I am not a cat person. Truth be told, I am not much of an animal person at all. As a kid, I grew up with dogs, a cat, and a couple of gerbils that got eaten by said cat. RIP Lenny and Squiggy. So it’s not like I am an anti-pet person at all. I like animals just fine, as long at they are the ones that I can eat.
Khaki was the name of the family cat that I grew up with. She was a calico cat and had this really cool vibe about her all the time. She wasn’t mean, always did her business outside or in the litter box, and gifted us her fair share of chipmunks and birds custom delivered to our doorstep. I’m pretty sure she was well over the age of nineteen when she went to that great litter box in the sky, so I don’t have any childhood memories when she was not a part of our lives.
Fast forward to the summer of 2012. My wife and I are living on the coast of North Carolina and we have four kids, each of whom who have been asking for a pet pretty much since they left left the womb. My answer has almost always been “No!” with the caveat, “I have four kids, why do I need to introduce another mess-maker into the family?” I have been accused of being mean and insensitive and an animal hater, but for years I have stood my ground. Except for that one time we actually did get a dog.
The year was 2010 and we were living in the first house that we had bought with our own hard-earned money. It was great first home - lots of land for the kids to explore and a pond loaded with fish and an elusive giant snapping turtle. It only seemed natural to my kids that a dog would complete the picture of the ideal family and in a moment of weakness I gave in. We researched online for rescue dogs and found one that was predominately chocolate lab (which, if I was pressed to admit, is the perfect dog). After a few phone calls and lots of questions, I drove an hour and a half to South Carolina to pick the pooch up from a family that was fostering this soon-to-be member of the Griggs family.
This exciting new canine adventure didn’t last long. Bella, the name my kids bestowed upon the dog, was not a cuddly kind of dog. Apparently she had previously been owned by a guy who liked to hunt and most of her life was lived in a kennel. She wasn’t aggressive or anything like that, she just didn’t do much of anything. Fetch a ball? Nope. Come when you call her? Good luck with that. But Bella did enjoy running the property and splashing in the pond and one time she even dragged up part of a deer carcass in the yard for us to admire. But it was no secret that she was not the best fit for the Griggs family. So when we decided to load up the family and move to the coast in early 2012, we were able to find a new home for her where she could run and play with other dogs. The kids were mad at me, but I tried to convince them it was for the best.
We found a charming townhome near the water in Southport, NC, perfect for our family and not quite suitable for a dog. Although they continued to ask for another pet, I was able to deflect their request by reminding them that it would not make a lick of sense to have a dog if we didn’t have a yard for it to run in. Plus, lots of people in the community had dogs and they constantly had to walk them day and night and engage in the disgusting act of picking up their poop in a plastic bag. Being a dad, I knew how this would work. I would be the one walking the dog and picking up after it, not the kids. Thanks but no thanks.
Summer arrived and my family enjoyed all the benefits of living at the coast. Why would my kids want a pet when so much of their lives would be lived outdoors? I could feel their angst toward me starting to fade over being a pet-less family and my second oldest daughter had even stopped accusing me of being an animal hater. Life was good.
Until August. That’s when everything changed.
Our neighbor across the street was a college professor, a grandfather-type figure who would give my kids odd jobs such as watering his plants when he was away. One day he called me from across the street to tell me that there was something he wanted me to see. Lo and behold it was a tiny orange and white tabby kitten who was lapping up milk from a glass dish. “Oh, that’s nice,” I said. “You have new cat.” I wish that was how the conversation needed. “No, Sterling, he’s not my cat. He showed up in my yard and I’ve been feeding him everyday. He now relies on me but I have to go back to teaching full-time this weekend and I can’t stay to take care of him. I want YOU to take him in and care for him.”
No. Freaking. Way.
Well, that’s not exactly what I told him but he pretty much got the point. We were not in the market for a cat and I am sure that this little guy would be just fine living with all the other feral cats for which Southport is semi-famous. Satisfied that I had averted this cat-astrophe, I went on my way and thought no more about it. Then, like being blindsided by a linebacker in the open field, I came home to my wife and four kids huddling around this tiny kitten that I had politely declined just a short time before. It seems as if the good professor was smarter than I gave him credit for - he circumvented me and went straight to the source of pet desire.
There was no fighting it at this point. Once mom was on board the only choice I had was to go along with this whole nefarious scheme. The kids batted around all sorts of potential names for the kitten until they decided on Bubba. Bubba Jingles to be exact. Personally, I voted for Meow Tse Tung but I was overruled.
I was off to Walmart where I dutifully purchased a litter box, food, and cat toys so that our kids could help their new little furry friend acclimate to his new home. Whether I liked it or not, I was now the owner of a cat named Bubba. All of the cat jokes that I had told over the years now were now coming back to haunt me, being swallowed like a bitter pill. I needed an antacid and quick.
Sure, he was super cute, but I was waiting for the inevitable messes to start taking place. And it wasn’t all that long before they did. There were a fews accidents here and there that were not all that egregious, but when Bubba decided to use our Lazy Boy couch as a litter box, effectively ruining it (have you ever smelled cat urine or tried to remove it from furniture?), it was the only weapon I needed in my arsenal of cat-disdain to evict this little guy from our home and our lives. I looked at the kids and declared, “He’s gone!”
Tears ensued, followed by pleads of mercy and grace. “Dad, are you really going to get rid of the cat? Mom didn’t even like that couch anyway!” I had to admit that they had a point there. This was the perfect excuse to get a new couch that matched our beach decor. In my utmost benevolence, I agreed that the cat could stay but that we was now to be an outdoor cat. The litter box got tossed and Bubba spend the next few weeks outside, entering our home only to eat his food. Yet gradually, if not inevitably, Bubba found his way back into our home full-time, sans litter box.
And do you know what? This cat figured it out. Somehow, someway, his three week banishment from the kingdom had cured Bubba from needing any kind of reminder of where his messes were to go in the future. When he needed to relieve himself, he would wait patiently by the door or loudly meow in our general direction until someone let him out. This guy was easier to potty train than any of my kids had been!
Then something unexpected happened - Bubba decided that I was his primary master and he began to favor me over everyone else. When I would go to the mailbox, he would follow me. Bubba would come lay beside me when I was sitting on the couch and would come when I called, recognizing the sound of my voice, resembling more dog than cat. I had to admit that this feline was growing on me but I would never admit it to my kids as much as they tried to get the truth out of me.
Bubba has now been in our home a little over five years. The move this past summer up to Wilmington, NC, was a bit traumatic for him but he quickly adjusted, treating our cul de sac and surrounding yards as his personal kingdom. He still is fully potty trained, waking me up most nights around 3:30 so that I can let him outside when he does sleep inside. The neighborhood kids thinks he’s the coolest thing ever and he still lets my youngest daughter hold him and pose him like a toy doll.
So yeah, I guess I am a cat person of sorts. I like to say that I am more of like a one-cat man. Bubba has effectively become part of the family, for better or for worse. And just in case you are wondering, I still manage to deflect the constant barrage of pleas for another pet - except for the hermit crab and two mice that my kids brought home this past, but that’s another post for another day.
Showing posts with label Grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grace. Show all posts
A non-PC response to an issue that desperately wants to divide us
Orlando, FL, in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 12, 2016. 50 men and women dead in a club, all shot by the same gunman, and many more wounded.
That information alone is enough to crush one's spirit. It did mine. Who goes out and senselessly guns down men and women like that in cold blood? When I heard the news and the massive amount of lives lost, it hit me to the core and I grieved and continue to grieve for those affected by this senseless act of violence.
Oh how I wish that we could all see it that way, as a senseless act of violence committed by a man whose intention was nothing short of evil. Yet we are not allowed to see it that way, not in our politically correct world. By the way, whose idea was it to put the words "political" and "correct" together in the first place? Talk about an oxymoron!
The victims were at a gay bar. They were all gay, thus it's a hate crime against the gay community.
The shooter was a radical Islamist. He claimed allegiance to Isis, thus it's about Muslim terrorism.
Guns are the problem. We need gun control!
On and on the rhetoric has flowed. Is any of that true? Maybe some of it is or perhaps all of it is, but when we succumb to the labels and the venom and the finger pointing that the media and our politicians vomit on us, we find ourselves going down paths that take away from the reality of not only this tragedy, but any tragedy that we see or experience in our world. Real people lay dead, all sons and daughters who will never return home.
So in the midst of all of that, I want to encourage you to turn off Fox News and CNN and MSNBC and I want you to close the Drudge Report page on your web browser.
You see, what really is the core issue in all of this is not the sexual preference of the victims nor the religious ideology of the shooter or even the types of weapon made available on the free market. The root cause goes much deeper, all the way to the heart and the soul. The reason this tragedy and tragedies like this happen are because we live in a lost and broken world that has been indelibly marred by sin. And sin, when it takes root, bares it's ugly head in unimaginable forms.
Will seeing this from a theological perspective change what happened? Will calling it sin stop the next nut job with a gun from mowing down people in public places? I am not saying that we cannot respond in a way that offers prevention and helps those who have been affected right now by such senseless acts. Decisions must be made by those whom we have entrusted to make those decisions.
But for the rest of us who have the luxury of playing armchair talk show host while we busily click away at our computer keyboards on social media sites, our task must be different. We must begin by seeing the flaws in humanity as they are, not as we want to make them out to be.
The problem is sin. The solution is Jesus.
Jesus died for the sins of the world, not just the sins of those who are straight but also the sins of those who are gay. Not just for those who would one day place their faith in Him, but also for those whom He knew would reject Him. We are ALL sinners. I am, you are. And because of sin we are marred by it and we act in ways that sometimes only affect our own lives but more often affect the lives of others. If sin wasn't a problem, then Jesus would not have died. We all have sin and all of us need the forgiveness and redemption that only Jesus can offer.
Because of that, I am broken in my spirit over the affects of sin in our world. Whether it is a drunk driving accident that causes fatalities, physical abuse of a child, millions of abortions around the world that prevent unborn babies from living the lives for which they were created, or even the ravaging affects of cancer as it destroys the human body, sin always leaves its mark.
And this is the perspective I am asking you to take in all of this: To grieve for the lives that were lost to the sinful acts of this man and to offer up prayers of peace and comfort to 50 families who will no longer hear the voices of their loved ones or see them over the next holiday. Call upon the name of the Lord and pray for a mighty rush of revival in our land. Do not fall into the trap of reserving your empathy for only those who look like your or believe like you. Jesus did not distinguish in such a way and neither should we.
Maranatha. Come Lord Jesus.
Accountability doesn't have to be a lost virtue
By now you've heard and read all about the Stanford University student Brock Turner - who happened to be an accomplished swimmer - who raped an unconscious woman after a party behind a trash dumpster early last year. If you haven't, then I'm sure what I just typed sickened your stomach just a little. I hate to add to your discomfort, but his trial just ended and the judge sentenced him to only 6 months in jail because he believed that a prison sentence "would have a severe impact on him." Only 6 months for raping and abusing an unconscious young woman who had no way of defending herself. Wow.
I do no not want to dive into the details of this case because they are disturbing to recall and they are out there for anyone to see with just a little research. You can also find what Brock's father said to the court, almost excusing the actions of his son and quite possibly suggesting that our justice system was depriving him of having the fun life that he's worked so hard for. All the while Turner has admitted to drinking that night in question, yet he has never admitted any fault in the attack that he says was consensual in nature.
If your blood is boiling, join the crowd. The failure of any sort of justice in this instance can lead us to all sorts of conclusions and finger pointing: A corrupt judge who is a graduate of Stanford himself; a privileged student who used influence and money to escape blame; even a justice system that favors the status of elite whites over that of underprivileged minorities. All of these make a compelling argument. But the one area that is most glaring to me is the lack of accountability taken on by the accused and now convicted young man and his family.
It's not my fault. It really isn't a big deal. He/She is just as responsible. This isn't fair, I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I have to take all the blame? You can't do this - I've got big plans for the future and you are ruining them for me.
On and on the excuses go when we refuse to accept responsibility for our actions. Yes, being held accountable means that there are consequences we must face and penalties we have to pay. That's part of life. Yet somewhere along the way it's become acceptable and even fashionable to embrace an assumed plausible deniability in order to avoid any negative consequences for our poor choices.
Your. Poor. Choices. That's right, when you make a bad decision, that decision is yours to own, not mine or anyone else around you. I hate it when I make a bad decision and have to suffer the consequences. It's at those times I wish I could find a scapegoat to pass the buck to, yet I realize that in the end I have to own it. We all do. And when we see such graphic examples of those who seem to get away without accepting the responsibility and blame for their own actions, it brings out the most visceral of reactions in us.
While we are all to be held accountable for our decisions, there is someone out there who is willing to take the blame for all of the bad decisions that you have made. His name is Jesus. He didn't come to get you off the hook of serving your deserved sentence here on earth for your poor choices, but He did make a way for you to receive forgiveness that lasts for eternity. When He died on that cross those many years ago, He did so to forgive your sins and mine. Not to cover up your responsibility for the sins that you've done, but rather to pay the eternity penalty that you could never hope to pay by yourself.
Let's face it - our actions here on earth have consequences. If you are a parent, you have the responsibility and obligation to teach that to your own children. This is gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you! couldn't be any more true or needed than it is today. And begin by taking a look at your own life and how you handle your own mistakes. Own them. Confess them. Accept the consequences. And then look to Jesus not only for forgiveness but for a better way to live and make your future decisions.
I do no not want to dive into the details of this case because they are disturbing to recall and they are out there for anyone to see with just a little research. You can also find what Brock's father said to the court, almost excusing the actions of his son and quite possibly suggesting that our justice system was depriving him of having the fun life that he's worked so hard for. All the while Turner has admitted to drinking that night in question, yet he has never admitted any fault in the attack that he says was consensual in nature.
