Time to Switch Careers!

Photo by Kimberlykv - CC BY 2.0

For some reason Christians often believe that blessing and difficulty are mutually exclusive words. Unlike peanut butter and chocolate, blessing and difficulty don’t seem like good traveling companions.

When God blesses our lives shouldn’t our circumstances work out with ease? Shouldn’t we prosper in every aspect of our jobs? Shouldn’t others like and respect us? Shouldn’t our ministry efforts go smoothly? After all, God certainly has the ability to make things happen, why wouldn’t He—all the time? Shouldn’t the Christian life be a piece of cake?

Thinking about the Apostle Paul, we would all concur that there was a man who lived a blessed life! But when we survey the actual details of Paul’s life, he experienced difficulties for Christ that would make a Navy Seal wince. Even at the end of Paul’s life, most of his traveling companions had abandoned him. And yet he was blessed!

Apparently Peter’s thinking also fell along these lines: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you…” 1 Peter 4:12 (NASB).

I think it’s safe to say that not only are we surprised by fiery ordeals, we often find ourselves incredulous that God would have the audacity to even allow them. Isn’t a fiery ordeal a sure sign of an uncaring or absentee God?

As I said in my last post, an integral part of God’s agenda is to form us into champions of the faith. Perseverance through adversity breeds proven character; everything good and true must be tested. If our Christian lives don’t in some form stretch our faith to its limits, I’m not sure that we’re walking with God.

During a profound moment Jesus told His followers not to work for physical food, but rather for eternal provision. Whether confused or upset I don’t know, but they responded with a question: “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”

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Surprisingly, Jesus responded with “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

Um, well, not exactly what your average pastor would say on any given Sunday. But I think I get what Jesus was saying. The foundation for all of life is an absolute trust in our heavenly Father. Out of faith flows redemption and peace with God. Out of faith flows physical provision. Out of faith flows fruitful labor for the Gospel.

In a sense Jesus was saying, “Don’t be a laborer. Switch careers and be a believer! Don’t expend all of your energy to fill your stomach. Feed your soul on the Bread of Life! Don’t walk by sight. Walk by faith!”

Did you know that some (not all) forms of depression are reactive? We become discouraged and depressed as a result of our reaction to circumstances that are not what we want (or think they should be). We hold onto an idealized form of reality, while growing increasingly negative in our view of life. Some (or all) of our reasons for being bothered may truly be valid, but when our expectations morph into an attempt to control our circumstances and the people around us, everybody loses.

All of this means that we need to periodically reevaluate our approach to life to ensure that we are deliberately processing everything through the eye of faith. Personally I find it necessary to sometimes slow the pace of life, taking extra time to prayerfully reflect on issues that may be bothering me. Concern for a loved one, an unanswered prayer, frustration with our government, or a reluctance to move in a new direction in life can all be things that weigh on me over the course of time. I begin to feel burdened without really knowing why. As I take the time to honestly identify specific issues, surrender them to God, and choose to exercise faith, I can sense the burdens immediately begin to lift.

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Christianity is a full-time faith-walk. Not a comfort-walk. Not a security-walk. Not a spectator-walk. But a faith-walk. Until we come to grips with this reality; that every facet of life must be processed through the eye of faith, we’ll not only be discouraged, we’ll be continually plagued by a deceptive sense of powerlessness.

God has so much more for us than we are currently experiencing. Let’s get on with our new career!

Get with the Game!

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The morning sun glistened through the heavy frost still tinting the edges of my windows as I pulled into the high school parking lot. Can you think of a better activity for a cold January morning than an eight and under wrestling tournament? I certainly can.

It’s not that I dislike wrestling; I really enjoyed my son’s participation in the sport through his junior and senior high school years. But this was a very different experience—some of these boys hadn’t yet learned to tie their shoes.  I can only imagine the experience from the perspective of a five-year old.

Picture yourself as a small boy. You joined the wrestling program so you could frolic and play with friends. The practices are a little boring (can’t escape those adult rules), but for the most part it’s a great social time as you hang out and make new buddies. The idea of going to a wrestling tournament sounds simply like a multiplication (even though you don’t know what multiplication means) of the fun.

