Let Us Reason Together Part 1: Christian Debate and Kindness

"I disagree with you for the following reasons: (1) I think you're less-intelligent than me, and (2) I've had this opinion for a long time, I really like it, and am not thinking about changing it.  If you continue to press the point or present me with further uncomfortable facts, I will be forced to vocally question your sanity and insult your way of life."

How would you feel if someone used this line of debate technique on you?  What would you think if the topic under discussion was "Why you should believe in Jesus" and the person speaking was a self-proclaimed defender of the faith?

 Today, I want to begin to talk about debating our opinions (and our faith) in a manner befitting Christians.  When we defend our faith (or any opinion, for that matter), we are presenting a view of Christ to the world, which means our words can have eternal consequences.  We can wound or heal; we can shut the door of Heaven or open it wide to a searching person.  Because of this, we should really, really (can I emphasize this enough?) guard our words and our demeanor carefully.

The Root of Kindness...

The groundwork for any discussion should be a rule of kindness. I'm not talking about some official rulebook for order in a meeting; I'm talking about a personal decision to be kind, no matter what happens, and no matter what the other person says or does. That's impossible, you say?

The Bible says that kindness is one of the "fruits of the spirit," (Galatians 5: 22-23), that is, it is an expression of the power and presence of God in a Christian's life.  Now, those who do not personally acknowledge God as Lord of their life can be kind at times--we hear it on the news and should give them credit and praise for it--but there is a difference between Christian and non-Christian kindness.

Jesus called attention to the difference when He described what would be called a "normal reaction" and then stated what God expects people to do instead:

"You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" (Matthew 5: 38-47 NIV)

Kindness is Unmerited Favor. Image: Eddie Two Hawks

In a nutshell, non-Christians give people back to others what they have earned and deserved, but Christians should give undeserved grace and favor in return for cruelty, disrespect, and unkindness.  Jesus doesn't just flatly demand this change in behavior; He backed it by modeling it personally. In fact, in Matthew 5: 48 (the sentence that comes immediately after the passage above) Jesus said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."  That is, be complete, mature, and fully-developed in your behavior, living up to the higher and more honorable standard God has modeled for you. What did God the Father do to model this perfection? He sent His son to rescue an undeserving people (See also Micah 6: 3-8).

So, we can establish that the origins of true kindness are from God and manifestations of His own character, and that they are something contrary and completely foreign to normal thinking outside of those who follow God. How about those who practice unmerited kindness but don't want anything to do with God?  The Bible describes this scenario, too, with a phrase: "having a form of godliness but denying its power (2 Timothy 3: 5 NIV), that is, these people conform outwardly to a model God established, but in their hearts, they reject the power behind that pattern and thus the power of that pattern, dooming themselves with their own hypocrisy (see also Matthew 25: 31-46 NIV).

Applying Kindness to a Debate

Since kindness comes from God and was first modeled by Him, it should be applied with a sense of its sacredness, that is, with an awareness of what it represents. If you are proud of your relationship with God, kindness should be liberally applied to others, but if you are embarrassed about God, you should be stingy with kindness.

Yes, I am being facetious to make a point.

If you are having problems being as kind as Christ, then you should at least go by your own personal human reference point, using the rule Jesus suggested: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets," (Matthew 7:12 NIV). This is really a gateway into understanding God's kindness toward us, by causing us to give some serious thought about a key question: What do we want others to do to us?

So, at the beginning of debate, before even opening our mouth, we are directed to think first about that question.  We have to do it again and again, as necessary, before each exchange in the conversation.  We have to keep it in mind before we take action. We have to think about it after the blow lands but before our cheek stops smarting.  Because God has made us with thinking, reasoning minds, we are expected--no, required--to think, and because not all of us are old, studied, or gifted with cleverness, we were given a question even a child could answer. What do we want others to do to us?

This habit has a peculiar significance for Christians, because when we act according to its direction, we are as much as saying, "Not my will be expressed here, but Yours, Jesus," and "Not my honor be defended here, but Yours, Jesus."  If we can get into the habit of remembering and honoring this rule every day, but particularly during an argument, we are welcoming Jesus in to bless and sanctify our speech, and to direct us to say what is beyond our human power to say. Only Jesus has the power to tame the tongue; it is beyond human will power to control its poison (see James 3: 7-12 NIV).

In short, during debate of any sort, invite Jesus in and He will teach you kindness, and His presence in the conversation will bring reward for both you and your debate opponent.

Does Kindness Mean Backing Down or Standing Your Ground?

The Bible doesn't say or even imply that Christians are always right or that God will always support every idea a Christian has or feels. This means that sometimes Christians have to back down in a debate, even when they don't feel persuaded by the other person and still feel that they are right. I have struggled with this and I've seen others struggle with it even more than I ever have, because it's really hard to lose, particularly if you have a strong, winning personality type.

But, I won't go into that right now.

The fact is, in some cases, it is kinder and more godly to back down from an argument before it even begins, while in other cases, it is better to pursue the point.  The good thing is that the Bible gives us guidance about that, too!

In the case of choosing when to back down, 2 Timothy 2: 23-24 (NIV) says, "Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." Here you see kindness shown as the foundation for choosing not to argue, rather than the foundation for argument, because the subject of the argument is not important enough for debate.

When is it important enough to keep arguing? Only when the subject hinges on a matter of absolute truth and obedience toward God, not something "foolish and stupid," that is, something that doesn't have eternal significance.  For instance, when Goliath challenged the strength and the king, and thus the God, of the nation of Israel, David had to go out onto the battlefield to fight him (1 Samuel 17). Later, when Ahab and the prophets of Baal proposed that their god was more powerful than Elijah's God, he had to debate with them, by agreeing to build an altar and letting the entire stakes (the choice of whether the nation would follow Baal or God) rest on the outcome of the debate (1 Kings 18: 16: 39).

It is interesting to point out that in the case of these sanctioned debates, the very nature of truth and the power of God was in question, and in the end, it was God and not a person who defended the point. He only worked through an individual's obedience and bravery to make His opinion known. 

Summary: Kindness in Debate

Looking back over this discussion so far, there is a clear thread running through all my points.  Kindness comes from God; it does not come from man.  Kindness is ultimately implemented by God through obedience to His will as we choose our words and actions carefully. Finally, kindness chooses our battles, and as a manifestation of the power of God, kindness fights our battles on matters of eternal spiritual significance, because Christ, as a matter of kindness, "is not willing that any of these little ones should perish" (Matthew 18: 14 NIV), but that "whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3: 16 NIV).

Two Kinds of Fools...

Today is April Fools Day, a day that is traditionally celebrated in the western world by playing pranks on other people.  I didn't have any pranks for you today, but I thought I'd pop over to share what the Bible says about fools. It seems there are two kinds of fools:

The fools who earn the wrath of God...

"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good," ( Psalm 14:1 NIV).

 "For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm," (Proverbs 1: 32, 33 NIV)

The fools who fall upon the mercy of God...

"The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice," (Proverbs 12: 15 NIV).

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God," (1 Corinthians 1: 18 NIV).

"Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe," (1 Corinthians 1: 20, 21 NIV).

I do hope you are the latter and not the former today.  This is serious stuff--no prank at all. It's time to seek out this "foolishness of God" and find rest for your soul--it is a ridiculously simple answer to life's toughest question. God will not mock you, but He will not be mocked. Take it to heart!

