As most of you reading this are aware, Phil Robertson of nationally acclaimed "Duck Dynasty," has gotten into some trouble. In an interview with GQ magazine, Robertson expressed his beliefs about homosexual behavior. In a nutshell, Robertson quoted Scripture about homosexual practice being sinful, and without repentance, something that will keep individuals from inheriting the kingdom of God. He also goes on to list other sins besides homosexuality, and he expresses that he too was a sinner who needed Jesus Christ as his Savior.
The outrage from the LGBT community and organizations like GLADD led A&E to suspend Robertson indefinitely from the television show. Which - on a side note - I'm not sure how that is going to work considering the show is filmed at Robertson's house, business, and among his family. A&E immediately rushed to separate themselves from Robertson's comments by expressing that his words are an expression of his personal beliefs, not their beliefs.
A&E's decision yesterday went viral. Every other post and comment on Facebook and Twitter is talking about this decision. Many people are writing articles and blog posts, like this one, to give their opinion on the matter. Most of the people I follow, and are friends with, are outraged. Of course, there is a large segment of people in the country who are happy to see this decision made because the comments from Robertson were offensive to them. So once again we have a nation divided over morality, particularly over homosexuality. This issue is simply not going to go away or die down.
A Piece of Advice
There are many good things written today about this topic (here and here). What I want to offer is a piece of advice for Christians on how to handle this and other situations that are sure to arise over this topic.
1. Stand Firm. Christians may not be in the moral majority on this topic, but we must continue to stand firm on Scripture's teachings, not the culture's ebbs and flows. We do not take our cue from the opinions of man, but we lean in to what God has to say, through His Word, and allow that to form our worldview.
2. Don't Be An Idiot. There is not a gentler way for me to say it. Yes, as Christians, we think Phil Robertson got hosed. We see this as an attack not on just his family, but us. We feel attacked. We feel ostracized. We feel muzzled. However, "how" we stand up in this world to represent Scripture's teachings is just as important as "what" we are standing up for.
I have already witnessed Christians on Facebook and Twitter ranting and raving about how the culture just wants to make us all love homosexuality. I have seen people ready to boycott A&E. I have seen people quoting Scripture about homosexuality's sinfulness. I'm not saying that any of these people are wrong in their response to Robertson's suspension/firing, but I am saying we could easily cross over into sin in our response if we are not careful.
Consider Jesus' Example
Did Jesus affirm sin or wink at it from a distance? No. He stood firm on the truths of God's Word. But we do not see Jesus protesting in order to be heard. We do not see Jesus demonizing the sinners he was trying to rescue from bondage. Think about the woman caught in adultery in John 8. She was thrown at Jesus' feet, apparently caught in the act of adultery. The religious leaders want Jesus to condemn her according to the law. But instead of grab stones to hurl at her, Jesus confronts the religious leaders about their own sin. He gives them permission to stone her, if they are able to say they are without sin. When they are unable to lift a rock, they leave. However, Jesus, before parting with the woman, says to her, "Go and sin no more."
Jesus showed compassion to the woman. He did not demonize her as "one of those people." He did not excuse her actions or say that it was okay. He gave her a strong command to go and sin no more. He called her to repent and leave her sin behind. He called her to a new way. But he also demonstrated a humble compassion for her. He showed gentleness.
The Pharisees were outraged at her. Jesus was calm and kind. The Pharisees wanted blood, to prove they were right and to stand up for God's Word. Jesus, stood up for God's Word, but did it in such a way that is was less about being proven right, and more about the person.
Closing Thought
I give this example as a guide for us believers. Do I believe homosexuality is a sin? Yes. Do I believe Scripture teaches very clearly about this topic? Yes. Do I believe Phil Robertson is getting a raw deal? Yes. Do I believe Christians are being increasingly muzzled in our culture about our beliefs? Yes. So let's stand firm in our support of Phil. Let's stand firm in our beliefs about what the Bible teaches. Let's stand firm on our rights to voice our opinions and exercise free speech. But let's not act like idiots in the process.
Not every gay person or non-believer is out to get you. Believers, not everyone in the world has a bone to pick with us. In the aftermath of the "Duck Dynasty" controversy, let's not respond sinfully in our responses. Let's fight for our responses to honor God, show compassion, and exercise wisdom. People in the LGBT community are fighting for what they believe is right. They do not believe the way we believe. They do not have the eyes to see the truth. To them, the gospel way is foolishness.
However, gay people are not our enemies...and even if they were, we serve a Master who commands us to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). Let's remember this in our social media and water cooler conversations.
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Where has wisdom gone to hide? She is noticeably absent and missing. Everywhere you turn you feel the void her absence brings. Like Kevin waking up to find out he is all alone while the rest of the McAllister family is cruising at 30,000 feet Paris bound, it seems we awaken to find ourselves looking around to discover wisdom is nowhere to be found. We appear to be home alone.
Wisdom is interesting. You cannot touch wisdom. You cannot buy wisdom. You cannot smell, taste, hear, or see wisdom. Yet, interestingly, we all know when we encounter wisdom, and, as I hope to highlight, we all know when it is missing. A simple description of wisdom would be: the ability to connect cause and effect. Wisdom is knowing how decision x will produce consequence y. If I do this, this will happen. If I fail to do this, this will happen. Wisdom is the ability to see these factors and conditions, and with all the information, make the smartest and best decision. That is wisdom.
What is the evidence that wisdom has long left us to our own devises? There are endless examples that could be pointed out to support the claim that wisdom, along with Elvis, has left the building.
The Sexting Dilemma
One such craze happening right now all over the world, and in all age groups, is sexting. This is a particular practice among young adults. For those who have been hanging out in a bunker somewhere and are not familiar with sexting, it is simply take nude photographs of yourself and sending them to someone via text message. Yes, this person is usually a boyfriend/girlfriend or someone trusted, and not a stranger. But it is unwise nonetheless.
Why does this demonstrate a lack of wisdom? Okay, let's evaluate: taking a picture of your genitals or breasts to send to someone who then has the image on their phone, for as long as they desire, to show anyone they please, to send to infinite numbers of people...hey, you're right, what could go wrong?
This phenomena has and continues to wreak havoc in countless people's lives. People are having their nude selves broadcasted to their entire school, or worse yet, online for endless millions. "How dare someone violate my trust by sharing my photo with other people?," you say. How foolish! What did you expect would happen! Forget the fact that you should not be showing your naked body to anyone other than your spouse - which means if you are spouseless you should not be showing your naked body to anyone - taking pictures with your electronics and sharing them with others is just plain dumb.
