Author: captain7391

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name

-John 1:12

 

What happens when you lose your identity?

I’m not talking about someone getting their hands on your credit cards or social security number. I am talking about losing the things with which you identify yourself. Can you still function after that happens? Eventually it will happen to almost everyone, especially a believer of Christ. Are you prepared to re-identify yourself? Can you still find your joy when what used to bring you joy no longer does the job?

These are some tough questions that don’t have simple or clear-cut answers. On one hand, you may mourn or grieve the loss of passion for something that used to make you pretty happy. On the other hand, if the characteristics with which you identify yourself are negative or destructive, you will likely be better off without them. However, even the loss of those distasteful aspects of your life leaves a hole. I can testify to that!

I was a smoker for many years and to this day, I feel the hole that habit left behind when I quit. Nine days out of ten I don’t miss that habit at all. My clothes stank. I had to take frequent breaks to indulge. My wife wasn’t crazy about the smell. It was expensive. It was harming my body. The downsides of smoking can take all day to list. However, when the weather turns nice and there is a crisp breeze, I really miss having a cigar. I was a cigar smoker. That was my identity, and when I quit I had a difficult time filling that hole that was left.

I have made several of these life changes during my 45 years on the planet. I was once a pool player. I was pretty good too! Don’t get me wrong, there were always people better. I tried to surround myself with these better players because if you only associate with those who are at your current level, you will never mature. That will probably be an article for the future because that will preach! But just know; I was pretty decent. I felt God leading me to remove myself from that culture, not because there is anything wrong with pool, but because the majority of the time spent participating in this hobby put me in places which I no longer felt comfortable. There is certainly nothing nefarious or evil about the game, but I had to make some choices that eliminated the side effects of my pool playing. Paul writes in I Corinthians 6:12, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” A hobby is certainly not worth risking my ability to be a witness for God. There are times that I certainly still miss spending my Friday evenings testing my skill against other players; however, I no longer identify with that life.

Life-changes create situations that force us to re-evaluate who we are. I had thought of myself as Chris; a pool player, a cigar smoker, and just one of the guys.  As far as an identity goes, that really wasn’t much to brag about, but I was still pretty attached it. It was who I believed myself to be. I connected myself to activities I participated in, or things that I enjoyed doing. Even after renewing my walk with God in my mid-30s, my identity was still comprised of what I did. Whether it was my hobbies or my vocation, my individuality was tied (for better or for worse) to external circumstances.

A few years ago, I finally started to realize that my identity needed to come from who I am in Christ and not what I did. God started revealing some things to me that relieved a lot of the pressure in my life. My performance, whether at my job, at home, enjoying hobbies, or even serving at church, does not shape who I am.  After accepting Jesus, we are no longer defined by any of that. We are sons and daughters of God and joint heirs with Christ. Romans 8:16-17 reads, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” When we finally realize that we are King’s kids, we can stop participating in the world’s rat race, and live within our privileges as God’s children.

Naturally, we all have a job to do. Be it our vocational job, or our service for God, we are expected to be diligent. The bible says that we are to do everything as unto God. That includes working your job as well as being a representative of Christ in service to His house. However, none of these things should define us. We see this lived out so beautifully with Paul. We often use the moniker “the apostle Paul” to describe him, but never once in scripture will you see him call himself that. He always says “Paul, an apostle of Christ.” I fully believe he was taking a page right out of Jesus’s playbook when it comes to titles. Jesus is talking about the Pharisees in Matthew with chapter 23:6-10 reading, “They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.”  Jesus rejected titles given to people in service to Him. We are all brethren and all sons and daughters of God. We may hold the office of pastor, teacher, apostle, or prophet, but that does not require a title.

I know that there are some that reject this way of thinking and fully believe that titles are necessary for the sake of honor. I have observed scripture that directs us to reject titles, but I have yet to see a verse that directs us to bestow titles on anyone. We are to respect and show honor to everyone. Let’s not mix up traditions of man with the word of God. Is there any danger in using titles? Perhaps not, but in my short time on this planet I have seen far too many people that cross the line from honor to pride. When receiving a promotion (either in their job or in the church, sadly) the first question they want to ask is “What is my title?” The word “leader” is mentioned in the Bible only 6 times while “servant” is mentioned 887 times. I’ll let you draw whatever conclusions you want from that.