The Death of Logic

I have written often on this blog concerning truth and logic, and what my folks used to call "common sense and decency."  I even wrote a series a few years ago outlining basic errors in logical argumentation and how to unravel them. I love logic, but I've got to say that by the looks of all the news I've been hearing lately, I am convinced that logic is becoming a rare bird.

Frankly, it's frightening.

Here's a recent example of what I'm talking about. I read in the news about a man who ordered a hamburger with no onion at a fast food restaurant, and then called the restaurant to complain that they had put onion on his burger. They apologized and told him to come back for a free replacement burger. He then ate the burger and returned to the restaurant to get his free extra burger. When the clerk told him that he couldn't get another hamburger because he'd eaten the evidence, so to speak, he threw the cash register and a soft drink at her.

Um...yeah....So, is this an illogical reaction? I think so. Logic has basic premises. We have to back up our arguments with proof, for instance (such as bringing the restaurant clerk the burger with onions clearly visible in it).  We also have to behave in such a way that our arguments are believable and acceptable (not throwing cash registers, for instance). Logical points or reactions are equivalent in magnitude to counterpoints our counter-reactions (for instance, most people would just pick the onions off instead of getting deeply upset). We're talking about basic, rational, civil behavior here. What is going on in our society?

The Bible predicts illogical or irrational behavior as a symptom of sin in a society. Proverbs has two such warnings: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1: 7 KJV), and "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding" (Proverbs 9: 10 KJV).  In essence, what the Bible is saying is that once belief in God is established, wisdom, knowledge, teaching, and understanding will follow.  If you read it the other direction, however, it is saying that sound thinking (read logic, truth, common sense, and decency) will fly out the window once God is removed from the picture.

If you want to restate this more simply, you could say that the presence of God brings peace and order, while the absence of God brings chaos. This is even generalizable, because the breakdown of law and order in civilization or logic in the individual mind often starts with defiance of the basic rules, and the rule-enforcer. Get rid of God, get rid of all of His rules, and you have anarchy, even anarchy in our thinking patterns.

It is known that we have organizations and individuals in US society (and throughout the world) who are working to remove God from everything. The rise of illogical behavior is only a consequence, predicted well in advance for us to take heed.  We (as individuals and as society) need God; the chaos without Him only underscores the need.  The Bible points out this dependence on God when it says, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God," (Matthew 4: 4b NIV). Truth and logic precede from the mouth of God--they are the hallmarks of His order--and bread which sustains our strength also comes from His hand.  If we get rid of God, we are left exposed to the wrath of God, in an untenable situation where superior might is the only form of persuasion left to us, and even that fails without sustenance from God.

It doesn't seem logical to ignore warnings or the one who sends them, especially when they come true.  It doesn't seem logical to reject the one who is kind enough to warn of approaching danger. In fact, it isn't logical at all.  So what can a Christian do about the death of logic in society?  Illogic cannot be fought with logic (Proverbs 26: 4, 5); however, it can be fought with prayer, which is an appeal to a Higher Authority, asking that He demonstrate His authority again in the lives of those who have rejected Him.  Only when God's authority is recognized in an individual heart can logic make headway there. Otherwise, watch out for the proverbial (or literal) flying cash register. That's my point.

When Wisdom Is Not Enough

The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. --Proverbs 12:15 NIV

People have called me wise before, and I've had people come to me seeking advice about just about everything, including things I really knew nothing about. I can admit, without feeling any extreme amount of pride in myself, that I've seen many people prosper after taking the advice I have given them.  I could list some success stories here, but that detracts from the point I'd rather make about me: The secret of all my wisdom is that none of it actually comes from me!


"The wise listen to advice," the Proverb at the beginning of this blog states. That means my wisdom came first from an adviser.  There is no adviser I hold higher than the Bible, and behind that, informing it completely, God.  In fact, I believe that there is no real wisdom aside from the wisdom of God, and I've tried always to measure the advice I received (and passed on) against this highest source. I am merely a mouthpiece, and it doesn't hurt my feelings at all if you go above my head and seek wisdom from the Source. In fact, I wish you would.

With all of that said, I can add that there are times when wisdom doesn't seem like enough. Sometimes, knowing and doing what is wise seems too hard, and other options seem better, or even "wiser." Choosing wisdom (the wisdom of God, that is) sometimes means walking away from what you and others want most desperately, turning loose of dreams and hopes, and depriving yourself of what seems fun or free.  Sometimes doing what is wise means doing it alone.

I wish at times like this I could offer another answer, which could be both wise and easy.  I haven't ever found one. It seems that the alternative of taking wisdom's answer to our problems is striking out on our own, blazing our own trail.  Yet, that doesn't seem very wise, because we've already been told the outcome to that process.

The Bible has a corollary to the Proverb at the beginning of this post; it reads, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14: 12 and 16: 25 NIV).  That death is like being lost and alone in the woods forever; it is the end result for choosing paths other than the one blazed for us by our best Adviser.  In light of that picture, it seems wiser to take the path that leads to deliverance and a good outcome, rather than one that leads to destruction, no matter how painful the journey might be. 


So what am I saying? Only that, when wisdom isn't good enough for us, the only other alternative is punishment, and we don't want that.  It is better to choose wisdom, even if it hurts sometimes. It isn't without its rewards. Wisdom leads you out of the woods; it frees you, prospers you, sustains you.  Wisdom blesses you with more than you had before, and brings you out of aloneness into fellowship with God and with others who know God.  Wisdom is the very breath of God.  There is never really a point when it is not enough.  Choose wisdom!

Just One Hour with Jesus

A friend of mine suggested a Bible reading plan for the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, in which we would read through the last few chapters of the gospel of Matthew, covering Christ's entry into Jerusalem, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. I thought it was a good idea, but quickly things got in the way (maybe things that weren't really high priorities), and I didn't stick with it.

So, when I found myself sitting up to read the last five chapters of the plan after 2 a.m. on Easter morning, I was feeling pretty guilty.  The guilt sliced deeper when I came to Matthew 26: 40 (NIV), when Jesus said to His snoozing friends, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?”

Translation: What would it take to get just one hour of your time?

The God of the universe should not be reduced to begging for one hour of my time.  That's just ludicrous!  Even worse, God should not be pushed to the very end of the schedule and forgotten because I'm too tired, or too stressed, or too preoccupied to give Him any attention.

It is to Jesus' credit that He puts up with neglect on this scale from me. I'm blessed to have Him in my life, but too often I fail to reciprocate even the least of His kindnesses. He gives me 24 hours every day, but in my arrogance and selfish focus, I catch myself accepting that gift as an entitlement and not as a blessing. Not even one hour of 24?  How stingy is that?

It came down to asking God to forgive me for taking Him for granted, especially on the anniversary of His gift of salvation. I'm thankful that He does forgive!

Jesus chided the apostles in Gethsemane for not taking Him seriously, not for being sleepy after a long day. He was asking them for something they could afford to give Him, not something unreasonable or impossible.  They had one last chance to spend time with Him, but they took it for granted. I'm sure they regretted wasting that last hour for the rest of their lives.

I'm not trying to propose heavy and burdensome rules and standards for devotional time.  I'm talking about an attitude problem that is common to both regimented and unscheduled Christians, which condescends to "fit God in" to our lives and doesn't make Him the center. God knows we are busy, but He also knows when we're using that as an excuse to put Him off.  So, the key is to give God our attention when we know He's asking for it.