But the day doesn’t start well as your parents drag you out of bed at an absurd hour. After a long car ride, rushing into the gym is even worse than the walk to the car on this 18-degree morning! The place is packed to overflowing as the crowd buzzes loudly with excitement. A few adults wearing striped referee shirts make you line up like animals and strip half-naked while they inspect for skin diseases.

Photo by Beth Rankin - CC BY 2.0

With fearful anticipation you survey the scene. Four matches are going on at once, shrill whistles are blowing, and adults are constantly yelling. Some sound very mean. Half of the losers come off the mat crying. The other half seem oblivious to the fact that they lost.

Eventually you find yourself standing by the mat staring at another lost looking kid about your size. The guy in the stripe shirt lines you up and pierces the air with his whistle. Suddenly all h-e-double toothpicks breaks loose as everyone screams for you and the other kid to throw each other to the mat. You decide to grab him, but get penalized for an illegal move. An illegal move–what’s that?

I think you get the picture. But my problem isn’t with wrestling or even with wrestling tournaments. It’s with forcing immature children into a harsh adult world much too quickly. Some might say this is the world in which we live. I tend to wish that our children had more time to remain relatively innocent.

But the goal of this post isn’t to malign the shortcomings of youth wrestling—it’s to highlight a problem I see with what we might call youth Christianity.

While watching those lost little guys on the mat, I couldn’t help but think of the many professing Christians who have no clue that we are at war. To them, Christianity is about blessings and benefits and going to heaven some day. Thus, they are totally unprepared when the whistle blows and life turns crazy.

“¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³

Photo by J. Michael Tracy - CC BY 2.0

Therefore take up the whole armor of God . . . that you may be able to withstand in the evil day . . . ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” Ephesians 6:11-17 (ESV).

Now wait just a minute! Nobody said anything about “cosmic powers” or “spiritual forces of evil” or even “flaming darts.” All I did was raise my hand so that I could be forgiven and go to heaven!

Once again I think you get the picture. You see, the problem with youth Christianity is that if we don’t understand the dynamics of life, we find ourselves lost in the struggle. While we constantly grapple for security, comfort, and pleasure; our enemies try to take us out and our Commander In Chief seeks to form us into champions of the faith. If we don’t recognize that all of life’s circumstances are intended to sweeten our spirits and strengthen our faith, we’ll find ourselves anxious, angry and depressed because of the confusing battles we face.

I wish things were different, but Christians don’t have the luxury to remain spiritually immature children. The hope and peace that come with Christianity can only be found as we Get with the Game! (written in an encouraging manner; not yelling; honest)

Steeler Nation Wiping Tears with Terrible Towels

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My hopeful anticipation quickly faded on Sunday as I laid on the edge of the couch watching the painful loss of the would-be World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Painful because of their many injuries. Painful because of how they played. Painful because of how they lost. Painful because of the non-penalized, illegal formation on the last play of the game. Painful! Painful! Painful!

Phone lines immediately lit up for the local sports talk shows. Emails flowed as fans provided their armchair critiques. Hines Ward called it one of the worst losses he had ever experienced. Filled with shame, Ike Taylor wouldn’t even talk with the media. The entire Steeler nation lapsed into a state of mourning.

Photo by daveynin - CC BY 2.0

There’s been much talk about how the performance of college and professional sports teams affects the psyche of a geographic region. Success in sports helps to ease the pain of economic and domestic difficulties. Failure intensifies the agony. Panthers. Pirates. Steelers. Penguins. Western Pennsylvania is walking with an emotional limp; our hope wearing an ankle boot.

But amazingly, the sun still came up on Monday morning—doubly significant because it’s always cloudy in Western PA in January (and the rest of the year for that matter). Perhaps God wasn’t aware of the Steeler loss.

Proverbs 13:12 tells us that, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Heart-sick—sounds like an appropriate description of how the Pittsburgh Steeler faithful feel (not to mention the fans of all of the other pro football teams that have fallen short this season).

There’s only one problem with this scenario—and it’s a big one! Professional football is first a business (notice the Professional), and second a game. We err to our own detriment when we put so much hope in a group of highly paid (yet fallible) men running around in tights chasing an odd-shaped ball.

If hope deferred makes the heart sick, continually misplaced hope makes it diseased. We find ourselves downtrodden, constantly searching for a few bright spots of victory. And it isn’t just sports; there are so many other areas in life in which our focus is on a human-based hope.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 speaks primarily of faith, but I think a strong connection can also be made to where we focus our hope:

“Thus says the LORD, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD. For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant.