Do you really think the person you are sending these pics to respects you? Do you think that the person you are sending these pics to wants to have a relationship based on friendship and something of substance? No way! Not when your willing to act like one of Hugh Hefner's insecure ladies who try to garner the affections and attention of others using their bodies.
Will your future spouse - because I can almost guarantee you the person your sending these pics too is not the one - going to be excited to know your genitals have had 5,698 views via the internet sites created to house such photos? What is your plan for when the "relationship" doesn't work out? Are you going to send a friendly text that says: "Hey, sorry it didn't work out, would you mind erasing that picture of my boobs I sent you? LOL #embarassing" I hate to break the bad news, by the time you have sent that text, your lady parts have already been shown to all his buds, plus a few of his female friends (who all think you are a skank now).
Foolish, Foolish, Foolish
"I just didn't think he/she would hurt me like that. I can't believe they shared my pics with others." This is spoken by a fool. If wisdom is defined by the ability to connect cause and effect, the fool is defined as someone who cannot make this connection. The fool is the person who acts without thinking of the consequences. The fool keeps repeating mistakes because they never learn to assess how one decision may bring about a set of consequences they do not desire.
At the heart of the sexting craze is rampant foolishness. Guys and gals alike are both acting foolishly. Because they hear of other couples sharing pictures with each other, it becomes the thing to do. Many are just burning with lust, seeking to find fulfillment through sexual contact and exploitation, rather than relationships built on friendships and shared beliefs. The truth is, everyone knows it could backfire and that it's wrong, but they do it anyway. This is why it is foolish. Friends, when you press "send," you can never ever get the picture back. You no longer have control as to who will see your naked body. This is also why you should not be surprised when your worst fears have come true and your desire to run and hide far outweighs the adrenaline rush you had when sending the pics.
A Closing Plea
As a father of three younger children, two being girls, I greatly desire to teach them to be wise. I do not want them doing things simply to blend with the crowd and culture. I want them to respect themselves enough to not broadcast the body God gave them to people who have no business seeing it. I want them to know their dignity and respect is far more important to keep than some zit-face kid with raging hormones and desire to impress his buds.
What I would say to them, I say to you. Exercise wisdom. The Bible says that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Fearing the Lord is about reverence and honor to Him as your Creator. He made your body. You were made in the image of God which is what gives you dignity and worth. You deface that dignity and worth when you seek your value from your body. Your body was made by God. Your body is not God. Your body has worth because you are made in the image of God. You do not find your worth in your body. This is crucial to understand.
Wisdom cries aloud in the streets (Proverbs 1:20). She is seeking for all who will listen to her. She desires to protect us. We must heed her instructions and listen to her pleas. She'll return to us again if we would open our ears. If we would stop and think, she will dwell among us. Unlike Kevin, I do not think we will survive long with our house absent of her presence. We need wisdom to return and take her rightful place in our lives. I have smelled the repugnant fragrance of foolishness in our culture long enough.
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Yesterday I wrote on Facebook/Twitter: "Parents, if you allow unruliness to persist in your kids when they're young, don't be shocked when as an adolescent they're intolerable. To discipline is to love. To ignore is neglect." At last glance, the status had been shared sixteen times. This tells me it is a topic of interest for many folks.
If I'm being fully transparent, I do not think my generation does a very good job of parenting. I certainly do not think I have it all figured out, but when I look around, I see parents, of all ages, who let their kids talk back, hit, pitch hissy-fits when they don't get their way, and many of them, instead of disciplining, laugh. We may get a kick out of their rebellion now, but it will be no laughing matter within a few short years.
I believe parents, especially Christian parents, must learn to balance discipline and mercy. We must learn to discipline our children when they are being disobedient. We must also learn to give mercy, so our homes are not confused with Paris Island, and our family doesn't mirror a platoon in the Marines. Discipline and mercy. They sound like opposites, but they operate together in the task of parenting.
The Goal of Discipline
The object of this post is not to discuss whether spanking is a good thing or a bad thing. There are many who immediately turn a conversation about discipline into a debate over the merits or horrors of spanking. My family spanks. We don't beat our children, but when necessary, we spank them as a punishment for disobedience and willing rebellion. Whether you spank, ground, do timeout, or whatever else, the goal of any discipline is to teach the reality of consequences for decisions. This is fundamental to their being functional adults later in life.
The definition of wisdom is: the ability to connect cause and effect. Simply stated, a wise person is someone who can understand what will happen if I make this choice or that choice. A person of wisdom can see the consequence and fallout of a decision and can choose correctly. The problem with parents who fail to discipline their children, is they are not teaching them this valuable lesson and trait. They are not instilling the idea that when I make a decision I should not make, there are real consequences. This is why we are hearing horrific stories all around the country of children doing things in schools and on buses that we would have never dreamed of in years past. The reason these things are happening is because kids are no longer learning about the consequences of foolish decisions.
We demonstrate love to our children by disciplining them when our standards go unmet. The Bible tells us that God disciplines those whom he loves (Hebrews 12:6). Discipline is an act of love. Correction is a stern way by which God conforms our lives back to his standards. Discipline is loving, because it rescues from the potential deadly consequence of foolish choices. This is the goal of disciplining our children. It is an act of love that seeks to conform foolish behavior so that we might spare them short-term and long-term devastation from such choices.
The Goal of Mercy
Mercy must also be a part of our parenting. Mercy is defined as withholding what is deserved. We cannot be all discipline, all the time. This does not mean we act like pushovers when our children misbehave. Giving mercy actually gets to the heart of how we love our children as we discipline. Children need parents who hug them tightly. They need parents who express verbally and physically their love for them. Children need to know that they are accepted just as they are. Their uniqueness needs to be highlighted and celebrated. Their gifts and strengths need to be sharpened and encouraged. Parents play a vital role to their kids in this way.
However, being merciful as parent does not mean we let our kids run over us. Showing mercy does not mean we ignore rebellion or disobedience. Demonstrating mercy is not picking and choosing, at random, when we are going to discipline our children. Mercy is about how we interact with our children and how we show love to them, even as we give discipline.
