December 18, 2001
Medical science offers new labels for sad, crabby, or worried people. For instance, if we used to complain that we “get the blues when it rains” or “have the winter blahs,” we can now call it SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Those who might have called themselves “worry worts” now can say they have GAD or General Anxiety Disorder. A similar designation, something like “excessive rage disorder” applies to spoiled children with temper tantrums.
Maybe modern medicine is on to something but a few experiences make me wonder if symptoms like these have less to do with physiological conditions than they do with choices.
When my brother was a teenager, he was often cranky in the morning. My mother noted which days were the worst and diagnosed his problem as not having enough sleep the night before. Now as an adult, he has learned to go to bed earlier but has also discovered that tired or not, he can choose to be cheerful.
All through my own life, I’ve had PMS. It has affected my behavior but a wise person told me how to handle it. She said, “Sure, your body hormones are out of whack, but observe yourself when this happens. You will discover all the areas of life where you have weaknesses that need to be taken to God. Keep track. When you are back to ‘normal,’ review them and confess the sins. He will cleanse you and the next time will not be so difficult.”
She was right. For me, each bout with PMS became an opportunity to see and confess sinful attitudes and fears that came out only when I was physically ‘weak.’ As I brought them to God, He forgave and cleansed me at a deep level. Gradually, the hormone swings stopped affecting my mood.
That does not mean God says,“it’s all in your head” (or heart) and ignores genuine physical needs. The Bible gives many instances where He puts the body first. In 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah ran several kilometers, confronted an evil king, received a death threat from the queen, ran even farther to escape, then collapsed under a tree and wished himself dead. God could have rebuked him for his negative attitude and for being afraid of a mere mortal. Instead, He ordered food and rest. Soon Elijah was back on his feet, encouraged and ready to do God’s will. In other words, Elijah’s fatigue contributed to his discouragement. Nevertheless, his lack of courage was fear and a lack of trust. He was afraid God would not help him.
When we get into a situation where we are fearful and discouraged, we need to remember that “God is not the author of fear but of love, power, and a sound mind.” He is able to help us. We must also remember that whenever Jesus was tired, He never used fatigue as an excuse to be rude, cranky or to ignore people. When He took His disciples to a remote place to rest from their exhaustion, the demanding crowds followed. Jesus was tired too but He took care of the needs of the multitude anyway.
Scripture offers many exhortations about our attitudes and clearly tells us that our lives should be governed by love, God’s power, and sound thinking. There are no disclaimers. Even if SAD or GAD or any other disorder is genuine, we can still love others. Courage, grace, power and joy are still available from the Lord.
Some of the most cheerful people I know have chronic illnesses or are in pain. Sadly, the same is true for some of the crankiest people I know. Lord, when my back hurts or things are not going well, help me to deal with whatever it is in a wise way but also help me remember that You are here with me. With Your help, I can remain loving and cheerful.
Showing posts with label attitudes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label attitudes. Show all posts
Monday, April 16, 2018
Friday, November 7, 2014
God knows what to do with the jerks ..................... Parables 193
November 29, 1989
Question: Can a person become a Christian and continue to act like a jerk? Answer: That depends...
The recent church-related sex scandals and financial scams make well known the most prominent offenders but, without naming names, I’m sure everyone who is a Christian knows at least one other person we secretly wish would stop telling people they belong to the Christian church.
Jerks sometimes get the same negative attention in other organizations. The armed forces, lodges, service clubs and other groups might even toss out their “embarrassing” members. But the church? What are we supposed to do with them? Do we forgive and look the other way when “jerks” carry a Bible, name the Name and still play the ungodly fool? Or should we ask God to strike them with lightning? Or do we toss them out on their ears?
The disciples wondered the same thing. In fact, they came to Jesus ready to put out someone who merely was doing things in His Name but was not “one of us.” And this fellow wasn’t even acting like a jerk.
The Lord did explain part of it. He told a parable comparing the kingdom of God to a field. The good seed was sown and the good wheat sprouted, but sometime in the night an enemy came in and sowed tares or weeds. When the crop came up, the two were mixed; it was impossible to separate them, much like tame oats and wild oats. In other words, some of the jerks were imposters.
The Bible also talks about new and untaught people who need to be “rooted and grounded” in their faith. They need patient mentoring and encouragement. Since these “babes” merely have some growing up to do, their “wild oat” behavior eventually will change.
I don’t understand why God allows the continued mixture of imposters and genuine changed people all under the same banner. My own spiritual reputation may or may not be scarred by what some so-called Christians do, but surely the church in general suffers from the behavior of the “jerks”. Those who are not in the church have good reason to look at us and wonder.