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Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit’” (NASB).

If we want 2012 to be full of life, the appropriate response is to focus our attention on The Living Hope. I’m not saying that we can’t enjoy sports, or that the economy or the presidential elections are unimportant. It’s just that these things pale in comparison to the eternal hope we have in Christ—a hope which never fades; a hope which serves as the anchor of one’s soul in turbulent times.

Personally, I’m so thankful that there’s more to Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life” (NASB). With the right focus, each and every day in 2012 can be brimming with hope and filled with life! Go Tebow!

Hope for a Chocolaty 2012

For years, sweet treats were never much of a temptation for me. But my dear wife always kept her stash and, well, you can only guess the rest of the story. It’s like the Bible says: Bad company corrupts good morals! I am now a certified fan of chocolate. An American staple, this tasty treat serves as a perfect complement to any meal—or between meal snack for that matter. What chocolate lover wouldn’t want the coming year to be filled with sweet bliss?

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With the turn of the year, it’s been interesting to hear people comment about 2011. A small handful felt that it was an amazing year. A larger number, it seems, are anxious to put it fully behind us in anticipation of a better 2012.

For many, the idea of putting a bad year behind them is an annual ritual. It begins with hopefulness of better things to come, but with each passing year the hope lessens and the joy of celebration begins to fade. January 1 offers no more promise than December 31.

A mix of factors contributes to our perception of a year. Some are beyond our control—the loss of a loved one for example. Our general outlook on life is another key. Let’s face it; if my perspective is negatively inclined, the likelihood of having a highly favorable year is pretty much nil.

Seriously now, what are the chances of life’s circumstances exactly aligning with our desires? I remember a former pastor saying, “No matter how good life gets, there will always be a fly in the ointment.” Apparently this applies to chocolate as well.

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Most of us are aware that the government allows a certain number of insect and rodent parts in chocolate. (Supposedly this allowance temporarily increases every 7^th year to allow for the locust cycle.) While we prefer not to think about the reality of bugs in our momentary sweet escapes from the harsh realities of life, the truth is that no real damage is done. Think about it—some people eat chocolate covered insects on purpose! One expert even believes that the allowance should be increased so that we would consume more of the more healthy insects and less of the less healthy pesticides used to kill those bugs. Makes sense. (I think.)

Personally, I’ve come to enjoy a good piece of dark chocolate, but prefer not to look for those stray insect parts. Sometimes I close my eyes to avoid ruining the moment. Having not found a bug in any of my treats, I’m not sure if I’d be grossed out or not. Would I continue to enjoy the sweet, rich taste of the candy, or would I throw it in the garbage in disgust? Would my day be completely ruined by a few bug legs (or wings, or heads, etc.)?

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Life is never perfect. If our happiness depends upon circumstances being just right, we’ll miss the sweetness and find ourselves sullen and depressed. Let’s face it, in our fallen world we don’t have to look for negative circumstances. They’re all around us! And if we want 2012 to be better than 2011, one of the keys is to change the manner in which we process the negative circumstances of our lives. Admittedly, this has never been my strength, although I think I’ve improved in recent years.

Through the next several weeks I’ll share a few of the keys that have helped me to better enjoy the sweetness of walking with God. In the meantime, whether it be dark, milk or white; in candy, cake or cookie, I wish you a sweet, chocolaty, hope-filled 2012!

Searching for Peace? Bend the Knee!

By John WIlliam Waterhouse - Public Domain in U.S. Due to Expired Copyright

A teenager sneaks out of the house in the middle of the night. A wife continually nags her husband. A man explodes in anger because dinner is cold. A politician agrees to cover an indiscretion in exchange for a vote. A science professor blackballs a promising young PhD candidate for believing in God. A young girl dabbles in witchcraft to cast a spell on the classmate she despises. An aspiring supervisor spreads false rumors about the current boss. A church splits because of an argument over the color of the carpet. A couple of gang members drive through another gang’s turf spraying bullets in all directions. A drug lord brutally murders a leader from another cartel. Several terrorists bomb an elementary school filled with children….

