Romans 15:1,5
Matthew 5:41,42
"We must put others before ourselves - putting their needs before our own."
It's kind of funny. I've been in GJ for the weekend and I met my sister for coffee over which we talked about the very thing that Romans 15:1,5 talks about; that we must "bear with the failings of the weak" or "carry the weaknesses of those who are not strong" and "not to please ourselves". This covers a lot of ground in the Christian life. It can easily, and rightly, be applied to family, friends, neighbors and those beyond our daily context. It is also very integral to the Christian life in so many ways and in an equal number of ways it is so very hard to grok.
The very nature of the self wants to serve...itself. We want our needs met before we ever budge to try an meet someone else's needs. Once we make an effort to meet someone else's needs then we want recognition, appreciation, even glory, deference and reverence if we can get it. This of course is self serving and not as altruistic as we'd deceive ourselves into believing.
God wants us to have a pure, selfless, serving heart before him. That is the ideal, but he is more than ready to meet us right where we are. (Un?)Fortunately, He is a good Father who will not let his children miss out on a valuable lesson. When we work in our own strength, with our own motivations, under our own delusions, for purposes not His then we will fail. We will burn out. We will be desiccated husks of potential. We will find ourselves empty with nothing left to give and then we will blame anyone but ourselves. We will accuse our fellow believers of asking too much and giving nothing to us in return. We will blame God for the perceived failure. We will lash out at anyone else rather than see the truth that we didn't do it in His timing, under His power, or for His reasons.
Often we begin to identify ourselves with a particular ministry or set of behaviors and say, "This is just what I do". The danger there is that the perceived success or failure of a ministry becomes intensely personal, and it is never meant to be. When we draw from our personal well of water there is an end to the supply. When drawing from Jesus there is no end. We get so caught up in what "has to be done" that we rarely pause and say, "What would You say I need to do". When our alignment is off then of course we will come up empty. He is the Living Water of which there is no end to the supply.
My sister and I discussed if it was possible to be "Good without God". Definition of terms can be a tricky thing so I kind of skirted that by saying "Oh yeah, absolutely a Atheist can feed a hungry person, give water to a sick person, or bind up the wounds of an injured person." So what is the difference between an Atheist or a Christian doing it? I think the answer is two-fold and fully debatable by the Atheist.
Firstly, it is a question of motivation. I don't believe and Atheist is capable of altruism. Certainly there are Christians who struggle with altruism. I have my own personal doubts about those who live in mansions and preach in crystal cathedrals, but there are those whose lives have been truly transformed, those who are even in process of being changed by Jesus, that can give without thought of self. Could an Atheist truly sell all of his possessions, give them to the poor, expect nothing in return at all, and walk away actually happy? I truly doubt that. And why is that? Because what they have is a deep part of who they are. A rich Jewish man in the New Testament wasn't capable of even giving it to the poor and the Bible says he wanted to "justify himself". How can we sacrifice our time, effort, money, possessions, and our very lives to help others? Because we have a God that we know in our bones will supply all our need and so there never is a bottom to the well. The Atheist only has their own self to draw upon and that is finite.
The second difference is purely metaphysical. When an Atheist hands a hungry person a piece of bread and Christian hands a hungry person a piece of bread there is something completely different going on there. Is it a coincidence that the entire civil rights movement of the 60's found its success not in the mocking fist of the Black Panther movement nor in the Nation of Islam, but in the non-violent, respectful but still resistant work of a Reverend? Certainly MLK was not a saint, but he was a believer. When an Atheist hands a hungry person a piece of bread the man's hunger is satisfied for but a moment. I believe that when a Christian hands a hungry man a piece of bread something, a power, is released in the spiritual realm that alters both of them forever even if they never meet again. Neither goes away unchanged and they both draw closer to Jesus even if they never speak again. The Spirit does something there in a believer's act whereas the Atheist's rings hollow only satisfying the surface need.
We are called to put others before ourselves. In the U.S.A. that message can easily get lost in the mass of messages calling for us to consume, to make it all about ourselves, and "have it your way". Those outside of the Way look and scoff at it as an invitation to be a doormat or abused by leadership. The truth, however, is far grander than anything they can imagine or conceive of.
I must decrease so that He may increase...both within me and without me.