If your blood is boiling, join the crowd. The failure of any sort of justice in this instance can lead us to all sorts of conclusions and finger pointing: A corrupt judge who is a graduate of Stanford himself; a privileged student who used influence and money to escape blame; even a justice system that favors the status of elite whites over that of underprivileged minorities. All of these make a compelling argument. But the one area that is most glaring to me is the lack of accountability taken on by the accused and now convicted young man and his family.
It's not my fault. It really isn't a big deal. He/She is just as responsible. This isn't fair, I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I have to take all the blame? You can't do this - I've got big plans for the future and you are ruining them for me.
On and on the excuses go when we refuse to accept responsibility for our actions. Yes, being held accountable means that there are consequences we must face and penalties we have to pay. That's part of life. Yet somewhere along the way it's become acceptable and even fashionable to embrace an assumed plausible deniability in order to avoid any negative consequences for our poor choices.
Your. Poor. Choices. That's right, when you make a bad decision, that decision is yours to own, not mine or anyone else around you. I hate it when I make a bad decision and have to suffer the consequences. It's at those times I wish I could find a scapegoat to pass the buck to, yet I realize that in the end I have to own it. We all do. And when we see such graphic examples of those who seem to get away without accepting the responsibility and blame for their own actions, it brings out the most visceral of reactions in us.
While we are all to be held accountable for our decisions, there is someone out there who is willing to take the blame for all of the bad decisions that you have made. His name is Jesus. He didn't come to get you off the hook of serving your deserved sentence here on earth for your poor choices, but He did make a way for you to receive forgiveness that lasts for eternity. When He died on that cross those many years ago, He did so to forgive your sins and mine. Not to cover up your responsibility for the sins that you've done, but rather to pay the eternity penalty that you could never hope to pay by yourself.
Let's face it - our actions here on earth have consequences. If you are a parent, you have the responsibility and obligation to teach that to your own children. This is gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you! couldn't be any more true or needed than it is today. And begin by taking a look at your own life and how you handle your own mistakes. Own them. Confess them. Accept the consequences. And then look to Jesus not only for forgiveness but for a better way to live and make your future decisions.
Ain't that a shame? No, it really isn't.
Political correctness. Just uttering those words can elicit a visceral response in so many people. Depending on what your personal worldview is will determine how you define that term. Basically, if what you say, do, or believe does not line up with "the other side's" point of view, then you are politically incorrect. By that definition, we are all guilty.
Before you read any further, I need to let you know something: This is NOT a post about political correctness, politics, or anything that has happened in the news recently. I try really hard to limit my commentaries on those things because social media is a powder keg for so many issues. Plus, whenever you or I put our thoughts out there, there really are no buffers of protection or explanation to truly make it worthwhile. But this IS a post about people, people like you and me and how we've been made to believe that what we have either done in our past or the things we are currently involved in today are worthy of shame and self-hate.
You know what I'm talking about. Think back to a mistake that you've made in the past or to some bad decisions that continue to haunt your memory. When those events define who we are today, then we find ourselves living in a bubble of shame and self-hate, convinced that we are not worthy to move on with our lives because, well, we don't deserve to.
If you are a follower of Jesus, then I think you're tracking with me by now. If you aren't, I still think this will make sense to you. You see, the battle against sin is real and serves as a constant reminder of our fallen nature. When Jesus came and bled and died, He did so to forgive us of our sins and to redeem us for God. That's great news! If you have placed your faith in Jesus then you are forgiven and free - free from guilt and shame from your past sins and mistakes.
But for most of us, the reality of this good news is not enough to move us beyond the incredible essence of God's grace. We still feel guilty for our past sins and, to make matters worse, we still struggle with many of those sins today. Just because we have received forgiveness in Christ doesn't mean that the temptation to sin magically goes away. In fact, I believe that it actually gets magnified because we now know the devastating effects that sin has on our lives and our relationship with God.
So we hide, lie, embellish, and exaggerate about our sins. We don't want others to know that we are struggling because, well, we are followers of Jesus and we aren't supposed to do those things, right? Yet we DO still struggle with sins, those areas that we know are wrong and offensive not just to God but to the relationships we hold most dear here on earth. Sin always hurts - whether it is ourselves or the others around us.
Because (most) Christians hold to a level of absolute truth, when others act in ways that we know run contrary to God's truth, it is so easy for us to point the finger of guilt at them and wag it in their faces. In doing so, many hope to bolster their grasp on truth and decency while clinging to a personal track record that they hope will prove them "safe." And for fellow believers who stumble and fall? Well, this is where the shame comes in. Instead of seeking forgiveness and accountability, it becomes far easier to beat themselves up over their sin to the point of doubting not only their salvation but also their ability to even receive God's love and forgiveness.
The apostle Paul was familiar with this struggle all too well. Romans chapter 7 is devoted to the struggle that he still waged against sin that continuted to plague his life. "For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate...For in my inner self I joyfully agree with God's law. But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body." (Romans 7:15, 22-23) Translation: I know what's right but I struggle sometimes to do it and I hate it when that happens in my life.
Look, none of us want to be seen as failures, especially in our relationship with God. And when we do stumble and fall, it's so easy to beat ourselves up and create our own self-depreciating shaming culture. Do you know what that accomplishes? Nothing! I've never seen anyone grow in their relationship with God as a result of constantly beating themselves up over their past mistakes.
What is the solution? Fight! Shame is not one of the weapons in God's arsenal. But grace is, and He has lavished His grace on us through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7-8). This means that God's grace - His unconditional love and forgiveness - is greater than all of our sin. Yes, sin is real and it's ugly, but if you know Jesus as Lord and Savior then you also must understand that your forgiveness is complete.
What about the constant struggle against sin? Again, fight! There is no magic pill to swallow that will make sin somehow less appealing when you become a Christian. In fact, because you now will be more aware of what sin is, it's draw may be even more appealing. So fight it! You have the ability to fight sin because the Holy Spirit, who lives within you, has given you that power. Paul also wrote in Philippians 3:12-14 that we are to press on in our effort to live lives pleasing to God.
I talk to people all the time who are devastated over the sins in their lives. Some live in daily anguish and retreat to their own little prisons of self-punishment. Sadly, many Christians feed this notion into their heads, making them believe that they indeed need to punish themselves because of their failures. But last I checked, that punishment was already served. When Jesus hung on the cross, He died for sins once for all. It is finished. And no amount of shame or self-hate or punishment is going to add one measure to the forgiveness you have already received. So believe in your forgiveness and God's amazing grace and accept it, and then fight with all you've got against the sin that continues to pull you away from God.
Christian Cuss Words and Other Lame Excuses
I was informed by a student yesterday that there are such things as "Christian cuss words." Did you know about this? Apparently you can call people names such as "butt-monkey" or exclaim "Shut the front door!" and these are acceptable alternatives to those words that we shall not utter, at least while no one from church is around. What a relief to know that we can cuss holy, right?
Funny story, I know. "Those crazy things that kids say!" might come to mind. But let's be honest, the concept behind the "Christian cuss word" has oozed its way into our thinking so stealthily that we apply this illogic to so many areas of our lives.
Let's consider the issues that many Christians champion, for instance. The entire world is well aware of what Christians are against because we do such a darn (oops, Christian cuss-word, sorry!) good job of vocalizing those very things. We are against abortion, against same-sex marriage, against radical Islam, and against anything anti-Chick-Fil-A. And don't get me wrong, if you are follower of Jesus, taking a stand against things that offend the heart of God are what we should be doing. Yet I am afraid that while most people know what Christians are against, they aren't quite sure what they are for.
So, if you are a follower of Jesus, what ARE you for? Better yet, WHO are you for? The way you answer this question is incredibly important, because I have never known anyone who was shamed or bullied into an authentic relationship with Jesus. Just in case you aren't sure how to verbalize what you are for as a follower of Jesus, let me remind you of what Jesus is for:
When we choose to live out our faith in Jesus screaming about what we are against rather than who we are for, we are doing nothing more than making excuses for our lack of spiritual integrity. Maybe we think our Christian activism will make up for a lack of personal responsibility and holiness that we pray no one sees up close. I realize this may sound harsh and unfair to paint all Christians with such a broad brush, but when we choose to lump ourselves together to fight for causes, we ought to be able to take it on the chin when we lose sight of where we are going. And yes, I include myself in this discussion as well.
Let's not be this way any longer. May we be a people united for the cause of Christ, desiring to see as many men and women come to faith in Him as we possibly can. And let the world see us loving the unlovely, seeking to lead the broken, hurting, and confused to healing and hope found only in Christ. Because dangit, we don't need any more excuses.
Funny story, I know. "Those crazy things that kids say!" might come to mind. But let's be honest, the concept behind the "Christian cuss word" has oozed its way into our thinking so stealthily that we apply this illogic to so many areas of our lives.
Let's consider the issues that many Christians champion, for instance. The entire world is well aware of what Christians are against because we do such a darn (oops, Christian cuss-word, sorry!) good job of vocalizing those very things. We are against abortion, against same-sex marriage, against radical Islam, and against anything anti-Chick-Fil-A. And don't get me wrong, if you are follower of Jesus, taking a stand against things that offend the heart of God are what we should be doing. Yet I am afraid that while most people know what Christians are against, they aren't quite sure what they are for.
So, if you are a follower of Jesus, what ARE you for? Better yet, WHO are you for? The way you answer this question is incredibly important, because I have never known anyone who was shamed or bullied into an authentic relationship with Jesus. Just in case you aren't sure how to verbalize what you are for as a follower of Jesus, let me remind you of what Jesus is for:
- Grace - Jesus gave us the greatest gift possible without the hope that there was anything we could to earn it. His death gives us life, His shed blood forgiveness. Jesus is all about loving the unlovely in spite of the fact that no one else does. We should be too.
- Forgiveness - Hurt feelings yield hard grudges. But not so with Jesus. Whatever sin you commit, you ultimately commit against the heart of God, and this is incredibly personal to Him. Yet Jesus offers forgiveness for a flat fee of $0. In fact, Jesus offers you forgiveness before you know you even need it. We need to be like that.
- Second Chances - I love the story of The Prodigal Son found in Luke 15:11-32. Long story short, youngest son takes dad's wealth and blows it on sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll lifestyle before coming to his senses and crawling back home. Dad, who represents God, sees him coming and runs to welcome his son back, offering him a second chance to live life the way that God intended. Jesus came so that we all could get that second chance from God. Has anyone in your life blown it so bad that they don't deserve a second chance from you?
- Obedience Over Perfection - In 1 Samuel 15:22, the prophet Samuel told King Saul that "to obey is better than sacrifice." Translation: God loves it when you do your best for Him, but what He really wants is your heart. He isn't looking for perfect Christians because there aren't any. But God is looking for those who will love Him with heart, soul, mind, and strength. If you anchor you ship to your works, you'll go down with that ship.
- Loving Others - Jesus tells us in Mark 12:30-31 that the two most important commandments are to love God and love people. Some of you are really good at loving God but pretty lousy at loving other people, especially when their skin color, lifestyle choices, political beliefs, or past failures get in the way. So get this: If you can't love people, then you really don't love God in the first place. Jesus is for others.
- Personal Holiness - If you take any time at all to read the gospels (the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible), you will find that Jesus spends a lot of time rebuking those who thought themselves to be uber-religious. Why? Because they flaunted a version of holiness that was phony at best and hypocritical to the core. The whole plank-in-the-eye analogy is for those of us who believe that we have the right to regulate the lives of others without first making sure that our walk with Jesus is actually a walk in the first place.
When we choose to live out our faith in Jesus screaming about what we are against rather than who we are for, we are doing nothing more than making excuses for our lack of spiritual integrity. Maybe we think our Christian activism will make up for a lack of personal responsibility and holiness that we pray no one sees up close. I realize this may sound harsh and unfair to paint all Christians with such a broad brush, but when we choose to lump ourselves together to fight for causes, we ought to be able to take it on the chin when we lose sight of where we are going. And yes, I include myself in this discussion as well.
Let's not be this way any longer. May we be a people united for the cause of Christ, desiring to see as many men and women come to faith in Him as we possibly can. And let the world see us loving the unlovely, seeking to lead the broken, hurting, and confused to healing and hope found only in Christ. Because dangit, we don't need any more excuses.
Throw-away kids
"Steven" had another bad day. That's what the school administrator told me as I sat in a comfy chair across from her desk. This young man, barely halfway through his elementary education, would be spending the next couple of days at home. Again. And no, she didn't break confidentiality by telling me his name - I actually guessed.
I was there to discuss with her ideas about using high school students after school to tutor and mentor elementary students and, before I rose to leave, I told her that if there was an immediate need that I could help with, please let me know. That was when she mentioned a student - whom I guessed to be "Steven" - who was really struggling and was facing yet another suspension from school. She called him a "throw away" kid, not because she didn't see his value (she did and she showed him much love), but rather because the rest of the world around him didn't seem to recognize it.
Hearing this story literally broke my heart. Since I knew who he was, I asked if I could speak to the young man briefly before I left, and she called him out of class to come down to the office. I pulled "Steven" aside and told him how much worth and value his life had and that, if he even needed another advocate in his life, to please call me. I then gave him a big hug because the tears in my eyes were preventing me from saying anything else. As I watched him walk back down the hall to his class I felt a burning rising up within my soul. This young man was not a throw-away kid. He is an incredible creation of God who had yet to discover just how great he could be.