The common denominator in each of these scenarios? They all involve efforts to dominate and control others. This struggle for power, inherent to the entire human race, is a third primary source of the conflict that continually mars our world. But it wasn’t meant to be this way!

“²⁷God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” Genesis 1:27-28 (NASB).

The "First Mourning" by William-Adolphe Bouguereau - Public Domain in U.S. Due to Expired Copyright

Notice that man was given dominance over animal life, but not over other people. Everything changed when Adam & Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in an effort to be like God apart from God. Immediately conflict erupted; a blame game was soon followed with their eldest son murdering his younger brother. Domination and control.

In so many ways God can do what we humans cannot. God can be the center of the universe without becoming self-centered. God is able to receive massive amounts of glory and yet never be demeaning to others. God is the sovereign Lord of the universe, yet still gives humans the freedom to make individual choices. God reigns, but He doesn’t control. Mankind seeks to control, extinguishing freedom and creating conflict.

Someone might argue that, historically, religion has been used to oppress others—and I would wholeheartedly agree. But I would also be quick to note the marked difference between rule-based religion and New Covenant Christianity. Confusing the two never results in anything good!

I know that this flows totally against our natural way of thinking, but serving Jesus as the Lord of our lives is actually the path to true freedom. The “good news and great joy” of the Christmas Story is not just that of a Savior coming to Earth (as awesome as this is) but also of a Lord; a Lord of a very different character than those who use their position and authority to dominate and control those beneath them.

Ignore Christ or try to remove Him from Christmas? To a certain degree, God will allow us to. But we’ll be on our own as we reap the consequences of the resulting conflict!

Photo by xenia - morgueFile

Personally, I’m learning more and more to celebrate the lordship of Christ. The peace of His kingdom is of an entirely different nature than the forced peace that results from a domineering ruler squelching every voice of opposition. The peace of Christ brings wholeness and well-being, covering us with an umbrella of safety in the form of love-shaped freedom. Are you searching for peace? Willingly bend your knee to the Christ the Lord!

“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” Luke 2:10-11 (NASB).

A Double-Edged Sword of Glory

As Christmas nears, so does the push to remove its Christian roots. Eric Bolling of Fox Business News recently sparked controversy when he kicked atheist Dan Barker off of his show. Barker, a spokesman for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which is based in Wisconsin, was pushing for the removal of a nativity scene from the property of a public courthouse in Texas.

While listening to the interview, it became quite clear that Barker’s efforts (and most likely those from the entire Freedom From Religion Foundation) were primarily motivated by the perceived Danger in the Manger. Bolling (a professing Christian) sees nothing offensive about a nativity scene, whereas Barker feels that, “The nativity scene basically is an insult to human nature, that we are all doomed and damned…” This story points us toward a second source of conflict as found in the Christmas Story—A Double-Edged Sword of Glory.

This format does not permit the opportunity to unpack a more complete understanding of the issue, but that doesn’t prevent us from recognizing that human beings crave significance, status and greatness–glory! In the Garden Adam & Eve had been clothed with God’s glory, but in choosing independence from their Creator, the human race finds itself with a glory deficiency. Our insatiable appetite for glory cuts two ways in creating conflict: 1.) in lifting one person (or group) up and 2.) putting another person (or group) down.

Photo by Ariaski - CC BY-ND 2.0

Nazi Germany provides an extreme example of the same type of conflict that has destroyed millions of lives throughout history. The Nazis exalted themselves as the superior Aryan race while violently oppressing the Jews (who they painted to be less than human). Through the Double-Edged Sword of Glory, one is exalted; the other insulted.

Barker is right in observing that Christ’s coming to Earth as Savior is a huge “insult to human nature”. It’s as though God was saying, “I’ve given you thousands of years to get things right, but when I survey the Earth it’s obvious to Me that you have screwed things up beyond human hope. The only option left is for Me to come down there and fix humanity Myself.” To add insult to injury, at the birth of Christ a host of heaven appeared saying, “Glory to God in the highest . . . .” (Luke 2:14)

Through the Christmas Story we see that God is exalted to the highest place of status and significance. Humanity, on the other hand is deemed to be lost beyond human remedy. Indeed, this is the message of the nativity as correctly interpreted by atheists such as Barker.

