As I'm sitting, writing this, I'm also doing something that I've done at least 8 times now...watching the new Disney movie Frozen. I've seen a lot of Disney movies in my life. I have a sister that's 12 years younger than me so, as you can imagine, I spent a lot of time watching Disney during my teenage years. Not only that, but my wife is a huge fan of all things Disney so we've seen almost every movie Disney has ever made. My humble opinion is that Frozen is, by far, their best one yet.
Somewhat surprisingly to me, this movie has become a little controversial in Christian circles. There are those who think it is pushing an agenda. Honestly, I don't see it...at least not in a blatant way. One would have to do a good bit of "reading into" in order to make a case for that, I believe. However, there are also those who see a lot of parallels to Christianity in the movie. After watching it so many times, I, myself, see quite a few Christian themes in the movie, as well. It's definitely got more of a Christian theme than Noah, the latest "biblical" movie to come out. Anyway, that's another blog for another time. I definitely won't go into all the good themes I see in the movie Frozen (by the way that's been done pretty impressively by other bloggers), but I would like to unpack one of these because it just happens to line up with the current study we're doing with our students in our FaithWorks series from the book of James.
By the way, SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't seen the movie, you probably will want to stop here, go see it and come back. Otherwise, you've been warned!
The movie is about a girl, Elsa, who has the power to freeze things. After an accident with her sister, Anna, during childhood it's suggested that she hide these powers until she's able to control them. The rub is that she never is able to control them because, unbeknownst to all involved, it is her sister's love that gives her the power to overcome the raging storm inside her. Wait, did I mention that her sister's memories of Elsa's powers have been erased? Anyway, coronation day comes and Elsa is pronounced Queen of Arundell and, it being an emotionally charged event, the predictable happens and her facade cracks. Her powers come out and Arundell is plunged into an eternal winter. Elsa runs to the North Mountain, after her powers are revealed, where she hopes to leave Arundell behind for good. She believes that her sister and the other inhabitants of her kingdom can live safely and peacefully in her absence. Back in Arundell, there are a lot of mixed responses to the discovery of Elsa's powers. Some respond with fear, others with awe and wonder. Two responses, in particular, stand out. First, there's the unconditional love and genuine concern that drives her sister, Anna, to go after her. Anna hopes to bring Elsa home and help her to learn to control her powers. She's not put off by Elsa's revelation. Even after Elsa inadvertently hits her with her powers, thereby freezing her heart and bringing about her impending death, Anna's desire continues to be to see her sister restored. This response is so very different from another character in the movie. The Duke of Weselton wants one thing and one thing only...Elsa's demise. He claims Elsa's power to be "sorcery" and demands that she be brought to justice. In his mind, she's a monster and Arundell will never be safe until she is disposed of. At one point in the story, he sends his men along on a rescue mission for Anna, commanding them to "end this winter"...ie, get rid of Elsa.
So, two hugely different responses. And, as I think about them and our lesson from the Book of James, I'm cognizant of the fact that while Anna responded to Elsa with love, grace and genuine concern, the Duke's response was self-righteous judgment. Now, lets be honest about something. While most of us Christians would immediately identify ourselves with Anna, the truth is that the world would identify most of us with the Duke. For the most part, Christians are seen as self-righteous, judgmental people who tend to unmercifully point out the flaws in others while turning a blind eye to their own. Now, I don't think this would be case if it weren't at least partly true. We do have a tendency to point out the faults of others. We do tend to rail against certain sins that others commit while turning a blind eye to our own sins. The world watches as we demonize homosexuality, drunkenness, fornication and licentiousness, yet frequently indulge, ourselves, in gluttony, gossip, slander, back stabbing, greed, materialism and sugar coated idolatry. So, I say it again...though we think of ourselves as Anna, there is a great propensity for us to be more like the Duke.
Now, before you think I'm being soft on sin, let me point out an important little tidbit. I actually believe we don't call out sin enough! Let's face it...God has given us a high standard to live up to...and, I believe we've lowered the standard in today's church! Identifying sin is not what makes us judgmental people. We're judgmental when we set ourselves above others and self-righteously wag our pointing fingers, forgetting that we, ourselves, are sinners. We should call out sin! We should call out the sin of others AND we should call out our own sin!!
So, all of this to lead us up to what James has to say about the subject. "Don't criticize one another brothers. He who criticizes a brother or judges his brother criticizes the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?" (James 4:11-12) What is the law that James is talking about here? Well, our gut instinct would be to say that it's the Law given by God to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt...the ten commandments. That's not the law James has in mind though. Remember that context is always key! Look back a couple of chapters at James 2:8, where Ole Jimmy gives us this one. "If you really carry out the royal law prescribed in Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself', you are doing well. But if you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors." James goes on to state that breaking any one of the Mosaic laws makes you guilty of breaking it all. Therefore, since the Royal Law (given by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40 and reiterated here by James) supersedes the Mosaic law, being unloving makes one guilty of breaking the entire law.
Upshot of this is that if you hate a homosexual because of their sin then you are just as guilty, if not more, than them! If you hate an adulterer because of their sin then you are just as guilty, if not more, than them! I could go on, but I think you get the idea...they may be breaking one of God's laws, but if you hate or self-righteously judge then you're breaking the entire law! You see, the law that James is referring to is the law of love! We're instructed to love one another and the reason that criticism and judgmental attitudes are wrong is because they cause us to break this law! Be sure of something, here. James is not saying we should be soft on sin. Read the rest of his letter if you think that! If anything he's setting the bar even higher! We must call out sin...but we must figure out how to do so in a loving and merciful way.
Back to the movie. Anna knew that what Elsa had done wasn't a good thing and she went after her, in love, to restore her and help her make things right. The Duke, on the other hand, was ready to write Elsa off. Anna was willing to leave the safety and familiarity of the castle to go after her sister. The Duke was willing to do nothing but sit back within the walls of the castle and condemn her. When pressed to go along on the rescue mission, he sent some guys in his place to carry out his mission. (Not to open a can of worms here, but this sounds a bit like what we Christians do when we send other people around the world to the "heathens" to tell them about Jesus while we sit back in our comfortable pews and air conditioned churches in the most affluent culture on the face of the earth and, self righteously, pat ourselves on the back for a job well done) Believers, we are called, just as Anna did, to go after those living in sin. To get in the trenches. To suffer along with them. To get dirty so that we can lead the filthy to the One who can make them clean. We're called to convince others to stop trying to hide their dirty little secrets and, instead, to acknowledge them and give them to Jesus (this is what true repentance demands, after all)! And, most importantly, we're commanded to do every bit of this with a loving, merciful and gracious spirit...just like Jesus!
So, who are you? Are you Anna? Are you selflessly going after those who are failing and flailing in their sin, driven by the grace, mercy and love that was poured out on you when you found rescue from your filth? Or, are you the Duke? Self-righteously pointing a finger at others, condemning, convicting, criticizing, but really doing nothing to try to help their situation? Truth is, I didn't like the Duke very much so I guess I can't really blame the world for criticizing when they watch believers act just like him. Hey, this world is frozen in the grip of sin...let's get busy spreading a little love and warming some hearts!
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Filthy Cheaters
It's always amazed me how some things that happen in your past just seem to cement themselves in your mind so that you never forget them. I've been happily married to my beautiful wife for 18 years, but there are still a few things from my dating days that I remember. I really only dated two girls during my teenage years. One of them is now my wife...yes, we were high school sweethearts. However, before her there was this other girl. Now, let me be completely honest. I liked the girl, but I definitely would not say I loved her. Truth is, I had no idea what love was at that time. I can say, though, that I have always valued faithfulness and loyalty (I attribute this to reading too many Louis L'amour books, growing up...go look him up, it's good stuff). Anyway, all of that to say that this first relationship ended because I found out the girl had spent a Saturday with another guy at a local water slide. Now the irony of all of this is that it was my next girlfriend and future wife who let me in on this little secret! It's all very funny to me now, but when it happened I was really upset by it all. Not because I was in love with this girl, mind you, but because I didn't like the idea of being cheated on! I was loyal to her and I expected the same in return! To say I was hurt is a little bit of a stretch, but I was definitely mad. You know how I felt because I'm sure you, yourself, have felt the sting of a relationship gone bad because of disloyalty or unfaithfulness.
Loyalty and faithfulness are some of the most important traits in healthy relationships. In fact, when it comes to patriotism, there was a time where disloyalty was a capital offense. Wendy and I made a commitment to one another when we first got married that we would never even consider the idea of divorce...except under one condition...that of unfaithfulness. We trust each other implicitly...and part of the reason we can do that is because we both understand, completely, the consequences of "cheating". Cheating destroys relationships and hurts countless innocent people surrounding the "cheaters". All of us know of families destroyed by cheating fathers or mothers. Some of you may even be the product of a home destroyed by unfaithfulness and, to this day, you still carry the baggage associated with the loss that "cheating" brings. As a minister to students, I'm constantly reminded of the turmoil that is brought about in the lives of teens by broken families.
So...upshot of this whole thing so far is that cheating is not a good thing! Sidenote time...what has to happen in order for restoration to take place when cheating happens? A whole lot of repentance, humility and forgiveness must take place! And, perhaps, even a good bit of counseling! Point being, cheating is easy while faithfulness is not and restoration is nearly impossible!
Now, lets make a little spiritual application of these thought. This guy, James, is writing this letter to the Jewish people back in the first century and he's telling them that empty faith is useless. It does nothing to save you and definitely doesn't mark you as a true believer. James says that what you do marks you much more than anything you could say or even believe. So, to Jimmy, the way people who claim to be Jesus followers behave in this world is of utmost importance. In fact, he equates a worldly way of living with unfaithfulness towards God.
It's no secret that one of the ways the Bible illustrates the relationship of believers with Christ is as a marriage. We are the "Bride" of Christ. Go back to the Old Testament book of Hosea and you get a beautiful picture of what God is up to, concerning His people. The picture we get is that of humanity, selling itself into prostitution to this world and a sinful way of living and thinking. In great love, however, God (like Hosea did for Gomer) comes to where we are practicing our unfaithfulness and buys us back from that way of living. Hosea used money to buy back Gomer while God uses something much more valuable (in fact, priceless)...the life of His only Son.
