April 9, 2002
Will Rogers once advised, “Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”
A friend says she does not live the same way at home as she does in public because when she is at home she leaves her false teeth on the vanity. Would people gossip about that?
We laughingly assure her that gumming is hardly grist for the gossip mill. Even though we are what we are when no one is looking, some allowances are expected. Hiding immoral behavior behind a facade of decency is a far bigger issue than popping in those dentures when the door bell rings!
As far as immoral behavior goes, Dr. Laura says anyone can clean up their life. We are created with the ability to make moral choices. The problem is that true change comes from the heart, and if a person’s heart is not in it, the cleanup is only on the surface.
This issue was disputed in Jesus’ day. The religious leaders thought that looking good in front of people was vitally important. However, Jesus said they were hiding their true selves. He called them “whitewashed sepulchers; clean on the outside but full of dead men’s bones.”
Although the laws of God indicate He wants us to clean up the way we live, Jesus stressed that He expects more than external behavior. He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart” and “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.”
Living from the heart means being honest with God, ourselves and others. Psychologist Larry Crabb says that most people do not do this because we are terrified of complete self-exposure. Instead, we build layers to protect ourselves. These layers prevent others from knowing our inner thoughts and feelings.
Layers show up in our conversation. The deeper the layer, the shallower the topic. For instance, the most protective conversations are spoken in cliches. Some call it “weather talk.” Remove some layers and the next level of conversation becomes “reporting facts,” usually about external events or other people. This chitchat does not include personal or self-revealing statements.
Remove more layers and the conversation includes ideas and judgments. Even at this level, the person talking watches listeners carefully. If there is any indication they are not interested or do not agree, the speaker layers up again, retreating to chitchat, cliches or silence.
When we stop hiding behind layers, we can share our feelings and emotions and begin to reveal ourselves. This does not happen all the time or with everyone, but if it never happens, it indicates we have many protective layers and a deeply hidden personality. Those who hide themselves behind an “acceptable” exterior lack integrity, and depending what they are hiding, they may be living a terrible lie.
Jesus expresses deep concern for issues of the heart. He says “out of the heart comes evil thoughts,” and we know where evil thoughts can lead. We need to behave properly but can we really do it without guarding our hearts? Even if other people do not care if we harbor lust, greed, hatred, or anger, God does. He asks that we be transparent and honest with Him. When we confess both outer and inner sins, “He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Simply put, He cleans up our hearts, and that purity affects the way we live. Someone with a clean heart is careful to stay away from layers. They are open and honest about their lives, including their inner life.
They are also safe if their parrot, or anyone who knows them, brings up their name in front of the town gossip!
Showing posts with label integrity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label integrity. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Monday, August 3, 2015
Putting a good name before wealth ................ Parables 308
March 10, 1992
A certain Irishman, whose name I could not find, came up with a get-rich-quick scheme back in the depression days. A man with vision, he predicted that large corporations would soon be expanding from North America to Europe, companies that sold everything from automobiles to soda pop. Motivated by that inner conviction, he quietly traveled to every country and registered all the well-known trademarks in his own name.
His investment paid off. When incoming companies tried to register their famous trademarks, they discovered the names already owned by this man. Of course he was quite happy to sell his rights to them. In the course of a few short years, this Irishman made seven million dollars — all perfectly legal.
Before you rush off to the third world to try the same trick, it won’t work now. The International Trademark Convention has been established to protect major companies from losing rights to their famous names. However, for one time, one man used trade names to gain great personal wealth.
The Irishman wasn’t the first person to realize names have value. Solomon, who wrote the book of Proverbs, said, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches . . . ”
Of course he was not talking about commercial trademarks. Solomon meant the reputation that comes to a person with sound character. It is recognized by the response people make when they hear that person’s name. There are no disparaging remarks, no expressions of distrust, no abusive or slanderous comments. When a person (or even an organization) has a good name, people respect it because they respect the person (or people) behind it.
