Today, I found my mind wandering down a path. And I realized I had an ingrained thought pattern that said it was okay to get even with someone. The more I looked at it the more I found its ugly signature all throughout my thinking. If someone irritates me… its okay to flick them. If someone does something to me then I have the right to do that same back to them even it its wrong.
The Bible says “Vengeance is mine!” says the Lord. To often I want to extract my vengeance albeit a small revenge, but its all the same. How often to we do this. If someone calls us a bad name we feel obliged to do the same. If someone points out our sin, we have to make sure that they know about their sin too. Its not pretty and I find it at work in all around me. I find it at work in me! I must confess it is sin. I have this kind of self-righteous, thinking I am deserving of fair treatment kind of righteousness. I know this attitude is not of God, yet too often I hear it all around me in the body of Christ.
I’ll really try not to beat up on too many of you, as Jesus calls me to get the log out of my own eye first, before worrying about the speck in my neighbors eye. But I have noticed that I have this log in my eye so as I pull my log out will help you maybe see your own.
I know it is a worldly attitude that we get growing up. We all learn about retaliation in its various forms. Some people are bullish about it. They force their ways, they hit, they, shove, they name call, they insult, they shame others, all so they can feel like they got theirs in. Others of us are less obvious but just a ugly. We are passive-aggressive. We never do anything overt, but we still find a way to ignore someone’s request or find some excuse not to help. These kinds of little revenges are pitiful, but still just as sinful in nature. The Bible encourages us to love others, consider others’ needs above our own. We are called to love our enemies and forgive those who transgress against us. Yet as I look in the mirror, I am struck by this part of me that is not of God. This part that says I have the right to payback wrong for wrong. It says, if someone sins against you… return them the favor. Now I know it is wrong to act that way. I know this is not the mind of Christ, but yet there is this part of me that says, well that’s how it is. Its okay to smack someone who smacks you. It is okay to take someone to court who wrongs you, but that is the world speaking. It is not Christ speaking. I want to follow in the foot steps of my Master, but it is hard sometimes; hard because I don’t want to repent of my sinful attitudes, I don’t want to trust in His ways, I want to trust in the ways I have learned to live. I think somehow I am deserving of a self-empowered justice. Its only fair isn’t it?God isn’t fair as we understand fair. He is just. He does what is right, He repays wrongs, but He also forgives the sinner. Just because we think we are deserving of something doesn’t mean it fits into God’s idea of justice.
“Its not fair Mother!” the teenager cries, “All the other girls got the new Ipod Nano. Mine only has 10 gigs, theirs have 40!” But is it fair that other children cannot even afford food and basic needs. Our sense of fairness is so self-centered. How often do we really think about justice in the sense that God does. He cares about the widows and the orphans, do we. He cares about the homeless and prostitute do we? Do our lives reflect His sense of justice or is it just about us getting either what we want or what we think we deserve or need?
Okay where was I? Okay so I recognize that in me is this need to get my way, to even get even with others over minor things. It really bothers me when I see people driving recklessly; especially in residential districts. I would like nothing better than the citizens of my neighbor hood to take up all the chestnuts that fall every autumn and carry some with them so that when ever they say a car driving recklessly (too fast or blowing through an intersection or crosswalk) they could take those chestnuts and throw them at those drivers. It would make a part of me so happy, but I know its not the Jesus way. We are shown repeatedly in the New Testament that the only way to overcome evil is with good. Even in proverbs it says “A kind word turns away wrath.” Revenge, even in the smallest things is not really Christian. Its worldly and we are called to not walk as the world walks. And as we know little things lead to bigger things.
I’m a pastor and I have seen lots of ugly behavior on the part of Christians and they talk that like they are in the right and are justified. It makes me sad. I have seen spouses commit adultery because they were convinced their own spouse was already committing it. I have seen Christians take Christians to court. This is a huge no no. I have seen men and women trade insults back and forth in this kind of tit for tat kind of pattern. Its not pretty people, but it has been engrained in us by this world system. I ask you to join with me now and repent of this sinful thought pattern that says its okay to trade wrong for wrong. Its OF THE DEVIL! We are not called to live that way. We are called to forgive quickly, to not keep track of wrongs and to love others in a way that the world can’t comprehend. I can go on an on about this forever but lets just end it here. We don’t need this kind of attitude. Its not a Kingdom of God kind of attitude. Its an ugly, self-centered, me-first, worldly kind of thinking that only leads to death. Lets repent of it not only in the big things… but even in the littlest, seemingly innocent need to get even with our friends, neighbors and enemies.