But which message provides real hope for humanity? If we were to totally remove Christianity from our landscape, would atheism lead us down a path of hope and peace? Would it provide the antidote for every human’s self-centered quest for glory? I think not.

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And if not from the Garden, where does mankind’s inherent need for glory originate? According to an atheistic worldview (founded upon naturalistic evolution), humanity has simply evolved from some primordial slime pit. We’re no different or better than the animals. We have no eternal substance or significance. It makes no sense that we would crave glory. In other words, from a perspective of naturalistic evolution, humans should have absolutely no reason to be offended by the birth of Christ. If atheists were correct in their unbeliefs, the Nativity would simply be irrelevant—not an insult to human nature.

Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ an offense to human nature? Absolutely! But within the Gospel we also see the power to sheath the Double-Edged Sword of Glory. Christ came into this world for love, not judgment. Those who yield to His plan become sons and daughters of God, living temples of the Holy Spirit. I can imagine no higher honor, no greater significance. Through knowing our high place of status in the eyes of our Creator, each of us can finally be free from our animosity-ridden glory deficiency. The result? It can be seen in the second part of Luke 2:14: “on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

His glory is our peace! May both His glory and His peace pervade your households as you exalt Christ during this Christmas season!

Danger in the Manger!

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Picture the scene with me if you will: An obnoxious siren blares loudly as emergency lights flash and a mechanical voice drones on with an unending mantra of “DANGER! DANGER!” Soon a group of workers in Hazmat suits begin cautiously dismantling a crèche sitting in front of the county courthouse.

One by one they carefully load various animals onto a hazardous materials truck—an ox, a couple of sheep and, of course, a donkey. Mary and Joseph soon follow. Finally, all that is left is the especially dangerous baby Jesus. With the same extreme caution of moving a nuclear bomb, the workers inch the infant closer to a containment vessel.

Original Photo by RDECOM - CC BY 2.0

Finally, latches are clasped and locks sealed; the truck and its large entourage of police cars and military vehicles disappear out of sight, soon followed by the final flashing of the last red emergency light. A few stragglers linger in front of the courthouse, but within the hour all are gone; the uninformed never realizing that another deadly disaster has been luckily averted!

It all sounds a little extreme, I know, but with the onslaught of lawsuits against manger displays on government property, one might tend to think that there is something exceedingly dangerous about a baby lying in a manger. But, you see, there is!! That seemingly helpless infant is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! King Herod thought him enough of a threat to murder all of the young male children in His geographical area. Since that time, repressive governments have consistently sought to repress all Christian expression. The stark truth remains that there is Danger in the Manger—at least to the kingdoms of man (used in a generic sense).

Through my next few posts I’d like to highlight three primary areas of conflict between humanism and Christianity as seen in the Christmas Story of the Gospel of Luke—you know, the one still legally (thankfully) recited by Linus on A Charlie Brown Christmas. Each of these three areas poses a point of contention between humanism and the kingdom of God, but also amongst the individual kingdoms of man.

The first arena of conflict isn’t necessarily spelled out for us, but is certainly inherent to the Christmas Story. At the center of any kingdom stands its king. The instant that Jesus arrived on the scene, He became the central figure.

Shepherds left their flocks to seek Him. Caravans traveled from distant lands to give gifts and pay homage. Priests and prophets immediately began to declare His awesome supremacy. And all of this probably took place before Jesus the Son of Man was even old enough to walk!

In the Western culture of the United States we have worked tirelessly to remove Jesus from the center of our existence—and with surprising success. We’ve somehow managed to secularize the very holiday celebrating His birth to the point that it’s all about us. All about our needs, our wants, our desires. All about our shopping experiences and corporate profits. All about our warm and fuzzy Happy Holidays feelings. All about some jolly mythical figure who provides us with all of the self-absorbed pleasures of Christmas, while making no claim of centrality. I’m no Santa hater, but you can be sure that he was created by man solely for the benefit of man—mainly because Jesus would never tolerate such nonsense.

Through our deliberate and persistent efforts, we’ve lost not only the substance, but also the peace of Christmas. You see, peace isn’t just about an absence (of conflict), it’s about a Presence. His presence! It’s a peace that goes beyond words—even beyond comprehension. A peace without which the human race will continue to find itself mired not only in conflict, but also with a gnawing sense of emptiness; an emptiness which no number of presents under the holiday tree can ever fill.