Pax,
W
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
40 Days and 40 nights: Day 1
My opinion of Glenn Beck has been all over the map. I started, like many people remain currently, to think of him as your average, all-purpose right wing crazy...which being of a rather conservative mindset I didn't mind as much as the left-wing crazies on the radio. Over time you could hear that he began to evolve from a divisive political pundit who just seemed (seemed is an important word here) into something more peace and unity loving. Many have come before and had similar evolutions. The thing that has made Glenn unique, in my eyes at least, is that he hasn't lost his Christian edge.
I'm not going to get into theological discussions about whether or not being a Mormon makes him a Christian or not here, so please save it. In his comments and actions it has been apparent that he hasn't traveled far at all from the feet of Jesus. He has been changed at some point. Perhaps it was recently or perhaps we are only seeing the effects of that change, but lately the things he has been pushing, the things he has been saying, the things he has been doing and planning to do have all had the ring of the Shepard. As with any nationally known figure I apply the words of Lincoln, (and I'm not getting it exactly word for word) "When a man walks right, walk with him. When he walks wrong, depart from him."
A month or so ago Glenn Beck began his #NeverAgainIsNow campaign to highlight the genocidal slaughter of Christians by ISIS in the Middle East, something very few are talking about in the media. (ISIS is not connected to a religion, but they are targeting members of another religion in the name of a religion...but let's not dwell.) The #AllLivesMatter campaign quickly followed. There is nothing I can disagree with in either of these campaigns and they both sound like the call of the Shepherd to me.
Most recently Mr. Beck has been gearing up for an event on 8/28. He was told by doctors that he had to rest his voice for 4 weeks or so and has been unable to do his radio show. As such he started a 40 Day challenge for #NeverAgainIsNow and I plan on taking part using this blog for my own personal reflection. I'm three days behind already, but I figure I'll catch up pretty quickly (Lord willing, the creek don't rise, and the children grant me peace and quiet)
Day One: Roman's 12: 1-21
Question: What does Romans 12: 1-21 tell us about who we should be?
The first thing that Romans 12 tells us from right out of the gate is that we are to present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. What does this mean? Whole groups of Christians have divided on this point (and many others), but to me it means that we present ourselves to God as available workers. In my own life I've said to the Lord on multiple occasions "Use me as you will". I'm fully willing to lay down my writing career (such as it is) and never write another word of fiction if he called me to something else.
Paul follows this command up with an "AND" that says in verse 2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Another version states that we should not be conformed to the "pattern" of this world. We should not expect to do things for the Lord, to whom we sacrifice our days and efforts, in a way that the world things it should be done; by their pattern. The Bible is a book all about how God does nothing the way anyone expects Him to. His Son is born to a carpenter and a woman whose virtue is called into question and is born in a dung filled stable. His Son calls not the religious elite but fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots who are at odds with each other.
I was watching "What Happened, Miss Simone" which is a documentary about the legendary singer and musician Nina Simone. I was very interested in her life and music as that before I only had the vaguest sense of name recognition but was never sure I'd heard her music. There was a moment in the film that really caught me off guard. During the Civil Rights movement Miss Simone did not stand by MLK in the non-violent camp. She was all for violence if it achieved their goals. The documentary showed some video from a concert where Miss Simone asks the audience if they are ready to get dirty for the cause, to break some things, white things, set fire to things, white things, and she ends with "are you ready to kill white babies?" The crowd is right there with her. Vandalism, arson, and killing children for civil rights: that's what the world says should work, right? Violence, muscle, the stick, the sword, the power of a man's arm gets him what he wants. That is the pattern of the world.
Paul goes on to say that we serve God with the spiritual gifts that he has given us. Again, against the pattern of the world. The final section of Romans 12 is labeled "Behave Like a Christian". How do we do that? Primarily, "Let love be without hypocrisy", without pretense...never falsely. This hypocritical love has always been something that makes me skittish in Christian circles. Being "nice" and "polite" is considered a virtue within the hearts of many Christians. If you love me then love me. Nice and polite always comes off as fake. We are called to a deep genuine brotherly love.
Romans 12, by the end, comes to the conclusion that we should not fight fire with fire. It is easy in this life to claim justice by way of vengeance. It is even encouraged to repay evil with evil. Once upon a time it was an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Lately in our culture we have taken it to a far greater extent. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth I don't care if you are guilty or not I'm going to take it from you so that I can feel better and like justice has been served even if it hasn't actually."