Look around you. There are these so-called throw-away kids everywhere. And the reasons for this are many. Some come from families that either cannot or will not support them, and that is tragic. Others have no role model in their lives and so they have no idea how to grow up to be a responsible man or woman. Tragically, many of these young people will continue to struggle until they either drop out of school or find themselves frequent fliers within our penal system.
If you are reading this, then you are probably envisioning a throw-away kid that you know about. Maybe you've looked upon that child with pity and tried to help or perhaps you shake your head in disgust and wonder where his or her parents are. Regardless of what your perspective is, the bigger question is, "What are you going to do about it?"
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) tells us, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Some see this verse as a guarantee that if you raise your kids right, then they will turn out right. I wish that was always true! What this verse is actually telling us is that if you instill the love of God and a heart for Jesus in a child, whether or not he/she grows up to follow after Him, the truths that you have seeded into their lives will never go away. They may be able to run from God's truth but they can never hide from it.
When I think about kids like "Steven" and others like him, I am compelled to do more. I want to be a part of the solution in his life, not one who condemns him for his problems. I hope you feel the same way. Now more than ever young people need mentors to pull alongside of them and show them the better path for them to take. It can be as simple as volunteering to help children with homework after school or as deep as becoming a foster parent. But regardless of what you choose, please know this - you have what it takes to be an advocate for these young people what will allow them to shed the throw-away label once and for all.
I was there to discuss with her ideas about using high school students after school to tutor and mentor elementary students and, before I rose to leave, I told her that if there was an immediate need that I could help with, please let me know. That was when she mentioned a student - whom I guessed to be "Steven" - who was really struggling and was facing yet another suspension from school. She called him a "throw away" kid, not because she didn't see his value (she did and she showed him much love), but rather because the rest of the world around him didn't seem to recognize it.
Hearing this story literally broke my heart. Since I knew who he was, I asked if I could speak to the young man briefly before I left, and she called him out of class to come down to the office. I pulled "Steven" aside and told him how much worth and value his life had and that, if he even needed another advocate in his life, to please call me. I then gave him a big hug because the tears in my eyes were preventing me from saying anything else. As I watched him walk back down the hall to his class I felt a burning rising up within my soul. This young man was not a throw-away kid. He is an incredible creation of God who had yet to discover just how great he could be.
Look around you. There are these so-called throw-away kids everywhere. And the reasons for this are many. Some come from families that either cannot or will not support them, and that is tragic. Others have no role model in their lives and so they have no idea how to grow up to be a responsible man or woman. Tragically, many of these young people will continue to struggle until they either drop out of school or find themselves frequent fliers within our penal system.
If you are reading this, then you are probably envisioning a throw-away kid that you know about. Maybe you've looked upon that child with pity and tried to help or perhaps you shake your head in disgust and wonder where his or her parents are. Regardless of what your perspective is, the bigger question is, "What are you going to do about it?"
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) tells us, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Some see this verse as a guarantee that if you raise your kids right, then they will turn out right. I wish that was always true! What this verse is actually telling us is that if you instill the love of God and a heart for Jesus in a child, whether or not he/she grows up to follow after Him, the truths that you have seeded into their lives will never go away. They may be able to run from God's truth but they can never hide from it.
When I think about kids like "Steven" and others like him, I am compelled to do more. I want to be a part of the solution in his life, not one who condemns him for his problems. I hope you feel the same way. Now more than ever young people need mentors to pull alongside of them and show them the better path for them to take. It can be as simple as volunteering to help children with homework after school or as deep as becoming a foster parent. But regardless of what you choose, please know this - you have what it takes to be an advocate for these young people what will allow them to shed the throw-away label once and for all.
Love-Fueled Propulsion
Lately I've been reading a book entitled Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those Who Help and How to Reverse it. While this book certainly isn't new on the scene, it is for me, and it comes a pretty pivotal point in my life and my way of thinking. Giving to the poor, helping those in need, offering emergency assistance - all of these things are essential and have been amply demonstrated to us by the example of Jesus Himself. Yet all to often churches and other religious groups have turned missions into nothing more than "religious tourism", pouring money into communities where there is no real outlet for sustainable change. In fact, if we were truly honest with ourselves, we often see missions as more for us than it is for those we are going to help.
All of that aside, the message of missions got me to thinking about what the world truly needs to see and hear from those who are followers of Jesus. There are several options vying for that top category:
You see, if you are a follower of Jesus then you already know that throughout the New Testament He commanded you to love others, both your neighbor and your enemy. What happens to so many is that, when they see this command from Jesus, they go into obligation mode as if loving others is something that they have to do in order to prove to Jesus that they really have been saved by His grace. Surely there is nothing sweeter than being given a cup of cold water by someone claiming to be a Christian who wouldn't be caught dead being seen with you beyond the facade of ministry that they are hiding behind.
Love, the kind that binds our hearts to Jesus and overwhelms us with its beauty and audacity, is not a love that makes us feel obligated. No, it's a love that compels us. I mean, how in the world can we not love others as Christ loves us when we grasp even just an inkling of how outrageous that love is?
This means that we are propelled by love in all that we do. We are excited about helping the poor and take delight in pulling alongside those who are desperate in need. It means that we are stoked about reaching out to the lost and broken, joining them in their journey to find hope and peace in Jesus. Being propelled by love means that we GET to love others, not that we have to.
All of that aside, the message of missions got me to thinking about what the world truly needs to see and hear from those who are followers of Jesus. There are several options vying for that top category:
- Hard nosed theological teaching, making sure that the rest of the world knows that we are right and they are wrong
- Stripped down services and sermons that welcome everyone into the fold with a "don't ask, don't tell" agenda that seeks to offend no one
- Easily accessible ministries and services that allow the needy to come to us so that we can give you God-inspired hand outs
- Flashy and catchy events that will bring in the big numbers so that we can show the rest of the Christian world what God is doing through our church and ministry
- Or, we could do what Jesus did and love people
You see, if you are a follower of Jesus then you already know that throughout the New Testament He commanded you to love others, both your neighbor and your enemy. What happens to so many is that, when they see this command from Jesus, they go into obligation mode as if loving others is something that they have to do in order to prove to Jesus that they really have been saved by His grace. Surely there is nothing sweeter than being given a cup of cold water by someone claiming to be a Christian who wouldn't be caught dead being seen with you beyond the facade of ministry that they are hiding behind.
Love, the kind that binds our hearts to Jesus and overwhelms us with its beauty and audacity, is not a love that makes us feel obligated. No, it's a love that compels us. I mean, how in the world can we not love others as Christ loves us when we grasp even just an inkling of how outrageous that love is?
This means that we are propelled by love in all that we do. We are excited about helping the poor and take delight in pulling alongside those who are desperate in need. It means that we are stoked about reaching out to the lost and broken, joining them in their journey to find hope and peace in Jesus. Being propelled by love means that we GET to love others, not that we have to.
The Past Is Prologue
The other night I took my son to watch my alma mater, Wake Forest University, take on a local college team in an exhibition fundraiser soccer game. If you know anything about me at all, then you know that can be pretty passionate about Wake Forest sports, no matter what sport it is or how good or bad of a season they may be having. And yes, I even celebrate when the field hockey team gets a big win.
As I got settled in to watch the game with a few friends of mine, my son and his buddies went off to kick the soccer ball around with a whole bunch of other kids whose parents dragged them along to watch a game they could care less to see. Us "big kids" were discussing all sorts of issues, including the cost of tuition at Wake Forest University. I asked one of my friends who graduated a few years after I did how much tuition was now and, before he could answer, the two ladies sitting on the bleachers a few rows in front of us turned around and, in unison exclaimed, "Too much!" (Note: Tuition, room and board, and other fees for Wake Forest University bring the cost to a total of $62, 538 a year. Ouch!)
We all chuckled at that comment like grown ups do - which is exactly what made our eyes roll when our parents used to say things like that. It was then that I realized I recognized one of the ladies who had made the comment about the cost of tuition. Turns out we had gone to Wake and graduated together. And it also turned out that the other woman with her happened to be married to an older fraternity brother of mine, who come walking along a few minutes later. Small world, huh?
For the next hour we chatted and caught up on what each other was doing in life and if we knew where so-and-so was now. I will admit, by the end of my senior year in college I had pretty much drifted free of the fraternity scene, but I still had some fond memories to share and this frat brother of mine was certainly one of those guys who left a lasting and good impression on me. I happened to mention to him the reason why I dropped out of the fraternity my senior year - it was due to an incident that I had incited because of an enormous lapse of judgment - and he mentioned that he would like to hear the whole story sometime.
It was at the moment that I paused and shifted gears pretty quickly to another topic. Not only did I not want to share what happened (and I didn't) but the memory of it was pushed way back into the recesses of my mind. That was a painful time in my life, one marked by poor decisions and distance from God. While I learned a lot about myself and what I did and didn't want out of life as a result of those few years, more than anything it was a time that God used to mold and refine me as if in the fire. As a result, I had no desire to revisit some of those memories, choosing instead to focus on where God has brought me by His grace.
An old friend and mentor, Thomas Young, used to tell me that "the past is prologue." By that he meant that what you have done in your past - all of your sins and mistakes and disobedience - are not the things that are meant to define you. Sure, they help to shape who you are today but, if you are like me, they are a far cry of who you are now and of where God has brought you on your life's journey. God's grace covers you and makes you new. That's why Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that if you are in Christ, i.e. if you have accepted His gift of grace and forgiveness, then you are a new creation - the old has passed away, the new has come.
When the game was over I said goodbye to my old friends, hoping to see them again in the near future. As my son and I walked to the car, I marveled at just how far God has brought me in my life. And more than that, I was so thankful to be able to share with my old college buddies where God was leading me right now. Indeed, the past is prologue.
As I got settled in to watch the game with a few friends of mine, my son and his buddies went off to kick the soccer ball around with a whole bunch of other kids whose parents dragged them along to watch a game they could care less to see. Us "big kids" were discussing all sorts of issues, including the cost of tuition at Wake Forest University. I asked one of my friends who graduated a few years after I did how much tuition was now and, before he could answer, the two ladies sitting on the bleachers a few rows in front of us turned around and, in unison exclaimed, "Too much!" (Note: Tuition, room and board, and other fees for Wake Forest University bring the cost to a total of $62, 538 a year. Ouch!)
We all chuckled at that comment like grown ups do - which is exactly what made our eyes roll when our parents used to say things like that. It was then that I realized I recognized one of the ladies who had made the comment about the cost of tuition. Turns out we had gone to Wake and graduated together. And it also turned out that the other woman with her happened to be married to an older fraternity brother of mine, who come walking along a few minutes later. Small world, huh?
For the next hour we chatted and caught up on what each other was doing in life and if we knew where so-and-so was now. I will admit, by the end of my senior year in college I had pretty much drifted free of the fraternity scene, but I still had some fond memories to share and this frat brother of mine was certainly one of those guys who left a lasting and good impression on me. I happened to mention to him the reason why I dropped out of the fraternity my senior year - it was due to an incident that I had incited because of an enormous lapse of judgment - and he mentioned that he would like to hear the whole story sometime.
It was at the moment that I paused and shifted gears pretty quickly to another topic. Not only did I not want to share what happened (and I didn't) but the memory of it was pushed way back into the recesses of my mind. That was a painful time in my life, one marked by poor decisions and distance from God. While I learned a lot about myself and what I did and didn't want out of life as a result of those few years, more than anything it was a time that God used to mold and refine me as if in the fire. As a result, I had no desire to revisit some of those memories, choosing instead to focus on where God has brought me by His grace.
An old friend and mentor, Thomas Young, used to tell me that "the past is prologue." By that he meant that what you have done in your past - all of your sins and mistakes and disobedience - are not the things that are meant to define you. Sure, they help to shape who you are today but, if you are like me, they are a far cry of who you are now and of where God has brought you on your life's journey. God's grace covers you and makes you new. That's why Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that if you are in Christ, i.e. if you have accepted His gift of grace and forgiveness, then you are a new creation - the old has passed away, the new has come.
When the game was over I said goodbye to my old friends, hoping to see them again in the near future. As my son and I walked to the car, I marveled at just how far God has brought me in my life. And more than that, I was so thankful to be able to share with my old college buddies where God was leading me right now. Indeed, the past is prologue.
Grace and truth are not either/or - they are both/and
What do you get when you put grace and truth in a blender? A big, beautiful mess!
A whole lot of Christians operate as if grace and truth are interchangeable concepts, kind of like jeans in the winter and shorts in the summer. You can wear shorts in the snow but you would freeze, just as you would sweat to death wearing jeans in July. There were moments where grace rules the day while at other times truth is all that matters. Mix them together? Like oil and water, that simply can't be sustained, at least not for long.
As a result of this view, many strive to keep grace and truth separate but equal in their way of thinking. When they need to stake their claim in truth, that is no problem. If you don't agree with what they believe to be true then there is really no room for discussion - you would simply have to live with being wrong and would get little to no sympathy from them. Yet there are also those moments where grace is needed to flood a dry and parched land. In those cases. they can be as empathetic and caring as the Mother Theresa without asking too many questions.
But what do we do when we are confronted by those who need equal doses of grace and truth right now? It is possible to mix the two together and still be consistent with Scripture? Won't we be embracing some sort of heretical compromise if we do so?
Not if we believe the truth of Jesus we won't.
I am embroiled in the midst of one of those grace and truth battles as I type. The student ministry that I lead operates with the intent that, in the midst of having a primary desire to disciple middle and high school students, we also want to be a place where un-churched students feel comfortable coming to. This doesn't mean that we water down the gospel or make a living telling cool stories, but rather I have an incredible team of leaders who engage students on an individual level and love them for who they are when they walk in the door.
