The Hard Choice

I don’t care who you are—suffering will touch you. There is really no such thing as a charmed life. The wealthiest all the way down to the poorest. We all suffer. You might be saying, “Oh, I’d like to suffer the way they have to suffer. At least I’d have a Beemer.” “Or at least I’d suffer in a million dollar house.”

If that’s your type of thinking then you haven’t really been paying attention. If watching hurricanes and tornadoes sweep across the land has taught us anything, it would have to be that the million dollar houses can be ruined and swept away as quickly as the shanties.

Recognize that while you may be thinking of a better way to suffer, there are millions of people who are suffering much worse. Did you know that there are children being born in Africa today, to parents with AIDS. Those children themselves, are born with AIDS, and they will live their entire life and then die an early death and not know one day without suffering.

Think about that. If you have had at least one day in your life free of worry or pain, you’ve got more than they will have in their entire lifetime. But recognize that it is not the suffering, itself, that brings you closer to Jesus.

It is what you choose to do with your suffering. It is how you choose to handle the crisis, the trauma, the
sickness, or the bad news. You can choose to run to Jesus and allow Him to comfort and strengthen you in (and perhaps even deliver you from) your suffering, or you can choose to run away from him and blame Him for your suffering.

One choice will bring you closer to Jesus and give you strength to bear up and persevere through whatever it is you are having to face. The other will cause you to grow bitter and miserable, to the point that others will soon go out of their way to avoid you.

Choose wisely..but choose. Don't let your life go into default.

Step Away Before You Re-engage

Hey Christian Leader…are you tired?  Mentally exhausted?  Physically drained?  Emotionally spent?  Me too. What we have been going through the past months (and especially the last 2 weeks) is enough to drain the life out of the best of us.  Unless you are a person who thrives on quarantine and conflict…or conflict in quarantine…or some other combination of the same, if you are like me (and because you are human…I know that in at least some ways you are) you can only take so much of the fevered pitch before you have to step away.

And that’s ok.  You can’t sustain the emotional knife edge for very long anyway.  So, let me invite you, first, to step away. Perhaps for only a few hours, or just an afternoon. Maybe a day or weekend.  Step away and unplug.  Disconnect from the news.  It will be there when you get back-and it will still be mostly bad.  Take leave of your social media platforms for a while.  The discussions will be still be there, and just as heated, when you get back.  For your own mental health’s sake, back away, unplug, disconnect and take some time reconnecting to the Source of peace and mental health.

As I look around at the events in today’s world, I see the social injustice and racism, the riots and demonstrations, the verbal volleys on social media, the political posturing and the name calling.  My emotions run higher as I come to understand the intolerable things that people of color continue to have to bear and the senseless killings of innocent people.  It IS an outrage.  And it NEEDS to stop.  MUST stop.

Alongside that, protests that start peacefully enough suddenly turn violent, and more lives are lost, buildings are burned and looted and justifications are put forth as to why it should be that way.  And dialogs that could be productive, cease.  And defensiveness escalates with emotions that are already running high and understanding ceases.  Battle lines are drawn and enemies are declared.

But stop.  Step back and consider.  PEOPLE aren’t our enemies.  They are simply victims of our one great enemy, the devil.  He has sold us all different versions of the same lie… “YOU can be like God.”  In essence…YOU. CAN. BE. GOD! (really only for you, but that’s in the fine print). But we take that to mean that WE are the ultimate cause in the Universe.  

But we, who belong to the King of Kings, must look at thing a bit differently.  We must recognize first, that He is God…and not we ourselves.  And as God, He does call His followers to right the wrongs and lift the lowly and champion the cause of those who are oppressed.  But we must do it in HIS way in order for lasting change to take place.  All other methods simply breed resentment and when the time is right, resentment spews forth hatred, which ends up bringing death.

This is why it is so important to stop, step back and unplug for a bit before we re-engage.  In fact, before any of us go running off to right wrongs, we must be under HIS control and not our own.  How do we do that?  Isaiah 1 gives us a clue.  Isaiah is addressing the church and the inherent problems that come with a group of people who are only partially committed to the Lord.  Here is a sampling of the things that God was saying in a vision to Isaiah.

Is. 1:2               Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth!

                        This is what the LORD says:

            “The children I raised and cared for

                        have rebelled against me.

³           Even an ox knows its owner,

                        and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—

            but Israel doesn’t know its master.

                        My people don’t recognize my care for them.”

⁴           Oh, what a sinful nation they are—

                        loaded down with a burden of guilt.

            They are evil people,

                        corrupt children who have rejected the LORD.