An Example
So how does this play out? Let me give an example of what this may look like in practice. A few months ago, my son Kaleb was asked to go up to his room before bed and do a few chores. I waited about fifteen to twenty minutes before going upstairs to get him in the bed. When I got upstairs and went into his room, I discovered not only had he not done what I asked him to do, he had taken a short-cut and tried to make it look like he did what he was asked. In other words, he disobeyed by not doing what he was asked, and on top of it, he attempted to deceive me into thinking that he had.
So when I discovered this, I was upset. I began with giving an impassioned speech about my displeasure with his actions. I then proceeded to layout his punishment: no bedtime movie and no electronics the next day. This was the discipline portion. I did not spank him on this occasion, because I did not feel that this particular offense merited a spanking. However, I enforced a discipline that would still have the intended effect of making him feel the consequences of his choice. After my lecture, he was tucked into bed, and I started to walk out. But then he stopped me, and asked, "Dad, can you pray?" This is where the mercy side of things can be difficult. I did not want to pray. We usually pray every night, but I did not want to tonight. I was mad. He willfully lied and attempted to deceive. I wanted him to feel how mad I was. However, this is taking it beyond the goal of discipline. So I came back to his bed, sat down beside him, put my on him, and prayed. I gave him a kiss, told him I loved him, and left the room.
Parenting is a tough balance. Discipline was absolutely necessary in this situation. Can you imagine if I let his behavior and actions go unpunished? That is the recipe for a teenager who will be unbearable, and an adult with serious problems. Yet, giving mercy alongside of discipline is hard. I could have easily walked out, slammed the door, and refused to pray with him and tell him I love him. "That will teach him," I could have reasoned to myself. The goal is not to shame or shun my child. Discipline is about love. So giving mercy is necessary as we discipline. I prayed with him, told him I loved him, and gave him a hug and kiss. This is an example of how the two must operate together.
Parting Thoughts
John Piper said in a sermon once that the goal of parenting is to be the role of God in the child's life until they are old enough to realize you are not God. This is a profound thought. He is not suggesting for us to really think of ourselves as God. Instead, he is showing the vital role parents play in shaping the thoughts and lives of their children. The parent is supposed to be a picture of God to their child. A disciplinarian who shows loving mercy; this is what every child deserves to have in their parents.
God perfectly displayed this reality of his nature and character at the cross of Jesus. There at the cross, the discipline of God poured forth on Jesus as he was punished in the place of sinners as a substitute. But at the cross, we also find mercy. There is mercy for all who place their faith in Jesus and God withholds from them what they deserve, judgment. We are to strike this balance with our parenting. There are times when we need to discipline our children, because we love them. But we also need to be givers of mercy, not winking at their sin, but showing them that their mistakes do not keep back our love or make them anything less than our beloved child.
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When many of us think of sin, we think of big things: murder, adultery, perhaps idol worship. In our own minds we rank those sins up there as the big dogs. Unfortunately, when we make this type of distinction, we actually desensitize ourselves to the reality that we sin everyday in many different ways. Each of these sins are real sins which contain the power to separate us eternally from a holy God and required the sending of Jesus to sacrificially atone for at the cross. These sins, when not dealt with, can stunt the growth of a Christian, and will stand to condemn the unbeliever.
In this post I want to highlight 5 common, everyday sins we need to be aware of, begin to identify in our lives, and repent from.
1. Worry -- Everyone has worried at some point. Some people live in constant worry. Worry is a sin. At the root of worry is unbelief in the reality that God cares for His children and provides for them. Jesus speaks of this in Matthew 6 when he teaches that God sovereignly cares for the birds of the air, feeding them, and aware of their livelihood. He then concludes by asking, "How much more valuable are you than the birds?" Jesus' argument is that worry is silly. First, your God is sovereign over everything, including your life. He even knows the number of hairs on your head. Second, worry is the result of not knowing something or not being in control of something. When we recognize we are not in control of something, it can produce worry; however, this is where faith should be present. We should put our faith in the Lord, who knows all things and rules with power over them.
Confess that you are a worrier, admit that it is sin against God, and repent from worrying by placing complete trust of your life in God's hands, knowing He is good, wise, and powerful.
2. Loose Lips -- What do I mean by loose lips? A number of sins can emerge from loose lips: gossiping about others, slander, lying, and angry outbursts. All of these are examples of sins that flow from loose lips. James 3:5-6 speaks of the tongue being able to set fires. This is metaphoric for the great damage the tongue can do when not tamed. If we do not learn to tame our tongue, it can damage relationships, cause us trouble when angrily lash out at people, or lead us to lie our way out of accountability for things we have said or done. Many things on a daily basis come out of our mouths that are not glorifying to God or encouraging to people around us.
Confess that your mouth causes you problems, admit that it is sin against God, and repent by watching closely what things you speak and in what manner you speak them. Train yourself to ask the question: would I say this if Jesus were present with me in this room? (By the way, he is.)
3. Poor Stewardship -- This issue, like the last one, has multiple components that may be present. Poor stewardship is our mismanagement of all that God has given us. This manifest itself through mismanagement of our money, time, resources, and spiritual gifts. This may look like wasteful spending. It could look like failure to serve God with your gifts and talents. It may be failure to tithe your money to a local church as Scripture outlines. Or it could manifest itself in laziness. Maybe you complain about wanting to spend more time in the Word or prayer, but you waste countless hours on Facebook, Twitter, or Pintrest. Jesus tells the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) to remind us that he who manages well what he has been given, will be given more. Those who waste and squander will have what they've been given taken away.
Confess that you have been guilty of poor stewardship, admit that it is sin against God, and repent by evaluating all the areas you have been given to steward (time, money, gifts, resources) and make the changes needed in these areas to bring them into alignment with God's will and Word.
4. Unforgiving -- Many sin daily by holding grudges against people and failing to forgive. Not forgiving others who have hurt us is sinful. Why? Because those who have been forgiving infinitely more by God Almighty, have no grounds or right to withhold forgiveness from others. No matter how wronged you have been, you still have not been sinned against the way each of us have sinned against a holy and perfect God. In fact, Jesus says in Matthew 18 if we fail to forgive others, we will not be forgiven. It is that big of a deal. Many think forgiveness means reconciliation, but it is not (more about this here).
Confess that you struggle with being unforgiving, admit that it is sin against God, and repent by taking your struggle to forgive to God, ask God to be your vindicator, and release the person or people who have hurt you by choosing to no longer let their actions hurt and define you.