But some things I do understand. One is that Jesus said there would be imposters, false Christs and false teachers. They would be like ravenous wolves, but disguising themselves as “angels of light.” The Bible tells us to watch out for them and put them out of the church.
Second, the Bible tells those who are genuine Christians to remain faithful to His Word and be utterly obedient so that their lives will not become filled with sin, making them look more like tares than wheat. And if it happens (and it does), the Bible says those who are “spiritual” should rebuke them, with the goal of repentance and restoration.
Third: God does change the inner nature of those He saves. It simply takes awhile for the outward behavior to match the inward change. The Bible tells us to be patient, to teach new Christians and encourage them as they learn how to act like what they are.
Take a good look at those three things. Isn’t discernment needed to determine which category a “jerk” falls into? I dare say many times the church, never mind those outside of it, are guilty of making the wrong assessment. We wind up trying to teach the false teacher (whose only goal is to undermine our doctrine), tossing out the struggling new Christian who needs our help to overcome those old habits and being patient with the sinning believer instead of giving him a good kick in the pants.
Yes, it is possible for a Christian to act like a jerk. Sad to say, I’m sometimes guilty. But the Lord does make a great promise -- He says He will finish what He starts in the life of His genuine children (Philippians 1:6). Someday all that are truly His will stand before Him, perfect and holy, made that way because He has the power to transform anyone, even the “jerks”, who submit to Him.
Question: Can a person become a Christian and continue to act like a jerk? Answer: That depends...
The recent church-related sex scandals and financial scams make well known the most prominent offenders but, without naming names, I’m sure everyone who is a Christian knows at least one other person we secretly wish would stop telling people they belong to the Christian church.
Jerks sometimes get the same negative attention in other organizations. The armed forces, lodges, service clubs and other groups might even toss out their “embarrassing” members. But the church? What are we supposed to do with them? Do we forgive and look the other way when “jerks” carry a Bible, name the Name and still play the ungodly fool? Or should we ask God to strike them with lightning? Or do we toss them out on their ears?
The disciples wondered the same thing. In fact, they came to Jesus ready to put out someone who merely was doing things in His Name but was not “one of us.” And this fellow wasn’t even acting like a jerk.
The Lord did explain part of it. He told a parable comparing the kingdom of God to a field. The good seed was sown and the good wheat sprouted, but sometime in the night an enemy came in and sowed tares or weeds. When the crop came up, the two were mixed; it was impossible to separate them, much like tame oats and wild oats. In other words, some of the jerks were imposters.
The Bible also talks about new and untaught people who need to be “rooted and grounded” in their faith. They need patient mentoring and encouragement. Since these “babes” merely have some growing up to do, their “wild oat” behavior eventually will change.
I don’t understand why God allows the continued mixture of imposters and genuine changed people all under the same banner. My own spiritual reputation may or may not be scarred by what some so-called Christians do, but surely the church in general suffers from the behavior of the “jerks”. Those who are not in the church have good reason to look at us and wonder.
But some things I do understand. One is that Jesus said there would be imposters, false Christs and false teachers. They would be like ravenous wolves, but disguising themselves as “angels of light.” The Bible tells us to watch out for them and put them out of the church.
Second, the Bible tells those who are genuine Christians to remain faithful to His Word and be utterly obedient so that their lives will not become filled with sin, making them look more like tares than wheat. And if it happens (and it does), the Bible says those who are “spiritual” should rebuke them, with the goal of repentance and restoration.
Third: God does change the inner nature of those He saves. It simply takes awhile for the outward behavior to match the inward change. The Bible tells us to be patient, to teach new Christians and encourage them as they learn how to act like what they are.
Take a good look at those three things. Isn’t discernment needed to determine which category a “jerk” falls into? I dare say many times the church, never mind those outside of it, are guilty of making the wrong assessment. We wind up trying to teach the false teacher (whose only goal is to undermine our doctrine), tossing out the struggling new Christian who needs our help to overcome those old habits and being patient with the sinning believer instead of giving him a good kick in the pants.
Yes, it is possible for a Christian to act like a jerk. Sad to say, I’m sometimes guilty. But the Lord does make a great promise -- He says He will finish what He starts in the life of His genuine children (Philippians 1:6). Someday all that are truly His will stand before Him, perfect and holy, made that way because He has the power to transform anyone, even the “jerks”, who submit to Him.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Home Invasion ........................... Parables 192
November 22, 1989
I have no idea how it got in. In fact, when the evidence was noticed, my first reaction was to deny the possibility. Years ago, when we lived on a farm, yes, but not here, not now. Before long, however, there was no doubt; somehow, a mouse was in our house.