            They have despised the Holy One of Israel

                        and turned their backs on him.

He goes on to list some of the problems the country was currently having.  The country was in ruins.  Towns are burned.  Foreigners are plundering and destroying.  Sound familiar?  And how did God’s people respond.  By doing more of the same thing they were doing that caused their destruction in the first place.  Gave more offerings.  Said more prayers.  Offered more sacrifices and hoped for the best…with no internal change.

And God said. ¹¹         “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?”

                        says the LORD.

            “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams

                        and the fat of fattened cattle.

¹³         Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts;

                        the incense of your offerings disgusts me!

            As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath

                        and your special days for fasting—

            they are all sinful and false.

                        I want no more of your pious meetings

¹⁵         When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look.

                        Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen,

                        for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.

Then God comes to what He is really interested in.

¹⁶         Wash yourselves and be clean!

                        Get your sins out of my sight.

                        Give up your evil ways.

¹⁷         Learn to do good.

                        Seek justice.

            Help the oppressed.

                        Defend the cause of orphans.

                        Fight for the rights of widows.

Is. 1:18           “Come now, let’s settle this,”

                        says the LORD.

            “Though your sins are like scarlet,

                        I will make them as white as snow.

            Though they are red like crimson,

                        I will make them as white as wool.

Did you catch that?  And some are saying…. “Yes!  Let’s go fight and help the oppressed!  Let’s defend the cause and rights of orphans and widows”.  But not yet.  Stay unplugged for just a little longer.  Because in verse 18 God says: Let’s settle this. NLT. Other versions say “Come let us reason together.”  In other words, before you run off, there is something that needs to happen in your life.  You need to let me get rid of your sins and your evil desires.  You need to be washed!  Your words, your actions, your attitudes all need to be laid down so that you can accomplish things in the way I want them accomplished.  Through Love.

That means that, no matter your color or ethnicity, as a child of God, after letting Christ deal with your sins, you see His call to take up the cause of the oppressed in the way that Jesus would have you do it, rather than through use of the world’s might-makes-right-tactics.  

What would that look like?  It would look like you using whatever gifts and abilities the Lord has placed within you, and utilizing those as you follow the Holy Spirit’s stirrings in your heart to work to alleviate injustice no matter where it is found, in a manner in keeping with how you were created.

It means you put your shoulder to the wheel and utilize your influence for lasting change in a way that the outside, unbelieving, world can respect. It means you refuse to use their catchphrases that would inflame, choosing thoughtfulness and carefully chosen words instead, that can bring calm.  It means that you recognize the diversity that God has put into all people and you celebrate, rather than denigrate that.  Beyond ethnic differences, expand your view to include gender, generational curses, culture (community, church or school) and even personality types.

Wait, what?  I was tracking with you until you made that last turn.  Ok.  Let me break it down.  We are all different.  VERY different, which, if you haven’t noticed in all the realm of creation and nature, is exactly the way our Father likes things.  Which means that I don’t have to respond exactly like you in order to support you, whatever your race, circumstances, etc. might be.   I can be free to support the cause of justice in ways that you might not have even considered.  

For example, I’ve seen many in recent days write an iteration of this idea.  “If you are silent, you are complicit to the problem.”  Meaning, basically, if you are not saying something against this, you are guilty of spreading it.  I get the ideology behind that statement, especially coming from a non-believer, but what that statement actually does is simply shut off every other avenue of support I may have been able to offer if I happen to be, say, an introvert.  If I were an introvert, I wouldn’t want to march and shout things out.  I would probably shy away from conflict or controversy, and I wouldn’t want to post on my social media because I don’t want to be noticed. But, if encouraged in a more constructive way, I might donate to a cause or work behind the scenes in silence, or reach out in love to a friend of another race.  But if my silence is my complicity, then with one broad brush stroke, I have been de-valued and my potential contribution reduced to nothing.  That too, is an intolerant act, against someone whose only crime was to be born with the "wrong" type of personality.

So perhaps, instead of those type of statements, often written when emotions are running high and passion is running deep, what if we ran our emotions and passions through the filter of the Holy Spirit and in an attitude like that of the early church facing the injustices to the Greek widows,  engaged in dialog to see how we might, together, move as God’s people to address the issue of injustice in practical ways using all of our combined gifts?  Dialog in the Spirit and then implement in His power.

James gives us good counsel when it comes to how we might proceed.

James 1:19    My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Work on yourself first.  Then look out for others.

James 1:26    If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

May we allow God to change our hearts and then may that change help us to reach out to right the wrongs, bring justice where it is needed, stand with the oppressed and lift the fallen.  And may He accomplish it, not through our anger, but through His love and the power of His Spirit living in each one of us.  