Obviously, I'm not speaking as one who has conquered this issue, but rather as a hypocrite who knows better than what I'm doing. I'm just trying to pass on what God has been saying to me lately. If you have an answer to this problem, please leave tips in the comments section, or blog about it and link back to this post. Thanks for reading!

Weekend Snippet: Bought Without Money or Cost

Earlier today, I read another news report about the impending death penalty for Iranian Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and contemplated the response this brave man gave his captors, "Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?"  According to the wording of the constitution of Iran, he has been labeled a "national apostate" because he was conceived by Iranian Muslims, but converted to Christianity later.  This makes him eligible for death by hanging if he does not "repent" or recant his faith.  His sentence could be carried out at any time.

I bring this up to call attention to those who suffer for the cause of Christ, especially in Eastern countries.  I won't deny that some of us Westerners do face mortal threats and other extremes of persecution for our faith, but generally, we enjoy relative security from our governments, and even a small measure of protection from our neighbors.  We should use this freedom wisely, and pray for those who do not have what we've been given.

I was thinking about this in light of a passage I recently re-read in my personal Bible study.  Chapter 55 in Isaiah talks about the extension of the new covenant to include Gentiles, such as myself and Mr. Nadarkhani.  It begins with an invitation to "buy wine and milk without money and without cost" (v. 1), extended to all who are thirsty, and even those who have no money.

Obviously, this marketplace is a symbol for a spiritual gift extended to all people, a foreshadowing of Christ's salvation "to all who believe" (Romans 3: 22 NIV).  There is another interesting element in this invitation, which I wanted to point out today.  There is no payment being required, because nothing could pay for this, yet those who are invited, are invited to buy.

I looked this up in Matthew Henry's commentary, and his take on it was that the recipients were called "buyers" because there is a cost for following God, and the thing we are seeking has a value.  What God offers is not to be taken lightly, like we sometimes do with free things.

This is an often misunderstood aspect of Christianity.  The sacrifice of Christ is free to us, and we cannot purchase our salvation through any of our own efforts, but when we choose to follow Him, there will be moments when we have to fight to keep our faith, and resist challenges to our faith and life.  There is a cost for following Christ.  Mr. Nadarkhani is currently facing it.

Some people might wonder why Christians hang on like they do in the heat of persecution.  The next verse in Isaiah answers that question: "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare" (Isaiah 55: 2 NIV).  What Christians have found is too good to give up again, and it is too good to ever want the old fare again.  Since it is so valuable, to the extent that it is not equaled by anything else, and satisfaction for our deepest needs can be found nowhere else, it is worth any sacrifice in order to keep it.

This is why the Iranian Christian's profession of faith while he was on trial is so blunt, to the extent that his words likely troubled those he was talking to.  Frankly, when you realize that something is rubbish, you lose patience with efforts to "make nice" and call it something good, and that is what I see here.  He has found something more valuable and satisfying than Islam, and it even outweighs concerns for his family and his own life.  He is trying to challenge his captors, so they will see his certainty, and thirst for what he has found.

I don't know how this is going to end, but right now, there are still things that Christians should pray for in this situation.  I pray that every word Mr. Nadarkhani speaks to his jailers will come from God, so there will be a good return on what is said (see Isaiah 55: 9-11), and I am praying for a miracle, not unlike when Peter walked out of prison aided by an angel (Acts 12: 1-19).  If it comes to his execution, I pray for peace and comfort in the hearts of this whole family, so that no one falters or loses faith over this.

I know that God is real, and His power is not checked by any human challenge, so whatever comes, this battle has already been won.  It is not occasion for despair, but it should be sobering for other Christians.  It should cause us to examine our own hearts and lives, and ask the question, "What is my faith costing me?"  If the answer isn't clear, then maybe our faith is too weak, and we should be taking a stronger stand.  After all, we have found the Living Water, and it is too good to give up easily.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4: 13, 14 NIV)

A Truth That Outdates Tradition

Perhaps you've heard this story before, but I thought it was worth retelling.  I once heard of a young newlywed bride who wanted to impress her new husband with her domestic prowess.  She got up early, cut the end of the pot roast off like her mother had always done, put it in the pan, and cooked it all day.  Her husband (like a smart man) told her he loved it and ate several helpings.  However, he had one question: "Why did you throw away the end of the roast?"

She was stumped, so she called her mom. "I don't remember, exactly, honey.  That's just how your grandmother always did it," Mom replied.

After getting off the phone with her daughter, the mom couldn't stop puzzling over it, so she called up her own mother. "Why is it, exactly, that we always cut the end off the pot roast?" she asked.

"It's simple, really.  I had to make it fit in the pan," Grandma said.

Weekly Snippet: The Contents of a Shaken Heart

My sister's college pastor once illustrated one of his sermons in an unusual and memorable way.  He brought out a half-empty water bottle, removed the lid, and proceeded to shake it around vigorously.  Water splashed everywhere.  Finally he asked his audience, "Why did the water come out just now?"

Several people raised their hands and said, "Because you shook it."  A few said, "Because you took the lid off."  He didn't accept any of these answers.

At last, one person raised a hand and said, "Because there was water in the bottle."

"Right," he said.  "Water came out because I shook it without the lid on it; that's true enough.  But nothing would have come out at all if there hadn't been water in there in the first place.  The human heart is the same way; what comes out when we are shaken is what is inside us."

I don't know about you, but when I think of what the inside of my heart must look like, I feel ashamed.  I can look back over my life and see the kind of nonsense that has come out of it before.  I remember telling lies when I was caught doing something wrong, or put on the spot by peers I was afraid to displease (Leviticus 19: 11); I have disobeyed my parents and elders when I really wanted to do what they had forbidden (Ephesians 6: 1); I have refused to share my faith, for fear it could jeopardize my job, my life, my friendships, or other things I valued, or because I found the other person unlovable (Matthew 10: 33; Matthew 23: 13).

The Bible says, "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of," (Luke 6: 45 NIV 2011).  By this verse, and the whole weight of Scripture behind it, all human beings, including myself, are judged and found lacking.

I am not a nice person who has merely an imperfect heart.  I am evil at the core, and riddled with weakness and a tendency toward sin!  If you only saw me when I was at ease, you might be deceived, and of course I would love you to think I am better than I am.  However, the way I behave when I'm shaken--when I'm angry, frustrated, afraid, intimidated, sad, or defeated--is the way my heart actually looks.  If something ugly percolates out of me in these extreme situations, it is because it was there in the first place!

That's a grim statement, and I'm not proud of my weakness, but I am glad to say that Jesus redeemed me when I believed in Him, and by His guidance and conviction, He is uncovering these imperfections and sins and refining me.  I believe that He is making me more like Himself--good, not inclined toward evil--with each passing lesson.  He is purifying the contents of my heart.

This religion I follow does not require merely an outward goodness, because that is falsehood.  If it only required goodness during times of peace and safety, when the foundations of our world are not being shaken, then it would be a false, farcical thing that no one should believe.  Instead of that, God requires fresh and pure things to flow from poison springs inside of us (Matthew 25: 24-30), an impossible thing within the power of human beings.

God takes a heart of stone and makes living water flow from it, not by human physical effort, but first by the discipline of the law, and secondly by the Word of God, who came to us in the flesh as Jesus (Exodus 17: 1-5; Numbers 20: 6-11).  By the Holy Spirit we are enabled to produce this pure overflow from our hearts, when we believe in Jesus and open ourselves to His cleansing power (John 7: 37-39).  This way the good things inside us neither came from us nor were put there by our efforts.

