A thought that struck me today:
Faith isn’t for preserving what we have but for extending what we’ve been given.
Identity Crisis
“Are you playing?” “No, I’m Zachary.” “Are you cold?” “No, I’m Zachary.” “Are you 3?” “No, I’m Zachary.” We’ve gotten plenty of amusement over the past few months as our 3 year old son learns the nuances of the English language. He always thinks you’re getting his name wrong when you ask “Are you…” and the next word isn’t “Zachary.” In fact, substitute any word after Are you and he’ll most likely answer the exact same way every time. But one thing is for sure–Zach knows eactly who he is and he …
Reverse Logic of Need
This post is a continuation of a discussion from the RiverGroups blog which I also write. The complementary post from that blog can be found HERE.
Forgive me, but I couldn’t leave this discussion of need from the RiverGroups post without touching on how our own needs are met. Even though we do have a mission to fulfill, each and every one of us still have needs that must be met. How do we balance a sense of mission with our own very real needs?
In what is arguably the most well known model used to describe human need, psychologist Abraham Maslow developed his “Hierarchy of Needs.” It’s shaped like a pyramid and made up of layer upon layer of different need types. You can see it below. The thought is that after meeting the most fundamental need on the bottom, we can then move up to meet the next need. This step process continues until the top of the pyramid is finally reached, representing the highest fulfillment of human need.
This model says we must meet our own needs first, then move up the pyramid until we “self-actualize” and be useful to others. For example, if someone with the capacity to be a medical genius has no food to eat (the 1st level), it becomes very difficult for them to develop a cure for cancer (the 5th level). All their effort must be tied up in taking care of their first level needs, mainly food. There is no energy or time left to devote to finding a cure for cancer.
It takes a lot of energy, time, resources, and talent to reach the top of this pyramid. In doing so, Maslow’s model fits nicely with the American Dream as discussed from the RiverGroups post-expend all your time and effort into building yourself up but leaving little left for anyone else. Even though the world’s intent is to become something more than it is, in practice it becomes useless to everyone.
Which brings us to the problem with this traditional view of meeting our needs—it’s completely backwards. For the Christian, the model isn’t based on material need but rather on a relationship with God. You see, when a person becomes a Christian they begin at the top of the pyramid. They’ve attained the highest level of human achievement by entering into a relationship with God. It’s what we were created for.
So what about all the needs below the top level? That’s the best part about being a Christian—God has already taken care of them all. Take another look at the levels in the pyramid and consider:
- Our esteem and status lie in being the children of God. (Romans 8:14-17)
- We love each other as the family of God. (I John 4:19-21)
- Our security rests in him. (Psalms 125:1-2)
- God is the provider of all our resources, even food and water. (Matthew 6:31-34)
The way our needs are met is completely opposite of the way the world’s needs are met. This fits the same reverse logic we find all through Jesus’ teachings.
Matthew 20:16
So the last will be first, and the first will be last.
Matthew 20:26-28
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 16:24-26
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
Unfortunately, we can not follow the world’s model of trying to meet our own needs without it impacting our mission as a Christian. Once we realize we’ve reached the top of our need pyramid by accepting Christ as our savior, we can fulfill our mission by helping others reach the top of theirs.
Live The Mission,
Greg
Semi-Hiatus
This post is intended to let anyone who follows SonBurn know that I have decided to place SonBurn in a state of semi-hiatus. I don’t intend to take it down or stop posting completely, just make it a little more quiet than in the past.
But it’s not all bad news. The reason for this slowdown of SunBurn is that I will soon be blogging for my church’s small group blog simply called the River Group’s Blog. I intend to update it every day Monday-Friday (mostly) so you can catch me more often on there than here on SonBurn. If you’d like to check it out, you can find it at http://rivergroups.com/. Even though it’s more work, I’m really looking forward to it. I’d be honored if you subscribed to it.
Hope to see you there!
Letters From Prison
“What could Paul do while he was in prison?” This was the question my wife asked the 3-5 year olds we were teaching one Sunday morning. The day’s lesson was using Paul’s imprisonment in Rome as an illustration. Prayer was of course the most obvious answer, especially for the kids.
But one little girl piped up “He could write letters!” We were blown away by the knowledge this girl confidently wielded about Paul’s letters from prison. We were just as impressed she understood this well enough to relate it to the lesson — or so we thought.
A few moments after chiming in with “He could write letters!” she went on to explain her answer. “That’s what my Daddy does.” With our mouths wide open, her painful reality now stared at us in the face. Her answer wasn’t rooted in bibliographic knowledge of the New Testament. Sadly, it was a natural response to the current circumstances she found herself in.
Her Dad had made some mistakes and was now living the consequences of those mistakes. But he loved his little girl so much he wrote her letters from jail so he could still be a part of her life. I imagined he must have realized the void his absence left in her life. Perhaps he was trying to fill it the best he knew how. Maybe he was hoping the lessons of his misguided example could be overcome through the love expressed in his letters. Maybe he was even hoping someone like a Sunday School teacher would help him do this in some small way.
It was here my role instantly reverted from teacher to student. This girl’s father loved her very much. I’m sure he wanted nothing but good things for his daughter. At that moment, teaching her was the best thing we could do for her. God brought to my mind that by doing this, not only were we ministering to her but we were also ministering to her father even though he wasn’t there. By showing love to someone he loved, we were also loving him.
The honest answer of a little girl to a simple question had just re-framed for me one of Jesus’ most famous parables. It’s found in Matthew 25:35-40:
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”
The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
I used to read this parable as Jesus’ blueprint for how I should treat the needy and those whom society doesn’t want. But for the first time, as this little girl’s words rang in my ears, I saw this scripture in a totally different light. I saw it as a relationship between a father and his children.
Contrary to what I used to think, Jesus wasn’t asking me to throw a bone to those less fortunate than me. He wasn’t extending himself in proxy to societal outcasts so I would be nice and polite to them. He wasn’t trying to coax me to donate my time, energy, and resources to those in need. No, the point of his parable wasn’t so much about teaching me anything. Rather it was much more about demonstrating God’s love for them, his children in need. He wasn’t concerned with trying to coax my action. He was concerned about providing for their well-being.
Just like this girl’s father, God loves his children very much. If I minister to their need, then I’m ministering to him as their concerned father. When I love on someone he loves, I love on him. Seeing his children through his eyes makes me want to give a drink to the thirsty, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, and visit the lonely. My reaction to this need will be a natural response springing from agape love rather than a token response drawn from a sense of duty.
In hindsight, it seems I have always read this parable rather arrogantly. I’ve only seen the actions I should take rather than the love I should extend. I now believe the intent of Jesus’ parable was to encourage us to glimpse the needy through the eyes of his loving father. In this way, we can love them the way he loves them.
I’m coming to discover more and more that my Christian experience really isn’t about me much at all. It’s about moving me out of the way so God’s agape love can reach through me to those who need it most.
Truly a child shall lead them…..
© Gregory M. Watson, 2010 (see Copyright Page for details)
God, Grant Me the Faith of a…Scientist?
Werner Heisenberg — there’s a name you probably don’t discuss much at the kitchen table. I doubt many people outside of either the scientific world or academia have heard of him. Heisenberg was a German physicist during the turbulent years of the early twentieth century. A contemporary of notable physicists such as Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr, his work furthered our understanding of many complex scientific issues of the day. Heisenberg’s important contributions came in the areas of nuclear physics, quantum mechanics and particle theories. His efforts earned him not only a nomination from Einstein for the Nobel Prize in Physics, but the prize itself in 1932. During WWII he worked in Hitler’s nuclear program, often at odds with the Nazi leadership, until his capture by the Allies in the waning days of WWII. After the war, he continued his work for the West, shunning recruitment by the Soviets to work for their side during the Cold War.
Unfortunately, I am intellectually ill-suited to discuss Heisenberg’s accomplishments in great detail or understanding. I will leave these discussions to the theoretical physicists of our day. Even so, there is one principle crafted by the mind of Heisenberg that I want to explore for a moment. Believe it or not, it’s a principle that has cast a great deal of light upon my own Christian experience. I only hope Mr. Heisenberg can posthumously forgive me for greatly oversimplifying a portion of his important work.
I have no doubt some of you reading this have a healthily skepticism of the notion that science and Christianity have much in common with each other. It is true both of these worlds have experienced much tension and conflict with each other in years past. After all, the Pope had Galileo placed under house arrest until his dying day for theorizing the Earth revolves around the sun. Not to mention, many modern scientists are of the firm opinion that science has replaced God. Regardless of past or present disagreements, I think both camps have much more in common than most people realize.
Take for instance Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle. Published In 1927, Heisenberg’s theory served as a foundation for interpreting quantum mechanics. Without going into technical detail, his principle stated that the absolute position of an atom could never really be determined conclusively. This principle has nothing to do with the limits of technology but rather has everything to do with the characteristics of an atom. Please bear with me and you will soon see where I am going with all of this.
Before we go farther I must address two concepts. The first concept we all know — in order to “see” an object, light must be reflected off the object and then back to your eye. The second, which you may not realize, is that light is actually made up of tiny particles even smaller than atoms. These particles are called photons.
By stating we can never know an atom’s true position, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle gave rise to what is called the “observer effect”. This says if you were to use light in an attempt to “see” an atom, the photons in the light would strike the atom and move it out of its original position — thus the uncertainty of the atom’s position.
Closing in on my point, what this means is that no one can ever truly see an atom. Let’s think about this for moment. The atom is the foundation and basis for all studies of science. It is the atom that is the heartbeat of chemistry, material science, physics, and biology. The movement of its electrons produces electricity in thunderstorms and induces magnetism in metals. Group certain atoms together and you get a material that will undergo photosynthesis to provide food for plants. Combine other atoms together and a material is formed that can either provide massive amounts of energy for homes and businesses or destroy whole cities in a single instant. Mix other atoms together and medicines potent enough to cure cancer or benign enough to ward off headaches can be created.
Yet even though the atom is the central figure of all things science, no scientist will ever lay eyes on one. According to Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle and the related observer effect, no atom will ever, can ever, be seen. Sure scientists can measure its mass, determine its effects upon other objects, predict its behavior, and understand its characteristics. But not one scientist will ever behold an atom. So in order for scientists of any field to truly believe in their atom they must have one thing — faith. They must have faith their calculations, experiments, and models are correct. They must have faith to transform the empirical data they possess in their minds into a belief they hold in their hearts. They must have faith the atom actually exists at all.
Do you notice any parallels with Christianity? Certainly God is the central figure of our Christianity. And to be sure, none of us will ever see God in our lifetime. This is cause enough for many to say we should give up our belief in him. But to do this would fly in the face of everything we know to be true. Perhaps we can’t see him. But we can measure the effect his love has had upon our lives. We can observe the change he produces in others. We can understand more and more of his character the closer we grow to him. Through this ever-increasing understanding of him and the study of his word, we can predict his actions and reactions. Best of all, we can always feel him by our side when we need him most. Everything we know and understand about God is a result of our observation and study of his ways. Not unlike scientists with their atoms, this knowledge of God in our minds fuels the belief residing in our hearts. This is our faith.
Perhaps science and Christianity have more in common than those on either side notice at first glance. My personal belief is that God created science just as he created us. The laws of physics and chemistry are laws he authored. Maybe science and Christianity aren’t identical twins. But I do believe we have the same father and at some point their two paths must cross. We just have to find where that juncture is located.
While accepting an award in front of the Catholic Academy of Bavaria in 1973, Heisenberg gave a speech entitled “Scientific and Religious Truth.” Through his speech, I will allow Werner Heisenberg to close this post in his own words.
”In what follows, then, we shall first of all deal with the unassailability and value of scientific truth, and then with the much wider field of religion, of which…this will be the hardest part to formulate–we shall speak of the relationship of the two truths.” 1
1Chapter 16 “Scientific and Religious Truth” in Across the Frontiers, 1974, Harper & Row, p.213-229
© Gregory M. Watson, 2010 (see Copyright Page for details)
Song and Video for “Prodigal Son’s Father”
I recently received this response from Brice Mercer to a piece I posted in August 2008 entitled the “Prodigal Son’s Father” (you can find this piece in the menu to the right under “August 2008″). Included in his response was an original song and video Brice had composed. I thought it had a great message and just wanted to share it on SonBurn. Enjoy!
Brice’s message: “I recently wrote a song about the Prodigal Son. This is my testimony of God’s amazing grace in my life. If you have a sec here it is. Thanks for listening.”
The Widow’s Might
But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. I Samuel 15:22 (NLT)
This one verse has always given me fits over the years. Mainly because I just could not fully understand what it meant. If you’re unfamiliar with its context, it’s worth going back and reviewing the chapter where it is found. For what it’s worth, here’s my quick rundown of the story:
Through Samuel, God tells Saul to go and completely destroy the Amalekites – every man, woman, child, horse, cow, sheep, goat, and so on. Nothing is to be left alive. So Saul kills everyone but their king and the best of their livestock. He then brings the king and livestock back to Israel. Samuel is not happy. Saul whines to Samuel that he only brought back the best of the animals for sacrifice (whether he really meant to or not). Next is the verse that perplexes me so. Saul then loses God’s anointing to be king.
In Samuel’s chastisement of Saul, he asks Saul a question about which is more important —the sacrifice of the finest animals or his obedience to the instruction God had given him. But in the very next breath, Samuel completely generalizes both obedience and sacrifice. It becomes clear he is no longer speaking of just this one incident with Saul. Rather, Samuel steps out of the moment and makes a universal, all-encompassing statement that to obey is better than to sacrifice – period.
I can’t tell you how incredibly natural it is for me to reverse Samuel’s statement. When speaking about this verse or even just thinking about it, I often accidentally flip the verse around so it says “to sacrifice is better than to obey.” All my life I have grown up with the concept that sacrifice is a fundamental part of the Christian experience. Some of the sacrifices of Christian life are easy. Some are incredibly difficult. But either way, I’ve always had the impression that God recognized my sacrifices and kept a tally of them so he could give me a great big “Aatta-boy!” some day. But in light of the proper order in which this verse was spoken, I must admit that I cringe at the thought that my sacrifices may not mean as much to God as they do to me. And there is the source of my fits.
But now, I think I understand this verse a little better than I once did. Only recently has it occurred to me the way sacrificing and obeying are different and how the one I think means more to God really doesn’t. A clue to their difference, strangely enough, lies in their similarity. Obedience and sacrifice are two sides of the same coin. The name of this coin is “ownership.”
It’s easier to see through a few examples. I sacrifice by taking time out of my busy schedule to show up for church every time the doors are open. But I obey by living Christ’s example 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I sacrifice by taking a portion of what I earn and give it to God as a tithe or offering. But I obey by telling God “Everything in my possession came from you. What do you want me to do with it?” I sacrifice by volunteering where and when I am needed. But I obey by recognizing the Christ of Matthew 25 in everyone I meet who are in the form of the hungry, naked, poor, and imprisoned.
You see, in order to sacrifice something, I have to own it first. It means telling God “This is mine and I value it. I am going to give you part of it to use as you will.” But obedience involves a different concept of ownership. It says to God “Everything I have is a tool you have given me to build your kingdom. Teach me to use these tools wisely.” When we sacrifice, we tell God we are going to help him out. When we obey we allow him to use us to help others out.
Now I see the difference! It’s really a difference of the heart. Not that sacrifice is wrong. It’s just that obedience is on a whole different level than sacrifice.
We can see this theme in Jesus’ observation of the widow who gave her all:
As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4 (NIV)
Just like the verse from I Samuel, I usually think of this verse backwards. It is normal for me to see the widow as “sacrificing” all she has for God while the rich have only “obeyed” through their tithe. But look at this verse through the concept of ownership. Who obeyed God by saying “All I have is yours,” and who sacrificed by giving God only part of what they owned? When Jesus said the widow had placed more in the treasury than the rich people, what he was saying was that God could use the obedience of the widow infinitely more than the sacrifice of the rich.
It’s easy for me as an American Christian to believe everything I have came from my own hard work. I sometimes struggle to think of everything in my life as being given to me by God. But if this is true, then everything he gave me came with purpose. That purpose probably had nothing to do with living a comfortable life of selfish complacency. Rather, it has everything to do with fulfilling my mission as a Christian.
Now I know why Samuel’s words have challenged me so. It’s because I have yet to fully learn the principle of ownership from a poor widow woman who had nothing.
© Gregory M. Watson, 2010 (see Copyright Page for details)
Life’s a Beach
“Be still, and know that I am God;…” Psalms 46:10 (NIV)
“Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.” This is one of my all-time favorite quotes. It comes from General Omar Bradley — a man who knew what he was talking about. During World War II he commanded several American Army corps that invaded Normandy on D-Day. The task of storming Omaha Beach, site of the fiercest fighting of the D-Day invasion, fell to one of his corps. With heavy casualties mounting on their every side, his men must have felt the pangs of fear grow with every step they took toward their goal. Even with fear ruling the day, his men refused to allow fear to rule their actions. They took the beach.
Had these men surrendered to their fear and acted only to secure their own survival regardless of their commanders’ directions, the day would have surely been lost. But instead, these men surrendered control of the situation to someone above them. When they trusted in their commander’s battle plan they found the bravery within themselves to carry the day over their enemy.
In our lives, we will always have fear. Our response to these fears is a direct indicator of who is control of our lives. If we focus on the fear; if we don’t trust God; if we try to control our own lives; if we act according to our own understanding; then we will always be swept off the beach we have been tasked to take. But, if we trust God; if we have faith in the plans he has for us; if we believe he will be with us through every situation, even death; then we respond with something else — courage. It is this courage to surrender control that provides us victory in the face of our fear.
We will encounter many beaches that seem impossible to storm. Each one will bring new fears to face. Our only hope of victory is to surrender control of the battle to the one who knows how to win.
Are you brave enough to surrender?
© Gregory M. Watson, 2010
Worthless?
Ever been to the Grand Canyon? I’ve been there twice and I can tell you firsthand of its incredible, jaw-dropping majesty. It is a masterpiece of natural art offering us a glimpse into God’s creative imagination.