When we are able to tie our identity to our eternal position, son or daughter of God, we can achieve so much more in this life. Let’s attach our identity to the eternal and not the worldly. Let’s leave behind those old things and strive to make an impact upon the kingdom living under the only title that matters: Child of the King!

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men

— Colossians 3:23

 

I love Disney.

I’m not talking about the company, the studio, or even necessarily the movies (although some Disney movies are among my favorites).

No, what I love are the theme parks; specifically Disney World as I have yet to visit Disney Land. I have only recently developed this love for the parks. I went to Magic Kingdom and Epcot when I was 12, but didn’t go back for 30 years. I remembered very little from my pre-adolescent trip, so when we went back in 2016, it was like the first time.

Mind.

Blown.

My wife has been to WDW many times, so I married into a Disney family. However, I have taken the infatuation with all things Disney to a whole new level. I watch theme park vlogs. I listen to Disney World podcasts. I have a Spotify playlist with music from Main Street USA to Frontier Land and every attraction in between. So why do all of these outlets even exist? How is it possible that there are hundreds of YouTube channels devoted solely to Disney theme parks? Why are there multiple streaming radio stations online that play Disney attraction background music and songs from the ride queues? In other words; why are so many people obsessed with Disney?

I firmly believe it comes down to one thing: excellence. Disney’s attention to detail blew me away. From the moment you pass under the iconic “WALT DISNEY WORLD Where Dreams Come True” sign, you are engrossed in what is called the “Disney bubble.” The value (cheapest) resort hotels on property are filled with over-the-top aesthetic details, while the top end resorts are nothing short of breathtaking! Once inside the parks, your senses are engaged in every way possible.

The street entertainment and constant background music make a memorable impression on your auditory senses in every corner of the parks. Each attraction has its own unique soundtrack, complete with ambient noise and realistic sound effects. Animal Kingdom in particular has a vibrant African and Asian theme that incorporates dozens of authentic musicians and entertainers. When in that park, it is hard to believe you’re in a Florida metropolitan area.

Disney certainly knows how to entice through our sense of smell as well. They actually have a patent on a gadget called an Air Smellitzer that pumps out smells like popcorn, baked goods, or vanilla on Main Street and other smells on different rides and attractions. When queueing for Pirates of the Caribbean, you get a whiff of salty sea air. When riding Soarin’ you get that heavenly fresh citrus aroma when gliding over the orange grove.

Visually, Disney does everything possible to keep the immersion going. From the terrifying cobwebbed lobby of the Hollywood Tower Hotel to the indoor German restaurant that feels like Bavarian town square village Oktoberfest celebration, theming is A+. They keep sightlines true to the theme by creative landscaping, forced perspectives, and clever backdrops. Each of the parks has an iconic feature that absolutely demands your attention the entire time it is visible. Magic Kingdom has Cinderella Castle, Epcot has the enormous geodesic sphere (the big golf ball for all us common folk), Animal Kingdom has the tree of life, while Hollywood Studios has the Hollywood Tower Hotel. All in all, it really is a magical place.

Disney cast members (employees) are expected to create magical moments for the guest whenever the opportunity arises. The really good ones seek these moments out and make the most of them. Whether it be guest recovery on a botched restaurant reservation, a costumed character giving a special needs child special attention, or a maintenance worker asking for an autograph from a seven year old little girl leaving Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique after a princess makeover, the cast members can create magic simply by exuding that spirit of excellence.

What if we in the body of Christ could treat God’s house and service for Him in the same way? I see far too many people, churches, or even ministers that have a “well, it’s good enough” attitude toward God and His things. I think the root cause of this lackadaisical attitude is the misconception that our service is directed at people. We conduct our weekly church services in a formulaic way that has been “proven the most effective”, without seeking God’s counsel on what direction He wants to lead. We absolutely want to draw crowds! Contrary to what many churches teach (usually very small churches), God is absolutely interested in numbers. If it isn’t growing, it is not performing the function that Jesus set the church up to perform.  The church ought to grow daily according to Acts. So why doesn’t it?