Be blessed this day I prayIn Him,P.A.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
What do We Do
Its strange how things can touch your mind and heart. I was watching an episode of Numb3rs this morning and something touched me. It was about gang killings. The numbers, if accurate, were staggering. In the L.A. area alone there were some 8000 shootings and 2000 resulting deaths in a period of 4 years. I know it was just a show, but it hit on a really tough thing. I don’t know how accurate the numbers where but it was staggering to think of how many Americans were killing other Americans, for who knows what reason. My first reaction was a racial one, then a social one. I felt so separated and distant from those people and what they are living in. But after a while my heart began to grieve for them. I was thinking about young people filled with anger and hopelessness, killing people around them to preserve their respect or some other intangible thing. Maybe it has to do with territory, maybe its about power and drugs, but it struck me how these people were busy killing each other and often killing innocent people not involved in this madness. What struck me was that they are fighting against the wrong things. They have made their neighbors their enemies. They have set greed and pride as their gods. And what they are reaping is the harvest of their own investment.
Now I can sit back and go, “Oh the pity, why don’t they know better?” or “Why do they live that way?” I’m sure there is some choice involved, but some of it is that they must feel trapped in the choices that those before them have made and the choices their parents have made and the choices they have made. Now we can sit in our white urban middle class homes and cluck our tongues going tisk-tisk, but are we any better as we chase after the dream of wealth and comfort. We may not murder our neighbors, but we sure seem to ignore them and pursue our own goals. Is not our ignoring the needs of our neighbors as condemning as those who are killing them?
I cannot speak with any authority to Americans in general, but I can speak to Christians with the authority of the Word of God and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn’t save us to live safe secure lives. He saved us to be instruments of His will in the world. How many Christians are really concerned for and therefore loving their neighbors? This is an important part of the great commandment. Jesus further redefined the term neighbor in the parable of the Good Samaritan. A good neighbor isn’t just one who looks after others like them, but a good neighbor is someone who takes care of those who might even hate him.
In the story of the good Samaritan, we sometimes forget the background. Jews and Samaritans where very divided about the place of worship. Jews hated Samaritans so much that the would walk miles out of their way to avoid going into Samaria. Sounds a lot like rich Americans and the inner-city urbane areas some people call ghettos. Well it is the despised Samaritan who helps a Jew in need. In this story Jesus shows that true love of neighbors knows no cultural, ethnic or territorial bounds.
I know I have a long way to go on this one. I have few friends of color. I currently live in a country that is very very predominately white, yet I encounter cultural differences that I too must learn to cross that I might show the love of my Lord and Savior Jesus.
Back the main point. Jesus wants us to love people regardless of how they view us and treat us. We WILL be persecuted for obeying Jesus. We WILL be ridiculed for following Jesus, but that’s okay. We’re in good company with all the saints that when before us. What isn't okay is living a life of ease and refusing to follow Jesus’ example by loving people that most religious people refuse to love. It’s a high standard, but Jesus doesn’t ask us to do anything He didn’t already show could be done and He gave us his Holy Spirit to empower us to do it. We are not in this alone. He hasn’t left us out to dry. He has in fact given us the dynamite to change the world around us. Its time we put it to work for His Name’s sake.
As Christians we aren’t called to be grumblers and complainers, but instead triumphant world changers. Not by purposely changing it, or by seeking to be world changers but by being obedient to God’s will, loving and offering salvation to all who will hear. And then teaching them then how to live as people of the Living God; teaching them how to love their neighbors and their enemies with courage, love and determination that flows out of a ongoing personal relationship with Our God and Savior.
Right now I am on the wrong side of the world to do much about this in America, but I pray that as I am praying for God’s will in this, that you too will pray and ask God, “What do you want me to do about this?”