Obviously a good name is earned. Being born to an upstanding family might help for a while but eventually a person is known for what they themselves are, not for what their father or mother did. So it is not like the inheritance a person receives when someone dies nor is it like a treasure someone can stumble across. Rather a good name is more like wages — it has to be earned by effort. An exemplary life is not automatic and should any stain ever mar a person’s good name, a double-effort is required to restore it.
Solomon also adds that a good name is a matter of choice. While the story about the Irishman did not include information about his reputation, according to Solomon, if he had a choice between his good name and the $7 million — and he picked the money, he made a foolish choice.
Two other proverbs explain Solomon’s reasoning. One says “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot . . . ” In other words, those with a good name are remembered with blessing, just as already mentioned. I think I would rather have people think of me and raise a toast, than remember me with disgust and distaste.
Solomon also says, “He who walks with integrity walks securely but he who perverts his ways will be found out.” Choosing perverted behavior will, of course, earn a bad reputation. But more than that, the person who chooses that route will not be able to hide his deeds. He will also will feel insecure because eventually the wrong done will be known and he will have to bear the humiliation of detection. Again, living with a clear conscience and no fear of being “found out” is far better than looking over one’s shoulder in fear.
Sometimes it seems few people care about having pride in their name. They may want the blessing of others, popularity, and a sense of security but somehow fail to connect the fact that these things are a product of personal choice and like anything else of great value, must be earned.
We may not be able to buy trade names to make millions, but when money competes with a good name, an honorable reputation is the wiser choice.
A certain Irishman, whose name I could not find, came up with a get-rich-quick scheme back in the depression days. A man with vision, he predicted that large corporations would soon be expanding from North America to Europe, companies that sold everything from automobiles to soda pop. Motivated by that inner conviction, he quietly traveled to every country and registered all the well-known trademarks in his own name.
His investment paid off. When incoming companies tried to register their famous trademarks, they discovered the names already owned by this man. Of course he was quite happy to sell his rights to them. In the course of a few short years, this Irishman made seven million dollars — all perfectly legal.
Before you rush off to the third world to try the same trick, it won’t work now. The International Trademark Convention has been established to protect major companies from losing rights to their famous names. However, for one time, one man used trade names to gain great personal wealth.
The Irishman wasn’t the first person to realize names have value. Solomon, who wrote the book of Proverbs, said, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches . . . ”
Of course he was not talking about commercial trademarks. Solomon meant the reputation that comes to a person with sound character. It is recognized by the response people make when they hear that person’s name. There are no disparaging remarks, no expressions of distrust, no abusive or slanderous comments. When a person (or even an organization) has a good name, people respect it because they respect the person (or people) behind it.
Obviously a good name is earned. Being born to an upstanding family might help for a while but eventually a person is known for what they themselves are, not for what their father or mother did. So it is not like the inheritance a person receives when someone dies nor is it like a treasure someone can stumble across. Rather a good name is more like wages — it has to be earned by effort. An exemplary life is not automatic and should any stain ever mar a person’s good name, a double-effort is required to restore it.
Solomon also adds that a good name is a matter of choice. While the story about the Irishman did not include information about his reputation, according to Solomon, if he had a choice between his good name and the $7 million — and he picked the money, he made a foolish choice.
Two other proverbs explain Solomon’s reasoning. One says “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot . . . ” In other words, those with a good name are remembered with blessing, just as already mentioned. I think I would rather have people think of me and raise a toast, than remember me with disgust and distaste.
Solomon also says, “He who walks with integrity walks securely but he who perverts his ways will be found out.” Choosing perverted behavior will, of course, earn a bad reputation. But more than that, the person who chooses that route will not be able to hide his deeds. He will also will feel insecure because eventually the wrong done will be known and he will have to bear the humiliation of detection. Again, living with a clear conscience and no fear of being “found out” is far better than looking over one’s shoulder in fear.
Sometimes it seems few people care about having pride in their name. They may want the blessing of others, popularity, and a sense of security but somehow fail to connect the fact that these things are a product of personal choice and like anything else of great value, must be earned.
