If you grew up in the 1960s or loved watching reruns of ‘60s TV, then you are probably familiar with the program Lost in Space. It revolved around the Robinson family who were marooned on a hostile planet. Among others, it starred the handsome Guy Williams as the father and the beautiful June Lockhart (who never suffered one bad hair day) as the mother. Jonathan Harris was the self-centered and troublesome Dr. Smith while Billy Mumy played the young Will Robinson. Probably the star of the show was Robot (played by Bob May) whose weekly warning of  “Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!” will forever be a part of American vocabulary and TV lore.

Many of us often get Lost in Space . . . or should I say Lost in Speculation. We spend our time thinking about what might happen or what we believe is happening or what we fear is happening when little (and sometimes none) of it has any foundation in fact. This could be regarding relationships, health, job situations, or any other number of situations.

It is during our hours of speculation that we need to heed Robot’s warning: “Danger! Danger, (insert your name)!” because speculation creates a reality that is not true, endangers relationships unnecessarily, and feeds worry when there is nothing to worry about.

Jesus tells us, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). I think most of us would agree with that last part.

I have two quotes on my wall by Corrie Ten Boom (which I might have shared with you before) that help me when I get “Lost in Speculation.” The first says, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

The second is, “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength––carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

If we were to flip this problem to the positive, it would look like Psalm 119:105, which says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” God knows what the future will hold, and through His Word he promises to light our way and direct our paths, but those word pictures imply that He will only give us enough information for the next few steps. He doesn’t show us a mile down the road.

So next time you find yourself Lost in Space . . . in Speculation, remember Robot’s warning and God’s promises, and you will have more joy for today.

The other day I passed a small tree, nestled against a brick wall and dwarfed by taller trees. Because of both of these factors, it had a problem: it couldn’t get any sun. It’s solution? Adapt. And adapt it did. It was now growing almost sideways, working its branches around the bigger trees in an effort to reach sunlight. It knew it needed the light to live, so it was intent on finding a way to reach it.

I, too, know that being in the sun is important to both physical and mental health as it provides valuable vitamin D and increases serotonin levels. These and other attributes of the sun, in turn, reduce heart disease, help prevent diabetes, reduce the risk of MS and some types of cancer, can prevent cavities, and increase our happiness. Many of us already knew some of these benefits and because of that we take advantage of sunny days and being outside.

So why is it some of us don’t, or won’t, transfer this to our spiritual health? Jesus says in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus is our spiritual Son. We often make ourselves emotionally and physically ill because of living in the darkness of unconfessed sin. We feel hiding in the shadows will keep us safe, but it doesn’t. David in Psalm 32:3 speaks to this when he says, “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.”

Like David, sometimes our approach to sin is to take comfort in the darkness, when what we really need to do is reach for the light of the Son and rake in all the life-changing and life-giving benefits He provides.

When the average temperature for July is 103, you know it’s been a hot month!

And it shows. Everything looks tired: lawns, trees, people, animals . . . even the air. But for me, there is one saving grace. . . the crepe myrtles . . . they bloom in the heat of summer and see us through the fall . . . and for that I am eternally grateful.

I have talked about the olive tree and the fig tree and their unique qualities and contributions. The crepe myrtle has none of these that I can find. It’s one contribution is its long lasting beauty at an unusual time. Most trees bloom in the comfort of spring and the blossoms give way within weeks to green foliage. But the crepe myrtle is already in full foliage when its flowers appear midsummer, and those flowers last for months. While everything else is drooping in weariness, the crepe myrtle is bursting with color. It is a balm to weary souls.

God in His goodness has created a beautiful world for us, and often we can find solace and comfort there. The crepe myrtle is one of His creations that brings a smile to my face and a peace to my tired spirit. Do you have something special in nature that you enjoy and that lifts your spirits? Please share if you do. God’s creation is vast and varied and designed just for us.

With all the gridlock that has been going on in Washington for the past umpteen years, citizens are crying out for some sort of compromise between the arguing factions. Work together for Pete’s sake, many are thinking. Because of this frustration, compromise has taken on a totally positive connotation. It is seen as both the salve and salvation for what plagues our nation. But that isn’t necessarily true.

Steven Covey in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, calls successful compromise a Win-Win for both parties. In other words, both parties leave feeling that they have been heard and their opinions valued, and the solution maintains those beliefs and ideals most important to each side. For instance, Bill wants Chinese but Sarah wants Italian. The compromise? Chinese this week and Italian next week. If Bill and Sarah decide to go to a steakhouse, which neither likes, then this compromise is useless.

While some compromises can be merely unsatisfying, others can be downright dangerous. We have heard stories of over-the-counter drugs being tampered with, or the structure of a building or bridge suffering damage. Even more common are the reports of computer systems whose security walls have been breached, leaving millions of people’s identities at risk. To put it simply, when the item or structure has been damaged, then its integrity has been compromised, and trust and credibility is lost.

As Christians we are often seen as intolerant or rigid in our beliefs because we won’t happily ride the ebb and flow of some societal changes because they run counter to our Christian values. However, sometimes we find ourselves willing to go along with the flow. Whether it is because we don’t want to feel the sting of a verbal attack or we want to enjoy forbidden fruit, we will sometimes compromise our values. But when we do our integrity is compromised, and people now question the sincerity of our faith. As a result, our Christian witness is damaged and difficult to rebuild.

Yes, we need to work together. We need to listen to others and understand what is important to them. But that does not mean we must agree with every opinion, and it certainly doesn’t mean we need to compromise God’s truth.