Ah, good old Jereboam!
Jere-who?
(I figured I'd throw this first part in to explain my title, lest you think I'm talking about Jeremiah or something.)
If you ask a kid what their favorite Bible story is, you're likely to get a variety of answers. Daniel in the lion's den, the fiery furnace, Noah's ark, Esther, Jonah, etc. And one of the most popular is David! David is every kid's hero. The story of David and Goliath is classic Sunday School material. But then it just keeps getting better as he becomes king. David is one of the most well-loved Bible characters of all time. He's the gold standard for the king of the Jews. Jews have upheld him for centuries, and with good reason.
But something I've noticed is I've never met a kid who mentioned Jereboam as their favorite Bible character. Weird right?
But did you know that Jereboam had the opportunity to be as well established as David? Jereboam actually had a great beginning, and it's an exciting story when you start reading it. It's during the time of Solomon, and Solomon has turned away from God by allowing his wives to influence him and pressure him into building temples to all these other gods, so God says He will take the kingdom away from Solomon in the days of his son, but for David's sake, He won't take the whole thing, but will leave David's descendants one tribe.
In the meanwhile, Solomon is rebuilding one of the cities in Israel, Millo, and there's an industrious young man named Jereboam who distinguishes himself by his hard work. (Which is the reason, I believe, God also chose him. In Proverbs it says, 'Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men.' There's a little side application for free...it pays to be industrious and work hard. Anyhoo...) Solomon notices him and appoints him to a government position.
Then one day, as Jereboam is leaving the city of Jerusalem, he is met secretly in a field by the prophet Ahijah. This is epic stuff, hearkening back to David and Samuel, Moses and the burning bush, Gandalf and Frodo! (OK maybe not the last one.) Ahijah is wearing a new cloak, and when he sees Jereboam, he rips it off, and tears it into 12 pieces. Ahijah hands Jereboam 10 of the pieces, keeps two, and tells him that God is giving 10 of the tribes of Israel into his hand. But here's the thing that stuck out to me about what he tells him:
1Kings 11:38 And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.
Jereboam had the opportunity to be established by God in the same way that David was! We all know about what a great king David was. In fact, David's house was so sure, that God refused to give the entire kingdom to Jereboam, solely because of David. And later on, the Messiah was to come through David's seed. God protected and kept David's line. And Jereboam had the same opportunity to have just as sure of an house. So things come to pass just as God promised, and God establishes Jereboam as the king over 10 of the tribes.
Unfortunately, when Jereboam became king, he grew worried that he would lose the kingdom that God had given him, if the people went to worship in Judah (the one tribe he hadn't been given) instead of staying in Israel. So he set up two golden calves, one in Bethel, and one in Dan, and told them the same thing Aaron had, "These be thy gods which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt." He made a political decision and compromised his beliefs and integrity to keep the kingdom God had given him, rather than just trusting God with the outcome. Then later, as almost every king in Israel is mentioned, they are compared with Jereboam the son of Nebat who turned Israel's heart away after other gods. What a different legacy than what he could have had. This is emphasized and comes to a climax, when Jereboam's son Abijah becomes sick. Jereboam sends his wife in disguise to Ahijah, the same prophet who told him he would become king, to find out what would happen to his son. By this point, Ahijah is old and sick, and nearly blind. So Jereboam's wife puts on a disguise and goes to visit him. But before she even gets to the door, God tells Ahijah who is coming, and what she wants. So while she's at the door, Ahijah says, "Come on in, Jereboam's wife. Why pretend to be someone else? I'll tell you what you came to ask, but it won't be good news."
And here is what the prophet tells Jereboam's wife, in such contrast to what was told him the first time...
1Kings 14:7-11 Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, (8) And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes; (9) But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back: (10) Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. (11) Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the LORD hath spoken it.
Then he tells her that as soon as she enters the city, her son will die, and he will be the only one that is honored by the people and buried like a king. But the thing that hits me is that Jereboam had the chance to be like David. He could have been established like David was, had he just honored God with the kingdom he received. But instead, he lost his chance to glorify God with the kingdom because he was so scared of losing it, by making a political decision, that in the long run, actually cost him his kingdom that he didn't want to lose.
As I was reading it, I thought of the applications to us. God has set us in certain positions to glorify Him, but sometimes we are tempted to compromise to hang onto our position. Maybe we have a certain group of friends that God wants us to witness and minister to, but we're so scared of losing them as friends, that we compromise our beliefs. It's ironic how sometimes people will justify hanging out with a group of friends by saying they don't want to spoil their witness and lose their chance by not being relatable, but then they try to become so relatable, that they never talk about their faith. Or maybe we have been placed in a certain job position, and want to keep it so badly that we will compromise our faith, whereas God wants us to glorify Him in that position that He has given us. If we just obey Him, He will establish us. A good example of this is in the movie, Courageous, when Javier finally gets a job and is able to support his family, but his boss calls him into his office and asks him to do something dishonest in order to gain a promotion. It looks like he'll lose his job if he remains honoring to God, and it places him in a very difficult place. I won't spoil the story for you if you haven't seen the movie, but suffice it to say, he honors God, and God honors him in return.
This story about Jereboam means a lot to me right now, because in my own life, I can see that God has placed me in certain positions that have the potential to glorify Him. But I can also see the temptations that could arise for me to compromise so I can stay IN those positions. But I don't want to miss the whole reason God has placed me there. Whether it's in my career, college, friends, family, church, or whatever, I want to seek to glorify God first and foremost, without having to worry about covering my own backside, and without thinking so much about what other people think, and I firmly believe He will take care of the rest. Putting God first is what will establish you in the long run.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Persuasion
That's a word I've been hearing a lot lately! Mostly because I've been in a play called Persuasion, by Jane Austen, adapted by Kathy Hedges. We've been rehearsing the play for the last 3 months, and the word 'persuaded' (or derivatives of it) was used like 39 times. But in addition to that, I've been seeing the word in college classes, Bible studies, and my pastor preached about it last Sunday.
