Preaching to Myself: Politics and Peace

 Philippians 4:8-9 AMP

Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you.

If you know me, you know I care deeply for Public Education and how state politics affects it. So deep down I worry that if I only stare at the honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and praise-of-God-worthy, I will be like the ostrich who puts his head in the sand and will become a silly buffoon who knows nothing of the world around me. This is because when I manage more of what God asks me to notice, I have more peace and less political engagement, missing out on the latest concerns. I don’t get the political memes on social media and feel rather dumb. 

But is all this “engagement” fruitful? Is it about something that I have any control over? Is it more important for me to share the goings on of state government or to share the word of Christ? When I hear the news, does it really make me into a better neighbor, friend, family member, or wife? Yes, I need to be wise when I choose government officials. In truth, it is only the action of voting that has the tiny potential to change my world for the better and this only happens periodically.

So yes, I need to read and pay attention to godly sources before I vote, realizing how tricky it is to stay informed for the vote without giving myself over to angst and worry. However, it is no big secret that in many political resources evil lurks. Even if I could run out and hold a sign in protest, isn’t it better that I hold a hand? The true power to change my world is really in Christ. Because if there is one thing I know, it is through relationships that Christ works and not through violence, a yard sign, marches, protests or even voting. