January 2004
There stands Billy in front of the candy counter. The store owner’s back is turned. Billy looks at the candy. On one shoulder sits an angel telling him to keep his hands in his pocket. On the other shoulder sits a bright red figure with a pitched fork and a contrary argument. If Billy does not touch the candy, who is the real winner in this battle?
Like 99% of the population, I decided last week to get rid of a few pounds. While I can still button up my clothes, they are tighter than they were a month ago. Too much turkey stuffing. Too many chocolates. Even with those safely out of sight, a second helping of anything was still a big temptation. However, I decided that if I say no to the extras, my tongue may lose a “taste sensation” but my body will come out a winner.
Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian, graphically described similar struggles with other kinds of temptation besides gluttony. He said, “Being a Christian is like having two dogs fighting inside me.”
The battle between what is the good and what is forbidden rages continually. Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings uses an epic fantasy to depict it. Even in fiction, this Christian author refuses to minimize the power of darkness to lure persons into wicked thinking and behavior. He also brings out the struggle inside the hearts of his characters.
Yet not all of them struggle. The good guys battle evil, but those who are evil only fight good because it threatens their freedom to choose otherwise. As I read Tolkein’s stories and see the movies, I marvel how he depicts the inner battle of the two dogs. I also marvel that this battle would not be so evident to me had I read the books before I became a Christian.
Becoming a Christian changed the way I think about good and evil. Even though I was not heavy into evil, I was surprised when these changes came. Before, I used “doing good” to serve my own purposes. Before, I rejected temptation only if I could see negative consequences. After giving my life to Christ, suddenly I wanted to do good — without having any reason, yet was (and still am) amazed at how fiercely temptation opposes me.
The Bible makes it clear that when the Holy Spirit lives in a person, that person changes. We become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). It also describes a new conflict. “The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want.”
Every Christian experiences this battle. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” He goes on to say that his sinful nature is up to no good, but his inner being, where the Holy Spirit dwells, wages war against that nature. He thanks God that Jesus Christ enables him to win this war!
Watchman Nee would agree. Someone heard him describe his battle with sin and asked, “Which dog wins?” He responded, “The dog I feed the most.”
My experience this past week is almost a pun on Nee’s reply, As I turn away from fancy desserts, rich sauces, and other temptations, my desire for them becomes less intense. Not only is my body beginning to lose weight, but my appetite for overeating has diminished.
For those who fight a battle with temptation, be thankful; it’s one test that gives evidence that you are a Christian. To win the battle, ask the Lord to help you feed the good dog (in my case, it likes lots of veggies!) and starving the forbidden dog. You will see it will shrivel up — and leave you alone.
Showing posts with label power to change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label power to change. Show all posts
Friday, July 27, 2018
Monday, June 25, 2018
Can we fix our problems? ............. Parables 759
July 30, 2002
A page from TIME with letters to the editor sits on my desk. This particular batch makes comments on the popularity of the LeHaye and Jenkins “Left Behind” series of books about the Second Coming. Some express agreement with the premise of the books; others think of them as money-making drivel.
I’ve not read any of the “Left Behind” books but as I read these letters, I realize that the point the authors try to make is missed entirely by those who put their faith in the ability of humans beings to correct their own mistakes.
Jesus did not share their faith. In Matthew 15, the Pharisees criticized His disciples for neglecting a ritual. Traditions said they must pour water on their hands and arms before eating. Jesus replied to the critics with a criticism of His own. He accused them of breaking the Lord’s commands for the sake of their traditions. They were doing things “in the name of God” that were purely for personal gain.
Jesus called them hypocrites. He said they honored God with their lips but their hearts were far from Him, and they taught “rules” made up by men, but neglected God’s teachings. In a reference to food laws, He said it is not what we eat that make us unclean, but what comes out of our mouths.
The disciples listened to Jesus but they didn’t understand what He said either. In their minds, their traditions were truth. They had trouble accepting that what they had been taught and believed in all their lives was totally irrelevant to true spirituality. Didn’t outward behavior count for anything?
So Jesus explained again, “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”
Jesus turned the world upside down with statements like this, yet most of the people in it are walking on the ceiling without realizing it. We shrink from this reality of sin in our hearts and think “pretty good” is good enough. We may not have done any horrible deeds but fail to recognize our restraint does not mean we are pure and innocent.
Like the Pharisees, we think that we are basically good at heart, and many are certain we can handle the mistakes we make. One writer to TIME said global warming, terrorism, hatred, etc. “are man’s problems, caused by man. With hard work and understanding, they can be solved by man.”