But not all who have gazed into the chasm’s gape have shared this sentiment. In fact, the leader of an army detachment sent in 1857 to scout the American Southwest was not as impressed as I was when he first sighted the canyon. Quoting from his expedition notes, he stated:
“The region is of course, altogether valueless. It can be approached only from the South, and after entering it there is nothing to do but leave. Ours has been the first, and will doubtless be the last, party of whites to visit this profitless locality. It seems intended by nature that the Colorado river, along with the greater portion of its lonely and majestic way, shall be forever unvisited and undisturbed.”
Lt. Joseph Christmas Ives, 1857 US War Dept. expedition
I wonder if Lt. Ives were around today, would he like the opportunity to rephrase his assessment? This same area that he judged worthless is now among the greatest natural treasures in the United States park system. It attracts around five million visitors each year making it one of the most profitable tourist destinations in the world. Not to mention that the Colorado River, by way of Hoover Dam, provides electricity and water to tens of millions who live in the Southwest. With that said, which is truly “valueless” — the canyon and its river, or Lt. Ives’ assessment of them?
Yet even with all the Grand Canyon’s splendor, there is another creation God prizes even more — you. You are the apex of his creation. And when anyone, including you, questions your worth, God laughs just as hard as we do at Lt. Ives’ journal entry. He knows the worth of his creation. When looking at you, God sees the potential in your life even when others do not. So don’t let the Ives’ of this world convince you that you have no value. The only one who can truly assign value gave you a “priceless” appraisal when he sacrificed his son to add you to his family. So when you look in the mirror, see past the paper-thin veil of a worthless report and be awe-struck by the potential of God’s most wonderful creation.
© Gregory M. Watson, 2010 (see Copyright Page for details)
New Year – Second Chance
Many people prepare for the New Year by making lists of goals they want to reach, things they want to do, even items they want to buy. I’ve got a completely different list for you to consider. Ready? Moses, Samson, David, Gideon, Peter, and Paul.
Why consider this list? Because they did great things for God? Well, maybe. Let’s take a look at what they accomplished. Moses committed murder; Samson flirted (literally) with the Philistines, David committed adultery and murder; Gideon doubted God’s messenger and tested God; Peter cowered when Jesus needed him most; and Paul killed every Christian he could find. What great accomplishments!
So again, why are we considering this list? Because this is a list of people who blew it big time but still went on to do mighty things for God. But the reason they were mighty has nothing to do with what they did for God. Rather, it has everything to do with what God did for them — he gave them all a second chance.
As I reflect on the previous year, I can think of many reasons to be included on this list. Not because I consider myself mighty, but because there were lots of times I blew it. And just like the mighty men above, I know I can give all of those blown opportunities to God and he will give me another chance. He loves us so much he chooses to see the potential in our lives and cheers for us to succeed. That’s why he gives us second chances when we get it wrong. You see, it doesn’t disappoint him when we mess up. It disappoints him when we give up.
How about you? Do you need a second chance? All that is standing between you and a mighty year for God is accepting his standing offer of a second chance.
Speaking of second chances, if you have a few more moments then take a look at this “actual” footage of Jonah (someone who can speak volumes about second chances) from inside the belly of the whale. Please forgive me — with three kids 5 and under, Veggie Tales is a large part of my theological experience.
© Gregory M. Watson, 2010 (see Copyright Page for details)
Stop the Insanity!!
Read Mark 10:17-22.
Remember Susan Powter? No? Maybe this will help:
Oh yeah – She was the exercise infomercial star a few years ago who famously shouted “Stop the Insanity!!” at anyone blurrily watching late night TV. Her theatrical catch phrase carried a simple message — if you want to get fit, then stop eating junk and exercise. The nugget of truth hidden in her pop culture buzz-line was if you want something to be different, there has to be a change. Believe it or not, this idea has implications for our Christian lives as well.
Take the rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus’ answer was to follow the commandments. To this the ruler replied that he had done so since he was a boy. Then Jesus said there was only one more thing to do — sell all he had and give it to the poor. But this was evidently more than the young man was willing to do because scripture tells us he went away sad.
In my mind’s eye, I believe Jesus would liked to have told this young man “Stop the Insanity!!” Here was someone wanting the new life presented by Jesus, yet unwilling to part with his old life to get it. How often do we do the exact same thing? We want a new life, a different result, or something fixed that is currently broken. But too often we want this fresh start given to us with no change in our current lives. Essentially we tell God the change should come on his part, not ours. But when I think of all the times I have needed a fresh start in my life, I see that it only really happened when I actually made some sort of change myself. You see, if change doesn’t accompany our fresh start, then God can never really give us a fresh start.
Need a fresh start this year? Then there’s only one more thing to do…tell God you’re going to “Stop the Insanity!!” He’ll help you make the change and you will see results in your life.
© Gregory M. Watson, 2010 (see Copyright Page for details)
Exponential Grace
Isn’t it wonderful to be a Christian in this age of Grace? We are certainly privileged to not be, as Paul teaches in Galatians 5, entangled by the burden of the law. Let’s face it, a life lived in the Old Testament under Mosaic Law was cumbersome at best. Out of observance of the Ten Commandments there sprung a total of 613 laws meant to ensure right standing before God. In practice this provided at least 613 opportunities to screw up every moment of every day. Yes, life under Grace is much easier and provides a much more fulfilling relationship with our heavenly Father. We no longer have to make sacrifices, eat certain kinds of foods, or observe a litany of rituals. Jesus fulfilled the law in the sense that in him all of its legal requirements have been completed.
I suppose one could compare our exit from the burden of the law to Israel’s exit from the burden of slavery in Egypt. It’s difficult to imagine the level of jubilation they must have felt after they crossed the Red Sea and realized they were finally free. Even so, in my mind I can see Miriam holding her tambourine high and hear the praises of Israel being proclaimed to God through music and dance. When I honestly think of the freedom we have under Grace, I kind of get that same feeling. We could, in a more contemporary sense, make the same comparison with the exit of the American colonies from the rule of Mother England. It must have been just as exciting for the colonists to know that they too were embarking down a new road of freedom. I am sure the euphoria of Miriam broke out from little hamlets across the colonies as one by one they learned of Washington’s victory at Yorktown.
But for both Israel and the new American nation, after the celebrations, pomp, and circumstance died down, there must have been a stark reality that set in. They were free. Not in the sense of being loosed from bondage, but rather they were on their own. If something had to be done, they were the ones that had to do it. And surely there was much to be done! Systems of governments had to be devised; roads needed to be built; children needed to be educated; borders were to be defended; total infrastructure had to be established. And since they were now free and no one could tell them what to do, neither would anyone do it for them. In both instances, tyranny’s burden of authority had become freedom’s burden of responsibility.
And so it is with us as Christians when comparing life under the law to life under Grace. Too often we merely celebrate our freedom and fail to grasp the awesome responsibility that comes with it. We think that since we are free from the burden of the law that nothing more needs to be done except wait for heaven. True, we are no longer subject to Mosaic Law in the same manner that we once were. But this doesn’t mean we are free from responsibility. As we have just discussed, responsibility always accompanies freedom. Our freedom in Grace is no different than freedom from slavery or tyranny. It comes with much responsibility. Jesus himself told us in Luke 12:48 that much is required from those who receive much. As Christians, we cannot possibly have been given more than what we have – eternal life through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. How much responsibility do you suppose accompanies that gift? If Jesus’ words are true, then it must also be true that “no greater responsibility” goes hand in hand with the gift of “no greater love”.
We can find many examples of this concept as we search the scriptures for comparisons between Mosaic Law and Grace. One of the most obvious is in the case of adultery. The Ten Commandments famously state, “Thou shalt not commit Adultery.” Yet in the New Testament, Jesus taught us that if a man even looks upon a woman in that way then he commits adultery in his heart. See the huge leap in responsibility that this represents? The boundary to not cross is no longer the act of adultery but the mere thought of it. Another famous commandment states “Thou shalt not kill.” Yet again, Jesus taught us that whoever is angry with his brother is in danger of being judged for murder. Once more we see the boundary being moved from the act to the thought. With the dawn of Grace, the bar representing our level of responsibility was exponentially raised. No longer is it good enough to just stay out of trouble, observe rituals of law, and maintain an inward focus of looking out for number one. We are to now consider others in terms of the Grace that has touched our lives. We can see this pattern throughout the New Testament:
“Thou shalt not steal” has now become “if you see your brother in need, help him out” (John 3:17). Merely not stealing is no longer good enough. Now we are instructed to help those who are in need by giving of our own material possessions. In fact, if we fail to do this, the Bible actually calls into question whether or not the love of God is really in us.
- “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” has now become “present yourselves as a holy living sacrifice every day of your life” (Romans 12:1). The requirement to keep a specific day holy has now been replaced by our living holy lives every single day.
- “Honor your Father and Mother” has now become “honor everyone from the least favored of society on up” (Matthew 25:40). Jesus taught us that what we do to the least of these, we do to him. So honoring those who are closest to us is no longer enough. We are to consider and honor the needy no matter when and where those needs are expressed.
- “Thou shalt not bear false witness” has now become “spread the truth of the gospel to everyone” (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus gave us the Great Commission in order for us to reach the world with his message of truth and hope.