Persuasion is an incredibly crucial concept to understand. Jeff Arnold once preached a message called, "Life's Three Greatest Words." He started out by saying, "You may think life's three greatest words are 'God is love,' or 'God can heal', but the three greatest words are actually: "I am persuaded." The reason that small, little phrase is so important, is because it gives the motivation for nearly everything we do in life. Truth won't affect you, unless you are persuaded that it is true. You won't dedicate your life to a cause unless you are persuaded that the cause is worthwhile. Someone may tell you that there is a million dollars worth of gold hidden right off the coast of Florida in an old sunken ship, which nobody has excavated, and yet is right there for the taking, but you won't invest the time and money and effort necessary to excavate that gold, unless you're persuaded that the statement is true. The fact that God is love won't affect you, unless you're persuaded that it's true.
The reason persuasion is such a fascinating concept to me is that everyone is persuaded of certain things, and yet, it seems like everyone is also trying to persuade others of everything else. It's the goal of advertisers, of the media, of politicians, of religious groups, (even of bloggers!), of friends, of neighbors, of enemies, of businesses...persuasion is happening all the time. In the play we were performing, every person in the play was either trying to persuade others, or being persuaded by someone. It can be difficult to know how to persuade people for good, and how to keep ourselves and others from being persuaded by evil!
The Bible tells us in Ephesians that we shouldn't be carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive, but we should speak the truth in love. (Eph. 4:14-15) What is he saying there? That we shouldn't allow ourselves to be persuaded by others' deceitful craftiness, but that we should persuade others by speaking the truth in love. If we understand the methods used in persuading people, however, we can keep ourselves from being persuaded, and use them to persuade others for good.
I'm taking a college class right now, and we're studying leadership and communication, and the science of persuasion. Discussions have come up, however, about the difference between persuasion and manipulation. Jeff Myers is the professor, and he speaks about how the difference between persuasion and manipulation lies in the intent and practice. If we're hiding or manipulating the truth, with the purpose to deceive, it is manipulation. If, on the other hand, we are illuminating the truth to people, we are persuading.
Jason Lisle, a scientist with Answers in Genesis, points out something that is important to remember. Solely using evidence will never convince someone who is already persuaded of something, because they'll always able to come up with a rescuing device. For example, the very presence of comets is evidence for a young universe, because these thing that are made of ice, should not have been able to survive this long in the universe, if they had been formed when the rest of the universe was formed. But if you tell an evolutionist this, they'll invoke the presence of an Oort cloud. They figure that new comets must be somehow being created, which must mean that there is an Oort cloud, even though it can't be proved that any such cloud exists. My point is that if someone already believes something, (like that the earth is billions of years old), evidence alone won't convince them, because they'll simply interpret it in a way that's consistent with their beliefs. (Matt. 28:16; Luke 16:31) Rather, we need to examine their worldviews.
Similarly, the things we are persuaded of should be based on a solid foundation, because persuasion is the greatest motivator.
What is it that would cause thousands of people to give their lives for the gospel? They were persuaded! (Heb 11:13) "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."
What would cause someone like Abraham to offer up his own son, even though he knew that Isaac was the only hope of his promise being fulfilled? He was persuaded! (Rom 4:21-22) "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform."
This is what will keep us, as well! One of my fellow actors...or actresses, I guess...but if I say the word 'actress', I can't say 'fellow'...uh...one of my fellow cast members read this portion of Scripture in between two of our performances about what our persuasion is as Christians. My pastor also read this classic portion of Scripture as he was preaching about repentance the next day. If we are persuaded of this, we could go anywhere in life, because we know the truth of this Scripture, that none of the things listed can ever...well, maybe I should let the verse speak for itself.
(Rom 8:38-39) "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The Bible is a solid foundation from which to be persuaded. Some people trust their own minds...but we have such a finite view, and such a limited perspective. The book of Job does an amazing job pointing this out through the speeches of Elihu. Job is looking at things from his own perspective, but Elihu says, "Look, we know God's character: that He's just, and He loves us. Therefore, what you are saying must be wrong." Elihu didn't use a lot of fancy evidences to prove Job wrong. He just appealed to God, because as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His thoughts greater than our thoughts. (As a sidenote, this holds true even for those who don't believe in God. If someone who believes we were formed by random chance processes is to depend on their own mind as a means of persuasion, I like to point out that if they believe that their brain is just a random collection of chemicals formed by chance, they really have no basis for believing that their chemicals are firing correctly. ;) Just a fun thought.) However, if we have the word of Someone who is infinite...who has a perspective greater than ours...that is a solid foundation on which we can be persuaded. When we have the word of God on something, we can, with every confidence say, "I am fully persuaded."
Persuasion is an incredibly crucial concept to understand. Jeff Arnold once preached a message called, "Life's Three Greatest Words." He started out by saying, "You may think life's three greatest words are 'God is love,' or 'God can heal', but the three greatest words are actually: "I am persuaded." The reason that small, little phrase is so important, is because it gives the motivation for nearly everything we do in life. Truth won't affect you, unless you are persuaded that it is true. You won't dedicate your life to a cause unless you are persuaded that the cause is worthwhile. Someone may tell you that there is a million dollars worth of gold hidden right off the coast of Florida in an old sunken ship, which nobody has excavated, and yet is right there for the taking, but you won't invest the time and money and effort necessary to excavate that gold, unless you're persuaded that the statement is true. The fact that God is love won't affect you, unless you're persuaded that it's true.
The reason persuasion is such a fascinating concept to me is that everyone is persuaded of certain things, and yet, it seems like everyone is also trying to persuade others of everything else. It's the goal of advertisers, of the media, of politicians, of religious groups, (even of bloggers!), of friends, of neighbors, of enemies, of businesses...persuasion is happening all the time. In the play we were performing, every person in the play was either trying to persuade others, or being persuaded by someone. It can be difficult to know how to persuade people for good, and how to keep ourselves and others from being persuaded by evil!
The Bible tells us in Ephesians that we shouldn't be carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive, but we should speak the truth in love. (Eph. 4:14-15) What is he saying there? That we shouldn't allow ourselves to be persuaded by others' deceitful craftiness, but that we should persuade others by speaking the truth in love. If we understand the methods used in persuading people, however, we can keep ourselves from being persuaded, and use them to persuade others for good.