Original Photo by richcd - morgueFile

Is there Danger in the Manger? You’d better believe it! But only for those who insist upon a self-centered existence.

⁸“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ¹⁴‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.’” Luke 2:8-14 (KJV)

“…And that’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

The Conflict Killer

Photo by hurley_gurlie182 - morgueFile

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to observe that every kingdom belongs to the realm of a king; simply by definition a kingdom is a king’s domain. There is no established size to a kingdom—the extent of the realm depends mainly on geography and the might of the king.

In the West we don’t talk in kingdom terms these days. Kingdoms, after all, are not very democratic. We don’t think it’s right for the average person not to have a voice (or apparent voice) in the affairs of the state. Even in nations with a king or queen, such as the United Kingdom, the monarch’s power is diminished greatly by a constitutional monarchy.

Photo by Jessie B. Awalt - U.S. Navy - Public Domain

The move away from absolute monarchies has taken place for a very good reason—despotism. Time and time again, citizens of countries across the globe have learned (in an all-too-real manner) the importance of limiting the power of their leaders. One of the more recent efforts took place in Libya as the people sacrificially fought to bring down Muammar Gaddafi, the self-appointed king of kings of Africa.

In March of 2009 Gaddafi stormed out of an Arab summit proclaiming: “I am an international leader, the dean of the Arab rulers, the king of kings of Africa and the imam (leader) of Muslims, and my international status does not allow me to descend to a lower level.”[1]

Without question Gaddafi was an eccentric, often exhibiting bizarre behavior. But still his comments are typical of human thinking, “My . . .  status will not allow me to descend to a lower level.”

We’ve learned to utilize governmental structures to limit the human lusts for power and self-exaltation, but human nature has failed to evolve beyond these base desires. Instead, narcissism, the desire to be a god, is on the rise in Western culture. Whether it be in the home, the local country club, or the church, we constantly see these tendencies played out on a day to day basis. I’ll go into greater detail in the future, but for now I’d like to contrast the natural human tendency toward self-exaltation with the life of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was an extreme radical in His day for more than one reason. There’s no question that He proclaimed His own deity, but His attitudes and actions were often the opposite of what one would expect from the true King of Kings. Jesus purposely went lower instead of higher. Rather than parade with kings and priests, Jesus mingled with not only common people, but with the outcasts that even the commoners despised. I think it safe to say that many cultures value humility as a virtue mostly because of the life of Christ.

Humility is a conflict killer. Many an explosive situation can be diffused simply by descending to a lower level. Pride always takes offense. Humility looks beyond personal offense and is able to honor others even in the midst of heated conflict.

Last week I had an encounter with a woman who was spittin’ mad at me for a wrong that I did not do. My natural tendency may have been to respond with anger, but instead I choose to bite my lip and follow Christ’s example by treating her with respect and listening to her concerns. Before long the situation had been diffused and she was showing me pictures of her pet!

Photo by jdurham - morgueFile

It is my experience that people in our culture are becoming increasingly harsh and territorial. This trend coincides with a progression away from Biblical Christianity toward secularization. A few secularists see humility as a virtue, but in general humility makes little sense apart from a religious context. All of this means that the prevalence of conflict around us isn’t going diminish anytime soon.

Our Lord once said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” Matthew 5:9 (ESV). Those who want to be conflict killers can only do so as they surrender to the humble nature of our Lord and Savior.

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[1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1165858/Im-king-kings-Gaddafi-storms-Arab-summit-labels-Saudi-king-British-product.html#ixzz1g2cXHC00

the clash of the kingdoms of the gods

Photo by Casey Fox - CC BY-ND 2.0

At first glance interpersonal conflict may seem to be the result of practical issues such as poor communication and differences in perspective. Certainly, more often than not, a lack in conflict resolution skills can yield a truckload of unnecessary pain and confusion. Let’s face it; there are times when we simply don’t have a clue about how to resolve a difficult issue.

My personal experience is that many young people are seriously lacking in such skills because they have not seen them modeled well in the older generations. Avoiding an issue or sending a text (or drawing swords) often proves to be much easier than a mature face to face, heart to heart discussion. Easier for sure, but not at all effective!