Ok…now you can go re-engage...with a regenerated heart and with the love of Jesus.

Soft Society? or One Purpose of Suffering

We’ve become a soft society. How do I know? Listen to what we complain about. They aren’t complaints that the government just killed our pastor or our uncle or our spouse for loving Jesus. We don’t complain about how hard it is to share the gospel in our society. We don’t even complain about starving to death. As a matter of fact, we complain about food. We have the luxury to complain about food. I don’t like this kind. It’s gross. There is not enough of it to suit me.

We complain about weather. Too hot. Too cold. Too windy. Too rainy.

We complain about homework and jobs. We complain about cars that aren’t as nice and about high gas prices. We complain at restaurants or oil change places or even, believe it or not, Wal-Mart when the service isn’t fast enough. We complain about other drivers who don’t go fast enough when the light turns green. In spite of all we’ve been blessed with, or perhaps I should say, in spite of all the circumstances that we are blessed not to have to live with, we still complain about anything that encroaches on our idea of the good life. We’ve become a soft society.

So how does the Lord get our attention in a soft society? How does the Lord get us more committed when our lives are not on the line every day? How does Jesus get us to grow closer to Him when we are more concerned with what we are eating after church than the food He wants to give us while we are still in church?

You aren’t going to like my answer. I don’t like my answer…but it’s biblical. I have come to believe that it is through suffering that God talks best. Let me rephrase that. I believe it is through suffering that we learn to hear God best. I don’t believe that God causes human suffering. But I have come to believe that He will come to the one who is suffering and draw near to them and grow them to be closer to Himself. When you think of suffering in the Bible, who do you think of? Job. Listen to what the book of Job has to say about this.

Job 36:15 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. 16 “He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.

Maybe we can see the tough spot we are in today from a different perspective. Perhaps, if we listen closely, we may hear God speaking to us. Not to condemn us, but to woo us and refine us so that He can present us faultless, without spot or wrinkle to the Ancient of Days.

A Reason for Endurance

Sometimes, I think that our present generation of church people (and I include myself in that group) has grown soft and flexible, loving comfort more than Christ, seeking satisfaction rather than saving souls. I wonder what would happen to the Christian faith if, overnight, we faced the same trials and tribulations of the early Christians? Would we yield to our oppressors? Would we surrender to secularism? Would we deny our Savior?

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, for us, we don't currently have to face anything remotely like that, but there are other Christians in the world in places like China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Iraq, parts of Africa and even India, where our brothers and sisters in the faith will be hunted down, harassed, tormented, and even killed before the sun sets tonight.  Killed, not because they have done anything wrong. Their only offense is that they have chosen, like you and I, to love and follow Jesus.  I believe that their faith is stronger than ours; their commitment to Christ is better than our own; because their service to God is a matter of life and death, not a life style choice or leisure pursuit.

They consistently have to endure hardships that we haven’t even tried to imagine.  They have counted the cost and chosen to lay down a life they cannot keep in order to lay hold of a life which they cannot lose.

When Time comes to an end and History is over, we'll all be standing in line, awaiting our crowns of glory. We, who are always so used to being first, will be at the back of the line, watching those Christians who have nothing but faith being brought forward to the places of honor, glory, and power before us. It will come as a shock to us, but not a surprise, for didn’t Jesus often said, "The first will be last, and the last will be first?"

But we like being first.  We like being in positions of power and luxury.  We like having it soft.  I do.  I’ve watched myself grow more about comfort than about hardship.  I’ve watched myself grow more intensely devoted to making sure I’ve got it easy.  I don’t like sleeping on hard floors anymore.  I don’t like hard physical labor anymore.  I don’t want to even get out of my recliner to answer the phone or change the channel. That’s why God had someone invent cordless phones and remotes.  I don’t like it hard.   And if I’m not missing my guess, neither do you.  

We’ve become a soft society.    How do I know?  Listen to what we complain about.  They aren’t complaints that the government just killed our pastor or our uncle or our spouse for loving Jesus.  We don’t complain about how hard it is to share the gospel in our society. We don’t even complain about starving to death.  As a matter of fact, we complain about food.  We have the luxury to complain about food.  Don’t like this kind.  It’s gross.  Not enough of it to suit me.

We complain about weather.  Too hot.  Too cold.   Too windy.  Too rainy.