Our spirit of excellence has become a spirit of adequacy.  As society has begun to celebrate mediocrity, the church has been going along for the ride. Instead of the church being the voice of conscience for our culture, we have allowed the cultural norms to permeate the church. The kingdom of God is not socialistic. There will be no participation trophies.  I Corinthians 15:41-43 says that in the resurrection in Heaven, we will differ in glory like the stars differ in glory. God looks at our attitude and passion toward service for Him. The word of God through John says, “I could wish that you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.” – Revelation 3: 15b-16.

We are on this planet for such a short time compared to eternity. James calls our lives vapor; here for a moment and then passed away. Let’s not waste any more time procrastinating and giving minimal effort in our service. We all want to hear “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”, so let’s act like it. If a Disney cast member can create magical moments for guests all for $16 an hour, we need to do so much more for eternal rewards! We are put here to make an impact on the kingdom of God, so let’s do it and do it with excellence!

“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

II Timothy 4:12

 

There are many stories in the Bible of the younger generation being used mightily for God. Jeremiah was still pretty young when he was called to be a prophet to Israel. Jeremiah 1:7 is God answering Jeremiah after his complaining about his young age and it reads “Do not say ‘I am a youth,’ for you shall go to all whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.” There was, of course, the young lad that brought the two loaves and five fishes and who was used to feed thousands. King David was still a youth when he was anointed King of Israel. Samuel was hearing God’s voice when he was still a teenager and went on to be the Judge over the whole land.

Then there was Timothy. The Apostle Paul was his father in the faith and mentor. Timothy was commissioned by Paul to be a pastor of his local assembly, and he used the admonition in the scripture reference above to encourage young Timothy not to let other people’s opinions of his lack of “seasoning” affect him. Paul was telling him to ignore the complaints about his youth because those who are called by God are enabled by God. He exhorts Timothy to be an example to the church in words and actions.

This is a wonderful passage full of encouragement and sound Christian advice. However, when re-reading it a few days ago, I looked at Paul’s admonition in another light. “Let no one despise your youth” can be taken in a completely different context from what was obviously intended. However, it still remains a powerful lesson. As a 44 year old man, I sometimes need the reminder to not let anyone “despise my youth”; or more specifically, despise the actions and lifestyle of my youth. It’s an admonition that I need to apply to myself even more strongly.

I was raised in church, but after age 20 I spent most of my adolescence running from God, His calling, church, and any type of a virtuous life. I lived life in a way that did not reflect my upbringing or the integrity in which Christians are called. Thankfully, God’s love never abandons anyone and eventually I came back to God. He is faithful to forgive us for anything we’ve done when we are sincere in our repentance, but the enemy will work full time to remind you of your past. Receiving salvation is easy when you feel the power of Christ drawing you to Him and His love is overwhelming you, but it can be another story when you wake up the next day and you have to start living life again. Satan loves to bring up thoughts and memories to drown you in guilt and feelings of unworthiness. While much of the battle is an internal struggle with the enemy and our flesh, other people can certainly do their part to remind you of the person you once were.

This new take on the above scripture is extremely poignant for me at this time of my life. I have just written a book and it has been published in the last week or so. One day a few weeks ago as I was working my way through the publishing process, I was struck by some fears that I had never considered previously. Not everyone would be thrilled that I wrote a book. There are people in my past that would remember a different man than I am today, and would scoff at the idea of me writing a faith based book. There is a real possibility that I will have to deal with people reminding me of my past and not just questioning my qualifications, but outright accusing me of hypocrisy. I had never thought about those possibilities before that moment and I suddenly had trepidations about the book’s release. I mean really, who am I to write about a journey with God when my own journey has had so many bleak and dark twists?

Eventually after spending some time in prayer, God started giving me peace and leading me to places in His word that alleviated my fears. He led me to II Corinthians 12:9 which reads, “And He said ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”  My actions and lifestyle choices before I was living for God are part of what makes my testimony. People are hurting and need to know that God can make sense of the mess they’ve made of their lives. They would rather hear about someone that was messed up that God restored than someone who has lived a seemingly perfect life. My journey has been twisted and pretty low at times, but that’s what makes my story relatable. God was able to take what little I had to give and create something brand new from it. Where I am weak, God has made up the difference without me having to rely on my own strength.

I am prepared for whatever backlash comes from my past and from other people’s opinions. My past is what gives my story credibility. God has taken what was pretty broken and used all of those cracks and blemishes to let even more light shine through me. For that, I am humbled and thankful, but not ashamed. “Let no one despise your youth.”