In practice, this means that when we are shaken, we have to willfully obey and believe in the power of God, and let His power be shown through our words and deeds.  That means that when we are afraid, we have to willfully, at that moment, believe that God is greater than the things we fear, and do what we know He would have us do (contrary to our human impulses)(Psalm 91: 4-8).  When we are angry, we have to willfully, in the moment, submit to God's ruling that we cannot commit sin and use that anger as an excuse (Ephesians 4: 26).  When we are frustrated or defeated, we are not to give up on what is right, despite the odds (Galatians 6:9).  When we are sad, we cannot blame God and curse Him for our grief (Job 2: 9, 10).

At the core of me, there is no stable thing, so I know that I will crumble when I am put to the test.  The only way I can be good when my heart is shaken is to let God put a new heart and a new Spirit in me (Ezekiel 11: 19, 20).  He is stronger than my weak heart, and I know He can help you, too!

The Pearl of Great Price

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it" (Matthew 13: 45, 46 NKJV).

I woke up thinking about this parable, and I knew it was something God wanted me to write about today.  Though it is only two verses long (one of the shortest parables of Jesus), we have an image here of Christ's heart and His mission.

Forsaking All Others

This merchant cherished many things.  He started out seeking pearls, not just one but many.  His life was full, but it was not singularly directed at any one goal.  Then, suddenly, he learned of this one pearl and did what appears to be a foolish thing--he threw away all that he had and went after this one thing with total abandon.  What prompted the change?

I believe he saw something in that pearl that nothing else could equal--in other words, a quality that made everything else in his life seem silly in comparison.  It wasn't foolishness to him to go after it with such abandon, because it was a chance of a lifetime, and he couldn't pass it up.

Yet, Christ wasn't talking about merchants and pearls.  He said very clearly that this is a quality of "the kingdom of heaven."  We are talking about deep spiritual things, specifically, the kind of love that Christ has for us, and the kind of love He wants to see in us.

No Greater Love

We all have things that we deeply love and desire, above all other things.  It could be advancement, fame, fortune, or that one secret dream (whatever form it takes), and if we get the opportunity to go after it, we will abandon everything else.  If you don't think you have such a deep desire for something, then examine your life, focusing on the big decisions you have made.  What did you go after?  What was left behind?

Jesus examined Himself, I believe, in the garden of Gethsemane.  He had a choice to make, between ultimate and unlimited power as God on earth, or the lives and love of His friends.  On that night, Jesus revealed what He really loved.  As He said (long before this crisis came), "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends," (John 15: 12, 13 NIV 2011).  Jesus chose the cross and terrible suffering, counting it as nothing, for the sake of the greatest love of His life--that is, believers.  As Paul summarized Christ's decision:

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2: 5-8 NIV 2011)

 Adam loved himself more than God or others (even his wife and his children), and so he sought equality with God, to the loss of all other things (Genesis 3: 4-6;  Romans 5: 12-15).  Jesus was already equal, and deserved to be treated and respected as God, yet He chose to be a servant, despised and rejected, and ultimately thrown out with the trash.  Why?

Love, as Christ revealed, is a humble and self-sacrificing emotion. It isn't after something for itself; it puts all value on the object of that emotion, to the death of self. "Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned," (Song of Solomon 8:7 NIV 2011), the wisest man on earth wrote.  Love cannot be obscured or quenched by anything in this world, because it comes from a source above all this.  It is a fruit of the Spirit of God (Galatians 5: 22-25).

Loving as Christ Loved the Church

Jesus held this great love in His heart for us.  Though we will never be as perfect as He is, He has called us to this kind of love.  Jesus doesn't want us to love Him partially, still holding on to other loves that could draw us away from Him from time to time.  He doesn't want us to make Him the pearl of great price in our lives, only to value another pearl greater than Him, and cast Him aside.

He doesn't want us to treat our friends that way, either.  He even went so far as to say that someone who didn't love his brother was not a believer (1 John 3: 11-24) and anyone that didn't care for his own family was worse than an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8).  We are called to love with this sacrificial intensity, even if that love is scorned (Ephesians 5: 25), and we have condemned ourselves if we don't see the need for this humble servant's love in the lives of those around us.

Let us love like we have been commanded--not for what we can get, but rather, for what we can give.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (2 Philippians 2: 1-4).

Weekly Snippet: Plow Your Own Field

"Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense," (Proverbs 12: 11 NIV 2011).

I have to admit that today, I don't feel strong enough to do the work that needs to be done in my life.  If each day is like plowing a furrow on a field, today's was full of rocks.  Tomorrow looks just as promising.  Just the same, I see that God didn't design my life to always be ideal and easy.  Sometimes life is hard, cruel, unrewarding.  There are seasons in life when it seems trouble is as unrelenting as the summer sun.

Last night I found the verse I put at the beginning of this post, and it was an encouragement to me.  It spoke to me that just because life is tough, we don't have to believe that our labor today is useless, or that reward never comes.  It also encourages me to do my work, make my plans, and fulfill my obligations as if nothing will ever get better, rather than cry for things that may not ever be--like the perfect, easy life.

My motto for today is, "When there is nothing else you can do, do what is in front of you."  God made today, and He arranged it this way for a reason.  Hard or easy, today is a lesson.  May I learn my lessons and be diligent in my work, so in time, I can be satisfied with the abundance my Heavenly Father gave me as a reward.

"A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied," (Proverbs 13:4 NIV 2011)

What I Tell You in the Dark: God and Secrets

"What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs" (Matthew 10:27 NIV 2011).

God and Secrets

When I read this verse, I see a clear statement that God has nothing that He wants to hide.  God has told us all about Himself and His past, present, and future intentions toward mankind in His written Word.  In fact, God didn't just tell us once; He had people write it down for posterity, so that what He had said in the past could be compared to what He is still doing.


In that area, the Bible isn't a private letter; it's more like a public, legally-binding document.


On the other hand, there are secrets that God knows, and chooses to reveal only to specific people at specific times, for His own purposes.  For instance, God chose to privately reveal to Mary and Joseph the truth about the boy they hadn't yet welcomed into the world.  He did this to comfort them, and to take away doubt and fear that Satan could put into their minds without this reassurance.  As far as I understand it, these private messages were just between them and God until they chose to share the story with Christians, years later, after Jesus was raised from the dead (Luke 2: 19).


So we see here the precedent that God makes and keeps confidences, but even those, when revealed later, are without sin or shame.  God has no "dirty little secrets," and He doesn't share things He would be embarrassed about, should they be revealed, even when He does take someone into His confidence (Matthew 12: 15-21; 16: 15-23).

People and Secrets

Meanwhile, most people have plenty of secrets that would destroy them, should they be brought out into the open.  I can remember, at one point in my life, how the words "I'm telling!" were possibly the most frightening words in the English language.  The fear originated from a clear understanding that I had something to be ashamed about, or something that made me eligible for punishment.


The problem with human secrets is that too often they are just that kind--shameful and punishable.  If all of our secrets were the kind that God demonstrated for us by His own example, we wouldn't have a thing to fear!  Instead, we choose a fear that we can't outgrow; the secrets just get bigger and uglier, and so do the repercussions. We give gossips an almost godlike power to destroy us, when they could be silenced by a pure and godly secret--because of course purity is not juicy enough for gossip.