I'm taking a college class right now, and we're studying leadership and communication, and the science of persuasion. Discussions have come up, however, about the difference between persuasion and manipulation. Jeff Myers is the professor, and he speaks about how the difference between persuasion and manipulation lies in the intent and practice. If we're hiding or manipulating the truth, with the purpose to deceive, it is manipulation. If, on the other hand, we are illuminating the truth to people, we are persuading.
Jason Lisle, a scientist with Answers in Genesis, points out something that is important to remember. Solely using evidence will never convince someone who is already persuaded of something, because they'll always able to come up with a rescuing device. For example, the very presence of comets is evidence for a young universe, because these thing that are made of ice, should not have been able to survive this long in the universe, if they had been formed when the rest of the universe was formed. But if you tell an evolutionist this, they'll invoke the presence of an Oort cloud. They figure that new comets must be somehow being created, which must mean that there is an Oort cloud, even though it can't be proved that any such cloud exists. My point is that if someone already believes something, (like that the earth is billions of years old), evidence alone won't convince them, because they'll simply interpret it in a way that's consistent with their beliefs. (Matt. 28:16; Luke 16:31) Rather, we need to examine their worldviews.
Similarly, the things we are persuaded of should be based on a solid foundation, because persuasion is the greatest motivator.
What is it that would cause thousands of people to give their lives for the gospel? They were persuaded! (Heb 11:13) "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."
What would cause someone like Abraham to offer up his own son, even though he knew that Isaac was the only hope of his promise being fulfilled? He was persuaded! (Rom 4:21-22) "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform."
This is what will keep us, as well! One of my fellow actors...or actresses, I guess...but if I say the word 'actress', I can't say 'fellow'...uh...one of my fellow cast members read this portion of Scripture in between two of our performances about what our persuasion is as Christians. My pastor also read this classic portion of Scripture as he was preaching about repentance the next day. If we are persuaded of this, we could go anywhere in life, because we know the truth of this Scripture, that none of the things listed can ever...well, maybe I should let the verse speak for itself.
(Rom 8:38-39) "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The Bible is a solid foundation from which to be persuaded. Some people trust their own minds...but we have such a finite view, and such a limited perspective. The book of Job does an amazing job pointing this out through the speeches of Elihu. Job is looking at things from his own perspective, but Elihu says, "Look, we know God's character: that He's just, and He loves us. Therefore, what you are saying must be wrong." Elihu didn't use a lot of fancy evidences to prove Job wrong. He just appealed to God, because as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His thoughts greater than our thoughts. (As a sidenote, this holds true even for those who don't believe in God. If someone who believes we were formed by random chance processes is to depend on their own mind as a means of persuasion, I like to point out that if they believe that their brain is just a random collection of chemicals formed by chance, they really have no basis for believing that their chemicals are firing correctly. ;) Just a fun thought.) However, if we have the word of Someone who is infinite...who has a perspective greater than ours...that is a solid foundation on which we can be persuaded. When we have the word of God on something, we can, with every confidence say, "I am fully persuaded."
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Elihu vs Eliphaz
I decided to publish a quick, short, blog post, since I haven't blogged in a while. "And when you finally do return to blogging, you decide to post about something with a title like that?" you ask. I realize that naming my post after two obscure Biblical characters who sound like they were named during a sneeze isn't the most engaging title. However, I think the opposing principles these two people represent could be helpful to you! So here goes.
Some people expend all their energy trying to change themselves. But something my pastor said last Sunday impacted me. (Maybe because he said my name from the pulpit when he said it...) His words were: "Michael, God can change you better than you could ever change yourself." He was speaking on John 15, and how Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, and without Him, we can do nothing. So what is the solution? To abide in Him. Sometimes we can get caught up in focusing on a ministry we're involved with, or an activity we're in, or trying to change ourselves, or relationships, etc. But you know what Jesus wants us to do? Focus on Him.
We've been studying the book of Job in our Bible study, and one of my favorite characters in the story is Elihu. Interestingly, he's the youngest, and he's also the only one God doesn't rebuke at the end of the book. Something he said stood out to me in the last study. (Job 35:9-13) "Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out; they call for help because of the arm of the mighty. But none says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?' There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the pride of evil men. Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it." (ESV) What stands out to me in what he says is that when people are going through hard times, they cry out, and wonder where God is and why He's doing what He's doing, but they don't seek Him where He is for who they already know Him to be. It's amazing how often we think God is wrong. We would never say that, of course, but from our perspective, we believe that God should conform to the way we think He should act. Elihu's point of view is that God is God, and we should conform to Him, rather than pridefully expecting Him to conform to us. He may be trying to teach us something through our trials, for our benefit, and we're not getting it. One of the kind of amusing things Elihu says is, "Who teacheth like the Lord?" God has a unique teaching style...one that is oftentimes not how we want it to be. We can't determine our position with God based on our successes or prosperity, as Eliphaz, and his other two friends advocate. Interestingly, the meanings of Elihu and Eliphaz's names kind of sum up their arguments. 'Elihu' means 'My God is he.' Basically intimating that God is who He is and we should find out who that is. Eliphaz's name means 'My God is gold.' This is what I'm trying, and maybe some of you could join me. The next time you pray, don't ask for specific things. Don't focus on what God can give you. Just focus on Him. The rest will fall into place. Let God change you the way He wants to. After all, He's got a slightly bigger perspective, and probably knows best!
Some people expend all their energy trying to change themselves. But something my pastor said last Sunday impacted me. (Maybe because he said my name from the pulpit when he said it...) His words were: "Michael, God can change you better than you could ever change yourself." He was speaking on John 15, and how Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, and without Him, we can do nothing. So what is the solution? To abide in Him. Sometimes we can get caught up in focusing on a ministry we're involved with, or an activity we're in, or trying to change ourselves, or relationships, etc. But you know what Jesus wants us to do? Focus on Him.