Over the past few months there have been several high school students from the community who have been coming to our youth group on Wednesday nights. Having visiting students on a Wednesday night is not uncommon - it happens weekly - but what has been challenging is the culture that these newer students are bringing with them. These young people are utterly un-churched, never having been exposed to church life much less the gospel of Jesus. And they have no problem speaking and acting and carrying themselves as if the world is their master to whom they happily bow down to in worship.
Of course we are thrilled that they are coming at all. Each week we meet as a large group before breaking up into small groups, and the these newer students come and listen to all of the things that myself and the other youth leaders have to say. They were hearing about Jesus, grace, forgiveness, holiness, and a biblical worldview. As one who has worked with students for over two decades, this is a dream come true. I long to see the lost become found in Jesus. Nothing makes me more excited than a new creation in Christ.
Yet in spite of all of our efforts to love and reach out to this group of young people, we are seeing very little change on their part in return. They are not responding to the gospel or asking questions about God or seeking to modify any behaviors out of reverence and respect for God and others. These young men and women seemed perfectly content to just come and be who they were without any regard for the truth that is being proclaimed all around them. And to top it all off, some of them are becoming a little too free with their language and lack of respect for authority. Parents are beginning to call, worried that our Wednesday youth meetings are no longer a safe place for their students.
Having observed this first hand week after week, and now hearing from others who are beginning to have concerns, I find myself in a most precarious position. Obviously, I want to reach this group of teenagers for Jesus, but I also am passionate about investing myself and my team in the growth and discipleship of the scores of other students who come each week. When I find myself having to play policeman as a secondary objective, I realize that at some point something has got to give.
Part of me wants to pull these guys aside and get all up in their grill. "Don't you get it yet?!? It's about Jesus, not you! Stop playing around and wasting our time here. All you're doing is using us to get what you want and we're fed up with it. Either get with the program or don't come back!" Certainly we know that this is not the right answer, but inside it feels good to get those words out.
As I pondered this dilemma over coffee the other day with a man in my church who I meet with every other week, he carefully listened as I vented my story mixed with hope and frustration. Finally, he spoke up and asked a simple question: "What would Jesus do if He was in your shoes?" Now it's not that I had yet to ask myself that very same question, but truthfully it was not the question I was focusing on at the moment.
I let those words marinate in my brain for awhile. My mind took me to parts of the New Testament where Jesus carefully responded to many of the same kinds of scenarios that Christians face every day. How about after Jesus fed the 5,000 and they came back expecting more (John 6)? They didn't return to Jesus because they believed who He was; no, the came back wanting to get something of benefit from Him. Yet Jesus continued to love them and teach truth to them in spite of their obstinance.
Or how about the many miracles of Jesus that are recorded throughout the New Testament? The blind regaining their sight, the sick healed, the demon possessed set free, even the dead raised! Yet more often than not, we do not see a wholesale positive response to Jesus. His followers remain few, in spite of the wonderful things that He said and did. And yet in the midst of all of this, Jesus kept on preaching truth and extending grace in equal amounts. Do you remember the woman caught in adultery (John 8)? Jesus told her to leave her life of sin (truth) while simultaneously extending to her the hope that only He can bring (grace).
When it comes to grace and truth it is not either/or, but rather both/and. In remembering these examples of Jesus, I know that I will not continue to love these students who are causing disruptions any less, nor will I cease to continue proclaiming the gospel to them. But I also cannot watch as they destroy their own lives and disturb the lives of others around them. I will confront their sin, but I will do so offering the grace that comes only through the shed blood of Jesus.
None of this is rocket science. It's biblical and it's what most Bible believing Christian already hold to. Yet practically speaking, Christians have spent more time rebuking and correcting and even ostracizing those without the benefit of grace being a part of the conversation. If we refuse to season God's truth with the grace of Jesus, then we will find that our message, like that of the Pharisees, will go unheard, and for good reason. Truth without grace is like a cross without a Savior.
A whole lot of Christians operate as if grace and truth are interchangeable concepts, kind of like jeans in the winter and shorts in the summer. You can wear shorts in the snow but you would freeze, just as you would sweat to death wearing jeans in July. There were moments where grace rules the day while at other times truth is all that matters. Mix them together? Like oil and water, that simply can't be sustained, at least not for long.
As a result of this view, many strive to keep grace and truth separate but equal in their way of thinking. When they need to stake their claim in truth, that is no problem. If you don't agree with what they believe to be true then there is really no room for discussion - you would simply have to live with being wrong and would get little to no sympathy from them. Yet there are also those moments where grace is needed to flood a dry and parched land. In those cases. they can be as empathetic and caring as the Mother Theresa without asking too many questions.
But what do we do when we are confronted by those who need equal doses of grace and truth right now? It is possible to mix the two together and still be consistent with Scripture? Won't we be embracing some sort of heretical compromise if we do so?
Not if we believe the truth of Jesus we won't.
I am embroiled in the midst of one of those grace and truth battles as I type. The student ministry that I lead operates with the intent that, in the midst of having a primary desire to disciple middle and high school students, we also want to be a place where un-churched students feel comfortable coming to. This doesn't mean that we water down the gospel or make a living telling cool stories, but rather I have an incredible team of leaders who engage students on an individual level and love them for who they are when they walk in the door.
Over the past few months there have been several high school students from the community who have been coming to our youth group on Wednesday nights. Having visiting students on a Wednesday night is not uncommon - it happens weekly - but what has been challenging is the culture that these newer students are bringing with them. These young people are utterly un-churched, never having been exposed to church life much less the gospel of Jesus. And they have no problem speaking and acting and carrying themselves as if the world is their master to whom they happily bow down to in worship.
Of course we are thrilled that they are coming at all. Each week we meet as a large group before breaking up into small groups, and the these newer students come and listen to all of the things that myself and the other youth leaders have to say. They were hearing about Jesus, grace, forgiveness, holiness, and a biblical worldview. As one who has worked with students for over two decades, this is a dream come true. I long to see the lost become found in Jesus. Nothing makes me more excited than a new creation in Christ.
Yet in spite of all of our efforts to love and reach out to this group of young people, we are seeing very little change on their part in return. They are not responding to the gospel or asking questions about God or seeking to modify any behaviors out of reverence and respect for God and others. These young men and women seemed perfectly content to just come and be who they were without any regard for the truth that is being proclaimed all around them. And to top it all off, some of them are becoming a little too free with their language and lack of respect for authority. Parents are beginning to call, worried that our Wednesday youth meetings are no longer a safe place for their students.
Having observed this first hand week after week, and now hearing from others who are beginning to have concerns, I find myself in a most precarious position. Obviously, I want to reach this group of teenagers for Jesus, but I also am passionate about investing myself and my team in the growth and discipleship of the scores of other students who come each week. When I find myself having to play policeman as a secondary objective, I realize that at some point something has got to give.
Part of me wants to pull these guys aside and get all up in their grill. "Don't you get it yet?!? It's about Jesus, not you! Stop playing around and wasting our time here. All you're doing is using us to get what you want and we're fed up with it. Either get with the program or don't come back!" Certainly we know that this is not the right answer, but inside it feels good to get those words out.
As I pondered this dilemma over coffee the other day with a man in my church who I meet with every other week, he carefully listened as I vented my story mixed with hope and frustration. Finally, he spoke up and asked a simple question: "What would Jesus do if He was in your shoes?" Now it's not that I had yet to ask myself that very same question, but truthfully it was not the question I was focusing on at the moment.
I let those words marinate in my brain for awhile. My mind took me to parts of the New Testament where Jesus carefully responded to many of the same kinds of scenarios that Christians face every day. How about after Jesus fed the 5,000 and they came back expecting more (John 6)? They didn't return to Jesus because they believed who He was; no, the came back wanting to get something of benefit from Him. Yet Jesus continued to love them and teach truth to them in spite of their obstinance.
Or how about the many miracles of Jesus that are recorded throughout the New Testament? The blind regaining their sight, the sick healed, the demon possessed set free, even the dead raised! Yet more often than not, we do not see a wholesale positive response to Jesus. His followers remain few, in spite of the wonderful things that He said and did. And yet in the midst of all of this, Jesus kept on preaching truth and extending grace in equal amounts. Do you remember the woman caught in adultery (John 8)? Jesus told her to leave her life of sin (truth) while simultaneously extending to her the hope that only He can bring (grace).
When it comes to grace and truth it is not either/or, but rather both/and. In remembering these examples of Jesus, I know that I will not continue to love these students who are causing disruptions any less, nor will I cease to continue proclaiming the gospel to them. But I also cannot watch as they destroy their own lives and disturb the lives of others around them. I will confront their sin, but I will do so offering the grace that comes only through the shed blood of Jesus.
None of this is rocket science. It's biblical and it's what most Bible believing Christian already hold to. Yet practically speaking, Christians have spent more time rebuking and correcting and even ostracizing those without the benefit of grace being a part of the conversation. If we refuse to season God's truth with the grace of Jesus, then we will find that our message, like that of the Pharisees, will go unheard, and for good reason. Truth without grace is like a cross without a Savior.
Excuse me while I vomit my thoughts on your computer screen
Sometimes you just gotta write it all down while it's fresh in your head, kind of like a mind vomit that hits the computer keys. Here it is. My apologies to those who involuntarily retch at the mention or thought of vomit.
Passion 2015
I have had the absolute joy of attending the Passion conferences now for several years. What started out as a chaperoned trip of college kids to Atlanta, GA, in 2007 has now turned into a much anticipated yearly event that I hate to miss. Yes, it's geared toward 18-25 year olds, but someone has to take them so why not me, right?
Do you want to know why I believe Passion to be one of the greatest things going out there for this generation? First, it's not really a conference or even a get together - it's a movement. This is why it makes it so hard to describe to people what you experienced once you return home from a Passion event. Nowhere have I seen so many young adults who intentionally gather for the purpose of exalting Jesus as high as they can. Yes, great music comes from Passion conferences and many inspiring speakers are there, but they are merely the catalysts for what God does in the hearts and lives of those in attendance during those few days together.
Another reason I think Passion is so great is because it comes without a gimmick. I do believe there is a theme for each year they hold the event, but it's not pushed on you like some door-to-door salesman trying to sell you a vacuum. The leaders of Passion don't have as their #1 goal some slick slogan or mantra they want you to adopt for your life. Rather, they strive to push you to fulfill the desire for glorifying God that He has already planted in your heart. You leave an event like Passion already knowing what you need to do, but you are now more inspired than ever to get it done. Looks like I'll be booking more tickets for 2016.
Prayer
I'm someone who does not care much for New Year's resolutions. If you adopt them for yourselves then I think that's awesome and you have my full support, but as for me, it's never been an endeavor that has really born much fruit. Instead, I truly hope that when the need for change confronts me face-to-face, then I will make every effort to move in a different direction from that point forward instead of waiting for some set starting point to begin.
And believe me, I have been faced with a least one area in my life that desperately needs to change, and that is in the arena of prayer. Reading the Bible and other books of personal interest is something that I am pretty good at. I simply love to read. Those of you who know me also know that I love to talk and I'm pretty good at that as well. Probably too good. But when it comes to communicating with God through prayer, I typically suck a lemon on that one.
Maybe it's because I'm slightly ADD (seriously, I do believe that I am), but when it comes to prayer my attention span is about as long as Shaquille O'neal's music career. Lack of focus, a million thoughts assailing my brain, and constant self-imposed distractions are my downfall. So I've decided that some necessary changes are in order and the lengths to which I have gone to enhance my prayer life are radical and outlandish. Do you want to know what I am doing to be more diligent in prayer? I am writing my prayer requests down.
All sarcasm aside, I know that this is not some mind-boggling idea. In fact, many of you have probably had prayer journals where you log all of issues for prayer that God has placed on your heart over the years. Well, I am happy to say that I have now joined your ranks. And do you know what? It's amazing! How cool is it that my attention is now focused more on God now that I have more of a plan of what I desire to bring to Him in prayer? And so far it's working smashingly well.
Prayerlessness is not one of those sins that I want to be found guilty of. How can I neglect this precious time with God, His personal invitation to me (and to you) to commune with Him on an intimate level? Perhaps prayer is like one of those foods like oysters that don't appear appealing on the outside but once you taste it you simply can't get enough. Right now I am signing up for the all-you-can-eat buffet.
Passion 2015
I have had the absolute joy of attending the Passion conferences now for several years. What started out as a chaperoned trip of college kids to Atlanta, GA, in 2007 has now turned into a much anticipated yearly event that I hate to miss. Yes, it's geared toward 18-25 year olds, but someone has to take them so why not me, right?
Do you want to know why I believe Passion to be one of the greatest things going out there for this generation? First, it's not really a conference or even a get together - it's a movement. This is why it makes it so hard to describe to people what you experienced once you return home from a Passion event. Nowhere have I seen so many young adults who intentionally gather for the purpose of exalting Jesus as high as they can. Yes, great music comes from Passion conferences and many inspiring speakers are there, but they are merely the catalysts for what God does in the hearts and lives of those in attendance during those few days together.
Another reason I think Passion is so great is because it comes without a gimmick. I do believe there is a theme for each year they hold the event, but it's not pushed on you like some door-to-door salesman trying to sell you a vacuum. The leaders of Passion don't have as their #1 goal some slick slogan or mantra they want you to adopt for your life. Rather, they strive to push you to fulfill the desire for glorifying God that He has already planted in your heart. You leave an event like Passion already knowing what you need to do, but you are now more inspired than ever to get it done. Looks like I'll be booking more tickets for 2016.