Jesus says the opposite. He says the whole world system will deteriorate because man, contrary to that writer’s opinion, cannot solve the mess that we have created. This passage of Scripture explains why. It is not in us to be pure, innocent, or righteous. We need changed hearts.
Last night, as we watched a movie, my husband said, “How can people kill others without any thought?” It slipped his mind that the world is filled with people who are living out exactly what is in their hearts. Christian author, Oswald Chambers says “we begin by trusting our ignorance and call it innocence, by trusting our innocence and calling it purity.”
But no man is pure without the Holy Spirit, and even then, we need to remember that we are just as capable of the darkest sin as the next guy.
Our restraint, to please God, must not be from cowardice, or social norms and restrictions, but from the power of the Holy Spirit. God alone can purify our hearts and deliver us from the junk that makes us unclean, but He will not do it without an invitation.
A page from TIME with letters to the editor sits on my desk. This particular batch makes comments on the popularity of the LeHaye and Jenkins “Left Behind” series of books about the Second Coming. Some express agreement with the premise of the books; others think of them as money-making drivel.
I’ve not read any of the “Left Behind” books but as I read these letters, I realize that the point the authors try to make is missed entirely by those who put their faith in the ability of humans beings to correct their own mistakes.
Jesus did not share their faith. In Matthew 15, the Pharisees criticized His disciples for neglecting a ritual. Traditions said they must pour water on their hands and arms before eating. Jesus replied to the critics with a criticism of His own. He accused them of breaking the Lord’s commands for the sake of their traditions. They were doing things “in the name of God” that were purely for personal gain.
Jesus called them hypocrites. He said they honored God with their lips but their hearts were far from Him, and they taught “rules” made up by men, but neglected God’s teachings. In a reference to food laws, He said it is not what we eat that make us unclean, but what comes out of our mouths.
The disciples listened to Jesus but they didn’t understand what He said either. In their minds, their traditions were truth. They had trouble accepting that what they had been taught and believed in all their lives was totally irrelevant to true spirituality. Didn’t outward behavior count for anything?
So Jesus explained again, “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”
Jesus turned the world upside down with statements like this, yet most of the people in it are walking on the ceiling without realizing it. We shrink from this reality of sin in our hearts and think “pretty good” is good enough. We may not have done any horrible deeds but fail to recognize our restraint does not mean we are pure and innocent.
Like the Pharisees, we think that we are basically good at heart, and many are certain we can handle the mistakes we make. One writer to TIME said global warming, terrorism, hatred, etc. “are man’s problems, caused by man. With hard work and understanding, they can be solved by man.”
Jesus says the opposite. He says the whole world system will deteriorate because man, contrary to that writer’s opinion, cannot solve the mess that we have created. This passage of Scripture explains why. It is not in us to be pure, innocent, or righteous. We need changed hearts.
Last night, as we watched a movie, my husband said, “How can people kill others without any thought?” It slipped his mind that the world is filled with people who are living out exactly what is in their hearts. Christian author, Oswald Chambers says “we begin by trusting our ignorance and call it innocence, by trusting our innocence and calling it purity.”
But no man is pure without the Holy Spirit, and even then, we need to remember that we are just as capable of the darkest sin as the next guy.
Our restraint, to please God, must not be from cowardice, or social norms and restrictions, but from the power of the Holy Spirit. God alone can purify our hearts and deliver us from the junk that makes us unclean, but He will not do it without an invitation.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Power to Change .......... Parables 695
December 5, 2000
When I was in my teens, a friend told me that her mother heard from my mother that “Elsie is not as smart as the other kids.” Prolonged illness kept me home from age seven until I reached grade seven, so my mother meant “streetwise smart” but I interpreted it to mean I was dumb. As a consequence, I spent much of my life trying to prove that I was as smart as everyone else.
Other people tell me how words and events from their past hang over them like a cloud. Someone said they were ‘slow’ so they thought themselves slow, even though they were not. Someone abused them and long after their external bruises healed, they were scarred within.
Positive words and actions can reinforce for good, but far too often a negative past becomes a primary shaping ingredient. How can this pattern be changed?
A “Power to Change” campaign in Edmonton, and throughout northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, offers good news to people who feel trapped by their past. The ads feature men and women who give testimony that they struggled with addictions, unhappy relationships, broken marriages and personal lack of fulfilment. They also share how God changed their lives.