5. Lack of self-control -- One of the fruits of the spirit is self-control. This is not talked about a lot in church. There are not many books written on this subject. However, self-control or lack of it, is at the heart of many struggles people face. Whether it is our eating habits, exercise routines, how we dress, the way we represent ourselves on the internet, or many other issues, self-control is often at the heart of whether we're honoring God or sinning. Self-control helps us to be slow to act. It aides us from having to immediately give our opinion or saying things we will later regret. Self-control is important in a marriage. If there is a lack of self-control with one or both people, it can cause serious problems. This issue plays out in different ways with different people.
Confess that you need more self-control, admit that it is sin against God, and repent by beginning to lean more heavily on the grace that God supplies when we seek Him in prayer for help in this area. Rely on the Spirit's power, available to all believers, to begin operating with more self-control in your life.
With all of these everyday sins, it can be helpful to enlist the help of a friend or loved one that can offer accountability and ask hard questions. With the grace of God, the forgiveness Christ offers, and the Spirit's power, we can labor to rid our lives of these issues. I believe our lives would look very different, and our spiritual growth would be noticeable, if we dealt with these common issues. I invite you to join me in making these issues a priority.
This list is not exhaustive. If you can think of other everyday sins that you or others struggle with, list them in the comments below.
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I know after reading the title of this post, many are popping their fingers, ready to fire off a correction to my post. But first, give me a chance to explain myself. The title is not implying we could not or should not be martyrs for the faith. If placed in that position, to renounce Jesus or die, I believe pastors and all believers should affirm with Luther, "Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God." I am emphasizing something entirely different, namely, that the difficulties we face as pastors do not equal martyrdom. We should stop acting like martyrs. This is particularly true for those of us in the United States.
Fake Martyrs
I see a growing trend with pastors and ministry leaders who want to portray being in ministry as if it were a daily burden. We often go from one over-exaggerated crisis to the next. Yes, being a pastor is incredibly difficult, I do not belittle that. I have been a senior pastor for nearly eight years. I get it. I know what it feels like to have a burden for the lost, who think you are foolish. And I know what it feels like to have a burden for the church, who can often assume your incompetent. I have been called names in the community by unbelievers because of my beliefs. I have also been publicly talked about by other pastors in the community because they do not like our church's music style or clothing attire. Regardless of who you are, this is never fun.
However, as much as these things can hurt and frustrate you, it is not martyrdom. Friends, we are not to desire or seek the pity of others for the difficulties we face. And we should definitely now wallow in self-pity.
Real Martyrs
There are believers and pastors today, around the world, who are truly being persecuted and martyred for their faith. When you look at the plight of believers in places like Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Sudan, North Africa, and parts of Asia, you actually find individuals are dying for their allegiance to Jesus. Seventy-Five Christians were killed a few months ago in a church in Pakistan after two suicide bombers blew the place up. It is reported that nearly eighty people were executed in North Korea in the last few weeks, supposedly for being found owning Bibles.
Friends, these stories could fill pages and pages. Christians are truly experiencing persecution around the world. Yes, there is some opposition to our beliefs in the United States. Yes, we are becoming a minority on particular cultural hot-topic issues. But brothers, we are not martyrs.
There are believers and pastors around the world dying for the name of Jesus, not simply being called bad names because of Jesus. We need to keep that in perspective as we talk with others, interact on Twitter/Facebook, write our blog posts, and preach our sermons. Your ability to complain without fear is evidence you are not as persecuted as you think.
I'd love to hear your thoughts...why do you think so many in ministry today want to portray their life as so incredibly difficult?
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If you are a Christian or Materialist Atheist who references karma, you are bearing witness that you are inconsistent in your worldview.
Karma is the concept of an immaterial force in the universe which exacts justice and vindicates wrongs. The idea is if you are mean to people, karma is going to get you back. If you are nice to people, karma will reward you. Karma is a tenet of Hindu and Buddhist religious belief. These Eastern religions teach of this impersonal force that governs people's actions and regulates the affairs of the world with the scales of justice.
What is most disturbing about this idea is that many professing Christians talk about and reference it. Karma is not a Christian belief. We do not believe in karma. We do not believe in an impersonal force operating in the universe to right wrongs and reward good. We believe in a God who rules and reigns over the universe. Galatians 6:7 teaches that we reap what we sow. This means that if we sow sinful actions and behaviors, we will reap the consequences such actions bring. Likewise if we sow godly actions, we will likely experience the blessing of such actions. This is a far cry from karma. Galatians 6:7 supports the idea of cause and effect. If I train extremely hard to run a marathon, eat right, and prepare myself, I will reap the benefits of a solid race. If I sow the habits of laziness, eating unhealthy, and fail to train, I will reap the consequences of a miserable day if I attempt to run 26.2 miles. However, life doesn't always work that way. Sometimes the guy who trains for months for the marathon gets hurt as soon as the race starts and is unable to finish. That is life.
Christians who talk about karma are demonstrating they do not read their Bible's very often. At a minimum, they demonstrate they have been seduced by unbiblical thinking and ideas. For Christians to speak of karma is to syncretize unbiblical beliefs into a Christian belief system, which is creating an entirely separate system - a melting pot of contradictory ideas.
For the non-Christian, particularly the Materialist Atheist, speaking of karma is also inconsistent with their worldview. The Materialist Atheist believes the world consists of matter. All that exists is physical in nature. For this same person to speak and reference karma, which is an invisible and impersonal force in the universe which brings about justice, is a contradiction. The Materialist Atheist cannot account for such a belief within the framework of his/her belief system. He is borrowing from Eastern religions and incorporating it into his worldview.
Karma does not exist. Sometimes good people suffer much in this world. Sometimes bad people have it made. Great parents can have unhealthy children and negligent parents can have healthy children. The guy who gets drunk every night and cheats on his wife may catch a lot of business breaks and strike it rich. The guy who is faithful to his wife and family may get fired by the previous guy.
There is no impersonal force in the world governing the universe. There is a God, Triune in nature, who is personal, who rules the universe. Wrongs will be made right one day, He promises so. But on this side of heaven, sometimes good guys lose, and bad guys win (read Asaph's psalm - Psalm 78). Karma is a joke. Do yourself a favor and eliminate it from your vocabulary and way of expressing the happenings in the world. It is simply not a reality.
At The Journey Church, we have been teaching through a series called Counter-Culture: Living for Christ in a world that hates Him. It is a five week series, and we complete the last message this coming Sunday.
The first week we spent time establishing the reality that everyone has a worldview and an ultimate authority. We talked about the different worldviews and authorities that exist, and outlined how and why Christians look to the Bible to inform and shape our worldview.