This is where ole Jim takes up the story. According to his way of thinking, it would be absolutely crazy for someone who had been liberated from this way of life and brought into glorious freedom and a perfect relationship with someone who truly loves them to ever want to go back to that old way of life. However, some folks do! It's insane, but these people "cheat" on the One who chose and loved them...the One who liberated them and gave them a proper relationship...by going back to being friends with and hanging out with their old pimp (the world). So James calls them out on it. Listen to what he says, "Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world's friend becomes God's enemy. Or do you think it's without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit He has caused to live in us yearns jealously?" (James 4:4-5) Did you get that? If you're a person who claims to know Jesus...who claims to follow Him...yet is identified with the world in the way you live, act, talk, dress, etc. then James labels you as a "cheater"! In fact, he says you're actually living as an enemy of God regardless of what your mouth may claim to be otherwise true!
Now, this ought to hit some of us right between the eyes. And, for others of us, it should absolutely break our hearts. The church has lost almost all of its influence here in America. Why? Could it be because we're "cheating" on the one who truly deserves our loyalty and love by making friends with His enemy? I know you're thinking, "Wait a minute...I'm not the devil's friend?" I would suggest that if you are enjoying the offerings of the devil...if you're partnering with those who do his work...if you're joining in the behavior of those who wittingly or unwittingly follow him...then you are, in fact, his friend! I mean, you can't really claim to be the holy bride of Christ if you're covered in the filth of the world, right? And, if you're buddying up with this world then you are "cheating" on the one who desires, more than anything, to set you free from that life!
So, if you find yourself in this situation, what is the proper response? Well, you could do one of three things. You could try to conceal it. Many "christians" do, in fact, try to do this. They live one way when they're in front of the "christian" crowd, but a totally different way in front of folks who aren't part of that crowd. However, remember that "cheaters never win". Eventually, the truth comes out about everyone! Another thing you could try to do is deny it. You could convince yourself that just because you have a few "guilty pleasures" doesn't mean you're setting yourself against God. You could convince yourself that a word here or there doesn't really matter or that a peek here or there doesn't really matter or that an unethical action is sometimes needed to get ahead or that what you listen to, watch, etc. doesn't really define or affect you or fill in the blank. However, remember that though you may try to live your life in the grey, with God there is only black or white! You may deny that you are a cheater, but if you're cheating you can't really hide the fact from the One who really matters! Finally, you could admit it...and change. And, by the way, this is the only correct way to deal with the problem. Check out what James says we ought to be doing when we find ourselves acting unfaithfully towards God. "Submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you." (James 4:7-10)
Sounds like we fix our unfaithfulness to God the same way we would with anyone else. A lot of humility, repentance and even some counseling from God's Holy Spirit. The greatest part of it...God is faithful to forgive!
Soooo...all that to say that I really can't stand cheaters. The worst part of the whole story is that I am one, myself! I've cheated on the One who has been faithful to me in thick and thin...the only One who was willing to die to redeem me from my unfaithful lifestyle. Nowadays, I'm trying to live faithfully with my God and I pray that all of the rest of you cheaters are joining me in the endeavor!
Loyalty and faithfulness are some of the most important traits in healthy relationships. In fact, when it comes to patriotism, there was a time where disloyalty was a capital offense. Wendy and I made a commitment to one another when we first got married that we would never even consider the idea of divorce...except under one condition...that of unfaithfulness. We trust each other implicitly...and part of the reason we can do that is because we both understand, completely, the consequences of "cheating". Cheating destroys relationships and hurts countless innocent people surrounding the "cheaters". All of us know of families destroyed by cheating fathers or mothers. Some of you may even be the product of a home destroyed by unfaithfulness and, to this day, you still carry the baggage associated with the loss that "cheating" brings. As a minister to students, I'm constantly reminded of the turmoil that is brought about in the lives of teens by broken families.
So...upshot of this whole thing so far is that cheating is not a good thing! Sidenote time...what has to happen in order for restoration to take place when cheating happens? A whole lot of repentance, humility and forgiveness must take place! And, perhaps, even a good bit of counseling! Point being, cheating is easy while faithfulness is not and restoration is nearly impossible!
Now, lets make a little spiritual application of these thought. This guy, James, is writing this letter to the Jewish people back in the first century and he's telling them that empty faith is useless. It does nothing to save you and definitely doesn't mark you as a true believer. James says that what you do marks you much more than anything you could say or even believe. So, to Jimmy, the way people who claim to be Jesus followers behave in this world is of utmost importance. In fact, he equates a worldly way of living with unfaithfulness towards God.
It's no secret that one of the ways the Bible illustrates the relationship of believers with Christ is as a marriage. We are the "Bride" of Christ. Go back to the Old Testament book of Hosea and you get a beautiful picture of what God is up to, concerning His people. The picture we get is that of humanity, selling itself into prostitution to this world and a sinful way of living and thinking. In great love, however, God (like Hosea did for Gomer) comes to where we are practicing our unfaithfulness and buys us back from that way of living. Hosea used money to buy back Gomer while God uses something much more valuable (in fact, priceless)...the life of His only Son.
This is where ole Jim takes up the story. According to his way of thinking, it would be absolutely crazy for someone who had been liberated from this way of life and brought into glorious freedom and a perfect relationship with someone who truly loves them to ever want to go back to that old way of life. However, some folks do! It's insane, but these people "cheat" on the One who chose and loved them...the One who liberated them and gave them a proper relationship...by going back to being friends with and hanging out with their old pimp (the world). So James calls them out on it. Listen to what he says, "Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world's friend becomes God's enemy. Or do you think it's without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit He has caused to live in us yearns jealously?" (James 4:4-5) Did you get that? If you're a person who claims to know Jesus...who claims to follow Him...yet is identified with the world in the way you live, act, talk, dress, etc. then James labels you as a "cheater"! In fact, he says you're actually living as an enemy of God regardless of what your mouth may claim to be otherwise true!
Now, this ought to hit some of us right between the eyes. And, for others of us, it should absolutely break our hearts. The church has lost almost all of its influence here in America. Why? Could it be because we're "cheating" on the one who truly deserves our loyalty and love by making friends with His enemy? I know you're thinking, "Wait a minute...I'm not the devil's friend?" I would suggest that if you are enjoying the offerings of the devil...if you're partnering with those who do his work...if you're joining in the behavior of those who wittingly or unwittingly follow him...then you are, in fact, his friend! I mean, you can't really claim to be the holy bride of Christ if you're covered in the filth of the world, right? And, if you're buddying up with this world then you are "cheating" on the one who desires, more than anything, to set you free from that life!
So, if you find yourself in this situation, what is the proper response? Well, you could do one of three things. You could try to conceal it. Many "christians" do, in fact, try to do this. They live one way when they're in front of the "christian" crowd, but a totally different way in front of folks who aren't part of that crowd. However, remember that "cheaters never win". Eventually, the truth comes out about everyone! Another thing you could try to do is deny it. You could convince yourself that just because you have a few "guilty pleasures" doesn't mean you're setting yourself against God. You could convince yourself that a word here or there doesn't really matter or that a peek here or there doesn't really matter or that an unethical action is sometimes needed to get ahead or that what you listen to, watch, etc. doesn't really define or affect you or fill in the blank. However, remember that though you may try to live your life in the grey, with God there is only black or white! You may deny that you are a cheater, but if you're cheating you can't really hide the fact from the One who really matters! Finally, you could admit it...and change. And, by the way, this is the only correct way to deal with the problem. Check out what James says we ought to be doing when we find ourselves acting unfaithfully towards God. "Submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you." (James 4:7-10)
Sounds like we fix our unfaithfulness to God the same way we would with anyone else. A lot of humility, repentance and even some counseling from God's Holy Spirit. The greatest part of it...God is faithful to forgive!
Soooo...all that to say that I really can't stand cheaters. The worst part of the whole story is that I am one, myself! I've cheated on the One who has been faithful to me in thick and thin...the only One who was willing to die to redeem me from my unfaithful lifestyle. Nowadays, I'm trying to live faithfully with my God and I pray that all of the rest of you cheaters are joining me in the endeavor!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
I feel so centered after reading this!
I'm going to teach you a new word. You ready for it? Here it is...geocentrism. Any idea what it means? Years and years ago, people actually believed that the earth was the center of the universe and that EVERYTHING revolved around it. The reason they thought this was because they observed the movement of the sun, stars, moon and planets through the sky. As they studied this, they came to the conclusion that the earth must remain in a fixed position while all the other bodies moved. This was the widely held view until a few important people came along. A fella by the name of Copernicus was one of the first to challenge this idea. Since he was bucking all common knowledge at the time AND the religious establishment who saw the earth's geocentricity as theological, his thoughts went over like a bucket of bricks. Galileo was the first guy who was really able to give any concrete evidence to the new theory of a sun centered solar system though. He had a nice tool...a telescope...which he used to try and prove his point. Regardless of his evidence, however, he had a pretty tough time of it as well as the established academia of the day and the Catholic church let him have it for his beliefs.
Today, we are certain that the earth is not the center of the solar system. No one, other than a few fruit cakes out there, would claim that everything revolves around the earth. The whole reason I bring this up is though we are no longer geocentric folks (in other words we don't think the universe revolves around the earth), most of us ARE egocentric folks (in other words we think the world revolves around us)! All of us are born with a selfish streak in us. Just watch a bunch of two year olds playing together and you'll realize that selfish ambition is just something we're born with. No one teaches children to be selfish...they just are! Take my kids for example. If one has a toy, all of the others want it. It doesn't matter that they've already played with that toy till they're sick of it. If they see someone else enjoying it, they want it back! Why is this the case? Because we don't want anyone to have more happiness than us, and, for most of us, that means that we don't want anyone to have more ANYTHING than us! We're selfish. Now, as adults, this looks a little different. We don't just take things away from others...usually...but we do compete with them in a pretty bad way. We don't want our neighbors to have a better house than us. We don't want our friends to drive better cars than us. We don't want anyone to have a better job than us. We climb ladders, build bigger and better and buy more expensive all in an effort to outdo everyone else and have ALL the happiness for ourselves. And, if we sense that someone might be doing a little better than we are, we are JEALOUS! We have selfish ambitions. ALL of us. Even you! It's just part of our human nature. Selfish...Ambitions.
