Constance Hastings: The Trouble with Jesus

Constance's Book The Trouble with Jesus
Constance's website
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Find HOPE Here podcast

Overcoming trials and difficulties is more prevalent in the Christian Walk than people ever realize, and it was just as true for Jesus as he lived among us. 

 Many persons, including those who have been in church for a long time, have deep questions, even doubts about their faith, and it is not unusual to learn of those who have shut the door on God in their lives. 

 To candidly deal with those questions is the purpose of her book, The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations Before You Walk Away. 

After more than 20 years in ministry (faith-based counseling and church settings), Constance has found many persons in the pews (or chairs) have on their hearts people whom they love but who have serious obstacles to accepting Jesus. 

 Too often they feel the "church" is the place to be saved discounting how their witness is primary for the Holy Spirit to work in lives. Simply put, they don't know how to do it. 

This book is first written for that doubter or skeptic with an edgy voice that challenges Jesus' narrative, faithful to the Gospel story as Jesus as Son of God. In that place, it is an excellent tool whereby believers can present it to these persons and introduce Christ with, "If you would read this, could we have a conversation?" As said, the Holy Spirit then has an open door in which to enter lives and confirm a commitment. 

 What if the trials and pressures of life were molding you into a precious gem? Constance Hastings shares her captivating journey of faith, starting with her unexpected enrollment in a Christian school and her early acceptance of Jesus. Her stories of navigating the challenges of faith will resonate deeply, especially as she compares this spiritual journey to the formation of a diamond.  

Curious about how to bridge the gap between skepticism and faith? Constance opens up how her book is aimed at those who wrestle with doubt. She encourages a healthy engagement with questions of faith 

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Transcript

[00:03] Jan: Welcome to Just Talking About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talking about Jesus.

[00:14] Jan: Ever wonder how to share your faith? Maybe someone in your family or a close friend is skeptical. One minute you're praying for them, asking God to direct you, and the next you're wondering about the timing or what to actually say. They have so many doubts and roadblocks to believing that you don't know where to start. After more than 20 years in ministry, faith-based counseling, and church settings, Constance Hastings has found many persons in the pews or chairs have on their hearts people whom they love but who have serious obstacles to accepting Jesus. What if there was a book that talked about all those hard topics, One that isn't dry, One that speaks with the edgy voice of a doubter directly to you questioning who Jesus is and what he taught? In this episode, we're going to uncover those topics. Topics. But here's the mic drop. They're topics you yourself might have questioned. Stay with me because by the end of this episode, you'll know there's a tool out there for you. That might just be the bridge you've been looking for. My guest today is Constance Hastings, author of the Trouble With Jesus Considerations before you Walk Away.

[01:29] Jan: Welcome, listeners. We're so happy to have Constance Hastings here. Welcome.

[01:34]  Constance Hastings: Thank you for having me today, Jan. Yeah.

[01:37] Jan: So you've written a book, the Trouble with Jesus Considerations before you Walk Away. Ooh, that sounds pretty deep.

[01:47]  Constance Hastings: A lot of people will take a look at that title and go, hmm, but that, I like that because that draws them in and then we can, we can talk and they can get an idea from there about the book. Short version of this is that I talk about the trouble with Jesus. When Jesus was born, he was born into a time where there was great trouble in his ministry. He met a lot of trouble. Jesus also brought some trouble. And when those two converged, it resulted in the world bringing the worst that it could on him and was death and crucifixion. But praise God, he was able to overcome that with his resurrection to give us then a life in which we can come to him, knowing that he has come to overcome the trouble in the world.

[02:40] Jan: So you're over your overarching thing is overcoming trouble.

[02:47]  Constance Hastings: In the world of Jesus? Yeah, yeah, I can, I can't solve all problems. I had a faith-based counseling practice for 18 years and I would have new clients. I would tell them, I can't solve your problems. If I could solve your problems. I'd be the richest woman in the world.

[03:07] Jan: And so is that where your motivation came to write this?

[03:11]  Constance Hastings: Not exactly. As you mentioned, God puts things on our paths to get us ready and train us for what is coming next. And that's pretty much what was going on there. As far as my careers, I was a high school English teacher. I also taught at a local community college. I worked as a freelance a writer for a local newspaper. Had a measure of success with that. Even had a time when I was invited. This was when Bush was president. I was invited to the White House for one of his points of lights beaches. That was really exciting.

[03:51] Jan: That was really.

[03:53]  Constance Hastings: But eventually, this is an aside.

[03:55] Jan: How did they find you?