The verse just prior to the one at the start of this post reads, "So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known" (Matthew 10: 26 NIV 2011).  No one is afraid of having a pure, good secret revealed, and those without ugly secrets are not afraid of a gossip.  I gather from this that Matthew 10: 26 is a warning that God does not protect ugly secrets, nor will He allow gossips to hold power for eternity.  The fact is, the days of evil are numbered, and one day the security that evil feels will be wrenched away by God's sense of justice.


If we have an evil secret, it is time to get rid of it, and conform our secret lives to the pattern of God.  He knows all of the truth already, and it's only a matter of time before He reveals the truth to others.  This is why the Bible advises us, "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy" (Proverbs 28: 13 NIV 2011).

If we have evil secrets today, it is important to get rid of them before they cause us harm, as they are promised to do.  God is merciful to the repentant, and even gossips move on to better targets.  This is one thing God has told us "in the dark," but that we should "proclaim ...from the roofs": We don't have to live in fear, and we don't have to bear the burden of an ugly secret forever.  There is healing for a repentant heart.

So today I am sharing with you that great "secret" of Christianity.  Find mercy and safety from fear in Jesus' sacrifice.  Run from ugly secrets and follow His pattern of living, so that you will always be secure.  Be savvy!

Denominational Differences and Dealing with Heresy the Biblical Way

Earlier today, I got up, switched my computer on, as I always do, and within a few minutes I was checking my news page on Yahoo, Facebook, and so forth.  There was more church buzz than usual today.  Apparently a famous minister has published a new book that many are calling heretical, and after reading explanations of the content, as well as snippets of other books from this minister, and so on, well, I think I would have to agree.


But I'm not talking about that book, or the minister, today.  I want to talk about the underlying issues, because as far as I know, this particular debate will also pass away, but the issues are eternal.  What is heresy?  What should we do about it?  Should we get upset by it?  This, and not the particulars, is what most people need to know, so they know how to react the next time, and the next, and the next...


So let's take a quick look at debate and heresy, denominational versus core teachings, and how the Bible tells us to deal with these two kinds of differences when they arise.

Waste No Time

One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. Night and day they were a wall around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.”
Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.(1 Samuel 25: 14-19 NIV 2010)

I have always found the kind of humility and bravery that Abigail shows in this passage to be an inspiring example for Christians to follow.  God brought it to mind last night, while I was planning what to write today.  After re-reading 1 Samuel 25, I saw again the parallels between this passage and God's relationship with the righteous and the unrighteous.  Intrigued?

Challenge the High Places

Lately I have been re-reading the records of the kings of Israel and Judah, which make up the majority of the second book of Kings in the Bible.  This makes for some interesting reading, but there is very little in there that I feel is directly applicable to my readers' needs or the message of this blog.

However, there is one detail, frequently repeated, that I have given a lot of thought.  Frequently, the Bible records, "[Fill in a king's name] did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father, David," but later the recorder notes, "but the high places were not removed."

Just what was a high place?  An ancient "high place" was a shrine, often with an altar, that was built at the top of a hill or mountain.  There, people gathered to have pagan, riotous festivals and make sacrifices to idols, or to the sun, moon, or stars.  There are still "high places" today in many parts of the world.  See my previous post that goes into greater detail on this subject.

I perceive this editorial note as a complaint, on the part of the one writing it down, and really on God's behalf, that the King in question had failed to fully execute his job as leader.  Each king who had this written about him knew God and had obeyed God.  He had personally gone against the pressure of peers and the "fashionable" practices of idolatry in his time.  However, each of these kings had refused to take a strong stance against idolatry where those outside of his household were concerned.  They had followed God faithfully, but they had never challenged others about what they were doing, and God had a problem with this.

Bringing it Home: Our Own High Places

First, before I explain my point, I have to make it clear that I am not suggesting that Christians today should react violently against the non-Christian religious influences in the society around us.  This is illegal, and the Bible instructs us to "submit [ourselves] to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established" (Romans 13: 1-3 NIV).  I just want to summarily state that I do not want to promote that kind of behavior with this blog.


In fact, this is the key difference between modern Christians and ancient kings.  The kings of Israel and Judah were leaders, and they had both the power and the mandate to set the religious tone of their nations.  We, on the other hand, have not been given that kind of a mandate.  Our mission is the spoken message (Matthew 28: 18-20).  That is our job, and like the kings of old, we ought to do it, so that it does not stand as a mark against us when history is being written.

It is still legal, and is not shameful, to say "I disagree," or "what you say offends me," or even add, "I am not joining you because...."  These few little words are immensely powerful.  They challenge the existence of every "high place" in the world.  In fact, the effects of these words last longer, and have a clearer intent, than any law or action against another religion, because they challenge the "high places" in the heart, and not just on the hill.  As the Bible records, "Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone" (Proverbs 25: 15 NIV).

 King David, who was the pattern for later kings, wrote, "I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.  I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly"(Psalm 40: 10 NIV).  David thought it was important to share his relationship with God with everyone; he was both a model for them, and a leader of them.  He made a point to tell others about what he thought, and I take this verse as a clear challenge to "the great assembly" to follow his example.  This is something that his descendants did not appear to continue.  I read little proof, even "between the lines," that they spoke out against the prophets of Baal and all the other deities.  There seems to be more proof that they had a tolerant attitude, even a kind of openness, toward everything that was happening.  The spiritual welfare of the nation around them suffered during their reigns.  Could this be a contributing factor?

At this point, I cannot say anything more about the king's silence on the "high places" issue without jumping into pure speculation.  I can, however, say that I take this charge against the righteous kings very personally, and I can see proof outside those passages that God does not approve of the way they looked the other way in their day.

I see the complaint about the "high places" as a challenge to Christians today to speak out against the overly-tolerant attitude we have been taught to have these days.  We know some things are wrong; we know God and we know nonsense.  Now is the time to share what is between our ears with the rest of the world.  God has made us accountable, because we know what is right, and He will take it up with us if we stay silent.

This charge has been written against us, "When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood," (Ezekiel 33: 8 NIV).  Therefore, I must speak.  I am bound to speak out.  The "high places," whether on hill tops or in a sinner's heart, are no laughing matter.

Carpe Diem vs. Redeeming the Time

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.--Ephesians 5: 15-17 NIV

The Passage of Time

Too often we read the above passage as basically a "Christianized" alternative phrasing for the Epicurean phrase, "seize the day," but are we just skimming over the differences between carpe diem and "redeeming the time" (KJV)?  Today I felt God directing me to delve into it and I thought I'd share my thoughts here.

God's Will vs. My Will

The ancient Epicureans, including Horace, who first penned the phrase carpe diem (seize the day), rejected supernatural or prophetic beliefs and opted to pursue "the simple life," a life lived only in the present.  They didn't look toward the future, but rather focused on creating virtue and peace within themselves, and avoiding pain.

The Epicureans guided their lives with their own perception of what was wisdom, that is, they saw the wise choice as the one that allowed them to avoid pain and instability in their individual lives.  This seemed right, based on the idea that it is better for our health and happiness if we stay out of every kind of trouble.  Isn't that what most people are looking for, today--a life without pain or too much drama, but rather full of peace, stability, and comfort?  It certainly sounds good, but is this the life the Bible instructs us to pursue?

Paul certainly emphasized the fact that we need wisdom to guide our lives and help us to "be very careful how [we] live."  Is this the self-oriented wisdom of the Epicureans?  The Bible says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14: 12 NIV).  Biblical wisdom is not based on what "seems right."  It begins with an awe and reverence of God (Psalm 111: 10). If we truly fear the Lord, we want to know what He thinks is right so that we can do that.  And when we come to know God, we see that it is wisdom to take His advice and discipline (Proverbs 1:7).