We complain about homework and jobs.  We complain about cars that aren’t as nice and about high gas prices.  We complain at restaurants or oil change places or even, believe it or not, Wal-Mart when the service isn’t fast enough.  We complain about other drivers who don’t go fast enough when the light turns green.  In spite of all we’ve been blessed with, or perhaps I should say, in spite of all the circumstances that we are blessed not to have to live with, we still complain about anything that encroaches on our idea of the good life.  We’ve become a soft society.

So how does the Lord get our attention in a soft society?  How does the Lord get us more committed when our lives are not on the line every day?  How does Jesus get us to grow closer to Him when we are more concerned with what we are eating after this than the food He wants to give us right now?

You aren’t going to like my answer.    I don’t like my answer…but it’s biblical.  I have come to believe that it is through suffering that God talks best.  Let me rephrase that.  I believe it is through suffering that we learn to listen best.  I don’t believe that God causes human suffering.  But I have come to believe that He will come to the one who is suffering and draw near to them and grow them to be closer to Himself.  When you think of suffering in the Bible, who do you think of?   Job.  Listen to what the book of Job has to say about this.

Job 36:15 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. 16 “He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.

God knows that we weren’t really meant for this existence.  It is merely a growing up place,  a maturing place with a much better place coming.   But we try to make this life of distress as comfortable as possible don’t we?  We try to pretend that this is all there is.  So go for the gusto, baby.  Grab all you can, can all you grab and sit on the lid!  We set our eyes on the comforts of this world and actually believe that if we can surround ourselves with enough money, enough luxuries of life and enough friends, that we will have no problems.

I don’t care who you are—suffering will touch you.   There is really no such thing as a charmed life.  The wealthiest all the way down to the poorest.  We all suffer.  You might be saying,  “Oh, I’d like to suffer the way they have to suffer.  At least I’d have a Beemer.”  “Or at least I’d suffer in a million dollar house.”

If that’s your type of thinking then you haven’t really been paying attention.  If Hurricane Katrina taught us anything, it would have to be that the million dollar houses can be ruined and swept away as quickly as the shanties.

Recognize that while you may be thinking of a better way to suffer, there are millions of people who are suffering much worse.  Did you know that there are children being born in Africa, today, to parents with AIDS. Those children themselves, are born with AIDS, and they will live their entire life and then die an early death and not know one day without suffering. 

Think about that.  If you have had at least one day in your life free of worry or pain, you’ve got more than they will have their whole life.  But recognize that it is not the suffering, itself, that brings you closer to Jesus.

It is what you choose to do with your suffering.  It is how you choose to handle to crisis, the trauma, the sickness, or the bad news.  You can choose to run to Jesus and allow Him to deliver you in your suffering, or you can choose to run away from him and blame Him for your suffering.

One choice will bring you closer to Jesus and give you strength to bear up and endure whatever it is you are having to face.  The other will cause you to grow bitter and miserable, to the point that others will go out of their way to avoid you.

2Tim. 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

8 ¶ So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,  9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.

1Pet. 4:12 ¶ Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 ¶ So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

What was that?  Those who suffer according to God’s will… whoa…hold the phone…  What does that mean?  God wants us to suffer?  No…but He doesn’t necessarily want to rescue us from the troubles of this life because if He did, He knows that we would just be satisfied with staying here and then we would never long for heaven…so He allows suffering.  Suffering then, from that perspective, is within His will…  Whenever it comes then, Peter says our response should be to commit ourselves to our faithful creator and continue to do good.

Paul writing to Timothy says: 2 Timothy 2:3 "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus." -

The writer of the book of Hebrews 12:7 "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?"

James adds this. James 1:2 ¶ Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (endurance)  4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

That’s a reason for endurance.  It helps us become mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

Need another reason to develop endurance and perseverance in your life?

James 1:12 ¶ Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Wherever you go today and whatever you do, be an enduring Christian first and foremost. Treat people with respect, serve one another, and show love. And if you happen to be hurt or disappointed by someone else, don't fret over it. Go to Jesus and He will help you endure.  Not only endure, but He will help you return the hurt with healing, he’ll help you cover your wounds with His love, and your disappointment with genuine grace. For those are the things that truly make us Christian.  Listen to the words of Jesus, found in Revelation 2:10

Rev. 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Father,

You know that stuff happens here that we don’t understand.  You know that we suffer.  Yet you tell us not to be afraid, but to be faithful.  We can’t do it alone, Lord.  So come this moment and strengthen us in the middle of our suffering.  Give us endurance and the will to persevere, knowing that it’s safer to walk with you in the darkness than to go it alone in the light.  Keep us, Lord, in Your care and keeping… Help us to be faithful… not because we’re so good, but because You’re so good.  These things we ask in the name of Jesus, Amen.