- “An eye for an eye” has now become an “infinite capacity for forgiveness” (Matthew 18:21-22). The famous question of how many times should I forgive someone is answered with “as many times as it takes.”
- The temple (though not specifically a law, but the subject of a whole host of laws) housing God’s presence has now become you (1 Corinthians 3:16). Through Grace, the dwelling place of God is no longer a building built by human hands. It is the human heart and soul that God created in his image.
The more you compare the two testaments, the easier it becomes to see the responsibilities that go hand in hand with the freedom of Grace. And these are but a few of the examples you can find when contrasting the requirements of the Olds Testament to the responsibilities of the New. The list goes on and on.
The reason this bar has been raised is quite simple. We find it in Jesus’ words as recorded in Matthew 22. When asked which commandment was the greatest, Jesus’ simple answer was to love God and to love others – upon these two “laws” of love (or Agape) all the others hang. Using Jesus’ clarification of the law, let’s imagine a great door that has just swung between the thresholds of two separate rooms. The room upon which the door has shut represents the requirements of Mosaic Law. That age has past and we are no longer subject to the legalistic nuances of the law. The room now open represents the freedom of Grace. This is the era that has been ushered in by the death and resurrection of Jesus. The door swinging between the two is hinged upon the responsibility of Agape love. Without this hinge of Agape, Grace does not open to us. But once the door is open and we walk into Grace, we are expected to share the same measure Agape shown to us so that others may walk into Grace as well. This is how the bar of our responsibility is raised.
This responsibility of freedom can be an awesome, if not intimidating, proposition for us to accept. Many of the Israelites who left Egypt and colonists who witnessed the Revolution found this to be the case. When faced with the stark realization of what freedom really meant, many of the Israelites wanted to turn back for the stability of Egypt. In the same fashion, nearly one third of the American colonists opposed separation from England. In both cases, many were not ready to accept the responsibility of their own freedom.
As Christians, we face this same hesitation when fully confronted with what freedom under Grace really means. Without realizing it, many of us would rather live under the security of the law than accept the responsibility that comes with Grace. This is why the body of Christ finds legalism so irresistible – it’s actually easier than the responsibility of freedom. This goes against the conventional wisdom we discussed at the beginning of this work, but it really is true. It’s easier to not steal than it is to take care of someone else in need. It’s easier to sacrifice two hours of the week by going to church on Sunday morning than it is to be Christ-like the entire week. It’s easier to expect justice and fairness when wronged than it is to earnestly forgive. It’s easier to not lie than it is to express the Gospel to an unbelieving world. It’s easier to keep God at church than it is to take him with us wherever we go.
But this responsibility is an inseparable part of the Grace we have received. To be sure, it is up to us whether or not we accept this responsibility when we cross through the open door into Grace. If we do not accept this responsibility, then we effectively live as though Grace never happened. The law becomes just as real to us as it was to those in the Old Testament. This lessens the work of Christ in our own lives and robs others of what he can do for them. But if we accept this responsibility, then through Christ we live high above any point that the law could possibly take us. Yes this responsibility is great, but even greater is its reward in our lives and in those around us. After all, it is through Grace that Christ came to give us life more abundant than was ever possible under the law.
I challenge you then to accept the responsibility of Grace and to not reopen the door to legalism. The abundant life that Jesus promised us is found through Grace, not the law. Paul explores this issue of law vs. Grace in his letter to the Galatians. He writes his letter from the unique vantage point of someone who in his lifetime witnessed the door close upon the law and open into Grace. Please read Galatians and see for yourself what he has to say concerning this matter. May we all, as Christians living under Grace, daily accept the responsibility that accompanies the freedom Christ purchased for us.
© Gregory M. Watson, 2009 (see Copyright Page for details)
Ceaseless Prayer
If I had to guess which Bible verses gave people the most fits when trying to figure out their meaning and application to everyday life, I Thessalonians 5:17 has got to rank in the top 5. This verse is pretty simple really and comes in the middle of some final instructions that Paul writes to the church at Thessalonica. Paul admonishes them to (in several versions):
17Pray without ceasing. (KJV), (NASB), (ESV)
17 Never stop praying. (NLT)
17pray continually; (NIV)
17Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; (AMP)
You get the point. It seems I have heard more discussion throughout the years on the meaning of this one simple verse than almost any other. It catches so much attention by the way it instructs us to do something seemingly impossible and then offers no advice as to how to do it. The difficult-to-answer question arising from this verse is obvious — “How do I pray without stopping?”. How do you accomplish a task that is seemingly outside the realm of our physical capabilities to accomplish? I have heard many good Christians, ministers and laypersons alike, try to explain what this verse means and how to measure up to its challenge. For all the explanations I have heard, I do not think I have ever really heard one that quite sits right with both my spirit and mind.
The most popular interpretation I have come across tells us to constantly be in a state of prayer in every situation of our lives. Not that we must be on our knees 24 hours a day, but that our minds must be attuned to God and in direct contact with his Spirit at all hours. This does seem to be a logical interpretation at first glance. But in the end, this interpretation proves to be just a much more long-winded version of the original words “pray without ceasing.” To me, being in a mental state of prayer at all waking hours is just as impossible as being in a physical state of prayer on your knees for the same period. The creator who made us in his image did not create our minds to operate that way. We do not have one continuous track of thought endlessly praying all day long while we use other thought tracks that can be shifted from one subject to the next in order to live our day-to-day lives. I challenge anyone who can tell me that while they are at the movies, there is a constant conscious prayer thought running through their minds between the opening and closing credits. Or consider the student who must study for final exams. Their sole focus must be, rightly so, on the subject matter at hand. What about the person driving in heavy traffic? Sure, there may be a momentary utterance of prayer for safety. But there are many more moments of complete concentration focusing between themselves and the other drivers. Or how about the moments after your 10-year-old’s baseball finds its way into your living room by way of the bay window in the front of your house. True, this would be a great time for prayer. But how many of us would really take that path, especially while cleaning up the glass or paying for the new window? Even the most pious of Christians must admit that their total focus is at some point diverted elsewhere besides prayer (otherwise I fear their piety may be in jeopardy). There are many elements of our lives that demand, or rather command, our total conscious thought. It’s during these times that we will always receive a failing grade with this interpretation of Paul’s instruction.
But is this the right interpretation? When I ask myself “what is prayer?”, I always return to the same general concept. Prayer is merely communication with God. When I think of communicating with anyone else, I never think of verbal speech as being the only medium to accomplish this task. There are plenty of other non-verbal methods. Reading and writing comes to mind. I often read news stories and while at work I will write notes to others and myself. Body language is another form of non-verbal communication. If I say something completely off-base, my wife’s raised eyebrow will speak more to me than if she were to deliver a 3-point sermon detailing the error of my ways. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I believe that most communication we experience is indeed of the non-verbal variety. So why would we think prayer would be any different?
If prayer can be non-verbal, then the unexplored communication opportunities we have with God are boundless. This means that the very way we live our lives is its own prayer to God. We cannot help but be ceaseless in our prayers because we are constantly communicating something to God. We are constantly telling God by the way we live, exactly what we think of him and what he has told us. To me this is at once both a powerfully exciting and shockingly frightening concept. When we live as we should, following Christ’s example, we are non-verbally communicating to God our love, adoration, and faith. I doubt there is any greater praise he desires from us than living our lives in the light of his son. I believe this pleases him much more than we could imagine.
But if this is true, if our lives communicate to God our faith which in turn gives him pleasure, what of the times when we are less than stellar in following Christ’s example? What do we communicate to God then? I fear all too often our lives say to God “Yes, God even though I spent 30 minutes in prayer this morning asking you for guidance through the day, I choose to live today my way because I have no faith in the guidance you are giving me. Amen.” The old axiom “actions speak louder than words” comes to mind here. To quote the Renaissance clergyman Erasmus, “You cannot say a person loves Christ, if he does not follow His example.” How can we claim our devotion to Jesus if our ceaseless life prayer does not line up with his model for Christian living? Jesus himself said in John 14:
23.….. “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me”. (NIV)
And there it is — God’s own description of our life prayer. If we love Jesus, our ceaseless prayer will reflect it. If not, it will reflect that too. What a powerful prayer we offer God when our very lives line up with God’s Word. The other side of the coin is what a shallow Christianity we live when on our knees we pledge to God our undying devotion but with our lives we tell God we love something else more than him.
I have found that in my own life I communicate this message to God more often than I like or care to admit. Case in point: I can sometimes become a little impatient when I perceive that a cashier at the end of a long line is not doing her best to help the customers. Not that I ever give anyone a piece of my mind, no matter how tempting. But when it comes my turn to pay, I can be less than courteous. One time in particular I remember this occurring and finally it was my turn in front of the cashier. My usual modus operandi beamed forth. As I dug my wallet out of my pocket to retrieve my credit card, something shiny caught my eye. It was a cross on the new wallet that my wife had just purchased for me. A Holy Spirit teaching moment was at hand — literally. My life prayer at that moment reflected none of Christ’s love toward this cashier. It didn’t matter if she deserved any of my attitude or not. I was to show Christ always, which I had just failed to do. My hand quickly covered up the cross on my wallet so she would not see it. I wasn’t ashamed to be seen as a Christian. Rather, I was ashamed that I wasn’t living up to what I knew the cross represented. My prayer to God at that moment was “I don’t have to live by your son’s teachings right now — I’ve been wronged!” My actions prayed those words to the Father who sent his son to die for MY sin. I knew nothing of being truly wronged. Worse yet, my prayer was heard by not only God, but also witnessed by the cashier and anyone else nearby. I have since tried to adjust my life prayer to project Christ in the areas that I know I fall short. Honestly, those areas are many and I am still working on them as the Holy Spirit reveals them to me. Someday I hope to have a ceaseless life prayer that is totally pleasing to the Father.