If we seek to avoid anything that makes us uncomfortable, we will never get that kind of wisdom.  I would be lying if I told you that discipline doesn't hurt, or that learning to obey God and not yourself does not cause distress. However, there is a deeper reward. When we submit our plans to God for approval, and when we accept His direction and correction, we will never have to worry that we "did the wrong thing" or "somehow missed a turn back there somewhere."  As Solomon put it, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3: 5, 6 NIV).   Beyond just making the path ahead clear, God's judgment calls help us avoid deadly traps that our own judgment cannot see in our futures (Proverbs 6: 23 NIV).

When we read Ephesians 5: 15-17 again, we see that when Paul cautions us to "be careful...how [we] live," he doesn't mean that we should make judgments of what is right, based solely upon what looks safe to us.  Paul was saying that we should be careful to know and follow God's will, even if it means following God through great trouble.

Redeem the Time

In Ephesians chapter five, verse fourteen, we are instructed to "redeem the time" (KJV), that is, to "[make] the most of every opportunity" (NIV) in regards to our lives and the way we live.  This often translates into Carpe diem, that is, seize the day and use it completely; fill it up and enjoy yourself before you run out of time.

Remember that the Epicureans did not believe in a future or an afterlife; they lived in today, and gave no thought to what their decisions today could do to their life tomorrow.

On the Road of Life

When Paul wrote about time and our lives, he did not share their perspective.  If life were only about having fun and avoiding pain, why would Jesus warn us that if we follow Him, we will have trouble (John 16: 33), and men would hate us (Matthew 10: 22) because we know Him?  From his Christian viewpoint, all of our actions have eternal consequences; therefore, life is not about pursuing peace and happiness for ourselves, but rather it is about pleasing and obeying God.

Here, the concept of redemption really comes into play.  In a biblical sense, redemption means to pay the price for something or someone to bring it back from death, loss, or destruction, often by offering a blood sacrifice.  So if we are "redeeming the time" as the King James Version translated it, we are not just being opportunists or filling up our time with things that seem worthy.  In essence, we are translating our days from time spent on things that will perish, to time spent on things that will last.  Paul explains this concept metaphorically in 1 Corinthians 3: 10-15:

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.  If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (NIV)

It is important to note that if we have the correct foundation in our lives, that is, Jesus Christ, we can still escape destruction, even if all of our deeds were considered worthless in the end.  However, it is much better not to barely scrape by.

Am I saying that God insists that we only go through life doing "holy" and "serious" things, i. e. never get to have any fun?  I don't see proof of that in the Bible.  However, I think its clear from all of this analysis of Ephesians 5: 15-17 that we are not here on earth just to advance our own purposes, i.e. carpe diem.  We have important work to do, glorifying God in our own lives and teaching others about Him.

Despite what the Epicureans believed, we have a responsibility for the future, too.  At that time we will have to account for how we spent our time, especially since time is running out on this world, "because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5: 14).  The question is not, "have we enjoyed our lives," because we know that our future is filled with joy, so that there is no need to look back longingly. Instead, the question we should ask is, "Have we heeded the message, which is life?" 

The Best Back-to-School Essential

Before we know it, summer will be over, and people will be heading back to school or college.  Frankly, it still feels strange to me not to go down an aisle and fill my cart with two-for-$1 bags of pens and a dollar's worth of 10 cent spiral notebooks and folders.  If you're really organized, you've probably made yourself a checklist of things to buy, or things to pack to take to the dorm.  This list is all of the things you don't want to find yourself without on the first day of school (that should include an umbrella and flu medicine, but that's a different tale for a different time).  If you have such a list, be sure to put Jesus on it.

Sure, you can't throw Jesus into your shopping cart when you're at the office supply store, and you can't stuff Him between your bedding and your laptop in the back of the car.  Even so, He's the only way you're going to make it through a school year.  Take it from someone who spent most of 17 years in a classroom setting.

The Bible says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9: 10 NIV).  The world is full of many things called "wisdom," and lots of things called "knowledge."  Many of these things are essential for your career and your ability to function in society.  I'm not here to talk down about them.  Study is a good thing, and I think it's good to apply yourself.  However, if you are looking for a way to live that won't steer you into a disaster, you need to start  with Jesus.  No amount of "worldly wisdom" can bring you success if you lack the spiritual guidance of Christ, whether you are a failing student or a highly-decorated PhD candidate.

How can I say that without blinking?  I have heard hundreds of very clever, complicated arguments explaining why God should not be in the center of my life, and why God has nothing to do with school or modern education in general.  I have also, in my lifetime, constructed hundreds of complex arguments to defend the logical, practical side of Christianity.  In the end, Christianity comes down to something so simple that it doesn't seem "grown up" enough to be accepted by academia.  Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18: 3 NIV).  After all logic has been explored, a moment comes when we go from examining Christ like a specimen under a microscope to personalizing the message and seeing how it changes us.  We have to humble ourselves like children and trust that God is telling us the truth.  The Apostle Paul wrote,

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God....Where is the wise man?  Where is the scholar?  Where is the philosopher of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1: 18, 20-21 NIV).  

This "foolishness" is the moment where we depart from all the opinions of the "wise men" of our day and decide for ourselves that we are going to take the rope that has been thrown to us.  Is it easier to believe in cold, honed "facts" that give us no hope or guidance, or shall we accept what we feel in our hearts is true and right--basing all on a faith that by its nature cannot be sterilized and dissected by science?  I have found that faith in the truth of the Bible is more than just grasping at a thread.  When you grab on to it, you will see that the truth found in Christ is the warp that weaves everything together and finally makes sense of it all.  As David wrote, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119: 105 NIV).

That leads me to another crucial point.  Taking Jesus to school with you will do more than help you be courteous to others on the bus or teach you not to cheat on the final.  He's not just a guide for moral living at school or college.  He will go with you and bless your studies if you commit this part of your life to Him.  I can't number the papers I've prayed over, asking God to give me a great sentence to wrap up a paragraph or an ounce of insight to help me unravel a difficult subject.  In every situation, Jesus has helped me in spectacular ways.  He took a lousy reader with atrocious spelling and drilled her into a writer with an English degree and a growing list of publishing credits!  I'd be a fool to take all the credit for that miracle.  If Jesus can help me with my homework, I'm sure He can help you with yours.  (And remember, there is no disgrace when you have done your best.)

There's one more thing left to say about this.  When you take Jesus to school with you, He's not just a tool to be used to get good grades, and He's not just a bunch of words to live by.  Jesus is your friend.  There will be moments in every student's life when it feels like there are no friends out there, or that the only friends you have are the kind who will leave when things get rough.  Who is the friend who will always be there?  The Bible says, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17: 17 NIV).  There will be good friends in our lives who assume that role as friend and brother, but Jesus alone fits that description 100% of the time.  He's the first responder when we're in trouble, He's bigger than the schoolyard bully, no situation is beyond the scope of His knowledge and advice, He's patient when we're rotten, and He'll forgive us when we ask Him.  What better school buddy can be found?

I leave you this week with this, my best advice for a good school year.  Take Jesus to school with you.  Stay close to Him and always be willing to follow His lead, and you'll be reminded again of how great He is when you see His power displayed in your life!

Dirt with a Purpose

"A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord" (Proverbs 19: 3 NIV).