How do we help the people of inner cities combat the real crimes? How do we help them to stop worshiping at the alters of personal power and personal glory? How do we change how we live to affect the lives of others for the better? Our lives cannot be about amassing wealth and creature comforts. Our lives cannot be about protecting ourselves from the “bad” people.
Our lives need to be defined in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our lives need to exhibit the transformational work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot ignore the needs of our neighbors and call ourselves Christians. Jesus clearly stated in the end times judgment of the goats and the sheep that his people minister to the needs of the people around them, while those who just think they are His do not help their neighbors and therefore are not His people. If you have any problems with this I suggest you read the gospels a few more times and get back to me.
In His Love and by His Grace,
P.A.
Now I can sit back and go, “Oh the pity, why don’t they know better?” or “Why do they live that way?” I’m sure there is some choice involved, but some of it is that they must feel trapped in the choices that those before them have made and the choices their parents have made and the choices they have made. Now we can sit in our white urban middle class homes and cluck our tongues going tisk-tisk, but are we any better as we chase after the dream of wealth and comfort. We may not murder our neighbors, but we sure seem to ignore them and pursue our own goals. Is not our ignoring the needs of our neighbors as condemning as those who are killing them?
I cannot speak with any authority to Americans in general, but I can speak to Christians with the authority of the Word of God and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn’t save us to live safe secure lives. He saved us to be instruments of His will in the world. How many Christians are really concerned for and therefore loving their neighbors? This is an important part of the great commandment. Jesus further redefined the term neighbor in the parable of the Good Samaritan. A good neighbor isn’t just one who looks after others like them, but a good neighbor is someone who takes care of those who might even hate him.
In the story of the good Samaritan, we sometimes forget the background. Jews and Samaritans where very divided about the place of worship. Jews hated Samaritans so much that the would walk miles out of their way to avoid going into Samaria. Sounds a lot like rich Americans and the inner-city urbane areas some people call ghettos. Well it is the despised Samaritan who helps a Jew in need. In this story Jesus shows that true love of neighbors knows no cultural, ethnic or territorial bounds.
I know I have a long way to go on this one. I have few friends of color. I currently live in a country that is very very predominately white, yet I encounter cultural differences that I too must learn to cross that I might show the love of my Lord and Savior Jesus.
Back the main point. Jesus wants us to love people regardless of how they view us and treat us. We WILL be persecuted for obeying Jesus. We WILL be ridiculed for following Jesus, but that’s okay. We’re in good company with all the saints that when before us. What isn't okay is living a life of ease and refusing to follow Jesus’ example by loving people that most religious people refuse to love. It’s a high standard, but Jesus doesn’t ask us to do anything He didn’t already show could be done and He gave us his Holy Spirit to empower us to do it. We are not in this alone. He hasn’t left us out to dry. He has in fact given us the dynamite to change the world around us. Its time we put it to work for His Name’s sake.
As Christians we aren’t called to be grumblers and complainers, but instead triumphant world changers. Not by purposely changing it, or by seeking to be world changers but by being obedient to God’s will, loving and offering salvation to all who will hear. And then teaching them then how to live as people of the Living God; teaching them how to love their neighbors and their enemies with courage, love and determination that flows out of a ongoing personal relationship with Our God and Savior.
Right now I am on the wrong side of the world to do much about this in America, but I pray that as I am praying for God’s will in this, that you too will pray and ask God, “What do you want me to do about this?”
How do we help the people of inner cities combat the real crimes? How do we help them to stop worshiping at the alters of personal power and personal glory? How do we change how we live to affect the lives of others for the better? Our lives cannot be about amassing wealth and creature comforts. Our lives cannot be about protecting ourselves from the “bad” people.
Our lives need to be defined in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our lives need to exhibit the transformational work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot ignore the needs of our neighbors and call ourselves Christians. Jesus clearly stated in the end times judgment of the goats and the sheep that his people minister to the needs of the people around them, while those who just think they are His do not help their neighbors and therefore are not His people. If you have any problems with this I suggest you read the gospels a few more times and get back to me.
In His Love and by His Grace,
P.A.
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