So why did the Apostle Paul not provide us with any guidance or advice concerning his 3-word exhortation to “Pray without ceasing?” Simple. He didn’t need to. Like it or not we cannot help but pray continuously. Even when we are not on our knees, we are still communicating to God what we think of him, his son, and his Word. Maybe Paul was just trying to get us to see that our lives themselves are one big continuous prayer.
Our challenge is to examine and compare our unconscious life prayer to our conscious prayer life. Let’s strive to match them up until our ceaseless prayer is as pleasing to God as (we believe) our 30 minute daily prayer should be.
© Gregory M. Watson, 2009 (see Copyright Page for details)
Waiting on God
Have you ever heard someone say they were “waiting on God” when they had a difficult decision to make? Perhaps you’ve even used this phrase when you’ve faced a similar situation and were earnestly seeking God’s will on how to proceed. It’s a common phrase when we’re in the midst of a trying situation and desperately want God’s direction on what to do, how to act, or what to say. It seems that these types of circumstances are all too common in our day-to-day lives. The traditional Christian teaching we fall back on when facing any dilemma is to pray, maybe even fast, and seek Godly council. But above all we are taught to wait on God’s divine direction and to not make a move until it is given. Doctrinally speaking there is nothing wrong with this line of teaching. Indeed we are instructed in the Word to seek direction and guidance just as our doctrine teaches. But if we are not careful this approach leads to an indecisive, if not inactive, Christian experience. For some Christians it can be downright paralyzing. Being so frightened of not living in God’s will can lead us to question every decision we make and then second, third, and fourth guess the results of our decision. The worry that accompanies the stress we put ourselves under while trying to make the right decision is usually worse than the results of any bad decision we could possibly make.
Is this the way that our Father meant for us to approach every crossroad that comes our way? Did he really create us with such feeble minds that we can not discern whether we should turn to the left or to the right? Does he really want us to be so indecisive as to be powerless and ineffective as Christians? I think the answer to all these questions is of course “no.” So why do we do this? Surprisingly, the explanation may have more to do with what Satan wants for us rather than anything to do with God’s plan for our lives. I believe that Satan enjoys seeing us doubt ourselves every chance he gets. Every time we come upon a crossroad in our lives, he will try his best to sow uncertainty and doubt into our decision-making process. He’ll tell us we really don’t know God’s will for this situation and we should wait until we do. He’ll convince us that we haven’t prayed enough, or fasted enough, or sought Godly council enough. In his deceptively subtle ways, he uses our own Christian doctrine against us. When we listen to Satan our faith in our Father decreases which causes our worry to increase. And in this worry we find the root of our indecision – fear. Fear of a bad decision. Fear of missing God’s will. Fear of…anything. But we know from scripture that God is not the author of fear. He does not want us to live in fear. It should never be the motivator of our decision or indecision.
When we are seeking God’s guidance in a tough situation we must remind ourselves that God is not hard of hearing and he is never on vacation. God doesn’t require us to pray the same prayer over and over again until he thinks we’ve said it enough times. He doesn’t require so many people to pray for the same thing until there is finally enough consensus to sway him to action. Contrary to what we usually think, there is no formula that we must follow or that God is looking for in order for him to hear our prayers. He hears us the first time, every time, we ask him for help. In fact, scripture tells us that even before we ask he knows the situation we face, as well as the answer we need. So why do we become immobilized in the face of an uncertain future? God has promised us that he will never leave us and that he is right there with us every step of the way.
Our problem is that most of us view God’s will for our lives as a road map that has been preordained by God since before creation. True, God is all-knowing and he does know what decisions we are going to make. But to think that he has created one, and only one, right answer for every decision that comes our way is the wrong way to look at his will for our lives. This mindset leads us to believe that in order to stay in God’s will, one must chose the one right choice amid a sea of wrong choices every time there is a decision to make. Woe be unto the one who chooses wrong! Popular Christian thought tells us this person just veered off God’s road map and is now completely lost. In reality, this is a very narrow view of not only God’s will for our lives, but also of God himself.
The Bible tells us in Psalms 37:23,
23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. (NLT)
What this verse tells me is that if I am a true God-follower, a true Christian, then God is already directing the path that I take and the decisions I make. If I am living as God wants me to live and my decisions line up with what he has already told me in the Word, then he is in charge of the direction I am going. Note that this verse doesn’t say “God has determined there is only one correct step you should take – better make it a good one!” What it does say leads me to believe that a true Christian is actually more unlikely to take the wrong path because God is already guiding his life. Don’t misunderstand me here. As a Christian, I can and probably will screw up and make a bad decision. I’ve already proven that I am more than capable of that. But the next verse covers this too:
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. (NLT)
Our indecisiveness is compounded by the fact that our human minds just can’t see how this works. It is not natural for us to think that if we make a mistake, bad things may not happen. It’s even harder for us to understand that if we make a mistake, good things might still happen. That is God’s grace extended to us. If we truly make decisions by trying to follow what he has already told us, if we live by his Word, if we truly allow the Holy Spirit to be our guide, then if (when) we do make a mistake, God can make it right. That is a powerful statement made possible because we serve an all-powerful God. We often forget that God just really is that big. But this part of God’s character is borne out in Romans 8:28,
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (NLT)
See it? God is big enough to cause everything to become good for those who are truly his. This includes bad decisions made in good faith. I bet there is no more frustrating truth in the Bible for Satan than this one. Every time he thinks he has duped us into a trap of our own decision-making, God comes along and makes it to our benefit. That must really get under his skin!
There is of course one caveat. We must make the decisions we know to be right. We cannot be reckless or arrogant in our decision-making thinking that God will rescue us no matter what. God does not reward the foolish. When we take the wrong path and know it to be wrong, God has not obligated himself to fix the resulting mess we create. We cannot live a religious lukewarm Christian life and expect God to right all of our wrongs. This is not to say he won’t do so once we repent of our wrong choices, he is a very loving Father that way. But for him to reward us for intentionally making wrong choices is the same as us rewarding our children for choices they know to be wrong. This is called spoiling and since we know God is no respecter of persons, we also know he will not spoil his children.
The bottom line is given to us in Proverbs 3:6;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. (NASB)
Live according to the Word and do what you know to be right. I don’t understand it, but somehow it all works out in the end. When we walk our path according to God’s precepts, he blesses our every step and makes our path right. So let’s cast off our indecisive and fearful nature. Yes, let’s pray, fast, and seek Godly council. But let’s also add one final step to our decision-making process — decide! At some piont we must make up our minds because the answer will probably not drop out of the sky nor will God make our minds up for us. When we have a decision to make, let’s do so boldly and confidently, excitedly anticipating what God has in store for us.
The next time you have a challenging situation in front of you and you don’t know what to do, don’t say “I’m waiting on God.” Rather, ask yourself “Is God waiting on me?”
© Gregory M. Watson, 2009 (see Copyright Page for details)
The Christian Superiority Complex
I recently finished reading a book on the history of Christianity. One theme that kept smacking me in the face while reading this book was how arrogant we as Christians have been over the past couple thousand years when it comes to reaching those we have been commissioned to reach. Many of our watershed movements and milestone events revolved around reaching unbelievers. But it amazes me that no matter how well-intentioned or even doctrinally correct each may have been, eventually almost every movement has on some level became wrapped up in self-worth and conceit. Sure, individuals within each movement stand out as contrary examples to this assessment. But over time, whole movements in general seem to lose their way when it comes to fulfilling what is commonly referred to as the Great Commission.
In most cases, this conceit springs from a notion of superiority that is born from three successive lines of thought. In my own words, they are, in order, the “I’m right and you’re wrong” mentality. Next the “You must agree with me if you want to be a Christian” thought. Then the final step in the superiority complex, the “…or face the consequences” rationale.
The worst part of this mentality is not the display of naked arrogance. Rather it’s the abuse of the Great Commission that we have committed in order to develop, maintain, and support this arrogance. Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples of all nations” has time and again been taken to a militant extreme that Jesus never intended it to go. This loss of focus on what the Great Commission really means has resulted in much of what has gone wrong with Christianity since its start. Crusades, inquisitions, forced conversions, religious wars, state religions, religious courts and sentences, etc. are all a part of our past and were many times justified by a warped and twisted version of the Great Commission.