We may not be able to buy trade names to make millions, but when money competes with a good name, an honorable reputation is the wiser choice.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Removing the Masks ................. Parables 207
(March 7, 1990)
Our granddaughter was two when she first saw me wearing a mask. It was part of a costume and covered my face. It wasn’t a frightening mask but she recoiled in horror. The familiar grandmother had disappeared and something she couldn’t understand had taken my place.
An ancient theatrical Greek might use the word “hypokrites” to explain the wearing of a mask. From it comes our negative word, “hypocrite”, generally used to describe someone who pretends to be something different (usually better) than they really are.
In Jesus’ day, there were at several kinds of religious hypocrites. One was the Pharisees who loudly proclaimed they were godly but their hearts were far from God. They wore a mask of their own goodness, covering up their selfish inner intent. Jesus often warned those who were close to Him, “Beware of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.” (Luke 12:1)
It’s little wonder most of us dislike hypocrisy -- God Himself hates it. He describes those who engage in it as people who have a destructive mouth (Proverbs 11:9), make their rules more important than the needs of people (Luke 13:15), are insensitive to God’s discipline (Job 36:13), show off their “piety” (Matthew 6:2,5,16) and are seemingly discerning about a lot of things but miss the real issues (Matthew 16:3). They also refuse others the privilege of hearing God’s truth (Matthew 23:13), are long on prayers and short on compassion (Matthew 23:14), eager to convert others to their error (Matthew 23:15), and are big on giving money but low on obedience to God, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23).
A hypocrite may look good on the outside but Jesus sees they have extortion and indulgence in their hearts (Matthew 23:25,27). They might give public honor to great men of God but stab them behind their back (Matthew 23:29). Some will even honor God with their lips but their heart is far from Him (Mark 7:6). A few get away with their hypocrisy in that most do not notice anything but their “goodness” (Luke 11:44), however they have nothing to give the hungry and thirsty souls of those who seek God (Isaiah 32:6). Hypocrites can even tell lies without it bothering their conscience (I Timothy 4:2). Quite a list. No wonder Jesus said “Woe to you hypocrites...” Christians are told “the wisdom from above is... WITHOUT HYPOCRISY.” I Peter 2:1,2 tells us to “lay aside all... hypocrisies.” Why? What happens to the hypocrite?
Combining some verses from Job, here is the picture: “The... joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment... for the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate... so are the paths of all that forget God... for what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he has gained, when God takes away his soul? ... And the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.”
If genuine Christians fall into hypocrisy, God promises to chasten them. His intent is that we watch out for this sin and if it occurs, confess it, repent of it, and be honest with Him, others and ourselves.
Christians who refuse to cooperate with God in this confess/repent cure tend to transfer their guilt by judging others. Again Jesus warns: “You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then you shall see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye” (Luke 6:42).
No one should let a hypocrite stand between themselves and God. If it is an erring Christian, guilty as he may be, that kind of hypocrite is closer to God than the one offended. However, if the unsaved Pharisee-type keeps anyone from God, what a shame -- that makes two people bound for a Christless eternity. Those who shy from God because of hypocrisy lose, either way.
Better still to realize, for whatever reasons, people will wear masks. The only person without any hypocrisy in Him, was the Lord Jesus Christ. And He is the only one that can help any of us take off our masks and allow Him to deal with what is really there.
Our granddaughter was two when she first saw me wearing a mask. It was part of a costume and covered my face. It wasn’t a frightening mask but she recoiled in horror. The familiar grandmother had disappeared and something she couldn’t understand had taken my place.
An ancient theatrical Greek might use the word “hypokrites” to explain the wearing of a mask. From it comes our negative word, “hypocrite”, generally used to describe someone who pretends to be something different (usually better) than they really are.