The second message focused on the accusation and charge against Christians of being judgmental and intolerant. We looked at what the Bible says about this and explored how we as Christians can be both vocal about truth and graceful in our approach.
Our third and fourth messages in the series have been by far the most difficult and the most important. We have looked at the issues of homosexuality and abortion, two of the most controversial topics in our society today. We believe Christians need to know how to speak into our culture the gospel of truth on this subjects, but we believe there is a way in which we should do it.
These two messages are some of the most important messages we have preached out our church and we would be pleased if they can serve to help you too.
Here is the link for Week 3's message: Homosexuality and Christian Belief
Here is the link for Week 4's message: Abortion and Christian Belief
May God use these messages to sound the trumpet of truth in our world, equip the saints for engaging our culture, and display the triumphant grace and mercy of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Which of these messages have been most helpful to you? Why do you believe churches remain largely silent on these topics?
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Last night, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Community Church in California shared his family's story of their son's suicide in April after a lifelong battle with mental health issues. My wife and I watched with tears as we imagined their anguish and grief.
One of the things that stood out to me from the interview was Pastor Rick's words about mental health issues in our country. He spoke about how mental health problems are still a lingering taboo in our culture. People don't like talking about or admitting they struggle with these things. As somebody who has dealt with ongoing bouts of anxiety and panic attacks, I know exactly what he is talking about.
My Story
When my son, Kaleb, was born, he had numerous medical issues. We lived in the hospital for months. Two months after he was born, doctors felt he needed to have surgery to fix what was going on. To make a long story much shorter, the surgery went incredibly wrong, leaving his life in the balance. We were faced with decisions about his care that would determine whether he lived or died. We chose to fight. That fight was a two year battle which finally led to Kaleb receiving a kidney transplant. However, the battle had taken its toll.
Approximately six months into Kaleb's treatment and hospitalization, I had a panic attack driving down the road. I was on my way to a college class, and out of nowhere, had a full scale panic attack. My heart was pounding rapidly. I thought I was having a heart attack. I broke into a cold sweat. I was freaking out. I pulled over on the side of the road and started crying. I called my wife, trying to calm myself down. I explained to her what had just happened, but even as I explained it, I felt foolish. What was wrong with me? Am I going crazy? What just happened? Will this happen again? All these questions and more lingered the entire day at school.
Living with Mental Health Struggles
Nothing like this had ever happened to me. Until this point, I was a picture of perfect health, especially mentally. Over the course of the next several months and years, I would deal with these attacks. I would feel anxiety driving in my car, laying in the bed to sleep at night, sitting in a movie theatre, riding in a plane, and many other places. I learned a few weeks after my first attack this was called anxiety. I was told many people suffer with it. This both comforted me and saddened me. I had never had any issues like this before. Prior to these episodes, I would have dismissed such things as created in the mind, not a real issue.
I felt I was crazy, or at least going crazy. I wondered if telling other people about my struggles would only confirm this thought. I didn't know how to explain to people what was happening, because explaining it only confirmed (in my own mind) how ridiculous it was. I was ashamed. I attempted so hard to "think about something different." But it doesn't work that way. You cannot control it with mind over matter. Mental health doesn't work like that. It is real. You can't outtalk it. You can't manipulate yourself into dismissing its realness. You can't reason your way out of it.
At one point, during some of the worse times I faced, I remember thinking to myself: this is why some people commit suicide. I get it now. I wasn't suicidal, nor have I ever considered it. But for the first time in my life, I finally understood the feeling of hopelessness that ensues when you think your misery and suffering will never end. When I would sit and think about struggling with anxiety and panic attacks for the rest of my life, it would depress me.
Finding Hope
But friends, we are not hopeless. There is a God who gives grace to us in our hour of need. It is a sufficient grace that comforts us, even in our afflictions (2 Corinthians 12:9). I have found this true. It doesn't mean that my problems always go away or get better. It means that I have a hope and comfort from God that accompanies me in the suffering. Even when the suffering doesn't lift, I know He is with me.
Lastly, to all who have or are struggling with mental health issues, it's okay to talk about it. You are not strange. You do not have to be ashamed. There are others who face the things you battle each day. I have found that sharing my struggles over the last few years with others has opened conversations about their own struggles. Talking about it has actually helped me. I hope this post will serve to do the same. You don't have to live silent about your struggles. Get rid of your shame. You are not alone.
Tomorrow in Part II, I will discuss ways that I have found hope and help in my struggles with mental health. We'll talk about misconceptions and what I believe to be poor Christian counsel on this subject.
Leave a comment below if this is something you or someone you loved has faced. What do you struggle with? What has been helpful to you? What feelings and emotions have you carried with this battle?
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There is a lot of accusation today that Christians are hypocrites. There is some truth to this charge at times. After all, Christians proclaim truths that they cannot perfectly live out. In that sense, Christians are hypocrites. In that sense, everyone who has any ideals or values is a hypocrite because nobody can live out their ideals perfectly. Nobody is perfect. Nevertheless, this does not lower or diminish the ideal or truth claim itself.
The Greek word, from which we get our word "hypocrite," is hypokrisis, which means: actor. A hypocrite was an actor. Actors play roles. They pretend. They portray characters and fictitious plots, but it isn't real. The reason the word has come to mean someone who doesn't live out their convictions or who says one thing and does another, is because this is similar to an actor. When we claim we have certain beliefs or morals or ideals, but we live and act contrary to them, we are rightfully accused of acting - we're hypocrites.
Jesus had a problem with hypocrites. He especially had issues with the religious hypocrites of his day, the Pharisees. These guys would bark out the law to people, even added to it, but then missed it on issues of the heart. They knew the letter of the law, but missed the heart of the law. The most infamous place in the Gospels where Jesus addresses the Pharisees and their hypocrisy is Matthew 23. Jesus goes on a tirade about their hypocrisy. He calls them whitewashed tombs that look good on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men's bones (vs27). They were actors.
Many people today make this charge against Christians. Sometimes the charge is right and accurate. But a growing trend has developed to label anyone who stands up for something, but isn't perfect, as a hypocrite. The name-calling of "hypocrite" is meant to silence people from speaking up about beliefs, morals, or character.
Many attempts are made to discredit Christian claims because of Christian failures. I have run into this issue numerous times in conversations with non-believers. In order to shut a Christian up, they will point out examples or situations where Christians, or at least professing Christians, have screwed up or not represented Christ very well. This is done to discredit the argument being made by the Christian. However, this is a logical fallacy called the Ad Hominem. This logical fallacy seeks to discredit an argument based on behaviors or past actions of people who believed the same argument. It is a character attack on a person or group, not the argument itself. That would be like arguing 2+2=4 is not true, because Hitler believed 2+2=4 and look at him!
So here is my point: people may point out the shortcomings of Christians and call them hypocrites, but that does not discredit or discount the Christian claims or arguments. Jesus demonstrates this when he tells the listening crowds concerning the Pharisees to "practice and observe whatever they tell you - but not what they do." (Matthew 23:3). Jesus says to do what they tell you. Why? Because the credibility of what they are telling you is not dependent on the behavior, attitude, or character of the Pharisees. Jesus tells them: do what the hypocrites tell you. Just don't do what they do. There is a difference.
So next time someone attempts to discredit a Christian claim by stating that Christians are hypocrites, tell them playfully, "Do what the hypocrites tell you...Jesus says so."
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The old adage goes "A couple that prays together, stays together." That's only a clever saying without any real statistical evidence, right? Wrong.
A Gallup poll conducted a study specifically on that question found that only 1% of all couples that prayed together daily got divorced (1 in 1156 couples). That is an amazing statistic when you consider that the national statistic is 50% of all marriages end in divorce.
The University of Texas, San Antonio, did a research project for the "Journal of Marriage and Family" of 1387 couples. The study found that couples who share practices such as Bible reading and prayer in the home had strong marriages and a higher degree of satisfaction in their relationship.
However, most statistics bear witness that most couples are not spending time in Bible reading or prayer. It is estimated that only 4% of Christian couples pray together. Did you catch that? Christian couples!
Only 1% of couples who pray together are likely to get divorced, yet only 4% of Christian couples pray together. This is why Christian couples have the same divorce rate as non-Christians.
Christian couples need to start praying together; it's good for their marriage and the longevity of it. If there is a "duh" sentence in this entire blog, it is that one. But while it may be a big ole "duh," it is not happening.
So how can you start implementing prayer together? Here are some thoughts:
1. Talk to your spouse about your desire to begin praying together daily.
When you share your desire with your spouse, share with them these statistics. Read the article to them or send it to them. You may find your spouse desires to do this too, but felt insecure about bringing it up.
2. Acknowledge you have insecurities praying aloud together and then get over it.
I know that sounds harsh, but you have to get over it. It is okay to acknowledge having insecurities about praying. The reason we have insecurities with praying aloud with our spouse is that they know our junk and that we are not perfect. This makes us feel hypocritical trying to "act all spiritual." But praying together is not acting spiritual. It is a vital and much needed element in your marriage. Quit being insecure. Realize that neither of you are perfect. Understand your prayer is not graded. And focus in on talking to God together with your spouse.
3. Figure out what time of the day works for you, schedule it, and do it.
Not every couple can commit to the same time as others. Perhaps you and your spouse would have to do different times on different days due to schedule. But the key is to plan it and do it. Don't wimp out when you feel the insecurity and fear welling up. Determine to begin building the habit. Grab your spouse by the hand, say "It's time to pray," then do it.
4. Create a prayer plan/schedule.
A prayer plan or schedule is a list of things you can pray for as a couple. You need to pray for each other and your children daily. You can also pray for those pressing needs in your or a loved one's life. But you may also decide to pray together for a number of other things. For example: Mondays you can pray for your church and leaders. Tuesdays could be reserved for your children's teacher(s). Wednesdays could be prayer for the President, our government officials, and country. Thursday could be prayer for each others parents/siblings/nephews/nieces. Fridays can focus on friends. Saturdays are good for focusing on church services the next day. Sundays are perfect for praying for each other's spiritual growth. This is only an example schedule. You can create your own list and your own days.
Couples that pray together stay together. The old adage is actually true. Statistics bear it out. So take these tips and start implementing them. It's the closest thing to divorce-proofing your marriage.
Why do you believe so few Christian couples pray together regularly? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
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We are currently in a series at The Journey called Counter-Culture. In this series we are exploring why Christianity runs so much against the grain of our cultural ideals and norms. We are looking at how Christians should respond to increasing hostility against us and our message.
One of the issues I'm going to be addressing this week, and next week with much more detail, is the issue of homosexuality. This week my main focus is the charge of being judgmental and intolerant. As I have been working on this message, I have points of concern with proponents of homosexuality practice being normalized in our culture, even our churches. But I also have some problems against opponents of it.
One of the greatest areas of concern I have for the church is our hypocrisy. Some of the charges of hypocrisy against the church are unwarranted and simply flippant accusations. Others are merited. Churches which stand strongly against homosexuality, do so by pointing to the Bible's teachings. I agree with this stance. However, the same churches seem very silent and unwilling to stand as strongly against divorce and premarital sex between heterosexuals.
Between those three issues: homosexuality, divorce, and premarital sex between heterosexual couples, the least prevalent one most churches deal with is homosexuality. In fact, most churches are filled with people who have divorced or are divorcing. They are also filled with people actively engaged in sex before marriage. Yet most remain largely silent on these issues.
I'm not suggesting we start crucifying those divorced, having premarital sex, or homosexuals, Jesus was crucified for all three groups. I'm suggesting that the church needs to be sure we are dealing with the planks in our own eyes if we are going to approach with integrity the speck in someone's eye.
I'm not excusing or damning anyone in those three categories of biblical sin. I believe the church needs to deal with all of them with truth and grace. Let's not pick certain sins to focus on. Let's speak honestly and biblically about them. Let's call people to repentance. Let's show that God's ways are better and more satisfying than forging our own. Let's remind people that there is room at the foot of the cross, where Christ covers over our sin and brokenness. But let's certainly not suggest that one sin is inexcusable while we turn a plank-filled eye away from others.
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The concept of 'Further Up & Further In' is the concept of pressing further into a subject or thing. It is a phrase captured from C.S. Lewis in his Narnia series. It has continue to be used by others in different settings. John Piper used a 'Further Up & Further In' section in his T.U.L.I.P. series to share additional study materials at the end of each chapter.
We are going to have a 'Further Up & Further In' time together at The Journey Church. At the end of our Counter-Culture series, we are going to have a time of Q&A around the issues from the series and other questions that the series provoked or inspired.
Everyone is welcome. The time of discussion should be both fun and helpful in our growth in Christ. Mark your calendar and start collecting your questions now.