We've been studying the book of Job in our Bible study, and one of my favorite characters in the story is Elihu. Interestingly, he's the youngest, and he's also the only one God doesn't rebuke at the end of the book. Something he said stood out to me in the last study. (Job 35:9-13) "Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out; they call for help because of the arm of the mighty. But none says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?' There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the pride of evil men. Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it." (ESV) What stands out to me in what he says is that when people are going through hard times, they cry out, and wonder where God is and why He's doing what He's doing, but they don't seek Him where He is for who they already know Him to be. It's amazing how often we think God is wrong. We would never say that, of course, but from our perspective, we believe that God should conform to the way we think He should act. Elihu's point of view is that God is God, and we should conform to Him, rather than pridefully expecting Him to conform to us. He may be trying to teach us something through our trials, for our benefit, and we're not getting it. One of the kind of amusing things Elihu says is, "Who teacheth like the Lord?" God has a unique teaching style...one that is oftentimes not how we want it to be. We can't determine our position with God based on our successes or prosperity, as Eliphaz, and his other two friends advocate. Interestingly, the meanings of Elihu and Eliphaz's names kind of sum up their arguments. 'Elihu' means 'My God is he.' Basically intimating that God is who He is and we should find out who that is. Eliphaz's name means 'My God is gold.' This is what I'm trying, and maybe some of you could join me. The next time you pray, don't ask for specific things. Don't focus on what God can give you. Just focus on Him. The rest will fall into place. Let God change you the way He wants to. After all, He's got a slightly bigger perspective, and probably knows best!
Monday, January 30, 2012
You're Kidding...Right, Jesus?
Have you ever thought that when reading the Bible? I totally have! There are some things that Jesus commands that seem outrageous. Turn the other cheek?? I can't do that...I'll get crucified!
Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 5:48. "Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father also is perfect." You're kidding...right? You want me to be perfect? Whatever happened to the Jesus I heard preached about who 'accepts you just as you are'? Or think about what God commands in Leviticus, then Peter quotes in his first letter: "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. As it is written, be ye holy for I am holy." ALL manner of conversation? We're supposed to be holy in every area of our lives...like God is holy? Don't you think you're setting the standard a little high, Peter?
Let's face it. Sometimes the things the Bible says seem a little hard to grasp. We recognize that the principles should be true for other people...just not for us. "You know the Bible says you should be patient and...okay, you should know that I get really impatient when people don't listen to me."
God's been convicting this of me with how I treat my sister. Of course, I realize what the Bible says about kindness...but I think a certain level of rudeness is justified when I'm obviously right, and she's obviously wrong. You know what I mean?
For example, if she says something rude, I should let her know how wrong it is, by saying something really cutting.
I tend to set the standard higher for my sister, than I do for anyone else. After all, she lives in the same house as me, and how will it look if my sister isn't lining up? I teach Bible studies, after all! So while I may not even notice something about somebody else, I'll pounce on it when I see it in my sister. "Elise, are you stupid? Can't you see that skirt is immodest?" "Elise, only an idiot would talk that way to a mom who sacrificed so much for them." I mean, come on, I understand kindness, but kindness has its limits...right?
But God has been showing me something. I'm treating my sister one way...when I want God to treat me another. I'll go for a while without praying, then I'll pray for mercy. I'll let my thoughts wander to places they shouldn't, and then pray for mercy. I'll get irritated with my mom, dishonor God by the way I respond to Him, etc., but I expect God to look past my faults. On the other hand, I see areas where my sister isn't right, and I'll jump right on it. After all, mercy has it's limits when dealing with my family. Then I read convicting verses like these:
(Mat 5:7) Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
(Luk 6:36)Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
(Philippians 2:1-4) So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (ESV)
(1Peter 2:1-3) Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (KJV) You're not serious, right God? This is intense stuff. He's actually saying that the basis for how we treat others should be how He treats us. If there's any consolation in Christ... If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious... Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus... Not only that, but just like forgiveness, He says we'll obtain mercy when we show it. (Matthew 18) Just like the parable of the unforgiving servant. God has shown us so much mercy...but we're so reluctant to show it to others. (Notice I'm saying 'we', not 'I' now? I was feeling lonely... haha) We tend to think if we're RIGHT, we are justified in treating people harshly. We don't have to show mercy or grace if we are right and the other person is wrong! But the Bible presents a very different picture.
If we started treating others the way we want God to treat us...the way He does treat us...how different would our reactions be? Recently my pastor preached about God's mercy. In the message, he mentioned that the Bible tells us something very significant about God's character. He delights in mercy, and judgement is His strange work. (Micah 7:18; Isaiah 28:21) That means God's first response is mercy, and even though He'll resort to judgment, it's His strange work. In fact, like Mark Hamby, the president of Lamplighter, points out, the ratio of God's mercy to His judgment is thousands to four. (Exodus 34:6-7)
Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that God just blows things off, or brushes sin under the rug. He by no means clears the guilty. But He delights in mercy. And I'm clearly not saying I like it, because this concept completely goes against my selfish nature. It opens me up for pain and hurt! But it's what God has been showing me.
Now know that if you start testing how well I'm practing mercy...well, you may get popped, because I'm still working on it. But I believe the more God reveals His nature to me, the more I'll be transformed into His image. And I believe the same about you. God bless!
Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 5:48. "Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father also is perfect." You're kidding...right? You want me to be perfect? Whatever happened to the Jesus I heard preached about who 'accepts you just as you are'? Or think about what God commands in Leviticus, then Peter quotes in his first letter: "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. As it is written, be ye holy for I am holy." ALL manner of conversation? We're supposed to be holy in every area of our lives...like God is holy? Don't you think you're setting the standard a little high, Peter?
Let's face it. Sometimes the things the Bible says seem a little hard to grasp. We recognize that the principles should be true for other people...just not for us. "You know the Bible says you should be patient and...okay, you should know that I get really impatient when people don't listen to me."
God's been convicting this of me with how I treat my sister. Of course, I realize what the Bible says about kindness...but I think a certain level of rudeness is justified when I'm obviously right, and she's obviously wrong. You know what I mean?
For example, if she says something rude, I should let her know how wrong it is, by saying something really cutting.
I tend to set the standard higher for my sister, than I do for anyone else. After all, she lives in the same house as me, and how will it look if my sister isn't lining up? I teach Bible studies, after all! So while I may not even notice something about somebody else, I'll pounce on it when I see it in my sister. "Elise, are you stupid? Can't you see that skirt is immodest?" "Elise, only an idiot would talk that way to a mom who sacrificed so much for them." I mean, come on, I understand kindness, but kindness has its limits...right?