Someone once recommended to me that I should make the phrase, "It's all about ME!" my personal catchphrase if I ever wanted to succeed in my career.  "Is this a joke?" I wondered, but unfortunately I discovered it wasn't.  Worse still, that wasn't the last time I got that advice.  So, since this is graduation season (and I can think of at least half a dozen people I know who are graduating in the next couple of weeks), I thought it was a good time to bring this up.  When it comes to serving God and trying to succeed in our careers, is it possible to do both?

Now, I understand that sometimes we have to put other people's problems and concerns out of our mind long enough to get through a day's labor, because if we don't focus on dealing with our own problems, disaster will come.  Still, that doesn't translate to "It's all about me!"  If we aren't thinking about deadlines in college, we'll probably fail out; if we're not thinking about completing that report for our boss, we'll probably get fired. This is expected behavior in such circumstances, and only extreme situations would prompt different behavior from most people.

It's when we have begun to think that our lives are more important than others' concerns, when we believe that others have nothing better to do than to help us with our problems, when giving up anything we want for the benefit of another is unthinkable, and when someone's demand for an apology seems aggravating or outrageous, that we have arrived at the "It's all about me" mindset.  In other words, we need to be able to "turn off" our self-focused "knob" at will, and drop everything to focus on someone else for awhile, or we've got a problem with self-absorption.

When this individual gave me that advice, I was horrified, and worried that I was being given a hint about something I was doing in my own life.  I went immediately to my bedroom and didn't rest until I'd spent a few hours seriously seeking the Lord about it.  Why did it trouble me so much?  In all my years of reading the Bible, I've never seen evidence in Scripture that God blesses this mindset.  It's not all about us.  It was never all about us.   This mindset comes from our fallen natures, where we raise ourselves up to be gods at the centers of our respective universes.

The truth is that even our biggest concerns aren't important at all, even our goals for our careers, and in fact, we aren't important.

Now, I can hear people correcting me, saying, "You're wrong, Rachel. You are important because Jesus died for you.  Why would you think so little of yourself and your life if God thinks so much of you?"

Well, I'd have to respond that I am important, but not because I had any right to be important, or any inherent quality that made me important.  I'm important to Jesus because He gave importance to me, and aside from the value Jesus chose to put on me, I am nothing (Romans 5: 6-8; Psalm 8: 4-6).  In reality, even though the thought somehow hurts my pride, God made me out of dust (Genesis 2: 7), and everything I have and do, and every day I live, are privileges and gifts from God.   God doesn't fool Himself about what I really am and where I came from, so why should I?

"So what are you saying, Rachel?  God wants us to go around feeling like dirt all the time?"

Well, not exactly.  We're dirt with a purpose, and that purpose is to obey God.  To say we are unimportant is not saying that as followers of God, we have nothing to live for, no right to be happy, and nothing good to say about ourselves.  God wants us to have good things in our lives, but none of our own efforts can achieve those things as long as we are ignoring Him.

The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that without humility--without the ability to honor God and stop worshiping ourselves--we are living in opposition to God.  As long as we refuse to believe what God has said about humankind, we will get nowhere (Psalm 127: 1); but as soon as we submit our lives to God's direction, we will have God's help and His blessing on what we are doing.

As Jesus said, "The greatest among you will be your servant.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23: 11-12 NIV).  How often do we pass over those words without really reading them?  What does this mean, really?  I read it as yet another reinforcement of something God had already told us.  In essence, God opposes those who mock His ways, but He upholds those who obey Him ( see also Proverbs 3: 34).

Turning again to the subject of my own career (and perhaps yours), I think it's better to have God's help than to try to do it all myself and think only about how my decisions affect me.  Life is short, and I need friends--most importantly, I need God as my friend. I cannot let my own views of what I think I need interfere with what God knows I need, and what others around me need.  I know that I have often failed at taking my own advice, but I'm still trying to do my best every day to submit my life to God and let it all be about Him.

"If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall,  for the Lord upholds him with his hand" (Proverbs 37: 23, 24 NIV).

The Weight of Knowing

I've missed being able to write on here, and I can see by my Google analytics page that some of you have been missing me. I'm encouraged by that, by the way. As an author, I really need readers, and I don't just mean to boost my own ego. Without you, I'm out of business.

So I'm pouncing on this brief break in my busy holiday schedule (now that I'm not on the road, miles from an internet connection) to share something that has been on my mind for quite some time. But first, an illustration from my own life...

Ignorance Isn't Bliss, It's Just Ignorant

Call it one of the darkest days in the history of my school career, if you like. It wasn't funny at the time, but now, feel free to laugh.

It was Saturday evening, and my final for that class was scheduled for Monday morning. A huge term paper I'd been working on for 4 weeks (about 40% of my total class grade) was due at the final, the library had just closed, I had nothing more than a mostly unread pile of sources and a thesis, and suddenly my pile of sources were spelling out my doom. The paper, my class grade, and even my academic standing and GPA crumbled like dust before my eyes.

Why? I had built it all on a basic ignorance of history. I had proposed to analyze the effects of British colonization on Japanese literature, but suddenly I was confronted with the incontestable fact that Britain had never conquered Japan!

Okay, I heard that snore.

Let me rush on to the point. Either I had to press on with the paper as it was, basically a lie, and try to bamboozle my professor; or I had to invent a new topic, redo 4 weeks of research, and write a paper, all in the following afternoon after the library re-opened at 12 p.m. It didn't seem possible.

I cried, I begged God to prove my sources wrong, I called my mom (poor Mom!), I rued the moment my blissful ignorance had been stripped away, and then God told me to snap out of it and get to work, because feigning ignorance at that point was not a Christian option.

All That to Say...

I realized that night some basic points that scripture and experience bear out to be true:

1. Ignorance may feel like bliss for the ignorant ones, but for everyone who knows the facts, their ignorance just makes them look like idiots, or worse, liars. You may be fooling some, but you can be sure there is someone out there to tell you that the emperor has no clothes (to reference the fairytale).
2. It is no excuse at all to claim innocence due to ignorance when you have the capacity and opportunity to find out the real facts. If the truth was in plain sight, there was no ignorance. In that case, there are very few innocently ignorant people in the world, and none who can claim ignorance of God and His nature. The Bible says,

   "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1: 18-20 NIV).

3. Every individual is held accountable for what he knows, and for what he has chosen not to know. In society, for instance, a doctor better know his or her medicine, because claiming "I didn't know that" is no protection from a lawsuit. In the same way, it just won't work to claim to God, "I had years to learn, I had friends who tried to tell me better, and yet I still didn't know."
4. Knowing something is bad, harmful, or wrong and then doing it anyway, hoping that others around you don't share your knowledge, is a grave sin in God's eyes. It's lying. There is no relative morality, only God's standards, so don't waste time proving something right with public consensus.

And so I was confronted that night with the realization that knowledge has weight (don't ask me if it's ounces or pounds!) in that it bears with it a certain amount of accountability and responsibility. I knew I couldn't lie to my professor because I wanted to please God, and also I knew that my grade wouldn't be anything to be proud of if I earned it through lying. I knew that, impossible or not, I had to try to write the paper using honest facts, not fabrications.

Christianity, like my term paper, presents us with incontestable facts that sometimes undermine everything we want and everything we have believed up to that time. If we want to go on calling ourselves Christians, though, we have to get busy realigning our lives to fit the truth. We can't claim ignorance and say that we didn't know that God was displeased with our lives the way we wanted them. We can't pretend that God loves something that we know He hates. In that case, our Christian life is as fake and unsatisfying as a grade gotten under false pretenses.