As with many of the letters of Paul the jist here when double distilled is "Be holy as He is holy, Love, and your enemy is not your enemy."
Pax,
W
I'm not going to get into theological discussions about whether or not being a Mormon makes him a Christian or not here, so please save it. In his comments and actions it has been apparent that he hasn't traveled far at all from the feet of Jesus. He has been changed at some point. Perhaps it was recently or perhaps we are only seeing the effects of that change, but lately the things he has been pushing, the things he has been saying, the things he has been doing and planning to do have all had the ring of the Shepard. As with any nationally known figure I apply the words of Lincoln, (and I'm not getting it exactly word for word) "When a man walks right, walk with him. When he walks wrong, depart from him."
A month or so ago Glenn Beck began his #NeverAgainIsNow campaign to highlight the genocidal slaughter of Christians by ISIS in the Middle East, something very few are talking about in the media. (ISIS is not connected to a religion, but they are targeting members of another religion in the name of a religion...but let's not dwell.) The #AllLivesMatter campaign quickly followed. There is nothing I can disagree with in either of these campaigns and they both sound like the call of the Shepherd to me.
Most recently Mr. Beck has been gearing up for an event on 8/28. He was told by doctors that he had to rest his voice for 4 weeks or so and has been unable to do his radio show. As such he started a 40 Day challenge for #NeverAgainIsNow and I plan on taking part using this blog for my own personal reflection. I'm three days behind already, but I figure I'll catch up pretty quickly (Lord willing, the creek don't rise, and the children grant me peace and quiet)
Day One: Roman's 12: 1-21
Question: What does Romans 12: 1-21 tell us about who we should be?
The first thing that Romans 12 tells us from right out of the gate is that we are to present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. What does this mean? Whole groups of Christians have divided on this point (and many others), but to me it means that we present ourselves to God as available workers. In my own life I've said to the Lord on multiple occasions "Use me as you will". I'm fully willing to lay down my writing career (such as it is) and never write another word of fiction if he called me to something else.
Paul follows this command up with an "AND" that says in verse 2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Another version states that we should not be conformed to the "pattern" of this world. We should not expect to do things for the Lord, to whom we sacrifice our days and efforts, in a way that the world things it should be done; by their pattern. The Bible is a book all about how God does nothing the way anyone expects Him to. His Son is born to a carpenter and a woman whose virtue is called into question and is born in a dung filled stable. His Son calls not the religious elite but fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots who are at odds with each other.
I was watching "What Happened, Miss Simone" which is a documentary about the legendary singer and musician Nina Simone. I was very interested in her life and music as that before I only had the vaguest sense of name recognition but was never sure I'd heard her music. There was a moment in the film that really caught me off guard. During the Civil Rights movement Miss Simone did not stand by MLK in the non-violent camp. She was all for violence if it achieved their goals. The documentary showed some video from a concert where Miss Simone asks the audience if they are ready to get dirty for the cause, to break some things, white things, set fire to things, white things, and she ends with "are you ready to kill white babies?" The crowd is right there with her. Vandalism, arson, and killing children for civil rights: that's what the world says should work, right? Violence, muscle, the stick, the sword, the power of a man's arm gets him what he wants. That is the pattern of the world.
Paul goes on to say that we serve God with the spiritual gifts that he has given us. Again, against the pattern of the world. The final section of Romans 12 is labeled "Behave Like a Christian". How do we do that? Primarily, "Let love be without hypocrisy", without pretense...never falsely. This hypocritical love has always been something that makes me skittish in Christian circles. Being "nice" and "polite" is considered a virtue within the hearts of many Christians. If you love me then love me. Nice and polite always comes off as fake. We are called to a deep genuine brotherly love.
Romans 12, by the end, comes to the conclusion that we should not fight fire with fire. It is easy in this life to claim justice by way of vengeance. It is even encouraged to repay evil with evil. Once upon a time it was an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Lately in our culture we have taken it to a far greater extent. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth I don't care if you are guilty or not I'm going to take it from you so that I can feel better and like justice has been served even if it hasn't actually."
As with many of the letters of Paul the jist here when double distilled is "Be holy as He is holy, Love, and your enemy is not your enemy."
Pax,
W
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