Prayer
I'm someone who does not care much for New Year's resolutions. If you adopt them for yourselves then I think that's awesome and you have my full support, but as for me, it's never been an endeavor that has really born much fruit. Instead, I truly hope that when the need for change confronts me face-to-face, then I will make every effort to move in a different direction from that point forward instead of waiting for some set starting point to begin.
And believe me, I have been faced with a least one area in my life that desperately needs to change, and that is in the arena of prayer. Reading the Bible and other books of personal interest is something that I am pretty good at. I simply love to read. Those of you who know me also know that I love to talk and I'm pretty good at that as well. Probably too good. But when it comes to communicating with God through prayer, I typically suck a lemon on that one.
Maybe it's because I'm slightly ADD (seriously, I do believe that I am), but when it comes to prayer my attention span is about as long as Shaquille O'neal's music career. Lack of focus, a million thoughts assailing my brain, and constant self-imposed distractions are my downfall. So I've decided that some necessary changes are in order and the lengths to which I have gone to enhance my prayer life are radical and outlandish. Do you want to know what I am doing to be more diligent in prayer? I am writing my prayer requests down.
All sarcasm aside, I know that this is not some mind-boggling idea. In fact, many of you have probably had prayer journals where you log all of issues for prayer that God has placed on your heart over the years. Well, I am happy to say that I have now joined your ranks. And do you know what? It's amazing! How cool is it that my attention is now focused more on God now that I have more of a plan of what I desire to bring to Him in prayer? And so far it's working smashingly well.
Prayerlessness is not one of those sins that I want to be found guilty of. How can I neglect this precious time with God, His personal invitation to me (and to you) to commune with Him on an intimate level? Perhaps prayer is like one of those foods like oysters that don't appear appealing on the outside but once you taste it you simply can't get enough. Right now I am signing up for the all-you-can-eat buffet.
Simple is as simple does
As 2015 rapidly approaches, there are many who are furiously planning how they want their lives to be improved in the coming year. There will be commitments for exercise and weight loss; striving for more discipline at work or in the classroom; setting goals for productivity; or just wanting less stress and more free time.
Whatever your aim for 2015 is, I am on your side! I just wish that January 1 came with a magic tonic to help all of us achieve these lofty goals that we set for ourselves. But alas, there is nothing mystical or special about the first day of the year when it comes to the changes you believe that you need to make in your life, other it being a marker for you to begin with.
Truth be told, I stopped making New Years' resolutions a long time ago for a couple of reasons. First, I was terrible at keeping them, but second and more important, if I knew that I needed to make life changes in the first place, then it would be pretty pitiful for me to wait until the first day of the year to do what needs to be done now.
So whether you are one who is really into hammering his stake in the ground at the beginning of each new year or you make the necessary adjustments as they present themselves, I do have one challenge that I want to share that I hope to achieve more of in my own life in the coming years:
That may not seem like a very detailed goal. After all, there are many ways to define what is simple and some of those definitions are not too endearing. Yet for me, simplicity encompasses not just a way of viewing life, but it also embodies a way of living my life as well. Here are a few things that I want to encourage myself and all others with in the coming years:
Whatever your aim for 2015 is, I am on your side! I just wish that January 1 came with a magic tonic to help all of us achieve these lofty goals that we set for ourselves. But alas, there is nothing mystical or special about the first day of the year when it comes to the changes you believe that you need to make in your life, other it being a marker for you to begin with.
Truth be told, I stopped making New Years' resolutions a long time ago for a couple of reasons. First, I was terrible at keeping them, but second and more important, if I knew that I needed to make life changes in the first place, then it would be pretty pitiful for me to wait until the first day of the year to do what needs to be done now.
So whether you are one who is really into hammering his stake in the ground at the beginning of each new year or you make the necessary adjustments as they present themselves, I do have one challenge that I want to share that I hope to achieve more of in my own life in the coming years:
I want simplicity.
- Simplify your stuff - Most of us have a lot of stuff. Too much stuff. And now that the Christmas season has just passed, you have more stuff than you know what to do with. Sadly, many don't know how to part with their stuff and so they hoard it, hidden away in some closet or attic for a time that they might actually need it. But we all know that those times rarely come, so why not get rid of some of your stuff and either donate it to those who truly need it or sell it online or at a yard sale and make a profit off of it?
- Simplify your time - Within this challenge I reserve the right to tell you to put your cell phones/iPods/tablets/TV remotes, etc., down and make time for things that are more important. Things like books and conversations and sitting outside to watch the sunset. For many of us, much of our time is wasted scrolling on the pages of social media or flipping the channels through endless crappy TV shows. Take your time back by putting the distractions away!
- Simplify your relationships - There are people in your life right now that are there only because you allow them to be there. You may be stuck in a cubicle next to some guy at work who hums annoying Disney tunes all day, but more often than not the people that influence you the most are the people that you allow to influence you the most. Think about the "friends" that are on your news feed on Facebook or other social media sites. They are constantly negative and they post ridiculous if not offensive things about politics and religion and other people. You are control here. Block them. Unfriend or unfollow them. It's really simple. But beyond what you might see on a computer screen, take a close look at those people you associate with in your everyday life. Are there "friends" who drag you down or influence you in a negative direction? Then stop hanging out with them! Simplify your friendships and relationships by choosing to surround yourself only with those whose lives point your own life in a positive direction.
- Keep your relationship with Jesus simple - Walking with Christ can be incredibly demanding and challenging, but it doesn't have to be difficult. Model the example that Christ gave to us:
- Jesus often made time to be alone so that He could pray to God (Matthew 14:23; Luke 6:12). Make prayer a priority, not an after thought.
- Jesus made time for people. You should too.
- Jesus showed compassion for those who needed it most. Do you seek to meet the needs of those around you?
- Jesus modeled grace and forgiveness well before He died to eternally offer it. You can do the same.
- Jesus sought intimacy with God and He knew God's word. Spend time each day in God's word and you will find that same intimacy.
Those times when you just have to own it
The town that I live in, Southport, is a sleepy little movie set kind of town nestled on the coast of North Carolina. In fact, they regularly film movies and TV shows here (most recent being Safe Haven and parts of the Under the Dome TV series). As a result, for many months out of the year my town becomes a glorified tourist trap complete with gawking visitors and snail-going-uphill-backward-slow kind of drivers. We have come to affectionately call this the Southport Crawl. It can be annoying but we've learned to live with it.
Normally by now traffic crawls at a decently faster pace so that when I have to get from point A to point B it doesn't take me nearly as long. Yet I was not surprised when on my way home today from picking my two daughters up from middle school, traffic had slowed to an obnoxiously slow crawl. 5 MPH. No joke.
There were a few cars in front of me, but I could easily see the culprit - a little red pickup truck with its right turn blinker apparently stuck on. The cars in front of me were obviously anticipating the same thing that I was, that this driver would eventually fulfill his mechanical vow to turn right so that the rest of us could reach our desired location. But this isn't what happened.
After it became apparent that this driver was neither going to speed up nor turn right, the car directly behind it made a quick maneuver to pass it. Of course this move was illegal, but it seemed necessary given the circumstances. After another mind-numbing minute of driving at the speed of slow, the next car in front of me executed the same less-than-legal pass and proceeded unhindered on its way. Seeing that my turn was still several blocks away and that this little red pickup truck was not going to change its course or speed, I followed suit and made my little illicit traffic move and was soon on my way to my house.
That's when I saw the blue lights.
If you've ever been pulled over by a law enforcement officer, then you know firsthand the sick feeling that instantly manifested itself in my lower guts. I can remember as a teenager becoming physically ill seeing those blue lights and, while today was not so noxious to my system, it was still no less pleasant. And do you know what the best part of this traffic stop was? My two middle school daughters were in the car and they were taking it all in.
As I slowly pulled over down a side road hoping that the officer might somehow be pursuing some bank robber or serial killer loose in the neighborhood, my hopes were shattered when the Southport police car came to a slow stop behind me. I knew it. Busted.
Scrambling for my license and registration, I immediately began to field questions from my youngest daughter. "Dad, are you in trouble?" Maybe. "Dad, have you ever gotten a ticket before?" Yes, but that was a long time ago. "Dad, what do you think mom is going to say?" Okay, that's enough questions for now.
My oldest daughter seemed to be taking all of this quite well. In fact, she was actively texting on her phone while all of this was going down. Realizing that my reputation was at stake - and that the local paper would no doubt print an article about the local pastor cited for reckless driving - I quickly instructed my daughter that if she texted anyone about this that she would lose her phone indefinitely. I have never seen her phone find its home in her pocket so quickly.
As the officer approached my door, I rolled down the window and put on my most pleasant face. Since Southport is such a small town, I instantly recognized the officer although I did not know him personally. Had I ever bought him a cup of coffee before? Surely I waved at him multiple times before, proving that this was merely a slight indiscretion committed by a normally upstanding citizen. It was time to see how this was going to play out.
"Do you know why I stopped you?" he asked. Of course I knew why he pulled me over. I passed a slow car in a no passing zone in front of God and everybody. Yet I still had a choice in how I would answer. Would I feign ignorance? Perhaps I would gesture to my children in the car and tell him that one of them was about to pop a bladder she had to pee so bad. Or maybe I would pull the reverend card and promise to pray for him everyday for a week.
But that's not what I did. You see, in spite of my poor judgment, I instantly saw this as a teaching moment for my children. I had made a poor decision and there was no way I was going to try to fudge my way out of it. "Yes sir, I know why you stopped me. I passed a slow vehicle. It was wrong and I know it." Yes, that's what I actually said, but I did so in my big boy voice.
He kind of chuckled and, as he took my license and registration, he said, "Well, as long as everything checks out on the computer, I'm just going to give you a warning ticket. Sit tight and I'll be right back." Yeah, like I was about to make a run for it.
As we sat in the car waiting for the officer to finish his work, more questions came my way. "Dad, will he find those old tickets you got and give you another one? What kind of other information will he find on the computer? Dad, have you ever been to jail?" Before I could field all of those excellent questions, I noticed a slow moving red pickup truck pass me on the driver's side. Yep, you guessed it, this was the vehicle I so hastily passed. The irony wasn't lost on me. I waved at the gentleman and secretly wished we could trade cars.
My younger daughter saw the truck too and said, "Hey dad, there's that guy that made you get pulled over." After a few moments to let that statement sink in, I turned and corrected her. "No, I'M the guy that got myself pulled over." This was all my fault. No one else was responsible.
You see, it's one thing to privately confess my sin to God, but when it's committed in front of others then that can be a game changer. I have to own my public mistakes in front of my kids if I ever expect them to own up to their own mistakes. At that moment my hope was that my two daughters would see the value in honesty in the face of obvious failure. But even more than this, my daughters were also able to see a picture of the gospel in all of this. Grace and forgiveness (not getting a ticket), confession, and repentance were all on display.
And, true to his word, the officer just let me off with a warning. After all, he said, he's been known to be impatient too.
Normally by now traffic crawls at a decently faster pace so that when I have to get from point A to point B it doesn't take me nearly as long. Yet I was not surprised when on my way home today from picking my two daughters up from middle school, traffic had slowed to an obnoxiously slow crawl. 5 MPH. No joke.
There were a few cars in front of me, but I could easily see the culprit - a little red pickup truck with its right turn blinker apparently stuck on. The cars in front of me were obviously anticipating the same thing that I was, that this driver would eventually fulfill his mechanical vow to turn right so that the rest of us could reach our desired location. But this isn't what happened.
After it became apparent that this driver was neither going to speed up nor turn right, the car directly behind it made a quick maneuver to pass it. Of course this move was illegal, but it seemed necessary given the circumstances. After another mind-numbing minute of driving at the speed of slow, the next car in front of me executed the same less-than-legal pass and proceeded unhindered on its way. Seeing that my turn was still several blocks away and that this little red pickup truck was not going to change its course or speed, I followed suit and made my little illicit traffic move and was soon on my way to my house.
That's when I saw the blue lights.
If you've ever been pulled over by a law enforcement officer, then you know firsthand the sick feeling that instantly manifested itself in my lower guts. I can remember as a teenager becoming physically ill seeing those blue lights and, while today was not so noxious to my system, it was still no less pleasant. And do you know what the best part of this traffic stop was? My two middle school daughters were in the car and they were taking it all in.
As I slowly pulled over down a side road hoping that the officer might somehow be pursuing some bank robber or serial killer loose in the neighborhood, my hopes were shattered when the Southport police car came to a slow stop behind me. I knew it. Busted.
Scrambling for my license and registration, I immediately began to field questions from my youngest daughter. "Dad, are you in trouble?" Maybe. "Dad, have you ever gotten a ticket before?" Yes, but that was a long time ago. "Dad, what do you think mom is going to say?" Okay, that's enough questions for now.
My oldest daughter seemed to be taking all of this quite well. In fact, she was actively texting on her phone while all of this was going down. Realizing that my reputation was at stake - and that the local paper would no doubt print an article about the local pastor cited for reckless driving - I quickly instructed my daughter that if she texted anyone about this that she would lose her phone indefinitely. I have never seen her phone find its home in her pocket so quickly.
As the officer approached my door, I rolled down the window and put on my most pleasant face. Since Southport is such a small town, I instantly recognized the officer although I did not know him personally. Had I ever bought him a cup of coffee before? Surely I waved at him multiple times before, proving that this was merely a slight indiscretion committed by a normally upstanding citizen. It was time to see how this was going to play out.
"Do you know why I stopped you?" he asked. Of course I knew why he pulled me over. I passed a slow car in a no passing zone in front of God and everybody. Yet I still had a choice in how I would answer. Would I feign ignorance? Perhaps I would gesture to my children in the car and tell him that one of them was about to pop a bladder she had to pee so bad. Or maybe I would pull the reverend card and promise to pray for him everyday for a week.