While some might jump up on a chair and scream at even the thought, I immediately found an old-fashioned spring-loaded mousetrap, put some cheddar in it, and set it behind a cupboard just off the kitchen. No mouse was going to foul up my home. In my opinion, Mickey is the only cute mouse. The rest are disease carriers and destructive little pests. The mouse had to go -- as quickly as possible.
The next morning said mouse was a dead mouse and given burial without ceremony. Since we couldn’t find a possible entrance, we concluded that it came in while the lower level door was left open last week.
At the same time the mouse invaded, I was struggling with another pest. I had no idea how it got in either. In fact, at first sign of it, I denied the possibility. It couldn’t be my problem. It had to be this other person. After all, I’ve been a Christian too long to let a little thing like that bother me. Years ago, maybe, but not here, not now.
But before long the conviction from the Lord was too strong. There was no doubt; somehow a bad attitude about someone had settled down in my heart and taken up residence. Sinfully fed by mental reviewing their annoying habits, this pesky attitude was growing fatter by the week, ready to take over and rule my life.
Now sin ought to cause the same reaction as the mouse. Who wants a fouled up heart? It ought to be put out at the first sign... but not last week. Not that my sin was cute. It seldom is, at least for long. Like a mouse, it breeds more of its kind and eventually destroys everything.
Right off, it was ruining my fellowship with God. My prayers started bouncing off the ceiling. Even familiar truth from His Word became dry, without blessing.
I knew what the next symptom would be — ruined fellowship with other Christians. Oh, we would still be able to chitchat about superficial things, but hang on to that bad attitude and real spiritual intimacy would cease.
I could feel a loss of energy too. It takes effort thinking up ways to get even with someone, cutting words to say, what I should do and not do, and on and on. Just another consequence of turning away from God.
This attitude grew uglier by the minute. However, I wasn’t seeing it too clearly and took mercy on the thing. It wasn’t until we trapped the little mouse, that I realized this other pest had been freely scurrying about in my heart.
The Bible tells how to get rid of spiritual pests. First: “If we confess our sin, God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). In other words, admit sin is there, rely on the Savior to remove it, and don’t let it come back.
Secondly, “Mortify (put to death) the deeds of the sinful nature.” Simply put, the outward words and behavior that resulted from that inner bad attitude must be slain — not thought of as “everyone else does it” or “that other person deserves it.” God’s solution is confess, forsake and put it to death. Show no mercy toward both inner and outer sin.
Ouch! I felt like I set a trap and caught myself in it. But thank God, He is faithful to save us from our sin. And thank God, there is more to His salvation than death to old ways. Within me is the life of Jesus Christ. When I willingly mortify the old, He supplies the new. That means love, peace, joy, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, meekness, kindness and self-control are available in Him, for me. I get a second chance to rightly handle this other person, and my reactions.
Better than I can say for the mouse. Cute or not, he won’t be back.
I have no idea how it got in. In fact, when the evidence was noticed, my first reaction was to deny the possibility. Years ago, when we lived on a farm, yes, but not here, not now. Before long, however, there was no doubt; somehow, a mouse was in our house.
While some might jump up on a chair and scream at even the thought, I immediately found an old-fashioned spring-loaded mousetrap, put some cheddar in it, and set it behind a cupboard just off the kitchen. No mouse was going to foul up my home. In my opinion, Mickey is the only cute mouse. The rest are disease carriers and destructive little pests. The mouse had to go -- as quickly as possible.
The next morning said mouse was a dead mouse and given burial without ceremony. Since we couldn’t find a possible entrance, we concluded that it came in while the lower level door was left open last week.
At the same time the mouse invaded, I was struggling with another pest. I had no idea how it got in either. In fact, at first sign of it, I denied the possibility. It couldn’t be my problem. It had to be this other person. After all, I’ve been a Christian too long to let a little thing like that bother me. Years ago, maybe, but not here, not now.
But before long the conviction from the Lord was too strong. There was no doubt; somehow a bad attitude about someone had settled down in my heart and taken up residence. Sinfully fed by mental reviewing their annoying habits, this pesky attitude was growing fatter by the week, ready to take over and rule my life.
Now sin ought to cause the same reaction as the mouse. Who wants a fouled up heart? It ought to be put out at the first sign... but not last week. Not that my sin was cute. It seldom is, at least for long. Like a mouse, it breeds more of its kind and eventually destroys everything.