Where: The Journey Church, 212 Leeville Pike.
When: Sunday, September 29th, 2013 (this is the last week of series)
What time: 12:45pm -- We are going to give everyone enough time to go grab a sandwich or burger and get back to the church.
**Bring your children. There will not be childcare, but kids are welcome. It will be informal. They are free to sit with you, color, play on your phone, or play in one of our kid's rooms.
If you turn on the news today, you won't have to wait long to see chaos abounding in the world. In some parts of the world we see hunger and disease destroying lives. Other parts of the world are ruled and bullied by evil tyrants and dictators. There are wars and threats of war. In America we have the long-standing debates of abortion, racism, same-sex marriage, immigration, and the state of the economy. At the root of all these issues is one common factor: human dignity.
The concept of human dignity is the idea that every human being has intrinsic worth and has the right to be valued and receive ethical treatment. The reason we care about wars, dictators oppressing people, abortion, racism, or any number of issues we see on the news, is the common thread of human dignity. We want human beings to be treated with value and worth. This is right. This is good.
A Question that Puzzles Me
However, I want to raise a question that puzzles me. Many of the loudest supporters in the fight for human dignity around the world are those who deny God's existence or claim we can't know if there is god (atheist/agnostics). This is a head-scratcher. I would like to know where the philosophical basis for human dignity comes from if God does not exist. Let me explain.
In a worldview that denies God's existence, that only leaves the material world. In a materialistic world, the universe only consists of matter. In a materialistic worldview, the human being is nothing more than a collection of atoms. We are a pile of cells, nothing more. So when we see a beautiful painting, hear a symphonic masterpiece, witness an amazing act of love and kindness, see two intellectuals discuss complex problems and concepts of math, philosophy, astronomy, theology, or anything else, we are not really experiencing anything different than a dog barking or a coke can fizzing. It is nothing but matter acting on matter. No inherent value. No intrinsic worth. No innate beauty. Just a clump of cells experiencing a chemical reaction. Nothing more.
The Inconsistent Atheist
The atheist and agnostic will not agree with this; however, they can't support why humans should matter any more than a blade of grass that gets mowed down. Why should we care when we see a starving child? Why should it bother us that children are getting sexually molested? Why do we care about the rights of those not in power or in the majority? The atheist and agnostic has no answer that comports with their worldview. If they were consistent with their worldview they would have to agree a human being is nothing but a bunch of protons and neutrons. Who cares about the plight of a big clump of cells? What makes a human being any different than the banana peel we discard in the trash? If the atheist was consistent to his claimed worldview, he would have to say "nothing."
But most atheists and agnostics I know do care about people. Most all of them do believe in human dignity. I do not deny their concern for people and their dignity. My argument is, in their caring, they are inconsistent with their own worldview. Thank God they are inconsistent! If they were not, it would lead to a nasty fatalism and nihilism.
Human Dignity Presupposes God
The reason the atheist and agnostic are able to fight for human rights and dignity is they borrow the Christian worldview. They don't even realize they are doing it. They don't realize that if they were true to their claimed worldview they have no grounds for supporting human dignity. So they borrow the Christian worldview. Christians believe in human dignity because we believe humans, unlike every other created thing, are made in the image of God. In Genesis 1:26 the Triune God says, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." The reason human beings have inherent worth is because they are made in God's image. God gives us worth and dignity.
When you remove God from your worldview, and you reduce human beings down to clumps of atoms and biochemical reactions, you stripe human beings of their inherent dignity. Human dignity presupposes God. Atheists and agnostics will not want to admit it, but they do not have a sufficient answer for why they give a rip about humans. They cannot account for caring about people. There is no doubting that they do care for people, they just can't account for it with their worldview.
Conclusion
Next time you hear an atheist or agnostic ranting about the evils of this world and using that to dismiss God, just ask them why they care. After all, there is nothing good or evil, right or wrong in a world where matter is acting on matter. To care about people and the plight of this world, you presuppose the God of the Bible.
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I am big Predators fan. We love hockey in my house. A few years ago the Nashville Predators were fresh off a first-round defeat of their arch nemesis, the Detroit Redwings. The Predators beat them in 5 games. Their next opponent in the playoffs were the Phoenix Coyotes. Most Predator fans thought this was the year we were going to make a deep run in the playoffs, perhaps to a Stanley Cup. We were poised to do it. We had great players. We had momentum. We had confidence. Everyone in Nashville was a believer.
Then the news came out that two of Nashville's best players, Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitstyn, had been suspended for two games due to a violation of team rules. These two guys, the day before a big playoff game, stayed out until the morning hours partying. They broke the team curfew and did their own thing. The result? They were suspended for two games. The Predators lost both of those games. They lost the series. And their magical playoff run was suddenly a fantasy that never materialized.
Why do I share this sports story to start a post on marriage? Because what these two guys did was undermine their own team's success. These players hurt their own team. And I believe that couples every day are doing the same thing. Every day couples are doing things that are undermining their relationship. I believe that marriages and relationships suffer more from the actions of one another than any other source. Though you may be doing unknowingly, certain behaviors, attitudes, and actions will destroy your relationship.
Here are 3 ways you may be undermining your marriage.
1. Holding Unrealistic and Unspoken Expectations
Every person has expectations. Whether you realize it or not, you have formed expectations about how things in this life should go. This includes marriage and relationships. You have formed expectations for your relationship. You have created in your mind how life in your home is supposed to look, how your spouse should respond to you, how your family should spend Friday nights, and many more.
Where do these expectations come from? Most of our expectations for relationships have formed over time. They formed during childhood as you grew up in your home. Your expectations also are shaped by television shows, movies, your friends, and other places. Most people never sit down and determine to map out their expectations for our how marriage and family should look. It develops gradually, through experiences and other influences, most times unknowingly.
Expectations can be dangerous because most times, they are unrealistic. We expect our spouse to live up to some movie scene we have in our mind. We want arguments to resolve themselves like they did on the Cosby Show, where everything is neat and tidy at the end of thirty minutes. More disappointment than can be imagined follows when a spouse realizes their expectations are not being met. However, perhaps we need to reevaluate what those expectations are and how we came to them.
Not only can our expectations be unrealistic, they are most often unspoken. So not only do we have unrealistic expectations, we do not share them.Despite this, we still get grossly offended when our loved one doesn't comport with our wishes. We act as if they should know our hidden standard of perfection.