But God has been showing me something. I'm treating my sister one way...when I want God to treat me another. I'll go for a while without praying, then I'll pray for mercy. I'll let my thoughts wander to places they shouldn't, and then pray for mercy. I'll get irritated with my mom, dishonor God by the way I respond to Him, etc., but I expect God to look past my faults. On the other hand, I see areas where my sister isn't right, and I'll jump right on it. After all, mercy has it's limits when dealing with my family. Then I read convicting verses like these:
(Mat 5:7) Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
(Luk 6:36)Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
(Philippians 2:1-4) So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (ESV)
(1Peter 2:1-3) Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (KJV) You're not serious, right God? This is intense stuff. He's actually saying that the basis for how we treat others should be how He treats us. If there's any consolation in Christ... If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious... Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus... Not only that, but just like forgiveness, He says we'll obtain mercy when we show it. (Matthew 18) Just like the parable of the unforgiving servant. God has shown us so much mercy...but we're so reluctant to show it to others. (Notice I'm saying 'we', not 'I' now? I was feeling lonely... haha) We tend to think if we're RIGHT, we are justified in treating people harshly. We don't have to show mercy or grace if we are right and the other person is wrong! But the Bible presents a very different picture.
If we started treating others the way we want God to treat us...the way He does treat us...how different would our reactions be? Recently my pastor preached about God's mercy. In the message, he mentioned that the Bible tells us something very significant about God's character. He delights in mercy, and judgement is His strange work. (Micah 7:18; Isaiah 28:21) That means God's first response is mercy, and even though He'll resort to judgment, it's His strange work. In fact, like Mark Hamby, the president of Lamplighter, points out, the ratio of God's mercy to His judgment is thousands to four. (Exodus 34:6-7)
Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that God just blows things off, or brushes sin under the rug. He by no means clears the guilty. But He delights in mercy. And I'm clearly not saying I like it, because this concept completely goes against my selfish nature. It opens me up for pain and hurt! But it's what God has been showing me.
Now know that if you start testing how well I'm practing mercy...well, you may get popped, because I'm still working on it. But I believe the more God reveals His nature to me, the more I'll be transformed into His image. And I believe the same about you. God bless!
Monday, December 26, 2011
She Hath Done What She Could
A phrase has been echoing through my head. The phrase is the title of this blog post, in fact. Everyone should become very familiar with the author of that quote. His name is Jesus.
But seriously, this phrase has been hounding me...over my whole life. "She hath done what she could." You may be wondering what a phrase that has a feminine pronoun in it twice has to do with me (don't say anything!), but let me explain.
I came across this phrase again when reading a Lamplighter book, recently. I have a lot of the Lamplighter books as inventory, so I've been reading several of them before I have to send them back. The book was called, "Christie's Old Organ", first published in 1874, according to the front cover. In essence, the book is about an old man who is dying and asks his only friend in the world, a young orphan boy, to find out all he can about heaven before the old man's last month is up. The boy does as he's asked, and the old man learns about Jesus, but just before he dies he laments the fact that he wished he could have had more than one week to show Jesus how much he loved him. In remembrance of this, the boy devotes the rest of his life to demonstrating his love for Jesus, and the local minister mentions that the goal of each one of us should be that in the end, the Lord will be able to say of us, "He hath done what he could." That's what got me thinking of that.
The phrase comes from Mark 14:8. It's the well-known story of the woman with the alabaster box. This is the story as we find it in Mark:
These have been my random thoughts recently. It's certainly not something I'm doing perfect. But with God's help, I want my answer to be 'yes', and I want to do what I can to show my love for Him.
In this season when people are thinking of Jesus' birthday, it's good to think of the precious gift Jesus gave us, and of the precious gift He was glad to receive...and that He wants to receive from us.
Philippians 2:5-8
(5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
(6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
(7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
(8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
But seriously, this phrase has been hounding me...over my whole life. "She hath done what she could." You may be wondering what a phrase that has a feminine pronoun in it twice has to do with me (don't say anything!), but let me explain.
I came across this phrase again when reading a Lamplighter book, recently. I have a lot of the Lamplighter books as inventory, so I've been reading several of them before I have to send them back. The book was called, "Christie's Old Organ", first published in 1874, according to the front cover. In essence, the book is about an old man who is dying and asks his only friend in the world, a young orphan boy, to find out all he can about heaven before the old man's last month is up. The boy does as he's asked, and the old man learns about Jesus, but just before he dies he laments the fact that he wished he could have had more than one week to show Jesus how much he loved him. In remembrance of this, the boy devotes the rest of his life to demonstrating his love for Jesus, and the local minister mentions that the goal of each one of us should be that in the end, the Lord will be able to say of us, "He hath done what he could." That's what got me thinking of that.
The phrase comes from Mark 14:8. It's the well-known story of the woman with the alabaster box. This is the story as we find it in Mark:
Mark 14:3-9 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. (4) And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? (5) For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. (6) And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. (7) For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. (8) She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. (9) Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
She did everything she could! Went to the furthest possible extent to show Jesus her love! (By the way, is it furthest or farthest? I get mixed up about which to use...)
This was a very precious, precious gift. We learn from verse 5 that it might have been sold for more than 300 pence. A penny, Scripturally, is equivalent to a denarius, which was a day's wages. That means this gift was almost a year's wages! Think about that in today's terms! That's pretty incredible. It was probably her most precious possession, and she poured it out for Him. I find it interesting that Jesus says this will be story will be spoken of wherever the gospel is preached throughout the whole world. I think it's because, her response to Jesus parallels what He did for us. He poured out His soul in death for us, and she responded with appropriate gratitude. What she did could never equal what He was about to do, of course. But it showed that she understood the great gift He was about to give.
A similar story Jesus commends is in Luke 21. The widow with the two mites. He said that what she did for God was worth more than what all the other rich people did, because even though she only threw in two mites...probably not real significant towards paying for the elaborate temple in comparison to what the rich men were throwing in...but in God's eyes she'd cast in more than they all. "For all these have of their abundance cast in into the offering of God; but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had." (emphasis mine)
Why was the woman with the alabaster box to be spoken of throughout the whole world, wherever the gospel was preached for a memorial of her? I believe because she stands as a shining example of the correct response to the incredible good news, the incredible gift of the gospel. In response to God's great gift, we should be willing to pour out our lives for Him!