But let’s not be too harsh on those who are our spiritual forefathers. Judging our past only serves to frame our present. This holds especially true with how we today reach the world and fulfill the Great Commission. We too have reached the superiority plateau on many occasions. Perhaps for us as modern-day Christians the final step of “facing the consequences” doesn’t include inquisitions or crusades. But don’t we still possess the same arrogance that led our predecessors to do all those things we now see as barbaric? Don’t we still find ways to make others face the consequences? Aren’t there social repercussions from us for those who don’t believe as we do? Unfortunately, often times we conduct our Christianity in a manner that serves only to exclude others rather than reach out to them. How often do we watch the news and when the stereotypical drug bust or homicide segment is aired, we look at those involved and think “That figures”? The empathy we should feel towards these people is often replaced by our disgust for their unbelieving and un-churched kind. How many times do we avoid personally interacting with those who may fit a stereotype that we consider to be unfavorable for whatever reason? So maybe the “consequences” aren’t as physical as a tortuous inquisition or dramatic as a crusade against Muslims, but we still dole consequence just as damaging to those found lacking by our standards none-the-less.
The sad thing is that most of the time we do not realize we possess this notion of superiority even though it is on clear display to those around us. We often justify our superiority complex in the context of being a good Christian. A great example of this was recently illustrated by one of my pastors during a sermon a few weeks ago. Chances are you’ve heard the phrase “You’re the only Bible many people will ever read.” This thought is nice and well intentioned, but it is also completely flawed. My pastor did a good job of exposing the sheer arrogance behind that thought in a way that I had never thought of before. You see, equating ourselves to being the Bible not only puts us on a pedestal that we weren’t meant to live on, it also presupposes the infallibility of our Christian lives. If we truly think of our witness to the world in this way, then in essence, we are taking the first steps to superiority mentioned above by saying “I’m right and you’re wrong — you should be like me.” You’ve already read what the next steps are. I certainly can’t speak for anyone else, but I am not prepared to say that I don’t make mistakes and everybody should follow my perfect example. Now, I realize there is a fine line here. Living as Jesus taught is certainly the correct way to live. I am not suggesting otherwise. But crossing that fine line occurs when we assume our way of life to be perfect rather than reflect the one who can help us live perfectly.
My pastor’s example in combination with the readings of Christian history revealed to me a view that Christians have had of themselves since the beginnings of Christianity. It is a view that supposes being correct because we are Christians instead of being Christians because we are correct in whom we believe. This view of ourselves inevitably leads to the oft-quoted “holier-than-thou” mentality that the world sees long before we do. When we reach out to non-believers with this view of the world in our minds and we encounter resistance, our outreach quickly transforms into aggression no matter how well-intentioned the original mission. Even though the aggression may be very subtle, it is there. And herein lays the root of failure experienced by those who have gone before us. Christian movements of all types lose their way when they become more interested in being correct than in being Christian (read “Christ-like” here). It is this assumption of correctness that lead to the superiority complex and its subsequent aggression (in other words, the first step). In the end it birthed the inquisitions and religious wars of the past. It is what fuels our religious bigotry towards unbelievers in the present (the last step).
I cannot believe that this path we as Christians have travelled time and again is the path Jesus wanted us to take. It seems to me there must be something very essential missing from the typical Christian approach toward unbelievers and the Great Commission. That essential element is Agape love. But this seems contradictory, doesn’t it? I mean, since reaching unbelievers in itself could be considered an act of love, isn’t that enough? Doesn’t that demonstrate our love? The answer of course is no, it doesn’t. There is a huge difference between fulfilling the Great Commission from a viewpoint of being correct, and fulfilling the Great Commission out of the compassion that springs from the well of Agape. In fact the term “Great Commission” was never uttered by Jesus as far as we know. If he did use this term it was never recorded in the Bible. So this term is largely a human invention. Yes, he did issue the command, but the overriding theological emphasis it has been afforded has been placed there by us. Not to say that the Great Commission isn’t important or valid — it certainly is. But we are obviously missing the mark that Jesus expected of us by focusing solely on this one commandment.
Searching the scriptures, we find another commandment to which Jesus actually did assign a name. It’s called the Greatest Commandment and we can find it in Matthew 22:36-40 which reads:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (NIV)
Could it be that since Jesus described the two acts of loving the Father and loving others as the Greatest Commandments that they are actually more important than the Great Commission? If we take Jesus at his word—his holy word as recorded in the Bible—then the answer must be “Yes.” And this is precisely what has been missing from our fulfillment of the Great Commission. This leads us to one unmistakable yet overwhelmingly critical truth — in order to fulfill the Great Commission, we must first fulfill the Greatest Commandment. It only makes sense. Why would anyone want to listen to what I have to say or follow any example that I lay down if they do not think that I legitimately care for them? I wouldn’t blame them for resisting any message that I would have to say no matter how “correct” it may be. I certainly wouldn’t accept it either.
The apostle Paul grasped this concept when in I Corinthians 13:1-3 he wrote:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. (NIV)
So if I attempt to win converts to Christ through any other means but Agape love, I am nothing but an irritating noise in the ears of those I am trying to reach. The reason is clear. When I try to win someone to Christ without truly having Agape love for them, they readily pick up on that and shut me out. Without having Agape love as the motivation to reach others, the true motivation can only be selfish. Whether it is to prove how “correct” we are, or how religious we are, or for treasures in heaven, or to justify our religion based on membership numbers, the motivation will always be selfish without Agape. Why would anyone listen to or accept such a shallow experience with God? In order to reach anyone with the good news of Jesus Christ we must first be full of the Agape love that God gave to us so that we can share that Agape with others. No other way will work. No other way is God’s way.
So what does the Great Commission devoid of Agape look like? Take my word for it when I say UGLY. As I have read in the book I just finished, examples of this ugliness are legion from our Christian history. But I am going to rely on my own example to illustrate UGLY. During my college days, I personally witnessed embarrassing outreach attempts conducted without the evidence of Agape love. Most occurred during times when a visiting street preacher would set up shop on campus. Even though I did not personally do any of the speaking, I was part of the group that supported his ministry and sponsored his visit. I was once in the crowd of “believers” trying to “reach the lost”. Anyone walking by this man who exhibited some worldly characteristic became an instant target for belligerent rants on a very personal and destructive level which generally ended with a vivid description of how they would burn in hell. The tirades unleashed by this street preacher in the name of God and “tough love” must surely still ring in the ears of those who were unfortunate enough to have strayed into his sights. I have no doubt that those words are still used by many to stay away from the love of God that we as a group did not show them. I can only pray that someone has since shown them the true Agape nature of the Father.
Please do not misunderstand my story. I have nothing against street preachers in general. I admire their courage and determination to do what God has called them to do. Many do operate in complete and total Agape love. The one described above did not and as an accomplice to his ministry at the time, neither did I. He was very well-intentioned and the method he was using was an honest attempt to at least get people talking about Jesus one way or the other. Ultimately though, his tactics were misguided with the result being anger and resentment toward Christians and God as well. Who knows what these kids were going through when they were walking by? And here was a man who claimed to represent God, now making them feel like trash on top of that. Was he correct? Probably. Sin will send you to hell; the Bible is clear on that. Did he — did we — extend the Agape love of the father in the same way it was extended to us when God sacrificed his own son to save us from hell? No. There was no Agape present those days, I can assure you. In our zeal to accomplish the Great Commission, our actions were no different than placing those college kids on the rack in a medieval inquisitor’s torture chamber, ostensibly for their own good.
The truth of the matter is that such “tough love” is not Agape love, and as such not God’s way to reach those whom he loves. Instead of tearing down the people that God’s son died for, wouldn’t it have been more effective to have taken that opportunity to show them God’s love? Wouldn’t Agape wrapped up in cold bottle of water on a hot day, a sandwich at lunch time, or even a dry shoulder to cry on been so much more effective instead of lobbing a brick of judgment at anyone needing a good hit of the gospel? How about extending God’s love without any hooks? Isn’t that Agape? Isn’t that love without condition? Isn’t that the true self-sacrificing nature of God? After all, Jesus taught us to feed his sheep, not beat them with the staff.
But unbelievers today do not have to pass by an outrageous street preacher to be put on the Christian “rack”. Most do not feel welcome, let alone comfortable, around Christians and churches in particular. They have good reason. We usually instantly judge them based on their beliefs, appearance, actions, or some other insignificant aspect of their lives. People pick up on when they are not wanted and will gladly oblige. How many of us would want to constantly be around people who don’t dress like we do, don’t speak like we do, and don’t act like we do? The best analogy I can come up with is to imagine that you’re in a boardroom with the top executives of a Fortune 500 company. They are dressed in Armani business suits and you are dressed in the best clothes you own—jeans and a polo shirt. When they speak, you have no idea of how to interpret the business jargon they easily toss back and forth between themselves. When you go to the “power lunch” with them, you have no idea how to act, which fork to use and when, and can’t pick up on the social queues that are part of their business culture. Uncomfortable would only be the beginning of how you would feel. Add to this, feelings of embarrassment, unworthiness, and belittlement. Which would you pick if you had a choice between returning to that boardroom or being with friends who understand you and want to be around you? Yet this “boardroom” is often the environment we expect unbelievers to enter into when we invite them to our church. And when they don’t want to visit, it becomes their fault for not going. Or if they do visit once, then it becomes their fault for not coming back.