Right off, it was ruining my fellowship with God. My prayers started bouncing off the ceiling. Even familiar truth from His Word became dry, without blessing.
I knew what the next symptom would be — ruined fellowship with other Christians. Oh, we would still be able to chitchat about superficial things, but hang on to that bad attitude and real spiritual intimacy would cease.
I could feel a loss of energy too. It takes effort thinking up ways to get even with someone, cutting words to say, what I should do and not do, and on and on. Just another consequence of turning away from God.
This attitude grew uglier by the minute. However, I wasn’t seeing it too clearly and took mercy on the thing. It wasn’t until we trapped the little mouse, that I realized this other pest had been freely scurrying about in my heart.
The Bible tells how to get rid of spiritual pests. First: “If we confess our sin, God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). In other words, admit sin is there, rely on the Savior to remove it, and don’t let it come back.
Secondly, “Mortify (put to death) the deeds of the sinful nature.” Simply put, the outward words and behavior that resulted from that inner bad attitude must be slain — not thought of as “everyone else does it” or “that other person deserves it.” God’s solution is confess, forsake and put it to death. Show no mercy toward both inner and outer sin.
Ouch! I felt like I set a trap and caught myself in it. But thank God, He is faithful to save us from our sin. And thank God, there is more to His salvation than death to old ways. Within me is the life of Jesus Christ. When I willingly mortify the old, He supplies the new. That means love, peace, joy, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, meekness, kindness and self-control are available in Him, for me. I get a second chance to rightly handle this other person, and my reactions.
Better than I can say for the mouse. Cute or not, he won’t be back.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Cycling attitudes ..............................Parables 069
Later this month my clan will gather for a family reunion. Four generations and a variety of beliefs and attitudes will be represented.
Of those four generations, a few know Jesus Christ personally, a few are interested, a few couldn’t care less, and a few become hostile if His name comes up in any other context than cursing.
These four attitudes illustrate an observation someone has made... that attitudes toward truth (Jesus said “I am the truth...” John 14:6) go through a cycle: one generation seeks and finds truth, another one will defend it, the third becomes apathetic about it, and the fourth rejects it. The fifth generation feels the void, and the cycle begins to repeat itself.
Certainly this is a general observation and these are overlapping cycles with exceptions in our culture, yet I wonder... where are we - as a nation, and as individuals? Is our society made up of truth-seekers? Are there masses of people seeking the One who claimed to be truth? Or are most people content, just seeking to maintain the status quo?
Or is our population dominated by truth-defenders? Are people who know Jesus Christ in the majority? Are they actively defending the truth that He embodies? Do they proclaim that He is God in human flesh who died for their sin, was buried, and rose again? Or do those who hold the truth run for cover when it is attacked?
Or, are most people in the third generation of the cycle; not caring, ho-hum, falling beyond mere failure to defend the truth into apathetic disinterest? Do most people bypass what is right and what is real and instead make decisions governed by whatever feels good? If lies are recognized, are they evaluated as such? or accepted on the strength of their seeming immediate returns? Or has the standard for truth been lost altogether?
Maybe our society’s norm has become utter rejection of truth. Do most people get uptight and defensive when the topic of truth is raised? Do most people call evil, lies included, good - and good, truth included, evil? Do they attack the person and work of Jesus Christ? Do people prefer their lies and their empty lives rather than face the bright light of who He is?
In Matthew 12:34, Jesus spoke of a generation of vipers that pretended to know the truth but were filled with evil, lies and corruption. They hated truth and crucified Him rather than face what He said about them. Certainly this attitude continues to rule the life of many people today.
But attitudes toward truth do not have to go from bad to worse. Psalm 78 encourages those who know truth to hang on to it and to “make it known to their children: that the generation to come might know ... and arise and declare (this truth) to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments: and might not be as their fathers, (who were) a stubborn and rebellious generation..”
Psalm 24:6 gives added hope for those who have not had prior encouragement from the generation before them. It says, “... there is a generation that seeks Him...” and makes a promise that those who do will “...receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of their salvation.”
Perhaps the cycle is merely the merry-go-round that a lot of people would like to get off but do not know how. Jesus said “If you know the truth, the truth shall set you free.” The answer is found in Him.
Of those four generations, a few know Jesus Christ personally, a few are interested, a few couldn’t care less, and a few become hostile if His name comes up in any other context than cursing.
These four attitudes illustrate an observation someone has made... that attitudes toward truth (Jesus said “I am the truth...” John 14:6) go through a cycle: one generation seeks and finds truth, another one will defend it, the third becomes apathetic about it, and the fourth rejects it. The fifth generation feels the void, and the cycle begins to repeat itself.