There was this one guy, however, who didn't have selfish ambitions. He didn't compete with those around him. In fact, he was pretty chill about climbing the ladder. He didn't try to gather a lot of followers (if he had had twitter, I'm sure he would have been following many more than were following him). He didn't really try to impress. He was just who he was. And...instead of being selfish, he was selfless. That's right, instead of demanding and taking, he surrendered and gave away! Yeah! This fella, Jesus, wasn't like the rest of us. In fact, in the greatest sacrificial act of giving in all of history he gave something that most of us spend our whole lives trying to hold on to...his life! Paul said this about him, "God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" (Romans 5:8). That sounds pretty doggone selfless doesn't it? Yeah, Jesus was all about selfless affection!
Now, if that's where it all ended we could just say, "Oh, nice story!" and go on about our business, but that's not where it ends! For those who know Him personally, this Jesus is working to change them! You see, when someone gets to know Him, He connects His Spirit with theirs and He starts to do some radical stuff. Most of all, He starts the process of moving them from being self-centered, self-indulgent and self-serving little punks to being other-centered, self-denying, self-sacrificing little saints! It's a process...and for some it takes longer than others...but it happens! What He's up to is making us like Him. He's giving us a new nature...and with that new nature, selfless...affections!
Now, it's time for a little bit of honesty. You and I have both known people who claim to be "Christians", yet are still some of the most selfish people you'll come across. I'll be honest about this...I can't explain that. However, I DO KNOW one thing...when people really meet Jesus if affects them! Sooooo...if someone claims to know Jesus, but the pattern of their life is one marked by selfishness then you and I have good reason to wonder about the reality of said relationship. In fact, I believe that one of the biggest and most legitimate beefs that an unbelieving world has with "Christians" is the fact that so many of us are just so stinking self-centered. And, though an unbelieving world may not know Jesus, they know enough about Jesus to know that He wasn't like some of the folks they know who bear His name.
So, yeah, the earth is not the center of the solar system...and, guess what, you're not the center of the world! And, if you're a believer you definitely aren't the center of ANYTHING! And...that's really a good thing! Now, quit reading this and go make someone's day!
Today, we are certain that the earth is not the center of the solar system. No one, other than a few fruit cakes out there, would claim that everything revolves around the earth. The whole reason I bring this up is though we are no longer geocentric folks (in other words we don't think the universe revolves around the earth), most of us ARE egocentric folks (in other words we think the world revolves around us)! All of us are born with a selfish streak in us. Just watch a bunch of two year olds playing together and you'll realize that selfish ambition is just something we're born with. No one teaches children to be selfish...they just are! Take my kids for example. If one has a toy, all of the others want it. It doesn't matter that they've already played with that toy till they're sick of it. If they see someone else enjoying it, they want it back! Why is this the case? Because we don't want anyone to have more happiness than us, and, for most of us, that means that we don't want anyone to have more ANYTHING than us! We're selfish. Now, as adults, this looks a little different. We don't just take things away from others...usually...but we do compete with them in a pretty bad way. We don't want our neighbors to have a better house than us. We don't want our friends to drive better cars than us. We don't want anyone to have a better job than us. We climb ladders, build bigger and better and buy more expensive all in an effort to outdo everyone else and have ALL the happiness for ourselves. And, if we sense that someone might be doing a little better than we are, we are JEALOUS! We have selfish ambitions. ALL of us. Even you! It's just part of our human nature. Selfish...Ambitions.
There was this one guy, however, who didn't have selfish ambitions. He didn't compete with those around him. In fact, he was pretty chill about climbing the ladder. He didn't try to gather a lot of followers (if he had had twitter, I'm sure he would have been following many more than were following him). He didn't really try to impress. He was just who he was. And...instead of being selfish, he was selfless. That's right, instead of demanding and taking, he surrendered and gave away! Yeah! This fella, Jesus, wasn't like the rest of us. In fact, in the greatest sacrificial act of giving in all of history he gave something that most of us spend our whole lives trying to hold on to...his life! Paul said this about him, "God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" (Romans 5:8). That sounds pretty doggone selfless doesn't it? Yeah, Jesus was all about selfless affection!
Now, if that's where it all ended we could just say, "Oh, nice story!" and go on about our business, but that's not where it ends! For those who know Him personally, this Jesus is working to change them! You see, when someone gets to know Him, He connects His Spirit with theirs and He starts to do some radical stuff. Most of all, He starts the process of moving them from being self-centered, self-indulgent and self-serving little punks to being other-centered, self-denying, self-sacrificing little saints! It's a process...and for some it takes longer than others...but it happens! What He's up to is making us like Him. He's giving us a new nature...and with that new nature, selfless...affections!
Now, it's time for a little bit of honesty. You and I have both known people who claim to be "Christians", yet are still some of the most selfish people you'll come across. I'll be honest about this...I can't explain that. However, I DO KNOW one thing...when people really meet Jesus if affects them! Sooooo...if someone claims to know Jesus, but the pattern of their life is one marked by selfishness then you and I have good reason to wonder about the reality of said relationship. In fact, I believe that one of the biggest and most legitimate beefs that an unbelieving world has with "Christians" is the fact that so many of us are just so stinking self-centered. And, though an unbelieving world may not know Jesus, they know enough about Jesus to know that He wasn't like some of the folks they know who bear His name.
So, yeah, the earth is not the center of the solar system...and, guess what, you're not the center of the world! And, if you're a believer you definitely aren't the center of ANYTHING! And...that's really a good thing! Now, quit reading this and go make someone's day!
Thursday, March 6, 2014
I WROTE THIS ESPECIALLY FOR YOU!
My wife, Wendy, and I have been working on a little project for a couple of months at our church. It's a little something that sprung out of a need we saw in our church and a recognition that there were few churches in our area ministering to that need. We are parents of a child with special needs. You wouldn't know it by looking at him...he has, after all, my roguish good looks. His disabilities are in the cognitive and language areas. Anyway, all of that to say that we've noticed a need for an area in our church for parents and children who have special needs to be able to worship without feeling like they were hindering the worship of others around them. A place with no stares, no irritated coughs, no raised eye brows, no mumbling under the breath about getting your child under control, and no pitiful looks. Honestly, I find it hard to sit through an hour long service, sometimes, without wanting to burst out with a yell or do a couple of laps around the sanctuary, myself, so we got to thinking on what we could offer that would allow parents a place where they could hangout on days that their child might be having "a day" (that's what we call it when Colby gets in one of his moods where he just can't sit and be quiet and makes it his goal to embarrass us until he gets his way). We came up with a room just for this purpose. It's really neat because it has some toys, puzzles and coloring books for the kids, but also has a TV which is streaming a live feed of the worship service for the parents. Now, parents can enjoy the service with other parents who may be in the same boat AND not have to worry about their child being the source of mass chaos.
Now, as I stated at the beginning, this has been a project that has been months in the making. I gave up my office to make a space available which was large enough, close enough and offered the technology we needed to make this happen. We had to gather up all the materials and install all the audio visual equipment. The odd thing is that as much work has gone into the room, the hardest part of the whole ordeal has been deciding on a name for it. Why? Well, though I'm ok with the idea myself, a lot of folks we talked to didn't want to just call it the "special needs room". They felt it carried a bad connotation...a label, if you will. That really got me to thinking. You may think me odd, but when I think about my special needs child, Colby, I don't think of him as weird or odd or different. Colby is, actually, really normal! Because of Colby, I've gotten to know a few other "special" children and I can say without hesitation that most of these "special needs" children really aren't that much more "needy" than any of us "normal" folks...in fact, in some ways, they are MORE normal than we are!
Let's explore that last statement for a bit, shall we? First of all, all the term "special needs" conveys is that a person is lacking some ability. We also call it a disability or handicap. For some, what's lacking is the area of cognition, for others it's mobility, for still others it may be communication or social abilities. Usually, though the lack in one area may be severe, the individual can still function. I've met children with Down Syndrome who are some of the sweetest, most loving people you'll ever meet. I've met children in wheel chairs and walkers who are some of the smartest kids you'll ever know. In fact, I have a friend with Cerebral Palsy who has a great sense of humor and is a genius when it comes to beating me in cards! I've met kids, like Colby, who may struggle academically and expressively, but have an incredible ability to relate to others and use common sense, despite their handicap. I've also met seemingly normal people who are considered successful by society, but are incredibly mean spirited...lacking compassion. I've known people who are leaders in church and other walks of life, yet have debilitating levels of pride and self-righteousness. I've met "normal" people who are extremely academic, but have an inability to relate to others. I've met men who are hard workers, but are emotionally handicapped in such a way that they can't show proper love to their wives or children. I've met women who seem to be the picture of beauty and grace, but barely hide the bitterness and emotional turmoil brewing inside them. I've met husbands and wives who seem to function well in all other areas of life, but can't hold together a marriage because of their inability to communicate. I know of men who look like they have it all together on the outside, but inside they are disabled by lust and selfishness. In fact, almost everyone I've met has some sort of handicap! I do and I'm sure you do too!!
