Safeguarding

Joy Revie

Recently, a good friend of mine was sharing that her mother was getting frail and felt she couldn't continue living on her own. She was offered a room in an assisted living home, which was closer to her daughter.

My friend was both happy and sad at the same time. Sad that her mother was getting frail and no longer able to look after herself, but happy she was living closer to her and would now be safe both day and night.

Safeguarding is a term we hear often these days either in the news, our workplace, local communities and in church. It is defined as “protect from harm or damage with an appropriate measure”.

At work, we do mandatory training courses to ensure we are up to date with the knowledge & skills required - enabling us to identify those who may need specialist organisations for help or protection.

Identifying those at risk was a big part of my job as a practice nurse. From the very young to the frail and elderly, all can be vulnerable.

Fortunately, I don't feel at risk of physical harm, or other types of usual safeguarding needs - but it got me thinking about spiritual safeguarding. How do I identify my risk and what do I do to protect myself or help others?

I was challenged about this further through our Sunday sermon series, ‘With You Always’, based on Matthew 28:20.

Did I really believe that Jesus was with me always?

If I believed that then, despite any circumstances, surely I would have peace and joy at my core - as promised by Jesus in John 14:

I leave the gift of peace with you - my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts - instead be courageous!
John 14:27 (TPT)

I had to admit that I really didn't feel joyful or peaceful.

Over the last few months, I was being both mindlessly busy and mindlessly inactive. I couldn't concentrate on anything and had no sense of clarity. After some intentional checking of my thoughts and feelings, all I found was discouragement, fear, frustration, uncertainty, anxiety and agitation.

It was a shock to acknowledge those thoughts were rooted in my mind, affecting my mood and directing what I was doing or not doing.

How subtle the enemy is. But thankfully we are not under his authority.

I remembered our Keys to Freedom study in housegroup, where we were reminded how important it is to allow God to continually update and refresh our minds:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2.

Then by confessing in honest prayer, those harmful thoughts and lies that had taken root disappeared and intimacy with Him was restored. It honestly felt like a physical weight had been lifted off.

In a world where our Christian values are countercultural, may I encourage you to continually safeguard your minds to allow joy and peace to reign, regardless of your circumstances.

Paul's words in Romans are as encouraging now as they were 2,000 years ago:

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs and groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves…
That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Romans 8:26-28 (MSG)