Now we might not die a martyr's death, or have the opportunity to physically give Him our most precious possession, but have we done what we can? Wouldn't those be wonderful words to hear? "He hath done what he could. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy lord."
But what can we do? Whatever He asks. :) And above. Some of the things we do might be small. But the greatest gifts, I believe, are when we do unnoticed things for God just because we love Him. When we do something, without any other motive, without receiving any credit or recognition, (and maybe at times even receiving criticism), just because we love God...that's the greatest gift. A lot of times, this is simply accomplished by 'loving your neighbor as yourself.'
Our family watched a movie the other night called, 'To Save a Life.' At least, I think that was the title...but anyway, in the movie there is a kid who commits suicide just because he felt alone. The movie deals with people wrestling with reaching out to people who are usually ignored. He went to a youth group just before he died, but people were busy, distracted, and he left. But, as a result, people begin reaching out in small ways. Inviting people to sit with them at lunch, being friendly, etc. And it makes a difference.
Another Lamplighter book I read recently was called, "The Rescue of Jessica's Mother," a sequel to "Jessica's First Prayer." (Both are very touching stories, by the way.) But the second really addresses this particular man named Daniel as he reaches out to poor people, unlike the rich people in the congregation of the church he attends. He uses his comparatively smaller means to do what he can for God because he loves him. When I read or hear stories like these I realize I am lacking. I don't always do what I can. But I want to be able to say:
'Yes, Lord, yes, to Your will and to Your way.
I'll say yes, Lord, yes; I will trust You and obey.
When Your Spirit speaks to me,
With my whole heart I'll agree.
And my answer will be yes, Lord, yes.'
Sometimes it can be just the smallest thing. Praying for a visitor at church, or being friendly with someone at the grocery store. When I feel the unction to do something like that, ironically many times I'll brush it aside. "That's not the Lord telling me to do that," I'll say to justify myself. But it's certainly not Satan telling me to do it! And, really, what harm could something like that do? Shouldn't I do what I can to show Jesus' love to people, regardless, and not make excuses?She did everything she could! Went to the furthest possible extent to show Jesus her love! (By the way, is it furthest or farthest? I get mixed up about which to use...)
This was a very precious, precious gift. We learn from verse 5 that it might have been sold for more than 300 pence. A penny, Scripturally, is equivalent to a denarius, which was a day's wages. That means this gift was almost a year's wages! Think about that in today's terms! That's pretty incredible. It was probably her most precious possession, and she poured it out for Him. I find it interesting that Jesus says this will be story will be spoken of wherever the gospel is preached throughout the whole world. I think it's because, her response to Jesus parallels what He did for us. He poured out His soul in death for us, and she responded with appropriate gratitude. What she did could never equal what He was about to do, of course. But it showed that she understood the great gift He was about to give.
A similar story Jesus commends is in Luke 21. The widow with the two mites. He said that what she did for God was worth more than what all the other rich people did, because even though she only threw in two mites...probably not real significant towards paying for the elaborate temple in comparison to what the rich men were throwing in...but in God's eyes she'd cast in more than they all. "For all these have of their abundance cast in into the offering of God; but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had." (emphasis mine)
Why was the woman with the alabaster box to be spoken of throughout the whole world, wherever the gospel was preached for a memorial of her? I believe because she stands as a shining example of the correct response to the incredible good news, the incredible gift of the gospel. In response to God's great gift, we should be willing to pour out our lives for Him!
Now we might not die a martyr's death, or have the opportunity to physically give Him our most precious possession, but have we done what we can? Wouldn't those be wonderful words to hear? "He hath done what he could. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy lord."
But what can we do? Whatever He asks. :) And above. Some of the things we do might be small. But the greatest gifts, I believe, are when we do unnoticed things for God just because we love Him. When we do something, without any other motive, without receiving any credit or recognition, (and maybe at times even receiving criticism), just because we love God...that's the greatest gift. A lot of times, this is simply accomplished by 'loving your neighbor as yourself.'
Our family watched a movie the other night called, 'To Save a Life.' At least, I think that was the title...but anyway, in the movie there is a kid who commits suicide just because he felt alone. The movie deals with people wrestling with reaching out to people who are usually ignored. He went to a youth group just before he died, but people were busy, distracted, and he left. But, as a result, people begin reaching out in small ways. Inviting people to sit with them at lunch, being friendly, etc. And it makes a difference.
Another Lamplighter book I read recently was called, "The Rescue of Jessica's Mother," a sequel to "Jessica's First Prayer." (Both are very touching stories, by the way.) But the second really addresses this particular man named Daniel as he reaches out to poor people, unlike the rich people in the congregation of the church he attends. He uses his comparatively smaller means to do what he can for God because he loves him. When I read or hear stories like these I realize I am lacking. I don't always do what I can. But I want to be able to say:
'Yes, Lord, yes, to Your will and to Your way.
I'll say yes, Lord, yes; I will trust You and obey.
When Your Spirit speaks to me,
With my whole heart I'll agree.
And my answer will be yes, Lord, yes.'
These have been my random thoughts recently. It's certainly not something I'm doing perfect. But with God's help, I want my answer to be 'yes', and I want to do what I can to show my love for Him.
In this season when people are thinking of Jesus' birthday, it's good to think of the precious gift Jesus gave us, and of the precious gift He was glad to receive...and that He wants to receive from us.
Philippians 2:5-8
(5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
(6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
(7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
(8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Confessions of a Christian Cynic
Hi, my name is Michael Schroeder, and I'm a cynic. The last time I thought cynical thoughts was...today, actually.
I do tend to be a bit of a 'Doubting Thomas' even when it comes to miracles, (or people pointing out blurs of light that are probably angels in photographs), but actually, if you're a cynic hoping I'll bash faith and validate your indignation against ignorant imbecile believers, you should probably go to another blog, because I'm actually talking about a different kind of cynicism. That kind of cynicism is directed toward God; the kind I'm talking about is directed toward people. Stay tuned though and there may be a 'Confessions of a Christian Cynic part II.'