The truth is that you may look at my child and think that his disability "marks" him or provides him with a "label". I don't see it that way at all! What I DO see is that we've identified what our child struggles with and are working on it? The question is have YOU identified what YOU struggle with and are YOU working on it? You see, the truth is that we are all "special needs" people because we all struggle. None of us are perfect...especially when we start talking spiritually. To see what the Bible has to say about this, check out Romans 3:10-26. In this passage, Paul makes it clear that we are all spiritually needy and that Jesus is the only one who can fix our handicap. You can deny your need for Him all day, but that doesn't make you any less needy! You can resist the therapy He wants to put you through in order to bring healing, but that doesn't make you any stronger...it actually means you're pretty weak! Or, you can accept what He's done to fulfill your need. You can surrender to what He wants to do in you so that He may grow you and remediate you. You can give yourself over to His IEP (Individualized Education Plan for all of you mainstream education folks) for your life so that you may learn how to live in a right relationship with Him and with others. The choice is yours...you can seek help for your "special need" or you can live in denial. But know this...living in denial doesn't make you any less "needy" or any more "normal".
So, this Sunday my special little family will be attending worship via live video feed, at our church, in the "No Name" room while all the normal folks get the full, live experience in the real special needs room, also known as the Sanctuary. Wherever you worship, I pray that your needs are identified and you find them met in Jesus.
Now, as I stated at the beginning, this has been a project that has been months in the making. I gave up my office to make a space available which was large enough, close enough and offered the technology we needed to make this happen. We had to gather up all the materials and install all the audio visual equipment. The odd thing is that as much work has gone into the room, the hardest part of the whole ordeal has been deciding on a name for it. Why? Well, though I'm ok with the idea myself, a lot of folks we talked to didn't want to just call it the "special needs room". They felt it carried a bad connotation...a label, if you will. That really got me to thinking. You may think me odd, but when I think about my special needs child, Colby, I don't think of him as weird or odd or different. Colby is, actually, really normal! Because of Colby, I've gotten to know a few other "special" children and I can say without hesitation that most of these "special needs" children really aren't that much more "needy" than any of us "normal" folks...in fact, in some ways, they are MORE normal than we are!
Let's explore that last statement for a bit, shall we? First of all, all the term "special needs" conveys is that a person is lacking some ability. We also call it a disability or handicap. For some, what's lacking is the area of cognition, for others it's mobility, for still others it may be communication or social abilities. Usually, though the lack in one area may be severe, the individual can still function. I've met children with Down Syndrome who are some of the sweetest, most loving people you'll ever meet. I've met children in wheel chairs and walkers who are some of the smartest kids you'll ever know. In fact, I have a friend with Cerebral Palsy who has a great sense of humor and is a genius when it comes to beating me in cards! I've met kids, like Colby, who may struggle academically and expressively, but have an incredible ability to relate to others and use common sense, despite their handicap. I've also met seemingly normal people who are considered successful by society, but are incredibly mean spirited...lacking compassion. I've known people who are leaders in church and other walks of life, yet have debilitating levels of pride and self-righteousness. I've met "normal" people who are extremely academic, but have an inability to relate to others. I've met men who are hard workers, but are emotionally handicapped in such a way that they can't show proper love to their wives or children. I've met women who seem to be the picture of beauty and grace, but barely hide the bitterness and emotional turmoil brewing inside them. I've met husbands and wives who seem to function well in all other areas of life, but can't hold together a marriage because of their inability to communicate. I know of men who look like they have it all together on the outside, but inside they are disabled by lust and selfishness. In fact, almost everyone I've met has some sort of handicap! I do and I'm sure you do too!!
The truth is that you may look at my child and think that his disability "marks" him or provides him with a "label". I don't see it that way at all! What I DO see is that we've identified what our child struggles with and are working on it? The question is have YOU identified what YOU struggle with and are YOU working on it? You see, the truth is that we are all "special needs" people because we all struggle. None of us are perfect...especially when we start talking spiritually. To see what the Bible has to say about this, check out Romans 3:10-26. In this passage, Paul makes it clear that we are all spiritually needy and that Jesus is the only one who can fix our handicap. You can deny your need for Him all day, but that doesn't make you any less needy! You can resist the therapy He wants to put you through in order to bring healing, but that doesn't make you any stronger...it actually means you're pretty weak! Or, you can accept what He's done to fulfill your need. You can surrender to what He wants to do in you so that He may grow you and remediate you. You can give yourself over to His IEP (Individualized Education Plan for all of you mainstream education folks) for your life so that you may learn how to live in a right relationship with Him and with others. The choice is yours...you can seek help for your "special need" or you can live in denial. But know this...living in denial doesn't make you any less "needy" or any more "normal".
So, this Sunday my special little family will be attending worship via live video feed, at our church, in the "No Name" room while all the normal folks get the full, live experience in the real special needs room, also known as the Sanctuary. Wherever you worship, I pray that your needs are identified and you find them met in Jesus.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
I don't like being stoned, and I'm sure you don't either!
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!" We all grew up hearing that little line. And, we've all probably said it more times than we care to admit. I want to be completely transparent with you here. I've been beaten with sticks! As kids, my brother and I loved anything that involved beating one another. We had sword fights with sticks, bats, 2x4s, metal pipes...really anything that we could beat each other with! We loved dirt clod wars and would stand in the yard for hours hurling pine cones, dirt clods, or the occasional rock that was mistaken for a dirt clod. Ok, honestly, we knew the rocks weren't dirt clods, but we threw them anyway. And we would just stand there and let those stones hit us because we were boys and boys were tough! Bruises were like badges of honor. So, I've been beaten with sticks and stoned with stones and shot with bb guns and burned and shocked and run over with a bike, go cart and skateboard! Why? Just because! But, here's something I know to be true (and you do as well)...I have had words spoken to me or about me that have hurt me much worse than any of those sticks, stones or other things I mentioned! I've had words hurled at me that felt like boulders to my spirit. I've been crushed by the magnitude of things said by other people. And, I would guess that you have had those things happen too!
A few years ago I went through a particularly rough stretch in ministry. There were things said to me and about me during that time that made getting up and going to work every day a completely miserable experience. In fact, there were many times that I would have rather taken a stoning than sit in that office. Our whole church was going through a tough time and a lot of people were hurting. Honestly, our youth ministry was suffering right along with the rest of the church. In all that pain, it seemed that a few were singling me out to accept the brunt of their anxieties and hard feelings. These were pointing at me because of the perceived cracks they saw in our student ministry. I remember sitting down with one set of parents who, outright, said, "How can you stay at (church name withheld to protect the innocent) knowing that EVERYONE here hates you?!" It was actually a good question because it was one that I had been asking myself! I gave them the same answer that God had given me every time that I begged Him to let me do anything (seriously) other than stay at the church. That answer was, "Well, first of all, I know that EVERYONE doesn't hate me...there are some who support what God has called me here to do. And, secondly, God called me to this church and I won't leave until God calls me away...I will not forsake God's call regardless of what it costs me." That's at least 2 years in the past, but I can tell you that I remember that conversation as if it were yesterday because those words stung worse than any stick or stone I've ever been hit with! To hear someone verbalize that I was hated (that's a strong word) was pretty difficult for even me to handle (remember, last week I told you I'm not really all that emotional)!
I've had people, over the years, who have tried to have me fired because they disagree with me ideologically or philosophically or because we gauge success in different ways. And though I know that, for them, it may not be a personal attack; for me, it's always personal because what I do is not just a job to me...it's who I am as a man of God. I remember every encounter, every deacon's meeting, every time someone said, "guess what I heard that so-and-so said." Why? Because words affect us way more than sticks and stones. And, by the way, another saying we like to use is hogwash as well. It goes something like, "I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you!" Other people's words DO stick to us...and they follow us...for life! Why? Because words matter!
So, your words are important and my words are important because they carry so much potential for either encouragement or pain! In fact, the Bible actually says that words have the power of "life and death". Hey, and whether we admit it or not, we know it's true? How many people have committed suicide because of someone else's words. When I was in tenth grade, one of my good friends put a shotgun in his mouth and pulled the trigger after a fight with his mom. Talk about a devastated mother...she could never take back those last words of anger that she spoke to him! How many people live lives of depression, anxiety, and self-doubt because of other people's words? I believe that many of the adults who struggle with depression do so because they're still trying to deal with words that were said to them during their childhood and youth! In their attempts to challenge children, parents and other adults often cross the line and end up using language that damages a child's developing personality and psyche for the rest of their lives! I'm guilty of this, myself! On the other hand, how many people have been catapulted to greatness because they had people whispering words of encouragement into their ears. "You can do it!" "You've got this!" "No matter what happens, I'm behind you." "I believe in you!" "I believe you're the best even if no one else does!" They had people who believed in them and supported them and spoke words of affirmation to them. And, because of that, they went on to do amazing things. You see, words matter!
For the past month my wife and I have been working on a room at our church that parents of children with special needs can use if their child is having a bad day. We'll have the service streaming in there for them to watch and some toys for the kids. It's a special ministry to us because we have a child with special needs. And, you better believe that every word is important when it comes to Colby. Every word on his IEP is important to us. Every word on his psyche tests and IQ tests and assessments are important to us because they describe our son! We haven't even shared some of the things we've been told about Colby because we know how those words will affect the people who hear them. We know how those words will affect their expectations of Colby and what they think he's capable of. So, this room is important to us because it symbolizes an area of ministry that most churches turn a blind eye to and one that we need for ourselves. And, we've spent an agonizing amount of time trying to figure out what to call this room because we know that WORDS MATTER!!!!
Now, our words matter for other people because of the weight they carry, but they also matter for you and me as well. Our words, perhaps more than any other indicator, reveal some things about us as people. First of all, they indicate what kind of person you are! Our oldest son has come home a few times talking about how peers have used hurtful language towards him. You know what? I don't have to meet these kids to even know what kind of people they are! Simply by the things they've said to my son, I can know they're jerks. You know this is true, because you've had similar experiences. We'll call this the law of language. This law would state that the type of language used by a person is directly indicative of the type of person he/she is. And, guess what...this law applies to you and me as well. Our words indicate the type of person we are. So, if your words are gossipy, you're a gossip! If your words are untrue, you're a liar. If your are slanderous, you're a slanderer! Got it? Good, lets move on.
