve never actually met in person. Some went to college with my parents or they know me because of my work with the denomination. But they aren’t just strangers—they are my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I listen to podcasts and read books and blogs by some well-known Christian names. Many times, I’ve found myself thinking, “I’m glad this person is a Christian, because one day I will get to talk to them in person in the kingdom of God,” or “I hope this person is a Christian, because they would be really interesting to talk to.” Recently I even found myself wondering if there was a way to connect a particular actor/author with a Christian apologist who could address his unanswered questions and misconceptions in order to bring him to faith. (I pray that God would make that happen.)

And sometimes, when a prominent speaker is caught in sin, my first response is not condemnation but prayer for their repentance and reconciliation with God and others. I have compassion for these members of the Body of Christ, because I too am a sinner in need of mercy, grace, and sanctification.

Since we believe that the Body of Christ consists of all believers around the world and throughout time, it can be fun to imagine future conversations with people we’ve only read about, from the Apostle Paul to Charles Spurgeon, to Great Grandpa Percy, to Pastor T. in Myanmar. But it’s also a reminder that as believers we have something in common that is more important than our differences of opinion or culture. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:1-3,

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Unity in the Body is not something we create, because it comes from our union with Christ. But we are called to maintain that unity in our interactions with one another. How might our words be tempered if we first prayed for one another? Would our opinions be softened if we looked at issues from the perspective of eternity? How many of the things that raise our ire today are even going to be remembered when Christ returns? We also shouldn’t underestimate the power of an honest compliment. In a world where kind words are lacking, it is encouraging to be reminded that other people actually notice something you’ve done. As Paul told the Thessalonians,

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:2-3).

What would it take for our default response to be prayer and encouragement rather than aggravation and defensiveness? It starts with remembering that we are brothers and sisters in Christ, not opponents in a battle. By the power of the Holy Spirit we have unity that supersedes all other concerns.

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing” (1 Pet. 3:8-9).

© 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Anxious for Nothing

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7)

I don’t know about you, but verses like this can make me anxious! It can feel like an impossible standard—if I don’t have peace then I must be failing miserably. However, it is helpful to remember this is not so much a command to be obeyed but an invitation to talk to our heavenly Father (and other faithful believers) about the things that cause us stress.

It just occurred to me recently that when we arrive at the new earth, there will no longer be any fear or anxiety. We won’t worry about the things we need for daily life, that’s obvious. But we also won’t worry about what other people think about us or how they might treat us. We will feel safe being fully known and fully loved. That boggles my mind! I can spend far too much energy thinking about what I should or shouldn’t say in any particular setting. We’ve all experienced rejection or distancing from others who don’t like our opinions, don’t understand how to relate to us, or simply don’t want to be bothered. While we’d like to think the church is a safe place, it doesn’t always turn out that way because we are all sinful and broken people. So then to not worry about any of that will be a wonderful blessing.

There are plenty of things that cause us anxiety in this life, and I can attest how hard it is to turn off those thoughts. And yet the truth is that the vast majority of the things we worry about never come to pass, so we’ve been anxious for nothing! That was brought vividly to my attention this week. I had an important meeting that I’d put on the wrong date on my calendar. I thought it was next week. So, after sleeping well Wednesday night, I was a bit surprised to realize my meeting was on Thursday. If my calendar had been correct, I know I would not have slept much due to anxious thoughts running through my head. (As it was, I lost sleep after the meeting from being keyed up all day.)

What can we do to short-circuit those spiraling thoughts? The next verse in Philippians gives us a good place to start:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worth of praise, think about these things” (v. 8).

I heard someone point out that all those traits can be applied to Jesus, so thinking about Him and talking to Him is ideal. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not very good at redirecting my thoughts to beneficial things, especially during the night. I’m more likely to try to distract myself with a podcast or audio book. It’s probably more beneficial on the nights that I rehearse Scriptures I’ve memorized. If that doesn’t help me go to sleep, at least I’ve thought about true and good things.

Anxiety is not something we’ll fully overcome in this lifetime, though we can make progress one small step at a time. I know I’m not as anxious as I was even a few years ago, but I’ve got a long way to go. When Jesus spoke about anxiety in the Sermon on the Mount, I’m certain He didn’t do so with a rebuking tone. Instead, He was compassionate and reassuring as He reminded the people “Relax, God’s got this.” May we all learn to rest in His presence and provision.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life… Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? … But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? … Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:25-26,30, 34).

© 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Why Believe?

This week I encountered articles with somewhat different opinions about the role of apologetics in the Christian faith.

Russell Moore wrote:

When I would ask, “How did you come to Christ?” not a single [apologetics professor], to my memory, ever pointed to an apologetic argument. Often these apologists would talk about finding faith the same way I did: growing up in a good church or having parents who shared and demonstrated their faith... We need debaters, yes, and we need experts. But more than that, we face an opportunity when people all around us are exhausted by living like machines. Many of them will keep their guard up and argue confidently, but deep down they wonder, What if there is more than this? What if, behind all this, there really is someone who knows and loves me? Apologetics is a step toward showing people Jesus, but winning arguments alone is not the kingdom of God.

J. Warner Wallace wrote:

Most people [I ask] say they were raised in the faith... Others tell me their faith rests on experience—a prayer answered, a sense of God’s presence, something miraculous that confirmed Christianity to them personally. On the surface, both of these answers sound good. But neither distinguishes Christianity as true. Think about that. My Mormon family members would give identical answers about their faith. My atheist relatives also cite upbringing and experience to justify their worldview...

We live in a culture that elevates private experience and personal truth. But the God of Scripture doesn’t ask us to believe blindly or feel our way toward Him. He calls us to examine the evidence He’s provided—to love Him not only with our hearts but with our minds. That’s why every believer must become a Christian case maker.

Moore grew up in the church and relies more heavily on the relational aspects of Christianity. Wallace came to faith as an adult after investigating the claims for himself. Both are good paths, and both are needed in our culture. All believers should have a testimony of how God has worked and continues to work in their lives, but I don’t think we can stop there. In a culture that says, “You have your truth and I have mine,” a personal testimony doesn’t necessarily give anyone else a reason to believe Christianity is true. The average church member probably wouldn’t know where to begin in defending their faith rationally, and there are limits to what can be taught in an hour or two on Sundays. That may be an area where we all need to grow.

In my own case, I began to believe at a very young age because I grew up in the church and a family with multiple generations of pastors. However, I didn’t really know what I believed until college and seminary. Though I knew the distinctive beliefs of the denomination my parents had grown up in, I didn’t really know the essentials of Christianity. Moving frequently, the churches of various denominations that we attended never told me about God’s great love and grace. Nor did they tell me why Christianity made sense logically. All I remember hearing was that God exists and that He expects us to live a certain way in order to be saved.

In college, I had great professors who made sense of Scripture, history, and science. But I also had a discipler who loved me and showed me that God was more than a Creator and Judge. I needed both mind and heart perspectives to tell me that Christianity was worth holding onto. If I had not gone to a Christian college, I think it’s likely that I would have walked away from the church, and perhaps from faith, when life got hard. And if I had not had that discipler, I think I would have given up on life entirely.

Is reason more important than relationship or vice versa? The two can’t really be separated, though different times of life may require different approaches. We need both truth and love to fully experience the life-changing reality of faith in Christ Jesus—

“So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph. 4:14-15).

© 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.