But that's not what I did. You see, in spite of my poor judgment, I instantly saw this as a teaching moment for my children. I had made a poor decision and there was no way I was going to try to fudge my way out of it. "Yes sir, I know why you stopped me. I passed a slow vehicle. It was wrong and I know it." Yes, that's what I actually said, but I did so in my big boy voice.
He kind of chuckled and, as he took my license and registration, he said, "Well, as long as everything checks out on the computer, I'm just going to give you a warning ticket. Sit tight and I'll be right back." Yeah, like I was about to make a run for it.
As we sat in the car waiting for the officer to finish his work, more questions came my way. "Dad, will he find those old tickets you got and give you another one? What kind of other information will he find on the computer? Dad, have you ever been to jail?" Before I could field all of those excellent questions, I noticed a slow moving red pickup truck pass me on the driver's side. Yep, you guessed it, this was the vehicle I so hastily passed. The irony wasn't lost on me. I waved at the gentleman and secretly wished we could trade cars.
My younger daughter saw the truck too and said, "Hey dad, there's that guy that made you get pulled over." After a few moments to let that statement sink in, I turned and corrected her. "No, I'M the guy that got myself pulled over." This was all my fault. No one else was responsible.
You see, it's one thing to privately confess my sin to God, but when it's committed in front of others then that can be a game changer. I have to own my public mistakes in front of my kids if I ever expect them to own up to their own mistakes. At that moment my hope was that my two daughters would see the value in honesty in the face of obvious failure. But even more than this, my daughters were also able to see a picture of the gospel in all of this. Grace and forgiveness (not getting a ticket), confession, and repentance were all on display.
And, true to his word, the officer just let me off with a warning. After all, he said, he's been known to be impatient too.
"Civil rights" never trump God's righteousness
Growing up, I played the card game Rook all the time with my friends. We had regular get togethers at our homes on weekends to play and whenever we went off to summer camp we would play late into the night by flashlight. The best part about Rook was that you were able to "trump" other cards in the game. Whatever color was called trump, that color was king and it beat the other cards on the table. And if you had the actual Rook card, you essentially ruled the Rook world for that hand. Your trump card could beat the others, even if it was lower in number.
In today's world, specifically in America, it seems as if everyone is looking for their own trump card that will allow them to have things their own way. We want to express ourselves however we want regardless of the consequences. And many people will step up to affirm your personal trump card even if they don't make the same life decisions that you have chosen to make. Helping others and being tolerant has the capacity to be a beautiful thing, and it certainly can be very Christ-like, but more often it is being grossly abused by our own personal trump cards.
At the heart of many American's personal desires is civil rights. The demand for the rights of freedom, liberty, life, the pursuit of happiness, equality, etc., pepper our media headlines everyday. As a nation, there may be no greater defining aspect than the rights that our citizens (and non-citizens) enjoy. The abolition of slavery, voting rights for all, and equal rights for African-Americans are some of the biggest victories for civil rights that we have seen in America.
As a Christian, I rejoice when injustices are righted and the oppressed are freed. Now more than ever there are faith-based advocacy groups who champion the rights of men, women, and children and fight to see them freed from the tyranny of slavery and oppression. Yet if you are a Christian it is so critically important that as you strive to reinforce the rights of others, you don't do so at the expense of the righteousness of God.
What does this mean? Look at the cause you are championing and ask yourself, "How does this fall in line with the righteousness and holiness of God?" I want to see children rescued from abusive homes, but I can never justify vigilante justice against a defendant who has not been given a fair trial. I desire to see an end to abortions, but I will never back the corner of a man or woman who bombs abortion clinics to satisfy that need. You see, while it is right and good for us to want others to have a fair chance in life, we all run the danger of sliding down a far steeper slope of unrighteousness if we are not careful. It is always dangerous to desire a group's victory at the expense of God's righteousness.
God's word is very clear in the areas of righteousness. Whether it is sexual sin (adultery, pornography, same sex, etc.), the harsh words that we speak to others, our immoral and selfish actions, or the insidious plans that we harbor in our minds, God's righteousness stands firmly opposed to these things. We cannot simply throw our trump card to back any sinful lifestyle or decision just because we want people to have a fair shake. In our zeal for the "civil rights" of others we are in danger of sacrificing our pursuit of the righteousness of God.
In today's world, specifically in America, it seems as if everyone is looking for their own trump card that will allow them to have things their own way. We want to express ourselves however we want regardless of the consequences. And many people will step up to affirm your personal trump card even if they don't make the same life decisions that you have chosen to make. Helping others and being tolerant has the capacity to be a beautiful thing, and it certainly can be very Christ-like, but more often it is being grossly abused by our own personal trump cards.
At the heart of many American's personal desires is civil rights. The demand for the rights of freedom, liberty, life, the pursuit of happiness, equality, etc., pepper our media headlines everyday. As a nation, there may be no greater defining aspect than the rights that our citizens (and non-citizens) enjoy. The abolition of slavery, voting rights for all, and equal rights for African-Americans are some of the biggest victories for civil rights that we have seen in America.
As a Christian, I rejoice when injustices are righted and the oppressed are freed. Now more than ever there are faith-based advocacy groups who champion the rights of men, women, and children and fight to see them freed from the tyranny of slavery and oppression. Yet if you are a Christian it is so critically important that as you strive to reinforce the rights of others, you don't do so at the expense of the righteousness of God.
What does this mean? Look at the cause you are championing and ask yourself, "How does this fall in line with the righteousness and holiness of God?" I want to see children rescued from abusive homes, but I can never justify vigilante justice against a defendant who has not been given a fair trial. I desire to see an end to abortions, but I will never back the corner of a man or woman who bombs abortion clinics to satisfy that need. You see, while it is right and good for us to want others to have a fair chance in life, we all run the danger of sliding down a far steeper slope of unrighteousness if we are not careful. It is always dangerous to desire a group's victory at the expense of God's righteousness.
God's word is very clear in the areas of righteousness. Whether it is sexual sin (adultery, pornography, same sex, etc.), the harsh words that we speak to others, our immoral and selfish actions, or the insidious plans that we harbor in our minds, God's righteousness stands firmly opposed to these things. We cannot simply throw our trump card to back any sinful lifestyle or decision just because we want people to have a fair shake. In our zeal for the "civil rights" of others we are in danger of sacrificing our pursuit of the righteousness of God.
Christianity = Insanity
"When you heard a story 'bout the hero dying for the villain?"
(Trip Lee One Sixteen)
Let's go ahead and clear the air from the get go - there isn't much about what Jesus did on the cross for us that makes sense. Was His sacrifice beautiful, His love unconditional, His redemption of us incredible? Yes! Does it fit into our rational thought processes? No!
When we see someone guilty of a crime, especially one that is heinous and barbaric in our eyes, we want justice. For some that means the death penalty while for others they demand life in prison with no possibility of parole. Keep the criminals in their cages so that they can no longer prey on the weak and the innocent.
Question: If the Red Cross knocked on your door and asked if you would be willing to donate your organs - your very life - to a terminal death row inmate, how would you react? "Um, no thanks, but I appreciate the free snacks that you give when I donate blood." You see, that line of thinking just doesn't make sense. Why would we waste our good resources, time, and energy on someone who doesn't deserve it?
Thank God those thoughts weren't on Jesus' mind as He suffered, bled, and died on a cross that He didn't deserve for a people who don't deserve His sacrifice.
This, my friends, is the gospel. A loving God giving a perfect Savior to rescue a world that had been given a death sentence. (Romans 5:6-8)
This is more than prison rehabilitation; the gospel commutes our sentence and clears our record of guilt. (Romans 8:1)
This is more than some random act of kindness; the gospel is calculated grace. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
This is more than giving a released prisoner a job and new chance at life; the gospel brings the sinner to the very throne of God, who in turn adopts us and declares us heirs with Jesus for eternity. (Romans 8:14-17)
Now tell me, does this make sense to you? Why in the world would God do this for us? People are quick to blame God for all of the ugliness and evil that occurs on a daily basis, but are they just as quick to blame God for His incredible grace that sets them free?
I'm so thankful that Jesus bled and died for me. I will never fully understand why God loves me - and you - to the extent that He does. Following Jesus is without a doubt the craziest decision that you can possibly make. The gospel is nuts!
What we learn about ourselves from others' failures
There has been a firestorm over the recent posting of a video in
which Victoria Osteen literally opens the Pandora's box that all of her
and her husband's critics have been anxiously waiting for. Don't get me
wrong - what she said from the stage was nauseating and thoroughly
unbiblical, yet the glee expressed from the Osteen's opponents was no
less horrific.
As a conservative evangelical Christian, I get it. Joel Osteen and his wife have been less than forward with the truth of the gospel and have chosen instead to proclaim the merits of living a life where all God wants for you to be is happy. Their ministry is watched and heard by millions of people who in turn simply adore Joel and his wife, hanging on every word that they say. They make people feel important and special and valued by God. And indeed people are. But when any man or woman who claims to be God's mouthpiece speaks for God words that are not found in His word, then Houston, we've got a problem.
God does not simply desire our happiness. Nowhere in the Bible will you find God saying, "My supreme delight is that you be happy!" Instead, Scripture teaches that God desires for us to be holy (Leviticus 11:44-45 & 1 Peter 1:16). If it were not for God's grace poured out on us through Jesus Christ then we would have no hope of ever standing before Him. Yet because of the cross, we are declared righteous before God and He takes delight in us as His children (Romans 5:1-11).
You see, what Victoria Osteen said on stage was both biblically and doctrinally wrong. It simply was not true. We do not exist to "do good for our own self, not God." That is humanism to the core. Did she mean what she said? I honestly don't know because, truth be told, I do not follow the Osteen's ministry like many others do. Sure, I've heard about how "awful" they are, of the many heresies they utter, and how they are peddlers of the prosperity gospel. And if these are indeed true, I find it shameful and disgusting to the kingdom of God. Truth is truth, and you cannot spin it any way you want with feel good preaching.
That being said, my other thought about the whole Osteen incident is this - has anyone reached out to correct them in a constructive way? Perhaps someone has. My hope is that any church leader in their position has plenty of others who are allowed to speak truth into their lives. Is there anything more dangerous than a leader who has no accountability?
So yes, my hope is that there is room for redemption for the Osteen's regarding their erroneous doctrine. I would love to see them confess the errors in their teaching and to commit to be ambassadors for God's truth. After all, they enjoy an enormous platform which carries with it the holy obligation to proclaim the truth of God. And I also hope that my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who wait in the wings to attack at the first sniff of error will strive to lean more on the grace and redemption side than the judgment and hell fire side.
I'm not so sure which is more disgusting, a preacher who perverts the word of God publicly or fellow Christians perched in ivory towers who ignore grace and mercy altogether. It's all pretty gross to me.
As a conservative evangelical Christian, I get it. Joel Osteen and his wife have been less than forward with the truth of the gospel and have chosen instead to proclaim the merits of living a life where all God wants for you to be is happy. Their ministry is watched and heard by millions of people who in turn simply adore Joel and his wife, hanging on every word that they say. They make people feel important and special and valued by God. And indeed people are. But when any man or woman who claims to be God's mouthpiece speaks for God words that are not found in His word, then Houston, we've got a problem.
God does not simply desire our happiness. Nowhere in the Bible will you find God saying, "My supreme delight is that you be happy!" Instead, Scripture teaches that God desires for us to be holy (Leviticus 11:44-45 & 1 Peter 1:16). If it were not for God's grace poured out on us through Jesus Christ then we would have no hope of ever standing before Him. Yet because of the cross, we are declared righteous before God and He takes delight in us as His children (Romans 5:1-11).
You see, what Victoria Osteen said on stage was both biblically and doctrinally wrong. It simply was not true. We do not exist to "do good for our own self, not God." That is humanism to the core. Did she mean what she said? I honestly don't know because, truth be told, I do not follow the Osteen's ministry like many others do. Sure, I've heard about how "awful" they are, of the many heresies they utter, and how they are peddlers of the prosperity gospel. And if these are indeed true, I find it shameful and disgusting to the kingdom of God. Truth is truth, and you cannot spin it any way you want with feel good preaching.
That being said, my other thought about the whole Osteen incident is this - has anyone reached out to correct them in a constructive way? Perhaps someone has. My hope is that any church leader in their position has plenty of others who are allowed to speak truth into their lives. Is there anything more dangerous than a leader who has no accountability?
So yes, my hope is that there is room for redemption for the Osteen's regarding their erroneous doctrine. I would love to see them confess the errors in their teaching and to commit to be ambassadors for God's truth. After all, they enjoy an enormous platform which carries with it the holy obligation to proclaim the truth of God. And I also hope that my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who wait in the wings to attack at the first sniff of error will strive to lean more on the grace and redemption side than the judgment and hell fire side.
I'm not so sure which is more disgusting, a preacher who perverts the word of God publicly or fellow Christians perched in ivory towers who ignore grace and mercy altogether. It's all pretty gross to me.
A love letter to all of my Christian friends
Dear Christian Friends,
Let me first say how much I love each one of you. It's amazing how brothers and sisters can be so different yet united under the banner of Jesus. I treasure all of the insights that you have given to me as we've had civilized discussions and a few healthy debates about various aspects of the Christian faith.I am eternally grateful for the men and women who have poured into and continue to invest in my life. Hugs.
But (and you knew that was coming, right?) I believe that we are missing the mark greatly in the area of love. And just to keep the tone of this letter fair, I am going to address all of you as "we" because I am in the same boat. I'm preaching to the choir, if you will, although I never really enjoyed choir and don't really have the voice to pull off anything special beyond the sanctuary of my car. In fact, I would go so far to say that the most comments I hear from those who aren't Christians about those who are believers is that, whenever they are around them, they feel judged, looked down upon, and essentially unloved.
