Month: May 2018

Hebrews 5:12

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”

 

I played football in high school for one year. My freshman year I joined the team and was absolutely miserable. I hated running. I hated practice. I hated getting hit. I just didn’t enjoy it. During games, I would stand on the sidelines with the rest of my team, but when the coach started looking for someone to put into the game, I would fade behind everyone else and try to be unnoticeable. I would love to tell you that I just wasn’t inclined for sports, but that isn’t true. While I was never a superstar athlete, I was coordinated. I was simply lazy! I didn’t want to put in the work.

I liked the idea of being on the football team, but I wanted no part of the strain, sweat, or effort that went into being a football player (at least a successful football player). I liked being able to say I was on the team. I liked reaping the benefits of being on the team. We had short Monday school schedules. We were on the homecoming float. We were cheered at pep rallies. I liked my picture taken in my uniform (a really clean uniform naturally). None of the benefits however, were enough to make me apply myself and work toward being competent at football. At one point near the end of the season, my dad had asked my coach why I wasn’t getting very much playing time. The coach said “Mr. Futrell, Chris has no desire to be in the game. Even when I’m looking for him to put him in, he is nowhere to be found.” I’m sure that my dad didn’t like hearing that, but it was the truth.

The body of Christ (the church) is another collective that people really like the idea of being a part. The benefits can be nice. We like to have a nice building with heat and A/C that we can meet in, and feel good for a little while. We like to wear our church shirt and put a church sticker on our bumper and really feel like part of the team. We like to have the status of member at a place that does great work in the community and for missions worldwide. We like to have a summer vacation Bible school in which to send our kids and grandkids. And all of these things are wonderful! But are we involved in anything but the partaking of the benefits?

The Pareto Principle or 80/20 Rule says that 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes. In the real world, that means that 80 percent of the work is done by 20 percent of the people. This is not acceptable in a successful business model, and it certainly shouldn’t fly in the church either. However, in my church experience, that is exactly how things are distributed more times than not. Many people come to God’s house to be fed, but then walk out on the check. You wouldn’t do this at a restaurant (I hope!) and you shouldn’t do it at church either. I’m not talking solely about money. Sure, you should give monetarily to your local house of worship, but if that is the place that you call home, you should also be serving in some capacity. Sitting and being fed is okay for a while, but eventually God expects a return on His investment of the gifts and talents He put into us. Jesus Himself commented on the lack of people willing to work for the kingdom of God. Matthew 9:37 reads, “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.’”

God invented work. From as early as Genesis, God has given out duties. Genesis 2:15 reads, “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” Work is God’s idea and His plan for us. When the work load is unevenly distributed across only a few people, the church suffers. Not only does this cause “burn out” for the 20 percent doing all of the work, but the other 80 percent aren’t getting the reward God has for them. The author of Hebrews writes in chapter 6 verse 10, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” This verse makes it crystal clear that God not only expects us to labor, but He will not forget it. He always rewards those who diligently seek Him.

The bigger the church, the easier it is to blend into the background and get lost. To many people, this is the allure of a large church. Anonymity is attractive at times, but we need to shake off this complacency and do what God expects from us. He wants us working, serving, and ministering to each other. We need to graduate from constantly being bottle fed to helping to feed others. Let’s mature! Let’s grow! Let’s make Jesus famous!

Romans 13:1-2

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.  So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.

 

I do not consider myself an overly political person. Political discussion, even in the most laid back arenas, makes me very uncomfortable. The cause for my discomfort is simply an aversion to tension. I am a man of peace, so I hate arguments, dissension, strife, and drama. I even find debates unpleasant for the most part as the majority of people cannot remain civil when they hear an opinion that does not line up with theirs. Most debates turn into name-calling and debasing before they are done. The mud-slinging and smear campaigns leading up to any public election from POTUS down to County Commissioner have done nothing to dissuade this attitude, but rather have shown us how to slice more deftly, slap harder, and dig deeper in order to bury our opponents.

I am certainly not advocating that Christians should shy away from politics in general. It is our right and responsibility to vote. The church needs to have a much bigger presence in elections than what we currently have. There are far too many Christians that see political corruption and use that as an excuse to be lazy in their moral and civic duty. There is no such thing as a perfect candidate, but there is certainly a “lesser of two evils”. Don’t let the lack of a morally superior candidate keep you from making your voice heard. Pray. Listen to God’s voice. He will give you peace regarding which way you should vote. Then vote!

That being said, the reason for this article is not to get Christians to the polls. I think we need some mind renewal and revelation about how to act before, and especially AFTER the election. In 2016, I witnessed more ugliness from Christian people than I have ever seen. The pure malice, and I don’t use that word lightly, that I saw on social media leading up to the election was atrocious. People with good intentions and Christian hearts were saying and typing some of the most horrendous defaming things about the nominees. If it were any other forum, these people would be horrified at the name-calling and private details dragged into the public eye, however, since it is politics and passions are running hot, the idea of “blow out everyone else’s candle so mine looks brighter” is suddenly okay.

It’s not okay. Who we vote for is our business, but useless debates on Facebook with people who have zero intention of changing their minds are not okay. It isn’t okay to verbally attack someone’s family and assassinate their character on social media for everyone (including our KIDS) to see. It isn’t okay to make other people feel stupid or ignorant, even online.  It isn’t okay to hate. Ever. Perhaps most importantly, if “our candidate” doesn’t win, how are we going to support, pray for, and honor that elected official? It is very hard to pray for wisdom and guidance for someone that we have been crucifying on Facebook for the last 10 months. And make no mistake about it, God expects us to honor and pray for our elected leaders. We don’t have to respect that person’s platforms, or respect that person’s actions, but we absolutely have to respect the office. The Bible is crystal clear on that.

God is still on the throne. He once spoke through a donkey, so He can certainly prevail upon leadership and authority that exists here on Earth. This is a call to integrity, not for politicians, but for people who consider themselves followers of Christ. We are called to a higher standard and are also called to live in love. This is what is supposed to set us apart from the rest of the world. Useless debates and Internet bullying, even behind anonymous usernames have to stop on our end. True character means living the same lifestyle in the dark that we do in the light. We should stand up for what we believe in, but not to a point where we degrade others who don’t believe the same way. I Corinthians 1:18 reads, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” We need to stop expecting non-believers to live up to biblical standards! Our harsh judgments are driving unbelievers further from Jesus and the church than ever before.

Love doesn’t mean we accept or condone sin, but it does mean we point to the cross and to a relationship with Jesus, not to whatever we see as wrong in people’s lives. God is the only one who can change people’s hearts, so let’s stop trying to change their minds with biblical arguments that a non-biblical mind sees as nonsense. Let’s model what we believe and show the type of love that Christ showed us. He died for us when we were still in sin. We can at least bite our tongues.