Our words don't just reveal who we are now, they also shape who we will be in the future. The law of language isn't just indicative of our present, it is, also, an impetus to our future! Our words create a path that our lives tend to follow. This path could be seen as the consequence of our words, but I believe it's more that our life is like a garden and our words are seeds. Things we say to others today will take root in their lives or in our own lives and will grow. Sometimes these things will blossom into wonderful plants with beautiful fruit (these require seeds of encouragement and praise). Other times they become bitter weeds or choking vines that threaten to destroy the garden altogether (these are sown with seeds of discouragement and hate). I've heard it said that your words will always come back to you in some way. I believe that is true. The things you say today will shape your tomorrow!
That brings us to one heavy conclusion. If words are that powerful, I probably can't be trusted with them. Imagine the President of the USA calling me up and saying, "Hey, Wayne, we've decided to give you the launch codes to our nuclear arsenal. It's completely at your disposal." NOT A GOOD IDEA! I've had people say hurtful things to me, it's probably best I don't have access to missiles...right? Because those weapons are so powerful, they are under strict control. Here's a news flash...our words need to be under strict control as well! That's where the Holy Spirit comes in. I've got to give Him control over my words. That means I relinquish the talk button to Him. I speak when He says speak and I shut up when He says shut up! When I speak, I do so in a way that brings Him glory. I encourage and exhort. I praise and practice self control. Why? Because that's what Jesus would do. Notice that, throughout scripture, you never catch Jesus making off handed remarks or saying things intentionally hurtful. He never gossips or lies. He is truthful. He is gracious. He is kind. He is always completely honest, but in a way that draws others in rather than pushes them away. Jesus was the greatest user of words in all of history. Maybe that's because, according to Scripture, He is THE Word become flesh (different topic for a different day). Whatever the reason, He is our model.
So, how are your words? What do they say about you? Are you stoning people with your words or stirring people with your words? Does your mouth just run off uncontrollably or do you give control of it over to Jesus? What kinds of seeds are you sowing with the things you say to other people? Hey, words matter!!! And the truth is that you don't like being stoned any more than I do!
A few years ago I went through a particularly rough stretch in ministry. There were things said to me and about me during that time that made getting up and going to work every day a completely miserable experience. In fact, there were many times that I would have rather taken a stoning than sit in that office. Our whole church was going through a tough time and a lot of people were hurting. Honestly, our youth ministry was suffering right along with the rest of the church. In all that pain, it seemed that a few were singling me out to accept the brunt of their anxieties and hard feelings. These were pointing at me because of the perceived cracks they saw in our student ministry. I remember sitting down with one set of parents who, outright, said, "How can you stay at (church name withheld to protect the innocent) knowing that EVERYONE here hates you?!" It was actually a good question because it was one that I had been asking myself! I gave them the same answer that God had given me every time that I begged Him to let me do anything (seriously) other than stay at the church. That answer was, "Well, first of all, I know that EVERYONE doesn't hate me...there are some who support what God has called me here to do. And, secondly, God called me to this church and I won't leave until God calls me away...I will not forsake God's call regardless of what it costs me." That's at least 2 years in the past, but I can tell you that I remember that conversation as if it were yesterday because those words stung worse than any stick or stone I've ever been hit with! To hear someone verbalize that I was hated (that's a strong word) was pretty difficult for even me to handle (remember, last week I told you I'm not really all that emotional)!
I've had people, over the years, who have tried to have me fired because they disagree with me ideologically or philosophically or because we gauge success in different ways. And though I know that, for them, it may not be a personal attack; for me, it's always personal because what I do is not just a job to me...it's who I am as a man of God. I remember every encounter, every deacon's meeting, every time someone said, "guess what I heard that so-and-so said." Why? Because words affect us way more than sticks and stones. And, by the way, another saying we like to use is hogwash as well. It goes something like, "I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you!" Other people's words DO stick to us...and they follow us...for life! Why? Because words matter!
So, your words are important and my words are important because they carry so much potential for either encouragement or pain! In fact, the Bible actually says that words have the power of "life and death". Hey, and whether we admit it or not, we know it's true? How many people have committed suicide because of someone else's words. When I was in tenth grade, one of my good friends put a shotgun in his mouth and pulled the trigger after a fight with his mom. Talk about a devastated mother...she could never take back those last words of anger that she spoke to him! How many people live lives of depression, anxiety, and self-doubt because of other people's words? I believe that many of the adults who struggle with depression do so because they're still trying to deal with words that were said to them during their childhood and youth! In their attempts to challenge children, parents and other adults often cross the line and end up using language that damages a child's developing personality and psyche for the rest of their lives! I'm guilty of this, myself! On the other hand, how many people have been catapulted to greatness because they had people whispering words of encouragement into their ears. "You can do it!" "You've got this!" "No matter what happens, I'm behind you." "I believe in you!" "I believe you're the best even if no one else does!" They had people who believed in them and supported them and spoke words of affirmation to them. And, because of that, they went on to do amazing things. You see, words matter!
For the past month my wife and I have been working on a room at our church that parents of children with special needs can use if their child is having a bad day. We'll have the service streaming in there for them to watch and some toys for the kids. It's a special ministry to us because we have a child with special needs. And, you better believe that every word is important when it comes to Colby. Every word on his IEP is important to us. Every word on his psyche tests and IQ tests and assessments are important to us because they describe our son! We haven't even shared some of the things we've been told about Colby because we know how those words will affect the people who hear them. We know how those words will affect their expectations of Colby and what they think he's capable of. So, this room is important to us because it symbolizes an area of ministry that most churches turn a blind eye to and one that we need for ourselves. And, we've spent an agonizing amount of time trying to figure out what to call this room because we know that WORDS MATTER!!!!
Now, our words matter for other people because of the weight they carry, but they also matter for you and me as well. Our words, perhaps more than any other indicator, reveal some things about us as people. First of all, they indicate what kind of person you are! Our oldest son has come home a few times talking about how peers have used hurtful language towards him. You know what? I don't have to meet these kids to even know what kind of people they are! Simply by the things they've said to my son, I can know they're jerks. You know this is true, because you've had similar experiences. We'll call this the law of language. This law would state that the type of language used by a person is directly indicative of the type of person he/she is. And, guess what...this law applies to you and me as well. Our words indicate the type of person we are. So, if your words are gossipy, you're a gossip! If your words are untrue, you're a liar. If your are slanderous, you're a slanderer! Got it? Good, lets move on.
Our words don't just reveal who we are now, they also shape who we will be in the future. The law of language isn't just indicative of our present, it is, also, an impetus to our future! Our words create a path that our lives tend to follow. This path could be seen as the consequence of our words, but I believe it's more that our life is like a garden and our words are seeds. Things we say to others today will take root in their lives or in our own lives and will grow. Sometimes these things will blossom into wonderful plants with beautiful fruit (these require seeds of encouragement and praise). Other times they become bitter weeds or choking vines that threaten to destroy the garden altogether (these are sown with seeds of discouragement and hate). I've heard it said that your words will always come back to you in some way. I believe that is true. The things you say today will shape your tomorrow!
That brings us to one heavy conclusion. If words are that powerful, I probably can't be trusted with them. Imagine the President of the USA calling me up and saying, "Hey, Wayne, we've decided to give you the launch codes to our nuclear arsenal. It's completely at your disposal." NOT A GOOD IDEA! I've had people say hurtful things to me, it's probably best I don't have access to missiles...right? Because those weapons are so powerful, they are under strict control. Here's a news flash...our words need to be under strict control as well! That's where the Holy Spirit comes in. I've got to give Him control over my words. That means I relinquish the talk button to Him. I speak when He says speak and I shut up when He says shut up! When I speak, I do so in a way that brings Him glory. I encourage and exhort. I praise and practice self control. Why? Because that's what Jesus would do. Notice that, throughout scripture, you never catch Jesus making off handed remarks or saying things intentionally hurtful. He never gossips or lies. He is truthful. He is gracious. He is kind. He is always completely honest, but in a way that draws others in rather than pushes them away. Jesus was the greatest user of words in all of history. Maybe that's because, according to Scripture, He is THE Word become flesh (different topic for a different day). Whatever the reason, He is our model.
So, how are your words? What do they say about you? Are you stoning people with your words or stirring people with your words? Does your mouth just run off uncontrollably or do you give control of it over to Jesus? What kinds of seeds are you sowing with the things you say to other people? Hey, words matter!!! And the truth is that you don't like being stoned any more than I do!
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Dead is dead...like, really, dead!
I'm a pretty easy going guy. No, seriously, I am! I realize that there are those who think I'm a coiled spring ready to pop, but the truth is that underneath it all I stay on a pretty even keel. Maybe it's my upbringing or perhaps it's just in my genes (all of you nature versus nurture people can argue that one out), I don't know...nor do I really care, for that matter. Most people, who really get me, know that I'm not a very emotional person. Therefore, it takes something pretty significant to violently swing my mood in one direction or the other. Yes, this can be a bad or good thing depending on the situation, but it is who I am.
There are, however, a few things that can blow my inner tranquility and, otherwise, stable temperament out of the water. One of those is computers. It has never ceased to amaze me that a computer ALWAYS works perfectly until the very moment you need it to...at which time it ALWAYS seems to come under the control of demonic forces bent on perfectly demonstrating Murphy's Law (look it up). Yep, computers are one thing that really get to me. The other is automobiles. Not working automobiles, of course...I'm talking about broken ones! Now, truthfully, I think the two are somewhat related since it's usually the automobiles that incorporate some kind of weird computer system in order for them to work that give me the most grief.
Case in point... I've, recently, been trying to determine what is causing a problem with my sister's car. The car won't crank. I don't mean it just won't start...I mean it actually won't do anything. When you turn the key it doesn't try to turn over...it doesn't even click...it...does...nothing! I know what you're thinking, "Hey, dummy, check the battery!" Well, that's been done! We actually replaced the battery...and still nothing! Having worked on vehicles before, I know that what I'm dealing with is not actually a hardware issue...I'm sure that the engine is ok, along with most of the parts attached to it. The problem is that the computer has been told by some sensor somewhere that to allow the engine to crank would be a bad thing. I've bypassed the computer and gotten the starter to turn over, but the engine still won't crank because the computer is refusing to allow any fuel to go the engine. So...the computer wins again...at least it does for now. Since I'm frustrated with it, I am now committed to seeing it run so it'll get fixed after I do all my research and hunt down the $10 part that I'm sure is causing the confusion.