[03:58]  Constance Hastings: That again? While I was doing the freelance writing, I also was teaching one class at a adult basic education program. And I love that. But that year, Bush wanted to give one of these speeches at a graduation for those students, those kinds of students. And you remember Barbara Bush was very an advocate for literacy. And so we. Our town was only about an hour and 20 minutes from D.C. and it was an easy helicopter drop into the area. And that all came about. In the meantime, I was there as an instructor to see that graduation. But the next day, they wanted those students to come to the White House. And the paper called me, the one I'd been working with, and said, we want you to go as our representative on this. So I was with my students, working with the paper, and that's how it all came about.

[05:14] Jan: What a fun memory for your students as well. What a great memory.

[05:18]  Constance Hastings: Oh, my goodness, yes. They said they had relatives calling for tickets that they never met before. That was kind of fun, especially for those students, because these were the students who were not successful in a traditional high school setting. But we're able to overcome that and graduate and go on.

[05:40] Jan: So that's so awesome. I was a Title 1 teacher for a number of years, you know, both elementary and high school. So, yeah, I know. That's awesome. Okay.

[05:51]  Constance Hastings: But God took that and, you know, that was the time in which he was actually teaching me a writing style. And yet I also felt a call to more formal ministry, which didn't make sense. It never does to anybody because I thought it was serving God in pretty good ways at the time and why. But. And that then led me to faith-based counseling. And as I said, I did that for a number of years. At the same time, I held ordination as a deacon. And in a church nearby, they had asked me to come and do a morning Bible study for the. For the women of the church, they did this every year. It was sort of like a mini retreat kind of thing. And they gave me several months to think about a topic and direction for that. And I couldn't come up with a thing. I could not come up with a thing. You know, it was like I had 66 books of the Bible and there was nothing. And yet I also knew these women. And these women were very smart, they were professional, they were accomplished. And the usual women's study, if you'll forgive me, just wasn't going to have an impact on them. And that was part of my struggle. And one day I just looked to heavens and I said, the troubles with Jesus. Oh. And I put together the study and I realized in my outline it was actually an outline for a book. Thank God took it from that.

[07:25] Jan: So let's delve into your book a little bit more. Tell me more about it.

[07:29]  Constance Hastings: The book is written, it begins with an edgy voice. And this voice is the voice of a doubter or a skeptic. I want to read to you the very first paragraph of the book. It states, now let's be clear about this. You can tell your story any way you see it and I can jump in with my two bit commentary when I want, but none of this believe it or you're going to burn crap. I am only willing to listen because I agree Jesus story might have some things I like about it, but it's my choice what I do with it. I've been given other belief systems about the universe, how we got here and what it means to pass through this life. I guess though that I just think there's more and I'm willing to give Jesus the benefit of the doubt. And doubt is what I bring to this table. And that voice throughout the book will interrupt the narration. It will challenge it or express a lot of skepticism. Basically call out to the story from a perspective that is of today, in today's cultural context. And the narration tells the story of Jesus an answer to those challenges. Also at the end of each chapter there is a section called Further Provocations for your consideration. And those are open ended questions that the reader can use to consider, to journal to. If someone wants to have a book discussion to use those, they don't rehearse what was already said in the chapter, but strive to take the message that is in there beyond that. And all of this moves to the point where the choice is given. And at one point in the book I talk about when Mary Martha were talking with Jesus over the death of Lazarus you remember, Martha comes to him and she's very upset, and she says, now, Jesus, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And in speaking to her, that's when he says, I am the resurrection and the life. And then he says, do you believe this? And that question, though in the narration, it's directed, of course, to Martha. It's also directed to all of us where we have to come to make a choice on do we believe that Jesus is who he said he is and that how he comes to us in. In the. In the form of the divine so that we may know God better. I try and help people understand the distinctiveness of Christianity is just that. Not that we go seeking God, but we have to fulfill certain rituals or do certain things to become closer to God, to reach heaven, but that God comes to find us. When Jesus was born, you know, we talk about Emmanuel, God with us, that's. That, as I said, is the distinctiveness of Christianity and what Jesus was trying to do in his life and ministry so many hundreds of years ago. What.

[10:53] Jan: What's your testimony?

[10:55]  Constance Hastings: Well, I sometimes preface that where I should not be here right now. I was born in a family which were. My parents were not particularly religious. My father never went to church. My mother grew up Southern Baptist, and she took me to church, Sunday school and church until I reached the age where I could go by myself. It was during the time when those local schools were starting the process of desegregation and we lived in the city. They did not want me attending those schools, but right down the street there was a small, private Christian school, and they thought that would be a good place for me to go. So for all the wrong reasons, if you will, they sent me to a Christian school. And it was there that under the lessons of those teachers, that I learned the Bible, I learned the story of Jesus. And one night, actually, I was just seven years old on my knees in my bed, I felt so responsible for Jesus having to die for me that I asked his forgiveness. And I'd like to say that years later, I realized when I read Pilgrim's Progress, that pilgrimage, I had this burden physically lifted off of me. I felt just so good, so loved. And I knew that my salvation was complete. And that was. I call it, the first touchstone of my faith. The thing I could always go back to, that God met me there. And I. You know, these. This was something that might not have ever happened except that I was sent to that school. And through my life, like most people, you know, I've had times of, call it rebellion, you know, and I want to walk away and I want to do things my way and I want.