We undermine our marriage and relationships when we carry these unrealistic and unspoken expectations. Our marriages are not about our expectations being met. It is about two people, coming together as one, and establishing mutual expectations of how the relationship should look and function. We hurt our relationships when we live our lives measuring everyone's actions against our unspoken decrees of how things should be.
A good exercise for you to do is begin questioning how you arrived at the expectations you have. Next time you feel offended that your spouse did not do what you wanted, ask yourself how you arrived at the conclusion that they should do what you want. What you will begin to find is that there are a lot of unrealistic and unspoken expectations swirling around your mind that come leaping out as some as they are violated.
2. Insisting on Getting Your Own Way
This point flows naturally from the previous one. If you want to undermine a relationship, determine to always have your way. Insisting on your own way can become the standoff between spouses. When both spouses are determined they are going to win, nobody wins. When spouses draw the line in the sand and refuse to back down from getting what they want, both lose.
These are turf wars. Turf wars will kill a relationship like no other. You have all experienced turf wars. It is fighting for the sake of winning the argument and gaining the turf. Turf wars will cause us to act in ways that are silly, simply because we don't want to give in. We don't want to admit fault or failure. We don't like to admit sin and selfishness. So we insist on having our own way, and we are willing to fight to the death to ensure victory. The problem: in a turf war, nobody really wins.
Why is this? Insisting on getting our own way is the very opposite of how marriage should function. In Genesis 2:24 the Bible says about marriage, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." In marriage, two individuals who have lived their entire lives for themselves, are joined together to make one person. In marriage we must lose the "I" and "me" language and adopt the "us" and "we" language. When you enter into marriage, you forfeit your individual rights. You no longer belong to yourself. You are now joined together with another. The same is true for your spouse.
This is why fighting to get your own way completely undermines marriage. It strikes against the very fabric of what a marriage is supposed to be. You are both called to die to your own ways, and together decide what is best. The apostle Paul, when defining love, gives this descriptor: "it does not insist on its own way." (1 Corinthians 13:5). Why is insisting on your own way damaging to your relationship? Because it is unloving. It is the opposite of the way of love.
Next time you and your spouse are in an argument, ask yourself the question: am I insisting on my own way? If yes, ask yourself: why do I feel the need to have my way? Probe further: is this about winning a turf battle or do I have legitimate reason for my position?
3. Focusing on Your Own Needs
This last factor in undermining your marriage is crucial to grasp. I cannot tell you the number of people I have counseled who have made a statement similar to this: "They are just not meeting my needs any more." That line sounds like it has been taken directly from a movie or novel. It sounds like a legitimate reason to be unhappy with your spouse, except it isn't.
The focus for your marriage should not be your own needs. Your focus should be on the needs of your spouse. That's right. Not your needs, your spouse's needs. Some people don't like reading or hearing that. But it is true.
The reason for this is that when two people are both focusing on themselves and their needs, neither are going to have their needs met. The two will play tug-of-war against each other. Compare these two approaches. The first couple approaches their relationship with the mentality: "they better meet my needs." With that mentality, they are both focused on themselves and whether the other is sufficiently doing what they desire. The second couple approaches their relationship with the mentality: "I'm going to focus on meeting their needs." With that mentality, they are focused on meeting the needs of the other, but in the process, have their own needs met.
This is the irony of it all. When spouses focus on having their own needs met, both will go unmet. This leaves both unsatisfied and hopeless. But when both focus on the needs of the other, both find their own needs met. Both are satisfied in their relationship. It is amazing how this works.
So if you want to undermine your relationship, focus on having your own needs met. If you truly desire for your needs be met, quite focusing on them, and begin serving the needs of your spouse. Make their needs your greatest priority and concern. You may find that serving others and dying to your selfishness leads to greater joy and satisfaction. Who would have thought?
Conclusion
These three ways of undermining your marriage can happen at any time. You must stay on guard against these. If you are currently doing any of these three things, I recommend you do two things:
First, repent from these actions and confess before God that they are selfish and wrong. Ask God to give you strength to turn from these behaviors and to make the necessary changes. Philippians 4:13 reminds us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us. This includes making changes to better our relationships.
Second, go and apologize to your spouse. One of the healthiest practices you can engage in with your spouse is to apologize for wrongs. Inform them that you want to change these things. Ask them to forgive you and give them permission to call you out next time they witness these behaviors.
If you can learn to constantly engage in these last two recommended practices, you are sure to have a healthy marriage for many years to come. Let's stop undermining our marriages, and instead, begin to build them to last.
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At some point every person will make the statement, "Life is short." It is true that life is short. What we usually mean by the statement is not necessarily the number of years someone has, but the fragile and very temporary nature of life itself. Life can end quickly, without warning. Life should be considered precious.
The Bible says in James 4:14, "yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."
Our lives are like a mist, a vapor. It is here for a moment, then gone. Just like the morning dew that lingers for a short time, but soon evaporates, our lives are here today and gone tomorrow.
The curious thing about all of this, is that while many of us agree with such statements, we do not live like it. We do not live like we believe life is short. We do not live like we think life is fragile and precious. Sadly, many people take this one life they have been given, and they waste it.
How do you waste your life? You live it for yourself. You live it for your comforts, your wants, your dreams, your safety, your entertainment, your popularity, your riches, your power, and on it goes. This is the wasted life.
The Bible calls us to live for something different. Something greater. The unwasted life is the life lived for God and His glory. The unwasted life is about submitting to the Kingdom of God, dying to yourself, taking up your cross and following Christ. The American dream says "Make a name for yourself," while the Kingdom of God says, "Die to yourself and live for one name - Jesus."
There could not be two more contrary philosophies of life. Yet many churches and Christians have somehow convinced themselves that living and pursuing the American Dream is pursuing the Kingdom of God. Oh how deceived are we!
If you don't want to waste your life, seek first the kingdom of God. Give your time and talents and resources to God's mission. Redeem your time at work and home to advance the kingdom of God. There is nothing wrong with making and selling widgets, unless you only do it to make money to buy stuff. You are made for more than producing widgets for spending money. Approach your job as a mission field. See your co-workers as people made in the image of God in need of Christ. See your workplace as a ministry.
There is nothing more terrifying or sad than someone who wastes their life. You only have one. One! You do not want to wake up one day as an old adult or reach your deathbed and realize you wasted it. You can't recover it at that point. You can't undo it. You have one life, then poof, it's gone.
For more on this, check out this sermon: The Unwasted Life
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