The reason I even bring any of this up is because that car has gotten me to thinking about something. My sister has owned the vehicle for a couple of years. Want to know when it broke down on her though? Back in June of last year! That means it's been sitting in her driveway for 7 months now. In all that time, my sister has been the owner of a vehicle. If anyone asked her, "Hey, are you a vehicle owner?" She could emphatically argue that she was. However, was that vehicle of any use to her or anyone else? Absolutely not! You see, a dead vehicle might as well not even be a vehicle since the whole purpose of a vehicle is to be useful in getting one from Point A to Point B. If all the vehicle does is sit at Point A, we would all agree that it must be broken and is, therefore, useless until it is fixed! Everyone agree? Good, now hold on!
The whole reason I got to thinking about that vehicle today was because of something that I read in the book of James. In Chapter 2, verse 17, James says that "faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead by itself." In other words, you may emphatically claim that you are the proud owner of faith, but if that faith doesn't "work"...in other words, it doesn't accomplish anything, then it, like my sister's car, is dead...and useless, I might add. We really get this concept when we think about things that are supposed to do something like a car or a computer or a TV or a phone or a blender or a coffee pot or a lawnmower or an airplane or a cruise liner or a smoke detector or even a yard man. However, we have a hard time grasping this concept when it comes to living out something as simple as our faith.
In the later half of James, Chapter 2, Jesus' half-brother spends a good bit of time trying to explain the futility of claiming a faith as real that doesn't actually do something. In fact, ole boy goes so far as to say that if your faith...and my faith...don't accomplish some things then it is dead and...get this...can't save you! "Whoa, wait a minute, Wayne, I walked down an aisle!" Doesn't matter! "Hold up, faith is all about believing and I believe!" Doesn't matter! "But I go to church!" Doesn't matter! "I tithe!" Well, that's good, but if that's all you got it DOESN'T MATTER!
Why doesn't all that matter? Well, it boils down to how you understand the word "faith". In modern terms, when we think of faith, we have to differentiate between "faith that is" and "faith that does". "Faith that is" is an acknowledgement of something...be it God, a set of beliefs or a code of morals that exist external to the person who holds the faith "in" these things. In other words, a person believes these exist. "Faith that does" involves a radical reorientation of one's life around what that person has faith "in" in such a way that it produces results in a person's life. In other words, this person has moved past simply acknowledging the existence of these things and has given themselves to the pursuit of what these things claim. Now, I can have "faith that is" without ever having a relationship with the things I have faith "in". I've never been on a cruise, but I have faith that they are safe and provide an enjoyable experience. I've never skydived, but I have faith that chutes open more times than they fail, therefore, it must be a relatively safe-ish activity. I never intend to have "faith that does" skydiving, but I do hope to, one day, have "faith that does" a cruise. I have "faith that is" concerning Disney World...I believe it to be a fun, family experience for kids of all ages. I ALSO have "faith that does" Disney World because my faith "in" Disney World has driven me to take my family there and experience the fun for myself. Not only that, but I intend to take my family back to Disney World, at some point, to exercise my faith "in" its family-fun atmosphere again.
Got all of that? Good! Now let's apply that to what James says about our faith in God. James is saying that it is perfectly possible for you to have "faith that is" concerning God without ever having "faith that does" anything with God. In other words, you can KNOW about God...you can go to church, study a Bible, memorize scripture, give to the church, even go on a mission trip...without ever actually KNOWING God! Simply knowing about God is not enough to produce salvation, however, knowing God involves a relationship that produces change! This "faith that does" drives one to emulate Christ in every area of life. These are the "works" that James is talking about. In other words, James would say that if the actions of your life don't demonstrate that you have "faith that does", chances are pretty good that all you have is "faith that is". And, guess what? According to Jimmy, that faith is dead...useless...kaput...it can't and won't save you!
If you're still struggling with this concept, check out what James says in verse 19. "You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe - and they shudder." In this little verse, James shoots down the concept of "easy believism". You see, it's not just about acknowledging God! Even the demons acknowledge God. And let's be honest about something here...the demons actually one up some of us because they, actually, shudder at God. What a shame that so many people who claim they "believe" in God are, in all honesty, some of the most apathetic people towards God! Want to hear this same thing from a different source? Check out Matthew 7:21-23 and 25:41-46. We get the teaching, here, straight from the mouth of Jesus. Jesus, Himself, makes it clear that your "faith that is" will not save you if it doesn't make the transition into "faith that does"! Why? Because "faith that is" puts you in the driver's seat of your life. If all you do is acknowledge your belief in something then you retain all the power...you're still the boss! However, "faith that does" demands that you allow Jesus to become your Lord.
Now, let's make something very clear here. You do NOT work in order to have salvation! You and I work BECAUSE we have salvation! So when James makes the claim that our works are the actuation, actualization, authentication and activation (look them up) of our faith, what he's claiming is that they are the PROOF that our faith is real! The truth is that you can pretty much tell if a person is REALLY a believer by watching the way they live their lives. (No, that's not "judging" them. Satan is the author of the lie that Christians aren't to "judge" other Christians! Jesus emphatically told his believers to be discerning and to inspect the fruit of those who claim His name to see if they're the real deal! What Jesus actually taught is that we shouldn't be hypocrites in our judging...but that's a different blog for a different day!)
Anyway...real, saving faith proves itself in action(s). Fake, not-saving faith just believes stuff. So, yea, right now my sister's car still sits dead in her driveway. The question is, how is your faith sitting right now?
There are, however, a few things that can blow my inner tranquility and, otherwise, stable temperament out of the water. One of those is computers. It has never ceased to amaze me that a computer ALWAYS works perfectly until the very moment you need it to...at which time it ALWAYS seems to come under the control of demonic forces bent on perfectly demonstrating Murphy's Law (look it up). Yep, computers are one thing that really get to me. The other is automobiles. Not working automobiles, of course...I'm talking about broken ones! Now, truthfully, I think the two are somewhat related since it's usually the automobiles that incorporate some kind of weird computer system in order for them to work that give me the most grief.
Case in point... I've, recently, been trying to determine what is causing a problem with my sister's car. The car won't crank. I don't mean it just won't start...I mean it actually won't do anything. When you turn the key it doesn't try to turn over...it doesn't even click...it...does...nothing! I know what you're thinking, "Hey, dummy, check the battery!" Well, that's been done! We actually replaced the battery...and still nothing! Having worked on vehicles before, I know that what I'm dealing with is not actually a hardware issue...I'm sure that the engine is ok, along with most of the parts attached to it. The problem is that the computer has been told by some sensor somewhere that to allow the engine to crank would be a bad thing. I've bypassed the computer and gotten the starter to turn over, but the engine still won't crank because the computer is refusing to allow any fuel to go the engine. So...the computer wins again...at least it does for now. Since I'm frustrated with it, I am now committed to seeing it run so it'll get fixed after I do all my research and hunt down the $10 part that I'm sure is causing the confusion.
The reason I even bring any of this up is because that car has gotten me to thinking about something. My sister has owned the vehicle for a couple of years. Want to know when it broke down on her though? Back in June of last year! That means it's been sitting in her driveway for 7 months now. In all that time, my sister has been the owner of a vehicle. If anyone asked her, "Hey, are you a vehicle owner?" She could emphatically argue that she was. However, was that vehicle of any use to her or anyone else? Absolutely not! You see, a dead vehicle might as well not even be a vehicle since the whole purpose of a vehicle is to be useful in getting one from Point A to Point B. If all the vehicle does is sit at Point A, we would all agree that it must be broken and is, therefore, useless until it is fixed! Everyone agree? Good, now hold on!
The whole reason I got to thinking about that vehicle today was because of something that I read in the book of James. In Chapter 2, verse 17, James says that "faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead by itself." In other words, you may emphatically claim that you are the proud owner of faith, but if that faith doesn't "work"...in other words, it doesn't accomplish anything, then it, like my sister's car, is dead...and useless, I might add. We really get this concept when we think about things that are supposed to do something like a car or a computer or a TV or a phone or a blender or a coffee pot or a lawnmower or an airplane or a cruise liner or a smoke detector or even a yard man. However, we have a hard time grasping this concept when it comes to living out something as simple as our faith.
In the later half of James, Chapter 2, Jesus' half-brother spends a good bit of time trying to explain the futility of claiming a faith as real that doesn't actually do something. In fact, ole boy goes so far as to say that if your faith...and my faith...don't accomplish some things then it is dead and...get this...can't save you! "Whoa, wait a minute, Wayne, I walked down an aisle!" Doesn't matter! "Hold up, faith is all about believing and I believe!" Doesn't matter! "But I go to church!" Doesn't matter! "I tithe!" Well, that's good, but if that's all you got it DOESN'T MATTER!
Why doesn't all that matter? Well, it boils down to how you understand the word "faith". In modern terms, when we think of faith, we have to differentiate between "faith that is" and "faith that does". "Faith that is" is an acknowledgement of something...be it God, a set of beliefs or a code of morals that exist external to the person who holds the faith "in" these things. In other words, a person believes these exist. "Faith that does" involves a radical reorientation of one's life around what that person has faith "in" in such a way that it produces results in a person's life. In other words, this person has moved past simply acknowledging the existence of these things and has given themselves to the pursuit of what these things claim. Now, I can have "faith that is" without ever having a relationship with the things I have faith "in". I've never been on a cruise, but I have faith that they are safe and provide an enjoyable experience. I've never skydived, but I have faith that chutes open more times than they fail, therefore, it must be a relatively safe-ish activity. I never intend to have "faith that does" skydiving, but I do hope to, one day, have "faith that does" a cruise. I have "faith that is" concerning Disney World...I believe it to be a fun, family experience for kids of all ages. I ALSO have "faith that does" Disney World because my faith "in" Disney World has driven me to take my family there and experience the fun for myself. Not only that, but I intend to take my family back to Disney World, at some point, to exercise my faith "in" its family-fun atmosphere again.