[12:52] Jan: Control of it like any normal human being.

[12:56]  Constance Hastings: But God kept. Kept calling me in, calling me in. CS Lewis is not the only one who wrote about the Hound of Heaven, but the Hound of Heaven kept after them. And when it came time to actually start a serious, as a formal ministry, I, I felt that the Holy Spirit had my throat and wasn't going to let go until I, I said yes. And that, yeah, that, that's, that's how it happened. And the places that I've been, the people I never would have met, the richness of my life comes from my faith journey. And I thank God for that.

[13:37] Jan: Can you even imagine being without him now? I just can't even. I just can't, you know, through Isaiah again. And it just like all of the wonders of who he is, it's like I'm the one that made the heaven. And so stars up there, that was me, you know, the. Those seas and everything in it. And that was me that did that. And I can do other things too. If I can do that, I can do a bunch more. Yeah. Yeah. Who is your primary audience for your book?

[14:13]  Constance Hastings: As I said, the book is written specifically to address the doubter or the skeptic. So, you know, if you need to call that the primary audience, it is. However, and this is my prayer for the book, is that believers who have on their hearts someone who is this doubter, who is this skeptic, who has put up such obstacles to who Jesus Christ is, to knowing him as the Son of God. That person sometimes has a difficult way of expressing their faith. I regret to say this, but our churches, you know, in at this time, I don't believe specifically training people on how to do that and how to give their witness. And this book is, could be a very good tool in doing that. Now, before anybody takes the book and hands it off, I want to stress that you need to spend a lot of time in prayer for that person. And I had maybe years, maybe years out of your knees over it. At the same time, keep relationship with that person the best that you can. And you might not always agree with their lives. You may have to swallow your tongue at points, but just keep that relationship open until that time comes and God will do this. We'll bring that person to where you can say, could we, if you would read this book, could we have a conversation? Just have the conversation. You know, you can go through the questions in There you can talk about the chapters, wherever, at what point both of you can meet, and, you know, bring that question to the forefront. Do you believe this? At that point? We all need to let the Holy Spirit do what the Holy Spirit does. And, you know, the hope and the prayer may be that that person will receive Jesus Christ and begin a life in faith with him, but it doesn't mean if it doesn't happen right, then it won't happen.

[16:42] Jan: Exactly.

[16:44]  Constance Hastings: I believe in a grace that will follow us to, you know, the last thought of our soul can be expressed, and God sometimes will need us in those places. And it's tough to watch, but I've seen it happen in my inner life. One of your questions was, what obstacles arose have you overcome? And that happened for me around 2010. The end of 2010, the church with which I was involved was going through horrible time. Someone had embezzled $150,000 out of the church's finances. And rather than the church coming together, they were just splintering, and it was just so hard to live with. And then the night before Thanksgiving, I got the call that my father had had a massive stroke and he was still alive, but he was in the hospital, probably would never be able to talk or walk again, and had to go into that time of questioning and hoping and praying until the doctors finally said, you have to understand, he has no language. There's. There's nothing there except that his heart is still beating. And my sister and I at that point had to make the decision based upon the living will, that he had to remain all hydration and nutrition and let him go. Let God take over from there.

[18:25] Jan: Our decision right now.

[18:27]  Constance Hastings: As I said, I was not raised in a home that was particularly religious, and I knew that at this point I was going back to give him to God. But one of the hospice nurses, who was wonderful, talked to me, and she said, you need to understand, but this is the time when most people have that last conversation with God. And at one point, I had been with him, and I went to lean over the bed, and I was. I was wearing a cross, and the cross fell down within his line of vision. And I could see a connection. And from then on, I believe that God was beginning that conversation. You know? Yeah. Could I hear him pray the sinner's prayer or anything like that? No. The last time I was with him, I was in the hospital. It was late at night. I was at the point where I knew that my love and my prayers would not change anything. And it was time to Go. But as I was leaving, this nurse met me and she started talking with me. We were still in the room. My father was right behind me in the bed. And she was telling me how her children attended that same Christian school that I had gone to.

[20:04] Jan: No kidding.

[20:06]  Constance Hastings: And at that point, I said, that school's responsible for my salvation. And I told her my story. I left. And as I left, it occurred to me the last thing my father heard from me was my salvation story. Yeah. And again, like I said, I really believe that God met him at that point. So if you are at this, have someone in your life for which you are praying and will probably pray to your last breath for, do not give up. Have your faith in Jesus Christ. And, you know, again, my prayer is that the trouble with Jesus considerations before you walk away can be a part of that. And it might. It might help move the needle just a little bit closer. When someone comes to this point of decision, maybe not even the book itself, but at least the stories, what we know, the truths that are there in Jesus message, God will be able to speak to them again.