I realize that this point can be sticky, so please read it very carefully before you label me some kind of heretic and unfriend me on social media. Bluntly speaking, we stink at loving people who don't know Jesus. We say that we do, we hold meetings and events at our churches inviting those who don't know Jesus to come, and we even leave gospel tracts along with our often paltry tips at restaurants so that our server with the tattoos and piercings can get to know our Jesus. How can I say that you don't show love?
I say this because we treat the love of God as if we can package it in a box and unload it on others when it's most convenient. I also say this because we are notorious for withholding love from those who need it the most.
Let me explain with an example. Mission trips are awesome. If you've ever been on one either in the United States or overseas, you understand just how much impact they can have on another community not to mention on yourself. We also look around at our local community and seek to fill the needs that are put in front of us, such as volunteering for a 2-hour block at the soup kitchen or donating clothes to Goodwill. It's such an awesome feeling to bless those who have less!
But you have no clue what to do with your friend who is struggling with homosexual temptations or has already give in to them. That guy at school or at work who is an atheist - we avoid him completely. Those freaks that we see walking around town with all of the tattoos, piercings, and ungodly swagger - well, I just pray that they find Jesus soon because it looks to me like this world is going to hell in a hand basket!
You see, whether we like to admit it or not, we really only want to love those who have, in our eyes, the potential to be lovely. And by doing so we exclude ourselves from much of the dirt and junk that plagues the lives of the rest of the world that needs Jesus. How do we do this? Sometimes we are subtle. We simply pray for "those people" to know Jesus while secretly believing that they might not ever and hoping that it won't be us who actually have to go tell them about Him. But if I leave a tract by a urinal in the bathroom that counts, right?
And sometimes we are not so subtle with our lack of love. Whether it's a preacher railing against homosexuality from he pulpit to a crowd of hetero-and-proud church members or boycotting an amusement park or food company because they support a questionable cause, all of that speaks to a spiritual arrogance that is destructive and unbiblical masked under the banner of "We're taking a stand against sin." Don't get me wrong, we are to love God and hate sin, yet more often than not we fail to separate sin from the sinner and just hate them both. But we'll still pray for them, right?
Look, we can do better than that. We are called to BE better than that. I realize that we live in a world that is full of filth and smut and greed and Democrats and Republicans. Times are tough, spiritually and morally speaking. Every time we go and elect a Christian politician and a great revival in our land doesn't follow suit, we edge closer and closer to the cliff of gloom and doom. So here is what I am challenging myself to do about it and what I am going to challenge you to do as well:
Your friend and co-laborer in Christ,
Sterling
Let me first say how much I love each one of you. It's amazing how brothers and sisters can be so different yet united under the banner of Jesus. I treasure all of the insights that you have given to me as we've had civilized discussions and a few healthy debates about various aspects of the Christian faith.I am eternally grateful for the men and women who have poured into and continue to invest in my life. Hugs.
But (and you knew that was coming, right?) I believe that we are missing the mark greatly in the area of love. And just to keep the tone of this letter fair, I am going to address all of you as "we" because I am in the same boat. I'm preaching to the choir, if you will, although I never really enjoyed choir and don't really have the voice to pull off anything special beyond the sanctuary of my car. In fact, I would go so far to say that the most comments I hear from those who aren't Christians about those who are believers is that, whenever they are around them, they feel judged, looked down upon, and essentially unloved.
I realize that this point can be sticky, so please read it very carefully before you label me some kind of heretic and unfriend me on social media. Bluntly speaking, we stink at loving people who don't know Jesus. We say that we do, we hold meetings and events at our churches inviting those who don't know Jesus to come, and we even leave gospel tracts along with our often paltry tips at restaurants so that our server with the tattoos and piercings can get to know our Jesus. How can I say that you don't show love?
I say this because we treat the love of God as if we can package it in a box and unload it on others when it's most convenient. I also say this because we are notorious for withholding love from those who need it the most.
Let me explain with an example. Mission trips are awesome. If you've ever been on one either in the United States or overseas, you understand just how much impact they can have on another community not to mention on yourself. We also look around at our local community and seek to fill the needs that are put in front of us, such as volunteering for a 2-hour block at the soup kitchen or donating clothes to Goodwill. It's such an awesome feeling to bless those who have less!
But you have no clue what to do with your friend who is struggling with homosexual temptations or has already give in to them. That guy at school or at work who is an atheist - we avoid him completely. Those freaks that we see walking around town with all of the tattoos, piercings, and ungodly swagger - well, I just pray that they find Jesus soon because it looks to me like this world is going to hell in a hand basket!
You see, whether we like to admit it or not, we really only want to love those who have, in our eyes, the potential to be lovely. And by doing so we exclude ourselves from much of the dirt and junk that plagues the lives of the rest of the world that needs Jesus. How do we do this? Sometimes we are subtle. We simply pray for "those people" to know Jesus while secretly believing that they might not ever and hoping that it won't be us who actually have to go tell them about Him. But if I leave a tract by a urinal in the bathroom that counts, right?
And sometimes we are not so subtle with our lack of love. Whether it's a preacher railing against homosexuality from he pulpit to a crowd of hetero-and-proud church members or boycotting an amusement park or food company because they support a questionable cause, all of that speaks to a spiritual arrogance that is destructive and unbiblical masked under the banner of "We're taking a stand against sin." Don't get me wrong, we are to love God and hate sin, yet more often than not we fail to separate sin from the sinner and just hate them both. But we'll still pray for them, right?
Look, we can do better than that. We are called to BE better than that. I realize that we live in a world that is full of filth and smut and greed and Democrats and Republicans. Times are tough, spiritually and morally speaking. Every time we go and elect a Christian politician and a great revival in our land doesn't follow suit, we edge closer and closer to the cliff of gloom and doom. So here is what I am challenging myself to do about it and what I am going to challenge you to do as well:
- I challenge you to love Jesus more - Make Him your sole desire, your passion
- I challenge you to love yourself less - If you get the above one right, this one will naturally follow
- I challenge you to love others more than you love yourself - Yeah, this is hard. It's also biblical. And commanded. And modeled by Jesus (See: the crucifixion, the entire book of Acts, Philippians 2, etc.).
- I challenge you stop loving your opinions and traditions more than you love the word of God - There I go meddlin'! But seriously, how much of what you believe about the love of God is based upon what you've been told or seen demonstrated over the years as opposed to what the word of God actually teaches? How many stones have you stooped to pick up in order to toss at others while ignoring the grace that God has lavished on you? (Ephesians 1:7) The answers depend on how willing you are to submit to the teachings of Scripture and not a bunch of opinions masquerading as godliness.
Your friend and co-laborer in Christ,
Sterling
When grace isn't quite so graceful
Man, I messed up big time the other day. My words and my actions totally threw my life out of balance and I spent a lot time trying to make amends for my sinfulness. I'm sure you can relate to my dilemma because you've probably recently found yourself in the same spiritual quagmire. You royally blew it and now you feel slightly less worthy than a piece of maggot-infested garbage. Why do we continue to struggle with the same old sins for which Jesus suffered and died?
Maybe your issue isn't what you've just recently done but rather what haunts you from your past. There was that time in your life when you were far from God, living a life that now makes you want to retch. Or perhaps you are the product of abuse, whether it was sexual, physical, or emotional. Your view of yourself is so low that you struggle to move on because of the guilt and feelings of inadequacy that you can't seem to shake.
But then God stepped in and the miraculous happened. Jesus found you and in the arms of His redemption and grace you have found purpose. You have been set free, the weight of sin and shame no longer pinning you down and convincing you that you are unworthy. You have been declared righteous - justified - in the eyes of God and He sees you as His precious child, beautiful in His sight. Do you deserve all of this? No! None of us deserve God's grace and mercy and love and forgiveness yet He gives it to us - He lavishes it on us! (Ephesians 1:7-8) - freely and without hesitation.
Yet in spite of God's love and incredible forgiveness, you can't move past your past. Something inside of you just can't accept His grace and unconditional love. So you hide deeper within yourself and you die a little bit spiritually every day, malnourished from your refusal to dine at the Lord's table.
It is an absolute tragedy when God's grace is not accepted. And this refusal of His grace usually hits us in two ways. First, when you struggle to accept God's grace for your life then your focus becomes YOU and not Him. Jesus bled and died for you - there is nothing that can separate you from God's love in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:31-39) - yet somehow you have managed to wedge yourself away from the reality of His grace. Oh don't get me wrong, you can do nothing to diminish God's grace and salvation, but it is possible to render yourself ineffective by refusing to live in the reality of it.
When we do this, we live selfishly as if grace is not enough. This isn't humility - it's self-flagellation - and it's offensive to God because what Jesus bought us on the cross is ENOUGH. No amount of self-abuse that we might bring upon ourselves will add one micron to the salvation and grace that has been freely given to us in Christ. If this is you, stop acting like you are helping God by punishing yourself. He doesn't need your help and it's laughable that you live as if He does. Instead, swim in the sea of His grace, not because you deserve it but rather because He gives it in spite of our unworthiness.
Now here's where it's about to get real, even more serious if that's possible. There is a second way that the grace of God is refused. In our world and churches there are "Christians" who have set themselves up as the judge and jury for God's grace and have taken it upon themselves to dispense and withhold grace to others at their own bidding. Somehow if your sin is too great in their eyes then they decide that you are anathema and therefore not worthy of their time or God's grace. It doesn't matter that you have been redeemed, you aren't fit to serve. You may be forgiven by God, but that's doesn't mean I have to accept you. You don't deserve God's grace.
I know that may sound harsh. After all, we must be careful whom we allow to hold influence in our churches and ministries. There is no way in the world that a convicted sex offender or habitual drug user is going to serve in my student ministry. Some sins, while forgiven by God, disqualify us from serving in certain leadership areas. But there is no sin no matter how big or small that God's grace cannot cover, so stop treating people as if they have no hope! How dare we view God's grace as more sufficient for some over others!
The Lord told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace was sufficient for him in his greatest weakness.
In Ephesians 2:8-9 we are told that we are saved by grace through faith, not by any work we may strive to perform or leave undone.
God's grace is enough. It is all we need. His grace covers our sin and our past, refusing to dredge up our past failures and instead setting us up as more than conquerors through Christ who loved us (Romans 8:37). May we see grace as God sees it and not as some measuring rod that we use to sinfully hold those back for whom Jesus bled and died. Let me finish by saying it this way: Get over yourself and stop being a grace-baiter.
Maybe your issue isn't what you've just recently done but rather what haunts you from your past. There was that time in your life when you were far from God, living a life that now makes you want to retch. Or perhaps you are the product of abuse, whether it was sexual, physical, or emotional. Your view of yourself is so low that you struggle to move on because of the guilt and feelings of inadequacy that you can't seem to shake.
But then God stepped in and the miraculous happened. Jesus found you and in the arms of His redemption and grace you have found purpose. You have been set free, the weight of sin and shame no longer pinning you down and convincing you that you are unworthy. You have been declared righteous - justified - in the eyes of God and He sees you as His precious child, beautiful in His sight. Do you deserve all of this? No! None of us deserve God's grace and mercy and love and forgiveness yet He gives it to us - He lavishes it on us! (Ephesians 1:7-8) - freely and without hesitation.
Yet in spite of God's love and incredible forgiveness, you can't move past your past. Something inside of you just can't accept His grace and unconditional love. So you hide deeper within yourself and you die a little bit spiritually every day, malnourished from your refusal to dine at the Lord's table.
It is an absolute tragedy when God's grace is not accepted. And this refusal of His grace usually hits us in two ways. First, when you struggle to accept God's grace for your life then your focus becomes YOU and not Him. Jesus bled and died for you - there is nothing that can separate you from God's love in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:31-39) - yet somehow you have managed to wedge yourself away from the reality of His grace. Oh don't get me wrong, you can do nothing to diminish God's grace and salvation, but it is possible to render yourself ineffective by refusing to live in the reality of it.
When we do this, we live selfishly as if grace is not enough. This isn't humility - it's self-flagellation - and it's offensive to God because what Jesus bought us on the cross is ENOUGH. No amount of self-abuse that we might bring upon ourselves will add one micron to the salvation and grace that has been freely given to us in Christ. If this is you, stop acting like you are helping God by punishing yourself. He doesn't need your help and it's laughable that you live as if He does. Instead, swim in the sea of His grace, not because you deserve it but rather because He gives it in spite of our unworthiness.
Now here's where it's about to get real, even more serious if that's possible. There is a second way that the grace of God is refused. In our world and churches there are "Christians" who have set themselves up as the judge and jury for God's grace and have taken it upon themselves to dispense and withhold grace to others at their own bidding. Somehow if your sin is too great in their eyes then they decide that you are anathema and therefore not worthy of their time or God's grace. It doesn't matter that you have been redeemed, you aren't fit to serve. You may be forgiven by God, but that's doesn't mean I have to accept you. You don't deserve God's grace.
I know that may sound harsh. After all, we must be careful whom we allow to hold influence in our churches and ministries. There is no way in the world that a convicted sex offender or habitual drug user is going to serve in my student ministry. Some sins, while forgiven by God, disqualify us from serving in certain leadership areas. But there is no sin no matter how big or small that God's grace cannot cover, so stop treating people as if they have no hope! How dare we view God's grace as more sufficient for some over others!
The Lord told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace was sufficient for him in his greatest weakness.
In Ephesians 2:8-9 we are told that we are saved by grace through faith, not by any work we may strive to perform or leave undone.