Upon taking a deeper look, we can quickly see that for conflict to be perpetuated other factors almost always enter into play. Why do we so often avoid a healthy face to face discussion when emotions run high? Fear of losing control can be a significant motivating factor. We’re uncertain of how the other party might respond and afraid that we might not be able to articulate an effective response. In so many ways it’s about self-preservation!

Lurking not so far beneath the surface of our broken and damaged relationships is an ongoing clash of the kingdoms of the gods. On one hand we have the benevolent kingdom of God over which the Creator of the Universe rules. In opposition we find the kingdoms of gods, which often clash with one another as well. These kingdoms are ruled by a host of self-proclaimed deities; such conflicts have been raging almost since the beginning of time as we know it.

It all began in the Garden of Eden with the big lie. Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because they had a desire to be like God apart from God. In other words, being dependent subjects of His kingdom held little appeal; they wanted to be their own gods with their own kingdoms to rule.

One God–universal peace! Many gods–universal conflict!

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As humans, we perpetuate conflict when we feel as though our kingdoms are being threatened in one way or another. We’re either upset/afraid of pain or loss, or we’re bent on extending our rule over the lives of others. A conflict may begin for a genuine, practical reason, but it’s the clash of the kingdoms of the gods that keeps the fires stoked with additional fuel.

At its core, Christianity puts all of us on the same page as subjects of God’s kingdom. Thus, our only lasting conflict should be against the kingdom of darkness. All too often, however, we establish our domains in the name of God only; in reality they serve as our own feudal states. Many of our ministries, for example, are characterized by the type of self-centeredness that appalls us when we see it in the lives of our people.

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A pastor may seek to promote his church above the others in town, looking down with judgment and suspicion upon those who don’t share his superior doctrine. He may see church growth as a competition to be achieved at the expense of others. Like a basketball player fighting for a rebound, he seeks to reach souls in the name of God, but primarily for the benefit of his team.

I am ashamed to say that this type of sectarian attitude abounds within many of our Christian denominations. And while I don’t think it wise for all of us to morph into one uniform organization, I believe we err greatly in our attempts to build human kingdoms in the name of Christ. If our churches and ministries are sowing to the flesh, how in the world can we expect our people to bear the sweet and pleasant fruit of the Spirit?

We Grow What We Plant!

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If you’ve ever driven through parts of the south during the fall, you may have noticed a large cotton bale sitting in the middle of a field waiting to be loaded and transported to the mill—a process that many of your clothes have already gone through. One thing is for sure: these bales are always sitting in cotton fields. You can’t grow cotton where you’ve planted tomatoes.

The law of sowing and reaping has both natural and supernatural consequences. Sometimes the results are desirable; sometimes painful. If we sow good things, we reap good things. Sow bad things and reap the same.

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⁷ “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8 (NASB)

The contrast here is essentially between Spirit and self. Either we think and act according to the things of God’s Holy Spirit or we think and act according to the things of our old selfish and fallen nature (the flesh).

Why Paul’s opening comment, “Do not be deceived . . .”? Because we easily convince ourselves that sowing to the self is the best policy. After all, there are certain benefits to looking out for number one! The short-term benefits may indeed be desirable, but the long-term fruit of selfish pride is never good. The bottom line is that we reap what we sow—not what we wish to reap or profess to reap. This is the law of sowing and reaping. Life always works this way—no matter how strongly we may hope or believe otherwise.

When we talk about dissension, it’s important to understand that majority of almost all conflict comes back to self in one way or another. If two people are in conflict, one or both of them is probably sowing to the flesh. Sometimes the self-centered behavior is obvious. Other times it’s much more subtle. Either way, we reap what we sow.

Recently I said something stupid that hurt a loved one. Did I intend to bring pain to the individual? By no means—it was the last thing on my mind! The problem was that I was frustrated about my circumstances and so my thoughts were centered around me and what I wanted. The hurtful words that came out of my mouth were simply the expression of a thought life being sown to the flesh. The resulting conflict was by no means pleasant, but I did humble myself to ask forgiveness and God graciously restored the situation.

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One of the primary problems in all of this is that we simply don’t recognize the difference between a Spirit-seed and a flesh-seed. Let’s be deliberate in the coming weeks to pray for God’s wisdom as we unpack a deeper understanding of the selfish roots that poison our relationships!

¹³ “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:13-18 (NASB)