[21:13] Jan: Yeah.

[21:14] Jan: Oh, wow.

[21:15] Jan: Wow. That is. And it just is. That's how our journey goes. You have no idea of those little things that he plucks out from there and puts them up, you know, just kind of saves them for the right time at the right place and orchestrates it all.

[21:30]  Constance Hastings: Absolutely. Yeah.

[21:32] Jan: Such a great God. Oh, my goodness. And I. I believe, you know, I really. We don't know anybody. Maybe their life doesn't have anything to do with the Lord. Maybe they have not professed him, wanted to have anything to do with them, but you don't know what God's going to do with them at the last minute.

[21:49]  Constance Hastings: We don't know.

[21:51] Jan: I think we're going to be surprised to do in heaven. Yeah. Yeah. Well, wonderful book. I am anxious to read it. And where can people find your book?

[22:03]  Constance Hastings: Anywhere that you want to buy the book. Okay. You can go online. You can go to Barnes Noble or your local bookstore and ask them to order it. Actually, if I may, the. I encourage people to go to the local bookstores and order it. Because when you do that, it's not just like it goes from a warehouse to a truck to your front door. It goes through people's hands. People have to look at it, they have to touch it. They have to go, oh, the trouble, Jesus. And that excites me. So if you're willing to do that and want to buy the book, again, the trouble with Jesus considerations before you walk away I also have to tell you there's a companion blog that goes along with the book. It's also called the Trouble with Jesus. You can find it at my website, Constance Hastings.com and you can read and subscribe if you'd like to. The blog, it comes out once a week. It's about a 10-minute read at most. And so that's available to you and if you, if you prefer digital format, that also is available, I know it's available on Amazon and you can, you know, access the book in that way, but you can't give away a digital copy. Yeah, that's, that's what I want. Get it and give it.

[23:28] Jan: Get it and give it. Get it and give it. Okay, what would you like to leave our listeners with?

[23:34]  Constance Hastings: I do want to encourage people in their faith journey to pray for that person for whom they would like to Jesus to be real to them. And in some ways  I, I kind of have a fear. I don't want to call it a fear. We'll call it a fear just because the, the people are, are reluctant to do that. I know many churches are, as I say in the, you know, they don't have people going there anymore. Covid certainly was a part of that. But I think, I think the real reason is that we don't have enough people who are willing to speak about Jesus Christ. And I want to give you from Matthew 5:16, where Jesus says, let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. When we let our light shine, God is glorified. And again allowing the Holy Spirit to move, to be active, to take that divine power that we don't have, but God has and to make that difference. So that's the hope and the prayer for the book.

[24:51] Jan: I think just speaking to that. I think what happens too is partly while we're at church, we're not always doing God talk with our friends and neighbors. You know, wow, how's your day? Was great, whatever. Instead of going well where did you see God in that moment? Or this is what God did with me today or you know, that kind of thing and becoming to making him a real person really in our lives and expressing that.

[25:19]  Constance Hastings: Yeah, yeah. The church is not a social club. We're there for a reason and a purpose.

[25:24] Jan: Yeah.

[25:25] Jan: Just to bring it in closer and deeper to build that excitement about who that creator of the universe that actually cares for us and our everyday needs. So thank you, Constance. It's just been a real pleasure to have you on my show and to get to meet you and share about.

[25:45] Jan: The work that God's given you.

[25:47]  Constance Hastings: And thank you Jan for all that you do to helped promote that as well.

[25:54] Jan: A couple of things stood out for me. As we've heard in other testimonies, hearing about Jesus as a child has a huge impact and many attribute their salvation to the message shared with them at VBS, Awanas, Sunday School or Christian schools. And wasn't her final time with her dad in the hospital so special? Don't give up on your loved one. They may seem like they're in an impossible place and too hardened to believe. Speaking to myself here, but friend, you never know what God is going to do with them before they die. So of course, today my recommended book is A Trouble with Jesus. A link is in the show notes and here's a recommended podcast. It's called Find Hope Here Here with Teresa Whiting. This is a podcast about holding the messy, complicated, painful parts of life alongside the beauty, joy filled hope that Jesus promises. Teresa digs deep into God's Word and shares truth that impacts our daily lives and the scripture. Everybody knows John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him would have eternal life. Hey, We've just hit 1600 downloads. Thank you for helping this podcast grow. Please share it with others so that they might be blessed as well. Let me know your thoughts by texting to the link at the top of the show notes and I look forward to joining you again next time in your car while you're folding laundry, walking the dog or wherever. Blessings my friend.