Order The Journey: Staying on the Path paperback or ebook here.

 

Titus 3:5

“not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saves us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit”

 

“Can I have everyone who is righteous raise their hand please?”

*cricket sounds*

“Anyone?”

*not a hand goes up*

This scenario may seem like a perfectly truthful and humble response, but there is something very wrong with it. We’ve discussed humility in a previous post, so we know that being humble is the way we qualify for more grace in our lives. Humility is one of our most powerful allies in becoming an overcomer. So why is the above admission of our sinful state such a bad thing?

It’s pretty simple really. In refusing to call ourselves righteous we are disqualifying ourselves from a whole slew of privileges. Let’s take a look on what we’re missing out.

Proverbs 11:8 reads, “The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead.”

So if we’re not righteous, we have no protection from trouble. That’s unfortunate. What else?

In Isaiah 32:17 the prophet says, “And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service if righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.”

So confidence and peace, at least in a permanent sense, are unattainable without righteousness.

The Psalmist writes in Psalms 112:1-3, “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be might on the earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.”

Without righteousness, even our kids are being held back from their potential! Plus, we’re missing out on blessings and God-given wealth. This is becoming an increasingly dim outlook.

In James 5:16, the apostle writes, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Ouch! Our prayers aren’t even being answered, at least not as effectively as they should be, without that mantle of righteousness.

So, what can we do about this sad state of affairs in which we find ourselves? Thankfully, we don’t have to do much about the foundational problem here. God has already taken care of that. Which brings us to our second major issue with our humbling attitude; we are effectively calling God a liar. He said we are righteous. Being on the wrong side of an argument with God is not where we want to be located! II Corinthians 5:21 states, “For He made Him who know no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus died at the crucifixion, becoming sin for us, so that we would be called righteous. Let’s not contradict God!

I can hear (in my mind at least) some people saying “hey, Romans 3 says that there is none righteous, not even one.” This is a perfect time to extoll the virtues of not taking scriptures out of context. A few verses later in Romans 3:22 Paul writes that righteousness is revealed, “…even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.” No one is righteous separated from God, but through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, righteousness is revealed to all that believe on Him.

Are you saved?

Are you forgiven?

We seem to have no problem believing these things, but believing that we are righteous just sounds wrong to our carnal ears. This has to change! How can we have faith that our prayers will be heard and answered if we are struggling to believe we are righteous? We’re going to have a tough time trusting God to deliver on any of His promises that are declared as privileges of righteousness if we don’t see ourselves as righteous.

Let’s ask God to renew our minds. Let’s determine to see ourselves through His eyes. Let’s stop living below our station as children of the King!

I Samuel 17 8-9

“Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, ‘Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.“

 

In any contest, the rules have to be agreed upon by both sides before the contest starts. In athletic competitions, there are rulebooks and regulations to ensure that everyone starts off on a level playing field. No coach or player is allowed to change the rules mid-game to benefit their own team. We see this enforced from the professional level all the way down to pre-school. If a game of tag is initiated on the playground and no tag-backs are called as a rule and agreed upon by all contestants; that rule stands as law for the duration of the game. There are organizations that exist solely to enforce the rules of college and professional competitions.

War is a whole different animal. Circumventing the “rules” is often what decides a winner or loser in a war. There have always been people or societies that have tried to normalize or regulate the rules of engagement, but innovation and desperation have always been the keys to victory. The atom bomb, the submarine, the tank, sneak attacks, surprise allies; all of these things have changed the direction and outcome of wars throughout history.

This same dynamic was playing out in the Israelites impending battle with the Philistines in I Samuel 17. Both armies were encamped on adjacent mountains with the valley of Elah between them. Neither army was willing to commit their forces to an uphill battle on the opposite mountain. The Philistines’ solution to this was to send their combat champion, Goliath into the valley to challenge any single fighter from Israel. The terms of this one-on-one battle, while not unheard of in this time, were certainly not advantageous to Israel.  Why would Israel choose to submit to rules that are heavily skewed toward the enemy?  Goliath was a giant from the land of Gath. He stood nearly 10 feet tall and wore armor that would weigh a normal man to the ground. Intimidation was the name of the game for Goliath. He was very confident in his hand to hand combat skills. He also had perfected the art of blistering insults and scathing curses. By his speech alone, he was capable of a ferocity that wounded the ego of every soldier in the Israel camp. In addition, His immensity and prowess left little room in the imagination for what would happen to any soldier that tried to go toe-to-toe with him. The result was an entire army that was immobilized with fear, wounded pride, and visions of slavery to the Philistines. So why would the Israelites submit to these rules. The same reason we choose to play by our enemy’s rules day after day; fear, pride, and lack of vision.