This analogy speaks to much of the problems we have in reaching others, both at church and on a personal level. We constantly attempt to portray ourselves as an example of Biblical perfection to a world that can’t relate at all. What would happen if instead of “being someone else’s Bible” we, for example, only wore jeans to church, or loosened up some the traditions of our services, or created new relevant traditions, or just served our community in a way that showed we loved them—with no hooks? What if instead of being the perfect example of the Bible, we were just real with people with all our flaws intact? Would they be able to relate to us then? Would they listen to our message? Would they wonder where our love for them comes from and want to know how they could have what we have? What would happen if we just showed them Agape rather than showing them a perfect example of what a Christian “ought” to be? What if we showed them that we aren’t perfect either, that we make mistakes just like they do, and that God still loves and cares for us in spite of our shortcomings? I believe that they would see the hope that God offers them. They might say “You know, if God loves that person, maybe he loves me too.” How powerfully attractive is that to a people who desperately need some hope in their lives and need to feel the warm embrace of God’s Agape love?
This is the attraction Agape offers to those who need it most. Jesus attracted all those who needed him without making them feel that they were worthless. In fact, he took the opposite approach of the religious people of his day. He took those deemed worthless by religion and made them the object of his love. That is why he associated with those the religious people of the day considered the most vile in society and would have nothing to do with. Jesus’ attraction was that through his Agape love, he met people where they were. He never required anyone to become worthy enough before they could approach him. No less is required of us if we are truly his followers, if we are truly Christians. We must meet people on their level rather than require anyone to meet us on ours.
The last part of Paul’s message of love in I Corinthians 13:4-7 teaches us that:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (NIV)
This is the description of the characteristics of Agape love. This is what was missing from the street preacher’s message. This is what is missing from many of our churches. This is what is missing from much of our day-to-day Christian lives. Without this work of Agape, we can never hope to reach a world whose only true need is to realize this love. The reason for this is because of one enigmatic truth borne out in I John 4:8:
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (NIV)
With the truth of this verse in mind, re-reading Paul’s description of Agape gives us a new appreciation for what he was talking about. You see, when he described the character of love, he was really describing the character of God. Go back to Paul’s verse above and where he mentions “Love” substitute “God”. Powerful, huh? So if we do anything without love, we do it without God. If we try to reach the world through our conscious or unconscious notions of superiority which make no room for Agape love, we are attempting to reach the world without God.
To shed light on how the Great Commission is solely and completely dependant on Agape love, let’s review the scripture above from Matthew when Jesus described the Greatest Commandment. When reading the words that Jesus spoke “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments”, think of his statement in terms of what he must have known lay ahead of him. In my mind, there can be no more complete picture of the Greatest Commandment than the only truly superior person who ever was or is hanging on two pieces of wood so that everyone else may live. One vertical piece representing the Agape coming down from the Father, and one horizontal piece representing its reach to the world. The cross is the ultimate example of the Greatest Commandment (love God, love others) fulfilling the Great Commission (touch everyone with that love).
How about you? Are you a superior example of a Christian or are you an example of how God’s Agape love covers a multitude of flaws? Are you correct in fulfilling the Great Commission or are you complete in first fulfilling the Greatest Commandment?
As for me? Let’s just say I have work to do.
© Gregory M. Watson, 2009 (see Copyright Page for details)
Remember Your Lions
Read Judges 14:5-9
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)
On February 2, 1998, I lost my job. I still remember the day. It was Groundhog Day! How could I forget that?! My position was cut along with about 100 others at the factory where I worked. I spent the next several months searching for another job. I received several offers but none of them seemed to be the right fit for what I and my wife felt we should do and where we should go. This time was very discouraging. I sometimes teetered on the edge of depression. In my eyes, my self-worth had been compromised and I started to feel that maybe I wasn’t good enough to have a job in my chosen field. But after seven months of trusting God, he provided a job that has since led to a career field that I enjoy much more than my original one. Through my experience, I learned to trust God during difficult times and have learned that he really will never leave me during the trying times. He’s proven that he does see what is beyond the horizon and knows which path I should take, even if it does start off rough and rocky. When troubling episodes arise in my life, I have found encouragement by reflecting back upon this past experience and what God did for me then while reminding myself that he will do it again for me today. Plus, my experience has enabled me to relay my story to others to encourage them to trust God during their difficult times as well.
In Judges 14: 5-9, we read about the story of how a lion challenged Samson near Timnah. God enabled Samson to kill the lion with his bare hands. Some time later Samson returned to find bees had made honey in the lion’s carcass. He ate some of the honey, and then took some for his father and mother to enjoy. During discouraging moments, reliving a great triumph given to us by God helps us recall the sweet taste of victory. Even more uplifting is sharing the fruits our victory with others when they need encouragement during challenging times of their own. Once we taste the honey from the carcasses of lions slain in by-gone battles, we can be assured God will always be with us to face the lions yet to come.
Always remember: Today’s battle produces tomorrow’s honey.
© Gregory M. Watson, 2009 (see Copyright Page for details)
Politics Anonymous
I am giving you fair warning – I am about to meddle. But before I meddle too much, let me give you a little background about myself so that you know who is writing this post and where I come from.
I grew up during the Reagan era in an incredibly conservative church structure. Laugh if you want, but Ronald Reagan was always, and still is, a hero of mine. I have had right-wing leanings all of my life and have never been afraid to share, sometimes possibly obnoxiously so, my political beliefs with anyone who cared to listen. Currently, I attend a non-denominational church which I would also consider to be conservative as well. I have always been conservative to the core. In fact, I sometimes wondered why the Republican platform was so liberal at times. I have for my entire life, considered myself to be an Evangelical Christian and if I did not vote that way it was only because I was too young to do so. Conservative, right-wing values have always been a mainstay of who I was, not only politically but socially as well.
Call it what ever you will – maturation, mid-life crisis, or early on-set of Alzheimer’s – I have undergone a fairly dramatic change of heart. Not so much so that I have gone from being a right-wing nut job to now being a bleeding-heart liberal, but more like I now see the complete and utter futility and downright folly in that way of thinking, be it right-wing or left-wing.
Since I am meddling, let me explain my change of heart by taking a look at the most hot-button issue of the conservative right-wing and of Evangelicals in particular – abortion. Do not misunderstand me – I believe abortion is the most insidious practice since slavery. I believe that life begins at conception and I believe that even before that moment, God has a plan for that little zygote. I also believe that cases of rape or incest should not be considered differently when it comes to abortion (oops – there goes my conservative side showing through!). The only possible way that I can see that an abortion may be remotely acceptable is in cases where the mother’s life is at extreme danger and the baby will not live anyway.
Change of heart? Sounds like I am towing the party line, right? Well, maybe not. My change of heart relates more to execution of strategy rather than the fundamentals of my belief system. I think I just heard a collective “What?!”. Bear with me and please read on.
How have the opponents of abortion tried to win their cause? By overturning Roe v. Wade either through the courts or through legislation. Millions of dollars and hours have been spent in a tremendous effort on their part to right the great wrong of abortion. I am quite sure that I do not even know half of all the different efforts that have been expended to outlaw abortion. I do know that they range from lobbying members of Congress as well as the White House to picketing abortion clinics and staff. Organizations have been established with the sole and intent purpose to make sure that abortion is outlawed. Channels have been created to make sure donated money gets to the places where it is needed the most in order to fight the cause. However, to date it has all been for naught. Abortion is just as legal and available today as it was when Roe v. Wade itself was born.
I wonder what Jesus would think of all this effort if he were to walk among us in flesh today. Would he applaud the effort to reform laws that are obviously so contrary to the nature of his Father? Would he speak at a Right to Life rally in support of overturning a law that sheds the only blood that comes as close as possible to being as innocent as his was? Would he donate money to lobbying efforts in Congress or individual states? Would he make a personal appeal to the President and Congress to stop this heinous act? Or would he forcibly enact the terrible judgment of God upon those who commit these acts?
The only way to answer these questions is to see what he did when he was walking among us in flesh. In the gospel accounts of his life we see that yes, he was a revolutionary. And yes, he did enact change everywhere he went. He overthrew the ruling religious establishment of the time and brought about the Father’s plan of salvation.
Strange though – don’t you think – how every one of his actions was geared towards people rather than governments. Not once did he overtly or covertly make any comment or take any action to overthrow Rome’s ruling authority. Yes, many looked for the Messiah to do just that and many of his disciples no doubt expected and longed for the same. But what did Jesus teach about the kingdom that he was bringing? His kingdom was not about governments or nations – it was something much more grand. It was the kingdom of heaven – his Father’s kingdom. In fact, didn’t he say give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and give to God that which is God’s? He really didn’t care what Caesar did. His kingdom was far above all of that. The time he spent on earth was used to minister to those who needed his help the most.
Sure, if he wanted to, he could have forced Caesar from power. Look at Jesus’ arrest in the garden when Peter, in a sincere but misguided attempt to defend Jesus, cut off the ear of one of the guards who had come to take him into custody. What did Jesus do? He healed the guard’s ear and rebuked Peter saying “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?”. If Jesus had wanted to use all of those legions of angels to take political power, Caesar would not have stood a chance. The bottom line is that Jesus did not waste his time with Caesar’s kingdom. The more important picture was the heavenly kingdom.