Got all of that? Good! Now let's apply that to what James says about our faith in God. James is saying that it is perfectly possible for you to have "faith that is" concerning God without ever having "faith that does" anything with God. In other words, you can KNOW about God...you can go to church, study a Bible, memorize scripture, give to the church, even go on a mission trip...without ever actually KNOWING God! Simply knowing about God is not enough to produce salvation, however, knowing God involves a relationship that produces change! This "faith that does" drives one to emulate Christ in every area of life. These are the "works" that James is talking about. In other words, James would say that if the actions of your life don't demonstrate that you have "faith that does", chances are pretty good that all you have is "faith that is". And, guess what? According to Jimmy, that faith is dead...useless...kaput...it can't and won't save you!
If you're still struggling with this concept, check out what James says in verse 19. "You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe - and they shudder." In this little verse, James shoots down the concept of "easy believism". You see, it's not just about acknowledging God! Even the demons acknowledge God. And let's be honest about something here...the demons actually one up some of us because they, actually, shudder at God. What a shame that so many people who claim they "believe" in God are, in all honesty, some of the most apathetic people towards God! Want to hear this same thing from a different source? Check out Matthew 7:21-23 and 25:41-46. We get the teaching, here, straight from the mouth of Jesus. Jesus, Himself, makes it clear that your "faith that is" will not save you if it doesn't make the transition into "faith that does"! Why? Because "faith that is" puts you in the driver's seat of your life. If all you do is acknowledge your belief in something then you retain all the power...you're still the boss! However, "faith that does" demands that you allow Jesus to become your Lord.
Now, let's make something very clear here. You do NOT work in order to have salvation! You and I work BECAUSE we have salvation! So when James makes the claim that our works are the actuation, actualization, authentication and activation (look them up) of our faith, what he's claiming is that they are the PROOF that our faith is real! The truth is that you can pretty much tell if a person is REALLY a believer by watching the way they live their lives. (No, that's not "judging" them. Satan is the author of the lie that Christians aren't to "judge" other Christians! Jesus emphatically told his believers to be discerning and to inspect the fruit of those who claim His name to see if they're the real deal! What Jesus actually taught is that we shouldn't be hypocrites in our judging...but that's a different blog for a different day!)
Anyway...real, saving faith proves itself in action(s). Fake, not-saving faith just believes stuff. So, yea, right now my sister's car still sits dead in her driveway. The question is, how is your faith sitting right now?
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
I could be a hermit...no, really, I could!
Ok, so I'm about to bare my soul here. And, I know this is going to come really unexpected and some of you may think it even unbelievable. However, I really feel like I need to get this off my chest. It's something I've felt for a long time anyway. And, truth be told, I've finally come to grips with the fact that it's just who I am. I've realized that I need to be comfortable in my own skin and stop trying to be someone I'm not. I know that when I divulge what I'm about to tell you that I can't take it back and that, from this point forward, everyone will know this about me. Though I've tried hard to hide what I'm about to tell you over the years, I think it's time that I finally come clean. The truth will come out eventually, anyway, so it's best if I be the one that reveals it.
So, here goes... I...don't....like...people! Seriously, I really don't. People irritate me sooooo bad! I really don't like civilization very much either. No kidding! I could really do without both. In my opinion, people are inherently selfish, self-centered and self-aggrandizing (look this word up www.dicitionary.com). And what's worse, at least in my opinion, is that "Christian" people are some of the worst. Honestly, I've met "lost" people that are much more likable than some of the Christians I know...especially those pious, self-righteous types who have it out for other people. Trust me, I've been on the receiving end of some of this kind's actions. Yep, I just don't really like them... By the way, I'm a person too so that means that, when it boils down to it, I really don't even like myself! There, I said it. The truth is that I could, seriously, become a hermit. I could move off to a mountain somewhere with a dog and a gun...build me a cabin...and never come down the mountain unless I needed to buy some sugar or coffee. I've even imagined this life before. Don't get me wrong, now...I do love people, I just don't like people as a whole. I really love my family...so much so, in fact, that they're a pretty big reason I'm not on a mountain somewhere! You see, my dislike of people is nothing akin to hatred, I just tend to be an introvert who likes to be alone, enjoys nature and could spend hours off by myself just thinking. And, people tend to get in the way of all these things. And, right here and now, I just had a breakthrough! The reason I feel this way is because I, too, am selfish, self-centered and self aggrandizing! Writing is so cathartic!
Now, I know, some of you are thinking, "Well, you jerk, if you dislike people so much why don't you just go be a hermit or a monk or something...we don't need you anyway!" Well, that's just the rub. As much as I don't like people, I realize something that is very important. Regardless of how we feel about humanity, NONE OF US WERE MEANT TO BE ALONE!!! That's right, we were created for relationship! Of course, if you don't believe in a worldview that involves a Creator then you could argue that we've evolved past the need for community, but I DO believe in a Creator so I CAN'T argue that. Those of you who buy into a Biblical worldview, or at least will entertain such, may ask, "Well, Wayne, how do you know we were made for relationship?" Well, I'll answer that question for you. I know this to be true for four reasons. Here they are and I'll be brief...because I really don't like talking either!
First, God said so. Go all the way back to Genesis and look at the creation of the first man. Adam was the ultimate hermit at the beginning. It was just Adam and all his animals. They were having a grand ole time, hanging out together in the Garden. Adam was naming the animals and, I believe, he had a type of relationship with them...however, he had little in common with them. So it was, that God up and says, "Hey, it's not good for Adam to be alone...let's make him a companion." And, oh what a companion He made for him. Eve was the most beautiful woman in the world...of course, she was the only woman in the world...ba-dump-dump. Honestly, I have a feeling that Eve, probably, was a looker. She was created directly by the hand of God...no blemishes. No wonder when Adam saw her the first time he exclaimed, "Whoa Man!" (Get it?) Anyway, in his declaration that man shouldn't be alone and his subsequent creation of a companion for Adam, God demonstrated that we were meant for community. By the way...just to take that a little further...God wasn't happy for them to just keep each other company...He gave them the command to "be fruitful and multiply". In other words, "Ya'll go off and have y'all a bunch of babies, now. Build yourself a little Adam & Eve Smith (I'm sure that was their last name) community!"
Second reason I know we were made for community? Look at what was, primarily, affected by the entrance of sin into the world. Adam and Eve disobeyed God (we call this the fall). Now, there were a lot of ripple effects from this decision. God illustrates some of them in Genesis 3, however, the real WAVES all had to do with relationships. First, man's relationship with God. Because, in his disobedience, man turned his back on God, he was, by his own choice, separated from God. God kicking Adam & Eve out of the Garden was not God saying, "I don't want anything to do with you, you filthy sinner!" It was God granting mankind their wish of independence from Him. If Adam had wanted to stay in a relationship with God, he would have obeyed Him. By choosing to disobey Him, Adam was making a statement...ie, "Get out of my bidness, God!" So, God gave him his wish. If I invited someone to live with me and they decided they wanted to have nothing to do with me would I be the one to leave? Heck no! I'd say, "Well, hit the road Jack! Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!" Not only did Adam's relationship with God suffer, his relationship with Eve suffered also. Who did Adam blame for his sin? Eve! I'm sure she felt loved in that moment... Notice, also, that when God is describing the fall-out from their decision that he clearly tells them both that their relationship with one another will be, forever, altered. In Genesis 3:17, God tells the woman, "Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will dominate you." God is telling Eve that, from that point forward, she's going to demand equality of power and leadership with her husband, but that her husband (or men, for that matter) will never let it happen. So, how far do we have to look to see those effects today? Not far, right? Ladies, you can demand it all you want, but there just ain't going to be any real gender equality this side of heaven! And you have a woman...and a man...to thank for that! Anyway...Adam & Eve end up having kids, right? And what do we see in scripture? The first dysfunctional family! Cain and Abel's relationship with one another was strained, at best, I think it's safe to say. So...the primary thing that was destroyed by sin & selfishness was relationship! Relationship with God and one another...
Ok, the third reason I know we're created for relationship is Jesus. Jesus made it clear that He came for two reasons. First to reconnect us to a proper relationship with God and, secondly, to unite us in proper relationship with one another. "Whoa, Wayne, you're going to sum up everything Jesus did with that simple phrase?" Um...no...I won't...because Jesus already did that. Read Matthew 22:37-39. These guys, the Pharisees...who didn't like Jesus very much, by the way...asked Him to sum up the entirety of Scripture in a short, simple, easy to remember phrase. That, my friends, would be a pretty hard task for anyone. However, Jesus, always up for a challenge, says it all boils down to two things...first, love God more than anything (sounds a bit relational to me) and love other people as much as you love yourself (sounds a bit relational too, don't ya think). Here's something amazing...these guys disagreed with most of the things Jesus said, yet NO ONE disagreed with Him on this! Why? Because it struck a major chord of truth with them all! They realized that the major things all jacked up in this world revolved around relationships! So when Jesus said, "Hey, have a right relationship with God and a right relationship with others," they couldn't disagree. Now, what Jesus reveals throughout the rest of His teachings is that He is God's answer to the problem of bad relationships. He's the fix!
And, the final reason I know we're created for relationship is the early church. Acts is the story of the early church. In chapter 2, we get this amazing picture of what it looks like when we correctly relate to God and one another. These folks were taking care of each other, being selfless, selling off their stuff to provide for one another, praying for each other, meeting together and sharing life together. They were the quintessential picture of what God intended community to look like. Hey, and other people noticed too. In fact, people saw such a difference in this group of people that it either drove them to want to join them to get what they had OR it drove them to hate them and try to stamp them out. Not too many were like, "Eh, I'm kinda neutral on the Christians...they do their thing and I do mine." Their sense of community and relationship was radically revolutionary. These new Christians realized that God's regenerative work in them was going to be, primarily, fleshed out in the context of relationship! In fact, when you read the rest of the New Testament, almost every teaching that is brought up has something either to do with our relationship with God or one another!