In Jesus’ day, there were at several kinds of religious hypocrites. One was the Pharisees who loudly proclaimed they were godly but their hearts were far from God. They wore a mask of their own goodness, covering up their selfish inner intent. Jesus often warned those who were close to Him, “Beware of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.” (Luke 12:1)
It’s little wonder most of us dislike hypocrisy -- God Himself hates it. He describes those who engage in it as people who have a destructive mouth (Proverbs 11:9), make their rules more important than the needs of people (Luke 13:15), are insensitive to God’s discipline (Job 36:13), show off their “piety” (Matthew 6:2,5,16) and are seemingly discerning about a lot of things but miss the real issues (Matthew 16:3). They also refuse others the privilege of hearing God’s truth (Matthew 23:13), are long on prayers and short on compassion (Matthew 23:14), eager to convert others to their error (Matthew 23:15), and are big on giving money but low on obedience to God, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23).
A hypocrite may look good on the outside but Jesus sees they have extortion and indulgence in their hearts (Matthew 23:25,27). They might give public honor to great men of God but stab them behind their back (Matthew 23:29). Some will even honor God with their lips but their heart is far from Him (Mark 7:6). A few get away with their hypocrisy in that most do not notice anything but their “goodness” (Luke 11:44), however they have nothing to give the hungry and thirsty souls of those who seek God (Isaiah 32:6). Hypocrites can even tell lies without it bothering their conscience (I Timothy 4:2). Quite a list. No wonder Jesus said “Woe to you hypocrites...” Christians are told “the wisdom from above is... WITHOUT HYPOCRISY.” I Peter 2:1,2 tells us to “lay aside all... hypocrisies.” Why? What happens to the hypocrite?
Combining some verses from Job, here is the picture: “The... joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment... for the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate... so are the paths of all that forget God... for what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he has gained, when God takes away his soul? ... And the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.”
If genuine Christians fall into hypocrisy, God promises to chasten them. His intent is that we watch out for this sin and if it occurs, confess it, repent of it, and be honest with Him, others and ourselves.
Christians who refuse to cooperate with God in this confess/repent cure tend to transfer their guilt by judging others. Again Jesus warns: “You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then you shall see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye” (Luke 6:42).
No one should let a hypocrite stand between themselves and God. If it is an erring Christian, guilty as he may be, that kind of hypocrite is closer to God than the one offended. However, if the unsaved Pharisee-type keeps anyone from God, what a shame -- that makes two people bound for a Christless eternity. Those who shy from God because of hypocrisy lose, either way.
Better still to realize, for whatever reasons, people will wear masks. The only person without any hypocrisy in Him, was the Lord Jesus Christ. And He is the only one that can help any of us take off our masks and allow Him to deal with what is really there.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Blending in? ....................... Parables 113
The American chameleon never looks out of place. When he is surrounded by green trees, he turns green; on brown earth, he turns brown. This little lizard also enjoys a great degree of safety. His enemies cannot distinguish him from his environment, no matter what it is.
Most people prefer to blend in too, at least socially. We learn early to watch our hostess to see which fork to use first. We call ahead to find out what everyone else is wearing. The ability to adopt to the social norm is a desired skill and it is certainly more comfortable to be a chameleon than a social misfit who attends barbeques in formal evening wear.
An intellectual chameleon plays a less visible game. Imagine the challenge of sitting with several Einsteins discussing nuclear physics -- with an IQ of 73! Here silence might be the only hope of appearing to think as that crowd thinks! For most of us, it is far easier to fit in with the opposite extreme on the intelligence scale.
Emotional chameleons blend well, and there are more of them. They are the crowd in “crowd psychology,” the adoring fans that follow the idols. They respond to the mood generated by a charismatic leader such as Hitler, or to the emotionally-charged music beating from the stage of a rock concert. Emotions are the easier “color” for chameleons to copy.
What about spiritual chameleons? They keep a much lower profile than the groupies who follow popular bands. They effectively mimic “spiritual” jargon. They chat knowledgeably with theologians. They are able to make themselves comfortable in church fellowship . . . these people are nice so they are nice.
