Colossians 4:7-8
Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts…
“Fake News” became a popular refrain during Donald Trump’s presidency when he or his supporters suspected the honesty of mainstream media reports. It was not a new opinion to hold. For the first time in its history, the Edelman’s Annual Trust Barometer reveals that fewer than half of all Americans acknowledge any kind of trust in the mainstream media. Sadly, many of us in the Church are more interested in the bogus reporting of the media than the truthful reporting of what God is doing in the world.
As we have seen, Tychicus was a loyal and trustworthy disciple and helper of Paul’s and he had been given a very important mission: Tell other Believers what God was doing in Paul’s life and ministry! This was a critical issue in the early days of the Church as persecution was on the rise and God’s newly adopted sons and daughters needed to be encouraged and reminded that God was on the move in miraculous ways. I think we might need that as much today as our brothers and sisters did nearly 2,000 years ago.
I spend a lot of time pouring over the news of the day as part of my preparation for hosting a daily radio program. It can be emotionally exhausting and if I’m not careful, I’ll end up quite discouraged and remarkably angry. I often give a warning on the air regarding this unhealthy cycle that many of us are struggling with. “Don’t sell your joy down the river for a bowl of stew!” It’s a reference to the story of Jacob and Esau where the older brother (Esau) sells his birthright to his younger brother for a bowl of stew…all because he was ravenously hungry. I fear we often do the same thing, but we trade our peace and joy for an unhealthy obsession with the frustrating news of the day.
Many of us need to change our diet. We need to seek out “Tychicus News” and add it to our intake of current events. God is moving in our lives and in the lives of His people. We need to hear about that! God is moving in our nation, believe it or not, and we need to hear about that! God is moving around the world—even in the Middle East—and we need to hear about that! On a more personal level, we need to check in on one another regularly to share stories of how the Lord is moving and guiding and teaching us…and share praise reports when we hear them.
Here are two websites where you will only see encouraging news…but also remember that YOU need to be a Tychicus as well! Use your social media to help do that…and watch your intake of bad and frustrating news! No Christian should bury their head in the sand, but we also need to be equally aware of the Good Things the Lord is doing in the world!
https://www.faithpot.com/category/news/positive-stories/
https://www.today.com/news/good-news
(the second one is secular in nature)