Certainly this is a general observation and these are overlapping cycles with exceptions in our culture, yet I wonder... where are we - as a nation, and as individuals? Is our society made up of truth-seekers? Are there masses of people seeking the One who claimed to be truth? Or are most people content, just seeking to maintain the status quo?
Or is our population dominated by truth-defenders? Are people who know Jesus Christ in the majority? Are they actively defending the truth that He embodies? Do they proclaim that He is God in human flesh who died for their sin, was buried, and rose again? Or do those who hold the truth run for cover when it is attacked?
Or, are most people in the third generation of the cycle; not caring, ho-hum, falling beyond mere failure to defend the truth into apathetic disinterest? Do most people bypass what is right and what is real and instead make decisions governed by whatever feels good? If lies are recognized, are they evaluated as such? or accepted on the strength of their seeming immediate returns? Or has the standard for truth been lost altogether?
Maybe our society’s norm has become utter rejection of truth. Do most people get uptight and defensive when the topic of truth is raised? Do most people call evil, lies included, good - and good, truth included, evil? Do they attack the person and work of Jesus Christ? Do people prefer their lies and their empty lives rather than face the bright light of who He is?
In Matthew 12:34, Jesus spoke of a generation of vipers that pretended to know the truth but were filled with evil, lies and corruption. They hated truth and crucified Him rather than face what He said about them. Certainly this attitude continues to rule the life of many people today.
But attitudes toward truth do not have to go from bad to worse. Psalm 78 encourages those who know truth to hang on to it and to “make it known to their children: that the generation to come might know ... and arise and declare (this truth) to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments: and might not be as their fathers, (who were) a stubborn and rebellious generation..”
Psalm 24:6 gives added hope for those who have not had prior encouragement from the generation before them. It says, “... there is a generation that seeks Him...” and makes a promise that those who do will “...receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of their salvation.”
Perhaps the cycle is merely the merry-go-round that a lot of people would like to get off but do not know how. Jesus said “If you know the truth, the truth shall set you free.” The answer is found in Him.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Focusing on the forbidden? ............................. Parables 033
Have you ever noticed that the word that really stands out in a list of words is the one that is misspelled? Or that the kids may behave themselves for hours but the first little squabble is the thing that gets our attention?It seems to be a human characteristic to notice the errors, the out-of-harmony, the imperfect. We even tend to focus on the things that someone else says we cannot do. How many children will touch the stove, just to see if it’s really hot? How many people test the wet paint, even with the “wet paint” sign plainly visible? Our jails are full of people who push against the legal, ethical, and moral limits in our society. Resistance to outside authority is the common expression of a very human attraction to the forbidden.
Christians are often challenged from this point of view. “I could never be a Christian, you have too many rules, too many things that you can’t do.” Again, their focus is on the forbidden.
This attitude has its roots in a character who Jesus Christ calls “the father of lies.” It began when the serpent came to Eve in the garden of Eden. His approach, although new to her, has become very familiar to us, in all its variations. “Didn’t God say you couldn’t eat of “every” tree? After all, Eve, what kind of a paradise is this if you can’t eat from “all” the trees?”
Eve had been freely and innocently enjoying everything that was there to be enjoyed, but with the serpents suggestion, she lost her perspective. She began to look at the one thing that God had forbidden her to have. It began to have an appeal. Forgetting that all her desires were already being perfectly fulfilled, she took the forbidden fruit. In doing so, she gained what she thought would be good, but she lost everything else. Ever since then, the human race has been unable to relate to paradise with restrictions.
It is not easy to focus on the positive. Afraid that we will miss something, we are drawn to the negative, to the forbidden. In doing so, we lose, lose our perspective, and perhaps lose much more.
Jesus Christ tells us that since He is “the way, the truth, and the life,” we can keep our own lives moving in the right direction by steadfastly focusing on Him. He has never been affected by the negative or the forbidden. He is the perfect role-model, and in following Him, we will have “the light of life.” This light helps us to see beyond the negatives to the abundance of positive things that are ours in Him.
The Apostle Paul, in giving his life entirely in service to his Lord and Savior, was able to endure the negative because He looked beyond them. He said, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Christians are by no means deprived by not involving themselves in some of the activities that others do. Instead, we are freed from bondage to those things. He has opened our eyes to see Him, the life-giver, and He takes our focus off the forbidden things that others think they cannot live without.
(Amusing note: when this was first published it had to be retyped from my hard copy. It went into the newspaper with thirteen spelling mistakes.)
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