But the spiritual chameleon is also at home with those who reject Christ. He is comfortable talking their language, saying their cuss words, behaving like they do when he is with them because this chameleon wants the best of both worlds. He wants acceptance with no pressure, no accountability. And because pagans and Christians (to our shame) seldom cross each others path, there is little danger of exposure. No one sees anything that doesn’t fit, that doesn’t conform. No one will discover his charade. This chameleon is safe . . . or so he thinks.
Jesus said that His disciples “are in the world but not of the world.” Anyone who genuinely follows Christ is actually an alien, a citizen of a different kingdom. We live here, but we do not fit. We don’t fit because we have been made new - spiritually alive with the life of Christ. We think differently. We talk differently. We act differently. We are nonconformist . . . and we better not act like chameleons.
Outward BEHAVIOR is generally a symptom of what is going on inside, but God is not fooled when the two don’t seem to match. He searches hearts and examines minds. A spiritual chameleon can appear righteous for a while, but God looks past his external “color” and judges his motives and intentions. As Jesus said, these things come out of the heart that defile a person. Eventually, any charade will be discovered. (Matthew 15:17-20)
Instead of blending in, Christ commands his people to be “blameless and harmless, the sons of God without fault -- in a corrupted world among whom we shine like stars” (Philippians 2). Paul said “Satan and his ministers transform themselves in apostles of light” so they will blend in, undetected. But it is God who transforms His people, not so we have power to change our “color” and blend into our environment, but so we will be like Jesus Christ and stand in sharp contrast to the corruption around us.
Most people prefer to blend in too, at least socially. We learn early to watch our hostess to see which fork to use first. We call ahead to find out what everyone else is wearing. The ability to adopt to the social norm is a desired skill and it is certainly more comfortable to be a chameleon than a social misfit who attends barbeques in formal evening wear.
An intellectual chameleon plays a less visible game. Imagine the challenge of sitting with several Einsteins discussing nuclear physics -- with an IQ of 73! Here silence might be the only hope of appearing to think as that crowd thinks! For most of us, it is far easier to fit in with the opposite extreme on the intelligence scale.
Emotional chameleons blend well, and there are more of them. They are the crowd in “crowd psychology,” the adoring fans that follow the idols. They respond to the mood generated by a charismatic leader such as Hitler, or to the emotionally-charged music beating from the stage of a rock concert. Emotions are the easier “color” for chameleons to copy.
What about spiritual chameleons? They keep a much lower profile than the groupies who follow popular bands. They effectively mimic “spiritual” jargon. They chat knowledgeably with theologians. They are able to make themselves comfortable in church fellowship . . . these people are nice so they are nice.
But the spiritual chameleon is also at home with those who reject Christ. He is comfortable talking their language, saying their cuss words, behaving like they do when he is with them because this chameleon wants the best of both worlds. He wants acceptance with no pressure, no accountability. And because pagans and Christians (to our shame) seldom cross each others path, there is little danger of exposure. No one sees anything that doesn’t fit, that doesn’t conform. No one will discover his charade. This chameleon is safe . . . or so he thinks.
Jesus said that His disciples “are in the world but not of the world.” Anyone who genuinely follows Christ is actually an alien, a citizen of a different kingdom. We live here, but we do not fit. We don’t fit because we have been made new - spiritually alive with the life of Christ. We think differently. We talk differently. We act differently. We are nonconformist . . . and we better not act like chameleons.
Outward BEHAVIOR is generally a symptom of what is going on inside, but God is not fooled when the two don’t seem to match. He searches hearts and examines minds. A spiritual chameleon can appear righteous for a while, but God looks past his external “color” and judges his motives and intentions. As Jesus said, these things come out of the heart that defile a person. Eventually, any charade will be discovered. (Matthew 15:17-20)
Instead of blending in, Christ commands his people to be “blameless and harmless, the sons of God without fault -- in a corrupted world among whom we shine like stars” (Philippians 2). Paul said “Satan and his ministers transform themselves in apostles of light” so they will blend in, undetected. But it is God who transforms His people, not so we have power to change our “color” and blend into our environment, but so we will be like Jesus Christ and stand in sharp contrast to the corruption around us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)