It is very easy for us to judge the Israelites knowing how the story ended. However, don’t we do the same kind of thing every day? We simply roll over and let our enemy dictate the rules and we just take it. David was outraged when he heard the things Goliath was saying about his people and especially about his God. He demanded to know why everyone was allowing this enemy soldier to blaspheme God and His armies. His brothers became angry with him for calling their cowardice and lack of faith into the light. We tend to get irritated too when someone tries to speak life and faith to us because we don’t want to upset the status quo or have our fear called out and recognized. The Israelites became so focused on playing the enemy’s game by the enemy’s rules that they forgot to trust in God. Goliath was a big man, but what is any man compared to God? Their vision had been directed at what their enemy wanted them to see. We also let the enemy narrow our vision down to a small point that he is able to direct at any distraction in which he desires us to focus. We then meekly accept any trial or problem that enters our life because that is all we can see. We even mask our fear as hyper spirituality.

We have our go-to phrases like “Everything happens for a reason”, or “This is my cross to bear”, or my favorite “God works in mysterious ways”. Those phrases reveal one of two things about us: either we don’t know what the Word says about our authority as sons and daughters of the King, or we are afraid to evoke our authority because we don’t trust in God to be faithful to His Word. Either scenario isn’t a good representation of what a Christian is supposed to look like. God doesn’t promise us perfect lives, but He does promise us victory over every obstacle that is in our path. Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Don’t water down the Word of God to match your experiences! Let’s elevate our experiences to match the Word!

David did not play by Goliath’s rules. He had no intention of fighting him hand-to-hand. David was a slinger (that was the Hebrew term for one who was proficient with a slingshot). This was no kid’s toy David was wielding, but a greatly feared weapon in the right hands. Goliath’s confidence was towering when he first saw David coming out to meet him, but I’m quite positive that confidence was quickly shattered when David started running and spinning his sling. Goliath probably knew at that point, if David was even slightly proficient as a slinger, he was as good as dead. When the enemy sees that we refuse to play by the rules that he has set forth, and we are using God’s word as a weapon against him, he loses his swagger.

God has promised us triumph over everything the devil can possibly throw at us. There is no disease, no financial setback, and no attack of despair or depression that is part of God’s will for us. We should never just “sit back and take it.” Rules created and enforced by the enemy are never good rules by which to play. So by whose rules are you playing?

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.

Colossians 3:12

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;”

 

“You have lost your mind!”

“You are just asking for trouble.”

“Don’t you know how that is going to play out?”

These are the common responses I receive from people when I tell them that I pray for patience or humility. People, especially Christians, cannot fathom asking God to increase their patience or to teach them humility. There seems to be this unspoken but tangible fear that if you pray for patience, God is going to make you wait for everything.  Or if you’re seeking to gain knowledge and wisdom about humility, God is going to demote you and everything in which you are involved.

Ummmm…. Do we serve the same God?

The first thing that I would have to say to anyone who believes this way is: you need to learn a little bit more about God’s character. I don’t know about you, but I serve a good God! My God is kind, gentle, and filled with amazing grace. We as His children should seek after things that the Bible calls virtuous, which certainly include both being humble and exhibiting patience. To think that He would respond by bringing unpleasant things upon us is a perversion of who He is! Jeremiah 29:11 reads, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Does this sound like a God that wants to make you suffer?

Our minds need to be renewed on some of these things. When I pray for God to teach me patience, He does not go out of His way to make me wait on prayers to be answered. He illuminates scripture. He gives me revelation. He helps me notice and learn from other people’s mistakes and victories. The only time God goes out of His way to make me wait is if His will and His timing aren’t lining up with mine. That’s going to happen whether I’m praying for patience or not. I can exercise my patience every day by staying in faith and not giving in to despair. That is my responsibility to exercise patience, but I seek God to teach me more about it.