The Painful Part

Thirty-six hours later, I hadn't had a wink of sleep, but I'd rewritten my thesis to better fit my topic (I hadn't thrown the whole project out!), I had grabbed a couple of new sources from the library that miraculously meshed with many of the ones I already had, and somehow I'd produced one of the best papers I'd ever written. (Seriously. My professor told me later that he'd taken that paper around the department and let all the other professors on the floor read it!).

God blessed me that weekend for facing up and telling the truth, even though it caused me tremendous pain. I had to confess that I was wrong and that I had taken three World History classes but somehow missed this giant detail (major blows to my academic pride). I also had to stay awake and type nonstop for about 18 hours, with only three ten-minute breaks, which meant that I felt awful.

That's my pain. Now for yours. Oh, c'mon, now. You didn't think I wrote all of this out just because I wanted a sympathetic audience, did you?

This is a challenge to grow, even though some of you might hate me for going here. Because I care about you, I'll do it anyway.

Has there ever been a moment in your life when you suddenly learned, or at least suspected, that God didn't approve? Did you go to God to find out for sure what He thought, or did you say to yourself, "Ignorance is bliss. What I don't know can't hurt me."

If you thought the latter, today I'm telling you that God holds you responsible for what you know, and for what you chose not to know. Either way, the whole weight of responsibility is resting on your shoulders. Shouldn't you go to God right now and let Him bless you for facing up to the truth and straightening out this problem?

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1: 5-9 NIV).

The Other Postmodernists

But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.--James 1: 14-16 NIV

The First Wave

Last time, I spoke of postmodernism as a movement in the public consciousness. That is how it began--an entirely worldly (finite, human) pattern of thought, brought about by the terrible experiences of several major wars throughout the last century. Postmodernism is almost a natural (though misguided) reaction to looking into the face of your enemy and realizing that he is not much different from you. Some men and women involved in the wars came back confused and bewildered by this, because all of their culturally-based opinions of the enemy had been shattered. It had been easy to imagine the enemy soldiers as cruel and inhuman, but it was no longer easy once they saw that the other men had sweethearts and parents, and dreams of their own. What dividing line could they draw between people, any more?

Well, like I said in the last post, the lines that cultures draw are pretty much arbitrary. However, all human beings subscribe to a higher standard of right and wrong. They also, universally, expect everyone else to measure up to this standard, while they personally allow themselves a few "outs" from the rules. In other words, humans are universally hypocritical, while objecting to the hypocrisy of others. More often than not, what we call "culture" is really just a network of "exceptions" a group of people have allowed themselves, reformulated into a set of "absolutes" that they feel should dictate human behavior.

No wonder the first postmodernists came back confused! They had rejected (or been denied the knowledge of) the real, almighty God in their own lives, and now they had nowhere else to turn. They had seen through the veil of lies they had always believed, and now they were unwilling to seek the truth. They had nothing absolute to stand on, so they set out to tear down the lies in everyone else. Unfortunately, they attacked the truth with the lies, and tried to dismantle the absolute rules that God had established. This was to their discredit.

I know, you're thinking, "When is she going to tell me what she means by 'the other postmodernists'?" Well, I'm getting to that.

The first postmodernists were distinguished by their (rightful) hatred of cultural "absolutes" like so-called racial superiority. They also were notable for their outright rejection of God, and absolute and unchanging standards of right and wrong. The first postmodernists were not Christians, and didn't claim any alliegance to the movement.

In a way, I feel sorry for them, because they've put out of their sight the one lifeline that could help them make sense of it all.

The Second Wave

The second postmodernists, their children, were practically born searching for some kind of stability in a world that seemed to them to have no stable foundation. Barring all acknowledgment of God (they were still not ready to recognize Him, possibly because of the strident voices of their parents), they decided to commit to a philosophy they called committed relativism. In essence, they believed there was no absolute standard of behavior, so they decided to just arbitrarily pick one, whether or not it was the best one. Humans, naturally, desire a sense of order and security (but more on that later). Theirs was a sort of self-imposed morality, fragile by design. In a way, I feel sorry for them, too. They must have felt like terrible hypocrites, but they needed something to steady themselves on.

The Third Wave

This second generation gave birth to a third kind of postmodernist, which I will call the religious relativist. They are my peers and colleagues, and they are coming of age now, in this first decade of a new century. They have taken their parents' committed relativism to religiously fervent levels. Unlike their parents, who had a mild, patronizing attitude toward "absolute thinkers," such as Christians, they have become so accustomed to the bottomless world of their parents and grandparents that they want to make the whole world experience it. They now want to smash such "backward" thinking and move the whole world forward--into the future mentality, based on arbitrary assignments of moral value, and passionate understanding and acceptance of everyone but the "absolute thinkers."

But who are they, really? Have we ever seen such third-generation postmodernists? Definitely. Their parents, in choosing a committed relativity, chose to enter every religious persuasion on the planet. They entered synagogues, mosques, monasteries, and churches, with an "egalitarian" idea that they were helping these groups "expand their understanding and tolerance" of other cultures and religions.
So far, their efforts have not been without success, especially in religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, which were already very relativistic and accepting. Unfortunately, in the opinions of the new religious relativists, their parents' progress is just too slow, and now needs to be forced by using established cultural means, such as legislation and peer pressure.

So now, coming into their own in this "brave new world," the religious relativists are changing long-established truth in the church, and daring anyone to object. In fact, their best method is to tell resistors that they are being "unchristian" to object to the new truth--even if, deep inside, they know that it isn't the truth God established. To make matters worse, too many of these traditional, absolute-believing Christians are so unprepared for the challenge that they cower in the fold and let the wolves in sheep's clothing push them around.

Make no mistake--even if an individual and his or her family has been part of the church for many generations, this person is a religious relativist if he or she does not acknowledge the absolute authority of God's righteousness over human behavior. Such people, even if they are pastors or deacons or teenage friends in Sunday school, are not Christians, because Christians follow God, and not the new philosophies of the world.

For awhile, I'd begun to despair that the third-generation postmodernists were "winning" somehow. They certainly have a lot of people cowering, either unable to challenge them, or too afraid of what might happen if they did. What can they do, really? Hurt us? Destroy our standing in the community? Does it really matter? Is real truth worth fighting for, or are we so uncommitted ourselves that we can't take the risk to stand for what we say we believe?

I said, earlier, that I'd return to the idea that all humans need some sort of stability to cling to in a world of crumbling foundations. Well, stability is only found in following Christ. As a follower of Christ, I'm not a committed relativist, because I don't recognize any other kind of truth besides the one I have found. I have examined these new truths of "God", such as pudding-headed acceptance and integrity-sacrificing meekness, and I've found them to be lies, like any other cultural attitudes based on human agendas. What are they protecting, other than someone's pet sins?

The truth I subscribe to (and indeed, any true, absolute-believing Christian subscribes to) looks the same, year after year, situation after situation. It doesn't change; it is a stable foundation of rock. There is nothing like God and His righteousness, the whole world over. I've seen it for myself, and I will not easily be tempted and led away into death. God is what every human being needs to cling to, but so many out there are afraid that they will lose a part of themselves if they do. Sure they will--the part of themselves that is enamored with lies and convinced of deceptions.

So which will you choose? A relativity with no stability, a committed relativity with hypocrisy, or a religious relativity with the smell of death but the appearance of health?