God's grace is enough. It is all we need. His grace covers our sin and our past, refusing to dredge up our past failures and instead setting us up as more than conquerors through Christ who loved us (Romans 8:37). May we see grace as God sees it and not as some measuring rod that we use to sinfully hold those back for whom Jesus bled and died. Let me finish by saying it this way: Get over yourself and stop being a grace-baiter.
The Gospel + Something Else = Wrong Answer
In the spring of 1989 I plunged head first into the Greek system at Wake Forest University by joining a fraternity. True to what you may have been led to believe on TV or in books, many fraternities indeed ARE as crazy as you think, and my fraternity was on that list. Not all the fun that we had was destructive and evil - I have some really great memories and still keep up with some pretty awesome guys - but for the most part debauchery was the primary goal.
Now as a kid raised in a conservative Southern Baptist church, hedonism and Sunday school don't mix together too well. I knew all too well the lessons from the Bible and the truth that lay behind them, yet they were not enough to keep me from wanting to run to the dark side for a time and enjoy all of it's guilty pleasures. Was I properly taught the Scriptures? If I were truly saved, would I have gone down this wayward path? What went wrong?
You see, the Bible teaching that I received growing up was first rate and I would not trade it for the world. The problem that I encountered from many well-meaning Christians - and what many in Christian culture face as well - were all the "extras" that get pinned on the message of the gospel. Unlike the bonus features on a DVD or the hidden scene at the end of a the movie credits, these extras do not allow us to understand the greater extent of the gospel. In fact, they usually push us farther away.
The apostle Paul lived and ministered during a time when Christianity was beginning to explode in the Jewish and Gentile world in Asia Minor (the region including modern day Turkey). As he traveled throughout those countries, Paul would plant and oversee dozens of churches which were filled with new Christians, many of whom came from Jewish backgrounds. It was difficult for those new believers at times to forget all of the rituals and rules that they had to obey when they were followers of Judaism, and it was especially challenging for these new followers of Christ to believe that they no longer had to rely on the Jewish law for their salvation.
In his letters to the believers in Galatia and Colossae, Paul saw the need to address the issue that many were holding to: In order to be a Christian, you had to have the gospel + something else. For those churches that Paul was investing in, they had fallen into the trap that this "something else" they had to abide by was the ritual of circumcision. If they were to be considered true Christians then they MUST be circumcised. We often do the same thing today, although I'm glad it's not circumcision!
You fill in the blank with whatever "something else" you've been told that you have to do in order to be a "proper" Christian: Wear a coat and tie on Sunday, read a certain version of the Bible, avoid alcohol at all costs, sing to a certain type of music in worship, etc. Do you see how reckless and foolish this is? What if you fail at one of these? Does that mean you are aren't truly saved? Let me tell you why this perspective is truly dangerous: When we try to add anything to the gospel, then we are essentially telling Jesus that His cross was not enough. There has to be something that WE add to it in order to make our salvation secure. How ridiculous! How arrogant!
In his epistle to the Galatians, Paul addresses this issue head-on:
The gospel is all that we need. If there was anything else that we had to bring to the table, then Jesus would not have bothered to go to the cross. And while almost every single Christian that I know believes this, most still live as if all those "extras" are essential if they are to be accepted by God. Indeed we are called to live holy and pure lives, not so that we can strengthen the salvation we have in Christ but rather as an expression of love and obedience to the One who has saved us.
Now as a kid raised in a conservative Southern Baptist church, hedonism and Sunday school don't mix together too well. I knew all too well the lessons from the Bible and the truth that lay behind them, yet they were not enough to keep me from wanting to run to the dark side for a time and enjoy all of it's guilty pleasures. Was I properly taught the Scriptures? If I were truly saved, would I have gone down this wayward path? What went wrong?
You see, the Bible teaching that I received growing up was first rate and I would not trade it for the world. The problem that I encountered from many well-meaning Christians - and what many in Christian culture face as well - were all the "extras" that get pinned on the message of the gospel. Unlike the bonus features on a DVD or the hidden scene at the end of a the movie credits, these extras do not allow us to understand the greater extent of the gospel. In fact, they usually push us farther away.
The apostle Paul lived and ministered during a time when Christianity was beginning to explode in the Jewish and Gentile world in Asia Minor (the region including modern day Turkey). As he traveled throughout those countries, Paul would plant and oversee dozens of churches which were filled with new Christians, many of whom came from Jewish backgrounds. It was difficult for those new believers at times to forget all of the rituals and rules that they had to obey when they were followers of Judaism, and it was especially challenging for these new followers of Christ to believe that they no longer had to rely on the Jewish law for their salvation.
In his letters to the believers in Galatia and Colossae, Paul saw the need to address the issue that many were holding to: In order to be a Christian, you had to have the gospel + something else. For those churches that Paul was investing in, they had fallen into the trap that this "something else" they had to abide by was the ritual of circumcision. If they were to be considered true Christians then they MUST be circumcised. We often do the same thing today, although I'm glad it's not circumcision!
You fill in the blank with whatever "something else" you've been told that you have to do in order to be a "proper" Christian: Wear a coat and tie on Sunday, read a certain version of the Bible, avoid alcohol at all costs, sing to a certain type of music in worship, etc. Do you see how reckless and foolish this is? What if you fail at one of these? Does that mean you are aren't truly saved? Let me tell you why this perspective is truly dangerous: When we try to add anything to the gospel, then we are essentially telling Jesus that His cross was not enough. There has to be something that WE add to it in order to make our salvation secure. How ridiculous! How arrogant!
In his epistle to the Galatians, Paul addresses this issue head-on:
Christ has liberated us into freedom. Therefore stand firm and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery...For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love...For you were called to freedom, brothers; only don't use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. (Galatians 5:1, 6, 13)The gospel + something else is always the wrong answer. It's slavery because it adds to the gospel the impossibility that you have something that you can bring to bolster what Jesus did on the cross. In his epistle to the Colossians, Paul gives us this stern warning:
Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. (Colossians 2:8)Those people who try to be part of our spiritual upbringing by adding extra rules and regulations mean well but all they do is blur the lines between holiness and legalism. During my fraternity days I found that I could not live up to all of the extra spiritual expectations put on me by many well-meaning men and women, so I quit trying. It wasn't until a college pastor from my home church offered to walk alongside of me and extend to me a fresh perspective of God's grace that I began to walk out of darkness of that spiritual jungle.
The gospel is all that we need. If there was anything else that we had to bring to the table, then Jesus would not have bothered to go to the cross. And while almost every single Christian that I know believes this, most still live as if all those "extras" are essential if they are to be accepted by God. Indeed we are called to live holy and pure lives, not so that we can strengthen the salvation we have in Christ but rather as an expression of love and obedience to the One who has saved us.
Lead in spite of, because God's got your back
As a leader, don't you wish that people liked you and respected your every move? I mean, how easy would it be for you if every decision that you made was greeted with applause and compliance? That would be awesome and spare you a few gray hairs and stomach ulcers! But if that were the case - if everyone that you led was okay with where you were leading them - then you would be called a tour guide or entertainment specialist, not leader.
So when you struggle and strive and to lead in spite of, and it seems like no one else in the room is on the same page, rest in the fact that God is for you. Mom and dad, God is for you when you have to make difficult decisions regarding your children. Business man and woman, God has your back when your co-workers are taking short-cuts while claiming the glory. Student, God has not forgotten you when other kids at school mock you for your faith and for taking your studies seriously.
And if God is for us, who can be against us?
The very definition of being a leader implies that you have to navigate people over difficult terrain because, if left up to their own, those under your direction would wander aimlessly. And these people that you lead will sometimes push back against your vision and decisions, which makes it all the more challenging to lead them.
Let's face it, being a leader is hard. You are never going to be the most popular person in the room and your every move will be second guessed by a number of people. As a result, it is up to you how you choose to deal with opposition. You can initially choose to react in a manner that matches how you feel inside. Usually, this will be akin to molten lava spewing down a mountain toward an unsuspecting village. While this may feel the best at the time, we all know that this is pretty much always counterproductive an disastrous. Those that bear your wrath will never truly follow you.
A second and more God-honoring and wise - yet incredibly difficult - response is to lead in spite of. This means that in sticking with your vision and your strategy you continue to lead with grace in spite of naysayers. If you want a practical application of what this looks like, then read up on the lives of Moses, King David, Daniel, Paul, oh and Jesus, too. These men faced much opposition in their life and ministry, yet they led in spite of it. And they did so because God had entrusted them with leadership and their vision and dreams were not simply their own.
King David actually put his thoughts and hurts into words when it came to leading in the midst of those who wished him nothing but disaster:
That last phrase should bring great comfort to all of us: God is for us. He knows all the junk that we go through, He is intimately aware of every struggle that we encounter, and He's tuned in to all the mind-numbing opposition that we face. He has "recorded my wanderings" and "put my tears in (His) bottle", which means that there is nothing that we endure alone. He is with us. He is for us."You Yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not on Your records? Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call. This I know: God is for me." (Psalm 56:8-9)
So when you struggle and strive and to lead in spite of, and it seems like no one else in the room is on the same page, rest in the fact that God is for you. Mom and dad, God is for you when you have to make difficult decisions regarding your children. Business man and woman, God has your back when your co-workers are taking short-cuts while claiming the glory. Student, God has not forgotten you when other kids at school mock you for your faith and for taking your studies seriously.
And if God is for us, who can be against us?
You can't judge me! Unless, of course, you can...
"Do not judge!" This is without a doubt one of the most commonly quoted - I mean misquoted - verses of Scripture in all of the Bible. Believers and unbelievers alike enjoy pulling this one of our their arsenal to throw at anyone who espouses a belief or an opinion contrary to their own. But what does this verse in Matthew 7 really mean? In order to find out, we have to zoom out and take not just this verse but the entire passage in Matthew 7:1-6 in context.
"Do not judge, so that you won't be judged." That seems simple enough. If you don't judge others then they won't judge you. If we stop right there then there really is no need to go further with the discussion. Yet this verse is only the beginning of the passage.
"For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Did you see that? This verse doesn't condemn judging but instead gives a warning: When - not if - you judge, be prepared to be judged in return. But wait, I thought the verse before said don't judge. I'm getting confused! Read on.
"Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye but don't notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck our of your eye,' and look, there's a log in your eye?" People like to use these verses out of context too to fuel their argument, but they are inseparable from the other verses. Here's the point: The kind of judging that Jesus denounces - and the kind that should bother us too - is the hypocritical kind.
The whole plank in the eye refers to the perception of the one doing the judging. Have you ever had something stuck in your eye? If so, then you know that it messes with your vision pretty badly. Even the tiniest speck of dirt or insect can feel like, well, like a plank in your eye because it is so painful and consuming. That's the point. Judging isn't forbidden. In fact, we must learn to pass judgment on each other for the purpose of accountability and purity. But when you have failed to diligently judge yourself and your own misguided and sinful motives and actions, then you are unfit to judge others' sins and hold them accountable.
"Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Ouch! Nobody wants to be called a hypocrite but that is what we are if we judge others while ignoring our own junk. So what is the solution? Take the log out of your own eye - i.e., clean your own house - before you seek to correct others.
Here is the main point in all of this: None of us are perfect enough to pass perfect judgment. Only Jesus is, which is why He has the final authority on judgment (Matthew 25:31-46 & John 5:20-30). Yet we can and must judge others, but only when we are diligently pursuing God's holiness and purity in our own lives. This isn't always easy and comfortable to do, but it is essential that we hold our brothers and sisters accountable.
Let me finish by asking you one final question: If you were to see me pursuing a relationship outside of my marriage or abusing substances that could ruin my life, would you tell me? If the answer is yes, then you aren't judging me. You are loving me.
"Do not judge, so that you won't be judged." That seems simple enough. If you don't judge others then they won't judge you. If we stop right there then there really is no need to go further with the discussion. Yet this verse is only the beginning of the passage.
"For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Did you see that? This verse doesn't condemn judging but instead gives a warning: When - not if - you judge, be prepared to be judged in return. But wait, I thought the verse before said don't judge. I'm getting confused! Read on.
"Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye but don't notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck our of your eye,' and look, there's a log in your eye?" People like to use these verses out of context too to fuel their argument, but they are inseparable from the other verses. Here's the point: The kind of judging that Jesus denounces - and the kind that should bother us too - is the hypocritical kind.
The whole plank in the eye refers to the perception of the one doing the judging. Have you ever had something stuck in your eye? If so, then you know that it messes with your vision pretty badly. Even the tiniest speck of dirt or insect can feel like, well, like a plank in your eye because it is so painful and consuming. That's the point. Judging isn't forbidden. In fact, we must learn to pass judgment on each other for the purpose of accountability and purity. But when you have failed to diligently judge yourself and your own misguided and sinful motives and actions, then you are unfit to judge others' sins and hold them accountable.
"Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Ouch! Nobody wants to be called a hypocrite but that is what we are if we judge others while ignoring our own junk. So what is the solution? Take the log out of your own eye - i.e., clean your own house - before you seek to correct others.
Here is the main point in all of this: None of us are perfect enough to pass perfect judgment. Only Jesus is, which is why He has the final authority on judgment (Matthew 25:31-46 & John 5:20-30). Yet we can and must judge others, but only when we are diligently pursuing God's holiness and purity in our own lives. This isn't always easy and comfortable to do, but it is essential that we hold our brothers and sisters accountable.
Let me finish by asking you one final question: If you were to see me pursuing a relationship outside of my marriage or abusing substances that could ruin my life, would you tell me? If the answer is yes, then you aren't judging me. You are loving me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)