And how did Jesus bring about the heavenly kingdom? Not by force. Not by the sword. The kingdom was brought about by his agape love. It was his love for us that compelled him to come to earth, to minister to all of those who were in need around him, and then to die for all of us. It was through this love that he commanded us all to live. When asked which commandment was greatest, his response in Matthew 22:37-39 was to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself.
And it is here that we find Jesus’ secret to changing the world – accept the agape love of the Father and share it with all of those we come into contact with. If this is true, then why is it that every election cycle we who consider ourselves to be Evangelical Christians look to a politician to bring about moral change? George Bush was re-elected through a push by the religious right in the hopes of finally overturning Roe v. Wade. Did it happen? No. If it didn’t happen under George Bush, arguably the most conservative president this nation has known, please tell me when it would happen. How much time, effort, money, prayers, fasting, and who knows what other labors were expended in order to re-elect Bush? And for what?-not much in the end.
Now, tell me this – what would have happened had all of that effort been successful? What if Roe v. Wade had been overturned? True change – right? No more abortions! The nation would be that much closer to God! The USA would have begun to turn from its wicked ways! We would be on the path to true Godliness!! I hate to burst anyone’s bubble who really does believe all that – but there isn’t a chance that any of it is true. How can I be so sure? All you have to do is pick any of the laws on the books today, and I’ll bet my last paycheck that I can find you someone sitting in prison today because they broke that law. You see, getting a law passed is no guarantee of adherence to that law. Aren’t illicit drugs illegal? Yet there is still a drug problem. Didn’t a previous generation try to outlaw alcohol? Yet prohibition proved too difficult to enforce and was repealed. Why have those efforts failed? Simple – morality can not be legislated. If someone does right, it’s because they chose to do so – not because of a law written on the books somewhere. If it were that easy, the Law of Moses would have worked just fine and Jesus would have never had to come to earth to die for us. Even if we had won the battle for Roe v. Wade, we would have certainly still lost the war for the very ones we were trying to reach. Would winning Roe v. Wade rally be showing God’s agape love or would it be using a morality hammer to force people into making one choice by taking away the other? Looking at it from that perspective makes it easy to see how we have lost our focus on what Jesus thought was important and how to bring real change to the world.
So obviously, moral change through the political system is a fallacy at best and always futile. So what now? Let me propose a different scenario. What if we, and I am speaking of all Christians, follow the examples that Jesus set for us? After all, that is what the term “Christian” means, isn’t it? To be Christ-like? What if we live the life he meant for us to live anyway? What if we take all of the time, effort, money, prayers, fasting, and other labors that we have been expending futilely since Roe v. Wade and pour it all into following the two greatest commandments?
I wonder what the outcome would have been today if instead of trying to force a moral choice on an entire nation we had tried to show God’s agape love to those who needed it most? What if we had answered our Lord’s call to ministry rather than our own political call to action? What if we had simply offered God’s agape to those young women who had a difficult choice to make – provided for their needs and helped them in whatever manner we could? There are many good organizations that provide alternatives to abortion. What would have happened if we had given them priority for our resources over the Washington lobbying groups? I’ll bet we could have helped many of these young mothers to make the right choice and I’ll bet the abortion rate would be much lower than it is today. Many abortion clinics may have even closed by now due to a lack of business rather than due to protests and picket lines. The best thing about God’s agape love is that it is never too late to embrace it or to share it. We can still accomplish all that we wanted to and more (because God has bigger ambitions than just Roe v. Wade) if only we follow Jesus’ teachings and his example.
So am I saying to no longer exercise your American right to vote or to take an interest in your government? No, of course not. We have a precious gift in being able to vote and to make our voice heard throughout all levels of government. We should jealously guard it as such. What I am saying is to put it in its proper perspective and don’t waste your time and effort in trying to get laws passed that are designed to make America more “Godly” – it never works. Rather, focus your efforts where they can produce real change – just as Jesus’ example and teachings show us.
The bottom line for me is this – Do I trust God to be in control even when the political party of my choice is not? To that end, I am with tongue-in-cheek joining “Politics Anonymous”. My indoctrination statement goes like this:
Yes, I am a political junkie and I recognize my need to look to God for control of this country – not a right-wing conservative politician who knows how to speak the language of Christian values. I promise to put my faith in God, not in man. I pledge to no longer try to take the easy way out by looking to the government to bring about the change that is my responsibility as a Christian to produce. I vow to understand that the way to bring about change is to win hearts and minds, not elections.
How about you? Do you need to join “Politics Anonymous”?
© Gregory M. Watson, 2008 (see Copyright Page for details)
What is Communion really about?
I recently was asked to oversee a communion service during one Sunday morning at my church and I asked if it would be appropriate to say a few words before we actually took of the bread and the cup. I was assured that I had liberty to say what I felt God had impressed upon my heart and so I began pull together my thoughts on what I was going to say. After communion was over and for a few days after, I had many positive comments on the few words that I had spoken, so I thought I would post them here in case anyone was interested in reading them.
In preparing to oversee the communion, I asked a simple question – What is Communion? I basically wanted to know what was Communion all about and what does it really mean. So I went to the story of the first communion in Luke 22. There we see that Jesus asks his disciples to “do this in remembrance of me” – of course the “this” that Jesus is referring to is the act of partaking of the bread and the cup.
Traditionally, we take “remembrance” to mean the remembrance of Jesus’ death and sacrifice on the cross. I do not argue this view at all and believe it to be a wholly proper view of remembering Jesus during communion. After all, in I Corinthians 11 this is one way that Paul instructs us to remember Jesus in taking Communion. If it had not been for Jesus’ death and sacrifice, no one would have their sins forgiven today. So this is a completely appropriate form of “remembrance” during Communion.
But my next question quickly became “Is this all that we should remember?” Isn’t there much more about Jesus that we can and maybe even should remember? Don’t misunderstand what I am saying – there is no way to overestimate the importance of the death and sacrifice, but I am equally sure that there are other remembrances of Jesus that are just as important.
When you think about it, the death and sacrifice would have never happened had it not been for the agape love that Jesus had in his heart for all of us. It was his agape for us that motivated him through his entire life here on earth, including his death.
For the past few Monday nights, there has been a group of us called the Climbing Companions that meets at the church to discuss the expression of God’s kingdom through fellowship with each other. A central theme to our discussions has been relationships – with God, each other, and ourselves.
When I took a hard look at the first communion, I was immediately struck by what a great snapshot this was of all these relationships together at one moment in time. We see Jesus, so full of his agape love, preparing to die for his disciples and for us. At the same time, we see the disciples receiving this agape from Jesus and sharing it with one another. Yes – they had their moments of humanness, as we all do, but sharing Jesus’ agape was the essence of what was happening.
When I took a moment to think about the relationships represented in this picture, it was immediately clear how the act of this first communion followed the teachings of Jesus during his ministry. His teaching of the 2 greatest commandments- 1) love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and 2) love your neighbor as yourself – fit very nicely within the frame of this first communion.
So, can I be so bold as to suggest that this is at least part of what Communion is all about - the receiving and sharing of the God’s agape love? The next time we take the bread and the cup with each other in Communion, can we remember Jesus by “ingesting” his agape love into us so that we can share it with whomever needs it – whether they be within our church or outside of it wherever we find them? Can Communion be about remembering Jesus by fulfilling his 2 greatest commandments?
Communion – the receiving and sharing of God’s agape love.
© Gregory M. Watson, 2008 (see Copyright Page for details)
Wisdom from Good Ol’ Ben
A few weeks ago, I came across this quote from Benjamin Franklin -
The eyes of other people are the eyes that ruin us. If all but myself were blind, I should want neither fine clothes, fine houses, nor fine furniture.
At once I was struck by the wisdom and truth in these few words. How well it describes us as modern Americans in trying to keep up with the “Jones”! Indeed, if no one else could appreciate our material things – and when you get down to it, if no one could envy our material things – would we even want them anymore?
Even though I know that Benjamin Franklin was not anywhere close to being a deeply religious individual, my mind took his words and applied them in a spiritual sense. I mean, think about it – what would happen if everyone in the world were blind to all of our outward appearances of Christianity? What would happen if no one could see our show? I think most people who work hard in the Christian realm really do want to do a good job for God and His kingdom. But, I have to think that most don’t mind if others know about it as well. I know this because I often find myself in the same selfish mindset.
But would those same works matter to us as much, if at all, if no one could see or know that they ever happened? How would we feel if we knew that no one would ever look at us and think “Wow – I wish I could be as good a Christian as that person is”? Would I be writing this blog? (Ouch!!) Would you still do whatever it is you do?
As modern day Christians we must be ever vigilant to guard our motives regarding our work for the kingdom. In Matthew 6:16, Jesus cautions us to not put on a show for the benefit of others:
When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (NIV)
Our challenge is simple – let’s see how much we can get done for God’s kingdom when we work with the “spiritual” Jones instead of competing against them!!
© Gregory M. Watson, 2008 (see Copyright Page for details)
