In the Bible, during the waning days of King’s David’s reign, David gives directions to his son Solomon. During this discourse, the waning king tells the future king about preparations for the temple. David, who wanted to build a temple but learns from God that this project will be completed by his son, makes the necessary preparations for the construction. He gathers the many needed supplies and preps a temple-making-kit for Solomon, and after encouraging Solomon to follow God’s law, David offers this directive: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged” (1 Chronicles 2.13b).

In the Bible, during the waning days of King’s David’s reign, David gives directions to his son Solomon. During this discourse, the waning king tells the future king about preparations for the temple. David, who wanted to build a temple but learns from God that this project will be completed by his son, makes the necessary preparations for the construction. He gathers the many needed supplies and preps a temple-making-kit for Solomon, and after encouraging Solomon to follow God’s law, David offers this directive: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged” (1 Chronicles 2.13b).

We see the evil in our world and ask, “What can I do?” In asking this question, we face this continual challenge: we believe others are the problem. We blame bad people, bad laws, and bad culture. We do not, however, blame ourselves. The problem always resides with someone else. But … if we are not the problem, then we cannot be answer. As for me, I want to be part of the solution, and as such, I must accept that I am a contributor of evil to this world. As for you, if you want to part of the solution, then you also must accept that you are contributor of evil to this world. So, what can we do?

What advice would your deathbed self give to your current self? This seems an odd question, but its answers are quite illuminating. Consider this: would your dying self proclaim, “I wish I worried more. Having lived a full life, I recognize the immense value in constantly fretting over things big and small. In fact, worrying was some of my life’s greatest moments.”? That seems unlikely.

Have you ever been sailing? I have used a small single-person Sunfish on a few occasions. There was satisfaction when the wind blew in the direction I wanted to go. The boat glided efficiently atop the water. And when the wind blew against my destination, I relied on my limited ability to inefficiently tack the little vessel. Utilizing a jagged trajectory, I eventually navigated the boat toward the shore.  At times, however, the wind stopped blowing. I just sat in the boat waiting for a breeze to push me somewhere, anywhere.

While in college, I worked at a Christian camp for three summers. The camp director was a man of prayer. During the first summer, I remember him saying, “We need another nice ski boat so more kids will come to camp and then we will tell them about Jesus. We just need to get that boat.” (If you have ever priced a nice ski boat, then you know, they ain’t cheap.) The director, undeterred by the expense, started praying, “God, give us the money so we but a nice new boat and tell more kids about Jesus.”

As a person with an outdoorsy bent, I gravitate toward news articles about hiking mishaps. A common theme emerges: Unprepared hikers become lost in the woods. When park rangers finally located the disoriented hikers, they discover the day trippers often lack the essentials: map, compass, outerwear, and water. The rangers then relate these misadventures to the media hoping that future adventurers might not repeat these foolish mistakes. I think to myself, I would never make the same mistake. Upon reading about such an incident in an arid climate, however, I found myself thinking I never knew that could happen