Where does my cynicism come from if I'm only 18, you ask? Good question. Jesus mentioned a reason for cynicism that sums things up pretty well in Matthew 24:12. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." And even though I'm only 18, I've been placed in situations where I've seen the...uh...not-so-bright side of people. Nowhere near as much as I will see, I'm sure, but enough to make me wonder at times if there's ANYONE who's really real and wants to genuinely serve God. There have been times when I've felt like Elijah under the juniper whining to God about being the only one left, then I have to remember God's rebuke to him: "Hey you little elitist, I've still got 7,000 people who haven't bowed their knees to Baal, so quit acting like you're all alone." The psalmist's words in Psalm 116:11 also come to mind..."I said in my haste, All men are liars!"
But is this kind of attitude right? God's words to Elijah show that it's not. It's hard to remember that some times. When Jesus used the words 'the love of many will wax cold, he was intimating something. I get the picture in my mind of a candle slowing burning out. This isn't a sudden process. It comes from being hardened from seeing iniquity all around us. I've seen so many people use other people as an excuse to quit coming to church and even as an excuse to stop serving God. My mom taught be by example early on that no matter what anyone else does, even if that person is someone highly respected, or supposed to be on good terms with God and yet still fails, we can still depend on God no matter what. Man in his best state his altogether vanity. People are people and will fail us, and the fear of man will bring a snare. And the church is made up of imperfect people! I'm often reminded of Proverbs 14:4; "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of oxen." But in realizing the truth of the first part of that verse, (that the only perfect church is a church without people in it, just like the only clean stall is the one without oxen in it), the chance comes to become bitter and not trust anyone. I realize that people are imperfect, and therefore, I also realize that people will often fail me. What do I do then with that knowledge? Sadly, a tendency of mine is to isolate myself from others. I'm polite, but don't want to go any deeper. I rarely share my deeper thoughts and feelings with others. (You would be shocked if you could hear some of the sarcastic commentaries that run through my head from day to day.) There are a few select people that I let into my inner circle, but they have to work to earn my trust.
Yet the second part of Proverbs 14:4 is essential to remember. God designed us for community. In His creation, after He created everything, He said it was good. But then in Genesis 2, for the first time God says something is 'not good.' He said, 'It is not good that man should be alone. I will make an help meet for him.' God designed the body of Christ to depend on one another. (1 Cor. 12) Much increase is by the strength of oxen. Even though there are some smelly situations that arise from the church, there is also much increase. What I've come to realize is that I need GOD'S love for people.
I have been teaching on 1, 2, and 3 John recently, and one of the main concepts the apostle John focuses on is love. Love one another. And he has some pretty straight comments for those who don't. And while I nod to that concept in my head, my practice of it is still quite lacking.
I realized this when I was praying a few weeks ago. There are certain times in prayer when it's like I can glimpse what God sees. God is holding out His arms, waiting to pour out His love on people, and yet they pass Him by and ignore Him. They don't listen when He calls, turn away when He reaches out, scoff when He tries to show them His hand. And whenever I get a vivid picture of this in prayer it makes me morose...and angry. Why can't certain people see how much God loves them? How can they do that to Him? Instead of taking on and exhibiting the love God has for them, I see with indignation this unrequited love and the opposite effect is produced in my spirit. Yet I have to realize that I've done, and in some respects am still doing, the exact same thing. I've ignored God's love before. I've turned my back on Him. He loves me so much and yet I act like such an idiot. The parable in Matthew 18 is a very accurate picture to depict the irony of my feelings at times. And what I'm learning is that I can't love people on my own strength. I need God's help to do it. I need God's Spirit to fill me, and produce in me the love that He has for others. One of the first fruits of the spirit is love. It's the most important thing we can do as Christians. We can't let bitterness and cynicism rule our lives.
So what's the recovery plan for this Christian cynic? Focus on God. Completely. Once I get my mind off myself, and off of other people, I have a feeling that loving them will all fall into place.
I do tend to be a bit of a 'Doubting Thomas' even when it comes to miracles, (or people pointing out blurs of light that are probably angels in photographs), but actually, if you're a cynic hoping I'll bash faith and validate your indignation against ignorant imbecile believers, you should probably go to another blog, because I'm actually talking about a different kind of cynicism. That kind of cynicism is directed toward God; the kind I'm talking about is directed toward people. Stay tuned though and there may be a 'Confessions of a Christian Cynic part II.'
Where does my cynicism come from if I'm only 18, you ask? Good question. Jesus mentioned a reason for cynicism that sums things up pretty well in Matthew 24:12. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." And even though I'm only 18, I've been placed in situations where I've seen the...uh...not-so-bright side of people. Nowhere near as much as I will see, I'm sure, but enough to make me wonder at times if there's ANYONE who's really real and wants to genuinely serve God. There have been times when I've felt like Elijah under the juniper whining to God about being the only one left, then I have to remember God's rebuke to him: "Hey you little elitist, I've still got 7,000 people who haven't bowed their knees to Baal, so quit acting like you're all alone." The psalmist's words in Psalm 116:11 also come to mind..."I said in my haste, All men are liars!"
But is this kind of attitude right? God's words to Elijah show that it's not. It's hard to remember that some times. When Jesus used the words 'the love of many will wax cold, he was intimating something. I get the picture in my mind of a candle slowing burning out. This isn't a sudden process. It comes from being hardened from seeing iniquity all around us. I've seen so many people use other people as an excuse to quit coming to church and even as an excuse to stop serving God. My mom taught be by example early on that no matter what anyone else does, even if that person is someone highly respected, or supposed to be on good terms with God and yet still fails, we can still depend on God no matter what. Man in his best state his altogether vanity. People are people and will fail us, and the fear of man will bring a snare. And the church is made up of imperfect people! I'm often reminded of Proverbs 14:4; "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of oxen." But in realizing the truth of the first part of that verse, (that the only perfect church is a church without people in it, just like the only clean stall is the one without oxen in it), the chance comes to become bitter and not trust anyone. I realize that people are imperfect, and therefore, I also realize that people will often fail me. What do I do then with that knowledge? Sadly, a tendency of mine is to isolate myself from others. I'm polite, but don't want to go any deeper. I rarely share my deeper thoughts and feelings with others. (You would be shocked if you could hear some of the sarcastic commentaries that run through my head from day to day.) There are a few select people that I let into my inner circle, but they have to work to earn my trust.