So, yeah, we were created for relationship. It's been said that no man is an island unto himself...and, guess what? It's true. The reason that I don't like people is because I have a sin nature inside of me that fuels my selfishness, self-centeredness and self-aggrandization (did you look it up yet?). And, as much as I'd like to say, "forget ya'll, I'm going to my mountain", I can't because God designed me, and you, for relationship! In fact, I dare you to try to live out true Christianity...true faith...apart from relationships! It can't be done! Let's face it...if you were the only human in your little world there would be no opportunities for you to demonstrate mercy, grace, love, sacrifice, forgiveness, giving, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, praise, encouragement, service, teaching, etc. You wouldn't be faced with hard relationships that require you to respond as Christ would. Truth is that the only person who would ever see YOU live out YOUR faith would be YOU and I have a sneaking suspicion that YOU would always think that YOU were right on task. Ha!
So, when you get to the book of James and he makes claims in Chapter 2 about how your faith is demonstrated through your relationships realize that, for James, your faith is, at it's very core, relational! When he says, "speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom" understand that he doesn't think this is possible outside of relationships. Relationships are important! In fact, you could say that what is happening in your relationships with OTHER people right now is indicative of what is going on with your relationship with God right now. Does that burn anyone else out there other than me? Yep, relationships are important! Hey, how are you leveraging yours to demonstrate the love of God and the change He's made in you?
So, here goes... I...don't....like...people! Seriously, I really don't. People irritate me sooooo bad! I really don't like civilization very much either. No kidding! I could really do without both. In my opinion, people are inherently selfish, self-centered and self-aggrandizing (look this word up www.dicitionary.com). And what's worse, at least in my opinion, is that "Christian" people are some of the worst. Honestly, I've met "lost" people that are much more likable than some of the Christians I know...especially those pious, self-righteous types who have it out for other people. Trust me, I've been on the receiving end of some of this kind's actions. Yep, I just don't really like them... By the way, I'm a person too so that means that, when it boils down to it, I really don't even like myself! There, I said it. The truth is that I could, seriously, become a hermit. I could move off to a mountain somewhere with a dog and a gun...build me a cabin...and never come down the mountain unless I needed to buy some sugar or coffee. I've even imagined this life before. Don't get me wrong, now...I do love people, I just don't like people as a whole. I really love my family...so much so, in fact, that they're a pretty big reason I'm not on a mountain somewhere! You see, my dislike of people is nothing akin to hatred, I just tend to be an introvert who likes to be alone, enjoys nature and could spend hours off by myself just thinking. And, people tend to get in the way of all these things. And, right here and now, I just had a breakthrough! The reason I feel this way is because I, too, am selfish, self-centered and self aggrandizing! Writing is so cathartic!
Now, I know, some of you are thinking, "Well, you jerk, if you dislike people so much why don't you just go be a hermit or a monk or something...we don't need you anyway!" Well, that's just the rub. As much as I don't like people, I realize something that is very important. Regardless of how we feel about humanity, NONE OF US WERE MEANT TO BE ALONE!!! That's right, we were created for relationship! Of course, if you don't believe in a worldview that involves a Creator then you could argue that we've evolved past the need for community, but I DO believe in a Creator so I CAN'T argue that. Those of you who buy into a Biblical worldview, or at least will entertain such, may ask, "Well, Wayne, how do you know we were made for relationship?" Well, I'll answer that question for you. I know this to be true for four reasons. Here they are and I'll be brief...because I really don't like talking either!
First, God said so. Go all the way back to Genesis and look at the creation of the first man. Adam was the ultimate hermit at the beginning. It was just Adam and all his animals. They were having a grand ole time, hanging out together in the Garden. Adam was naming the animals and, I believe, he had a type of relationship with them...however, he had little in common with them. So it was, that God up and says, "Hey, it's not good for Adam to be alone...let's make him a companion." And, oh what a companion He made for him. Eve was the most beautiful woman in the world...of course, she was the only woman in the world...ba-dump-dump. Honestly, I have a feeling that Eve, probably, was a looker. She was created directly by the hand of God...no blemishes. No wonder when Adam saw her the first time he exclaimed, "Whoa Man!" (Get it?) Anyway, in his declaration that man shouldn't be alone and his subsequent creation of a companion for Adam, God demonstrated that we were meant for community. By the way...just to take that a little further...God wasn't happy for them to just keep each other company...He gave them the command to "be fruitful and multiply". In other words, "Ya'll go off and have y'all a bunch of babies, now. Build yourself a little Adam & Eve Smith (I'm sure that was their last name) community!"
Second reason I know we were made for community? Look at what was, primarily, affected by the entrance of sin into the world. Adam and Eve disobeyed God (we call this the fall). Now, there were a lot of ripple effects from this decision. God illustrates some of them in Genesis 3, however, the real WAVES all had to do with relationships. First, man's relationship with God. Because, in his disobedience, man turned his back on God, he was, by his own choice, separated from God. God kicking Adam & Eve out of the Garden was not God saying, "I don't want anything to do with you, you filthy sinner!" It was God granting mankind their wish of independence from Him. If Adam had wanted to stay in a relationship with God, he would have obeyed Him. By choosing to disobey Him, Adam was making a statement...ie, "Get out of my bidness, God!" So, God gave him his wish. If I invited someone to live with me and they decided they wanted to have nothing to do with me would I be the one to leave? Heck no! I'd say, "Well, hit the road Jack! Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!" Not only did Adam's relationship with God suffer, his relationship with Eve suffered also. Who did Adam blame for his sin? Eve! I'm sure she felt loved in that moment... Notice, also, that when God is describing the fall-out from their decision that he clearly tells them both that their relationship with one another will be, forever, altered. In Genesis 3:17, God tells the woman, "Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will dominate you." God is telling Eve that, from that point forward, she's going to demand equality of power and leadership with her husband, but that her husband (or men, for that matter) will never let it happen. So, how far do we have to look to see those effects today? Not far, right? Ladies, you can demand it all you want, but there just ain't going to be any real gender equality this side of heaven! And you have a woman...and a man...to thank for that! Anyway...Adam & Eve end up having kids, right? And what do we see in scripture? The first dysfunctional family! Cain and Abel's relationship with one another was strained, at best, I think it's safe to say. So...the primary thing that was destroyed by sin & selfishness was relationship! Relationship with God and one another...
Ok, the third reason I know we're created for relationship is Jesus. Jesus made it clear that He came for two reasons. First to reconnect us to a proper relationship with God and, secondly, to unite us in proper relationship with one another. "Whoa, Wayne, you're going to sum up everything Jesus did with that simple phrase?" Um...no...I won't...because Jesus already did that. Read Matthew 22:37-39. These guys, the Pharisees...who didn't like Jesus very much, by the way...asked Him to sum up the entirety of Scripture in a short, simple, easy to remember phrase. That, my friends, would be a pretty hard task for anyone. However, Jesus, always up for a challenge, says it all boils down to two things...first, love God more than anything (sounds a bit relational to me) and love other people as much as you love yourself (sounds a bit relational too, don't ya think). Here's something amazing...these guys disagreed with most of the things Jesus said, yet NO ONE disagreed with Him on this! Why? Because it struck a major chord of truth with them all! They realized that the major things all jacked up in this world revolved around relationships! So when Jesus said, "Hey, have a right relationship with God and a right relationship with others," they couldn't disagree. Now, what Jesus reveals throughout the rest of His teachings is that He is God's answer to the problem of bad relationships. He's the fix!
And, the final reason I know we're created for relationship is the early church. Acts is the story of the early church. In chapter 2, we get this amazing picture of what it looks like when we correctly relate to God and one another. These folks were taking care of each other, being selfless, selling off their stuff to provide for one another, praying for each other, meeting together and sharing life together. They were the quintessential picture of what God intended community to look like. Hey, and other people noticed too. In fact, people saw such a difference in this group of people that it either drove them to want to join them to get what they had OR it drove them to hate them and try to stamp them out. Not too many were like, "Eh, I'm kinda neutral on the Christians...they do their thing and I do mine." Their sense of community and relationship was radically revolutionary. These new Christians realized that God's regenerative work in them was going to be, primarily, fleshed out in the context of relationship! In fact, when you read the rest of the New Testament, almost every teaching that is brought up has something either to do with our relationship with God or one another!
So, yeah, we were created for relationship. It's been said that no man is an island unto himself...and, guess what? It's true. The reason that I don't like people is because I have a sin nature inside of me that fuels my selfishness, self-centeredness and self-aggrandization (did you look it up yet?). And, as much as I'd like to say, "forget ya'll, I'm going to my mountain", I can't because God designed me, and you, for relationship! In fact, I dare you to try to live out true Christianity...true faith...apart from relationships! It can't be done! Let's face it...if you were the only human in your little world there would be no opportunities for you to demonstrate mercy, grace, love, sacrifice, forgiveness, giving, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, praise, encouragement, service, teaching, etc. You wouldn't be faced with hard relationships that require you to respond as Christ would. Truth is that the only person who would ever see YOU live out YOUR faith would be YOU and I have a sneaking suspicion that YOU would always think that YOU were right on task. Ha!
So, when you get to the book of James and he makes claims in Chapter 2 about how your faith is demonstrated through your relationships realize that, for James, your faith is, at it's very core, relational! When he says, "speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom" understand that he doesn't think this is possible outside of relationships. Relationships are important! In fact, you could say that what is happening in your relationships with OTHER people right now is indicative of what is going on with your relationship with God right now. Does that burn anyone else out there other than me? Yep, relationships are important! Hey, how are you leveraging yours to demonstrate the love of God and the change He's made in you?
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