One of my most popular blog posts is entitled “No Flinching.”  In it, I describe a posture that I developed throughout my time as a leader in higher education.  Essentially, not flinching requires (1)  the development of a non-defensive posture that remains curious and concerned for others, (2) a deep sense of self, (3) a willingness to listen to others, and (4) a desire to be a constructive presence.  To the extent that I have been able to maintain a non-flinching posture (and I’m not always able to do so), I’ve been able to remain calm in challenging situations and to listen for understanding without surrendering myself and my convictions in the process.  At the same time, because I am not trying to protect myself, I can remain open to the perspectives of others with a true willingness to admit that I may be wrong in some way.

As those who have believed in Christ, our individual and collective lives become witnesses reflecting the glory of God to a world that needs to see it.  Part of reflecting that glory means that we live 

• without anxiety, but not without care
• without panic, but not without urgency
• without idols, but not without appropriately directed desires
• without 

We reflect God’s glory by rightly ordering our own passions and concerns. God first; all else follows.  It is in this right ordering that we find that God has empowered us to live with distinction in a world that is no longer our home.  He has secured the church so that its fate is not tied to any nation. He has shown us that “man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut 8:3) so that we have no need to dismiss God’s wisdom even in times of want. He has given us victory over sin and death so that we can say with Paul, “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).  In essence, we have no need to flinch because to do so would suggest that we have something to lose that matters more than reflecting God’s glory to a lost world.  

Where does this leave us?  It does not leave us inactive.  Part of reflecting God’s glory to the world means that we actually have to be in the world.  It does mean that our primary goal when acting in the world is not to champion our causes or advance our agenda but to showcase the possibilities the life, death, and resurrection of Christ affords those who believe in Him. In Christ, we have the resources and perspective to be unflinching even in the most chaotic of times because our destiny is not determined by the will and whims of men but has been determined by a wise, benevolent, sovereign God who asks us simply to follow Him.

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Moody Center.

Featured Image by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash

USEFUL TO GOD

Eight Lessons from the Life of D. L. Moody

FULL COLOR WITH BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS

DOWNLOAD SAMPLE | PURCHASE

SEE MORE GREAT BOOKS FROM KINGDOM WINDS PUBLISHING

VISIT BOOK GALLERY

About the Author

For more than a decade, James served in academic leadership within biblical higher education. He currently serves as President of the D. L. Moody Center, an independent non-profit organization in Northfield, MA, dedicated to honoring the spiritual legacy of D.L. Moody. James serves on faculty at Right On Mission and as a consultant for Christian colleges and seminaries in the areas of leadership development, online programming, and enrollment management. He also teaches as an adjunct instructor at the collegiate and graduate level in the areas of biblical studies, interpretation, and Christian thought. James graduated with his B.S in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2000 before earning his Master of Divinity from Moody Theological Seminary (2004), his M. A. in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College Graduate School (2005), and his PhD in Theological Studies-Old Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (2012). He later attended the Harvard Institute of Education Management and completed a year of executive coaching. James researches and writes in the areas of theology and Old Testament Studies. Useful to God: Eight Lessons from the Life of D. L. Moody was published in 2021. He also published Thinking Christian: Essays on Testimony, Accountability, and the Christian Mind in 2020 and co-authored Trajectories: A Gospel-Centered Introduction to Old Testament Theology in 2018. James also co-authored "Isaiah" with Michael Rydelnik in the Moody Bible Commentary and contributed to Marriage: It's Foundation, Theology, and Mission in a Changing World, and The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy.In addition to writing on theology and Old Testament studies, James has also published and presented in the areas of online curriculum design, higher education policy, organizational strategies for higher education recruitment, and Christian leadership. James and his family live in the Chicagoland area. He is available to speak in the areas of Christian leadership, Christian theology and contemporary issues, Christian identity in the digital age, biblical higher education and college choice, and Old Testament theology. .

Bio & Posts

Visit Store