If I pray for God to teach me how to be humble and live in humility, He does not “cut me down to size.” He isn’t interested in seeing me debased or dishonored. They may have the same root word, but humility is not humiliation. I exercise that humility by ensuring that any credit that tries to come to me, I deflect back to God. I couldn’t get to the front door in the morning without Him and I want to acknowledge that every day and in every situation. That is my part. However, I look to God to teach me how to better accomplish it. His word says that the proud get resisted and humble get more grace. I need all of the grace I can get! So I study His word and ask for enlightenment, and God never denies His kids good things.

Don’t take my word for it. Search the scriptures. Let’s renew our minds on these subjects. Patience and humility are talked about as two desirable virtues in the Bible, so let’s not treat them as dirty words. Seek after them. Exercise them. Grow in them. The end result will be so worth it!

Matthew 7:3-5

 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.            

 

I once heard a pastor say “It is none of your business how your spouse treats you.” The statement has stuck with me ever since. That sentiment is a rather hard pill to swallow. Notice, he didn’t phrase it “how your wife treats you” or “how your husband treats you” but “how your spouse treats you”. He was very intentional about this wording as this goes for both the husband and the wife. Both husband and wife are equal opportunity recipients of this admonition. What makes it so difficult to think this way?

The number one answer to this question is of course, pride. This display is normally rooted in selfishness, but it certainly manifests itself as plain old pride. Most of us have heard the scripture dealing with pride. Proverbs 16:18 reads, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” The divorce rate in this country and worldwide is almost at a staggering 50%. It has declined in recent years, but the number of people deciding to marry has also declined drastically. That sounds like destruction to me; destruction of the family and the marriage institution as a whole. Pride and selfishness stand in opposition to the covenant relationship of marriage that God instituted in the beginning. Pride says “I will not give in. I am right. It has to be my way.”

The pastor of my church calls this attitude the “shovel ministry”. Any correction or change always needs to be done by someone other than you. We have all participated in the shovel ministry from time to time. Have you ever heard a sermon, a teaching, or even a song and thought “I know someone who really needs to hear THIS!”? It is very easy to spot the shortcomings in other’s lives and fail to ever apply what we’ve heard to our own. There are many times that my wife and I have been sitting in church and have heard the pastor say something poignant and we look at each other and say “put away the shovel dear.” We may have been thinking of the same person, or (heaven forbid) each other, but we both recognize that we need to try to apply it to ourselves. Whenever I find myself thinking that someone in my life needs the correction that I am hearing, I make myself look for ways to use that information or discipline for my own life.

My job isn’t to police anyone else, but to seek out the things I need to change. This is never easy, especially when dealing with my spouse! When we are at odds with each other, my pride is ready to dig in its heels and make her apologize to me. Naturally, her pride is doing the same thing. It can create a rather frosty atmosphere that really isn’t pleasant for anyone in the home. Fortunately, as stubborn as we both are, we never let the cold war go on for very long. Normally, one of us will humble ourselves (that is not the same thing as caving-in, by the way) and apologize and seek some common ground. I always find it amazing that if I apologize, even if I don’t clearly see that I was wrong, God will show me ways that I was indeed wrong; if not wrong about the scenario in question, then wrong about the way I handled it. I have never seen a situation that was 100% one person’s fault and as discussion about the situation ensues, there is always some blame to spread around to both of us.

It isn’t about giving in. It isn’t about “if momma ain’t happy, nobody’s happy”. It’s about our pride giving the enemy of our souls an opportunity to separate us. United we are much stronger than we are divided. The book of Deuteronomy says that one can put a thousand to flight and two can put ten thousand to flight. That is the power of unity. Not only that, but in I Peter 3:7 Peter writes, “ Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” The last thing we want as a couple is for our prayers to be ineffective! We are standing in faith and believing for too many things in our lives and ministries to allow an argument to hinder our prayers. Humility isn’t a dirty word, but rather a powerful way to receive more grace according to the book of James. The proud get resisted, but the humble receive more grace. In our culture and time, we need all of the grace we can get! Put away the shovel and let’s take a long hard look at us. “It’s none of your business how your spouse treats you.”