Yet the second part of Proverbs 14:4 is essential to remember. God designed us for community. In His creation, after He created everything, He said it was good. But then in Genesis 2, for the first time God says something is 'not good.' He said, 'It is not good that man should be alone. I will make an help meet for him.' God designed the body of Christ to depend on one another. (1 Cor. 12) Much increase is by the strength of oxen. Even though there are some smelly situations that arise from the church, there is also much increase. What I've come to realize is that I need GOD'S love for people.
I have been teaching on 1, 2, and 3 John recently, and one of the main concepts the apostle John focuses on is love. Love one another. And he has some pretty straight comments for those who don't. And while I nod to that concept in my head, my practice of it is still quite lacking.
I realized this when I was praying a few weeks ago. There are certain times in prayer when it's like I can glimpse what God sees. God is holding out His arms, waiting to pour out His love on people, and yet they pass Him by and ignore Him. They don't listen when He calls, turn away when He reaches out, scoff when He tries to show them His hand. And whenever I get a vivid picture of this in prayer it makes me morose...and angry. Why can't certain people see how much God loves them? How can they do that to Him? Instead of taking on and exhibiting the love God has for them, I see with indignation this unrequited love and the opposite effect is produced in my spirit. Yet I have to realize that I've done, and in some respects am still doing, the exact same thing. I've ignored God's love before. I've turned my back on Him. He loves me so much and yet I act like such an idiot. The parable in Matthew 18 is a very accurate picture to depict the irony of my feelings at times. And what I'm learning is that I can't love people on my own strength. I need God's help to do it. I need God's Spirit to fill me, and produce in me the love that He has for others. One of the first fruits of the spirit is love. It's the most important thing we can do as Christians. We can't let bitterness and cynicism rule our lives.
So what's the recovery plan for this Christian cynic? Focus on God. Completely. Once I get my mind off myself, and off of other people, I have a feeling that loving them will all fall into place.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Ravine
Sweat poured down the boy's face. He slashed with his sword wildly. He had thought he'd been in control up to this point in the battle. The dim shape lunged at him again. Quickly, he sliced downwards with the blade, and the onslaught against him halted for the moment. Where is my shield? Oh where is my shield?! If only he could see! He looked around, panicked. The archers would soon begin shooting again, and if he didn't have his shield... It's time to retreat, the voice inside him urged.
Stealthily, (or so he hoped) he dropped to the ground and crawled along to a nearby gully in the hilly landscape. He dropped down into the little ravine, and leaned up against the dirt wall, trying to catch his breath. I'm not even sure who I was fighting against up there. Wearily, he sheathed his sword. He knew it wasn't wise, but he was too tired to go on. For all he knew, he was doing more harm than good. He may have even been fighting against the King's servants. If only he could tell where the King was, he could make out what side of the battlefield he was on. But in the darkness, it was too confusing. And the King was out of sight. The boy closed his eyes tightly, then pounded the wall of the ravine in frustration. Of course, it was foolish to stay down here. Then he certainly wouldn't be able to see the King. But how could he jump back up into the midst of the battle when he wasn't sure where he should even attack? His family was up there somewhere, and he didn't want to endanger them anymore than he had already by fighting in the wrong part of the battlefield, against the wrong people.
A movement overhead suddenly caught his eye. He pressed against the side of the ravine, trying to hide himself from view. A shape even blacker than the night sky glided overhead, a glint of light from an unseen source reflecting off its body. The boy cringed. He knew the shape well. That horrendous, long wingspan. The thin, scaly neck. The razor-sharp claws and teeth. His oldest enemy. The dragon. Had he seen him?
Abruptly the beast turned and swooped down lower. Ah yes, of course, and don't forget those evil, gleaming eyes. The boy knew he'd been spotted. A cackle rose into the air. Hideous. Wicked.
At that moment, dark shapes poured over the edges of the ravine. The dragon's minions. Now the boy had no doubt about who he was fighting. The hunched, demented creatures grew closer, their scimitars raised high, grunting in exertion. The boy looked down at his battered breastplate and belt with hopelessness rising in his heart...and screamed the name of the King.
Stealthily, (or so he hoped) he dropped to the ground and crawled along to a nearby gully in the hilly landscape. He dropped down into the little ravine, and leaned up against the dirt wall, trying to catch his breath. I'm not even sure who I was fighting against up there. Wearily, he sheathed his sword. He knew it wasn't wise, but he was too tired to go on. For all he knew, he was doing more harm than good. He may have even been fighting against the King's servants. If only he could tell where the King was, he could make out what side of the battlefield he was on. But in the darkness, it was too confusing. And the King was out of sight. The boy closed his eyes tightly, then pounded the wall of the ravine in frustration. Of course, it was foolish to stay down here. Then he certainly wouldn't be able to see the King. But how could he jump back up into the midst of the battle when he wasn't sure where he should even attack? His family was up there somewhere, and he didn't want to endanger them anymore than he had already by fighting in the wrong part of the battlefield, against the wrong people.
A movement overhead suddenly caught his eye. He pressed against the side of the ravine, trying to hide himself from view. A shape even blacker than the night sky glided overhead, a glint of light from an unseen source reflecting off its body. The boy cringed. He knew the shape well. That horrendous, long wingspan. The thin, scaly neck. The razor-sharp claws and teeth. His oldest enemy. The dragon. Had he seen him?
Abruptly the beast turned and swooped down lower. Ah yes, of course, and don't forget those evil, gleaming eyes. The boy knew he'd been spotted. A cackle rose into the air. Hideous. Wicked.
At that moment, dark shapes poured over the edges of the ravine. The dragon's minions. Now the boy had no doubt about who he was fighting. The hunched, demented creatures grew closer, their scimitars raised high, grunting in exertion. The boy looked down at his battered breastplate and belt with hopelessness rising in his heart...and screamed the name of the King.
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