This news is the good news God offers in the Bible. He says no one needs to be trapped by either their past or their present situation. God loves us and wants the best for us. He also knows how to help us with His great power. He can change the way we think and act.
This offer is not only for down-and-out people or those destitute or caught in terrible sins. ‘Good’ people need changed lives too. The Apostle Paul is an example. He was raised in the finest Jewish tradition with an excellent education. His upbringing shaped him to love his religion and hate everything that contradicted it. However, he did not understand that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, so he wound up fighting God when he thought he was serving Him.
As the first Christians appeared, Paul became angry at their claims and determined to have these people destroyed. One day, while on the way to Damascus looking for Christians he could “take as prisoners to Jerusalem” a light flashed around him. Paul fell to the ground as he heard the Lord’s voice say, “Why do you persecute me?”
At that moment, the risen Christ stopped this devout man in his tracks and blinded him with His light. Then He sent Paul to a Christian in Damascus called Ananias. He already told Ananias that “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”
This encounter with Jesus changed forever Paul’s attitude and life. He no longer hated Christians and their claims. He embraced both Christ and His people and from that point on, he did just as Jesus had chosen him to do. His life was no longer shaped by his past.
God changed my life too. I no longer feel that need to prove myself because He loves me as I am. He also works to make me like Jesus; a goal higher than any goal I could set or attain. Through Him, and the wisdom He gives, I truly can do all things.
In Christ, we learn how to deal with our past and then put it behind us and forge ahead. Paul said, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Even though most of us need to deal with some issues in our past, God’s great work of salvation includes the help we need. As He works to change us so we are like His Son, we are no longer governed by our past but shaped by our future.
If you want the power to change, take that desire to God, admitting your need and asking Him to forgive your sin and failures. Invite Jesus into your life and, by His very presence, nothing will ever be the same.
When I was in my teens, a friend told me that her mother heard from my mother that “Elsie is not as smart as the other kids.” Prolonged illness kept me home from age seven until I reached grade seven, so my mother meant “streetwise smart” but I interpreted it to mean I was dumb. As a consequence, I spent much of my life trying to prove that I was as smart as everyone else.
Other people tell me how words and events from their past hang over them like a cloud. Someone said they were ‘slow’ so they thought themselves slow, even though they were not. Someone abused them and long after their external bruises healed, they were scarred within.
Positive words and actions can reinforce for good, but far too often a negative past becomes a primary shaping ingredient. How can this pattern be changed?
A “Power to Change” campaign in Edmonton, and throughout northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, offers good news to people who feel trapped by their past. The ads feature men and women who give testimony that they struggled with addictions, unhappy relationships, broken marriages and personal lack of fulfilment. They also share how God changed their lives.
This news is the good news God offers in the Bible. He says no one needs to be trapped by either their past or their present situation. God loves us and wants the best for us. He also knows how to help us with His great power. He can change the way we think and act.
This offer is not only for down-and-out people or those destitute or caught in terrible sins. ‘Good’ people need changed lives too. The Apostle Paul is an example. He was raised in the finest Jewish tradition with an excellent education. His upbringing shaped him to love his religion and hate everything that contradicted it. However, he did not understand that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, so he wound up fighting God when he thought he was serving Him.
As the first Christians appeared, Paul became angry at their claims and determined to have these people destroyed. One day, while on the way to Damascus looking for Christians he could “take as prisoners to Jerusalem” a light flashed around him. Paul fell to the ground as he heard the Lord’s voice say, “Why do you persecute me?”
At that moment, the risen Christ stopped this devout man in his tracks and blinded him with His light. Then He sent Paul to a Christian in Damascus called Ananias. He already told Ananias that “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”
This encounter with Jesus changed forever Paul’s attitude and life. He no longer hated Christians and their claims. He embraced both Christ and His people and from that point on, he did just as Jesus had chosen him to do. His life was no longer shaped by his past.
God changed my life too. I no longer feel that need to prove myself because He loves me as I am. He also works to make me like Jesus; a goal higher than any goal I could set or attain. Through Him, and the wisdom He gives, I truly can do all things.
In Christ, we learn how to deal with our past and then put it behind us and forge ahead. Paul said, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Even though most of us need to deal with some issues in our past, God’s great work of salvation includes the help we need. As He works to change us so we are like His Son, we are no longer governed by our past but shaped by our future.
If you want the power to change, take that desire to God, admitting your need and asking Him to forgive your sin and failures. Invite Jesus into your life and, by His very presence, nothing will ever be the same.
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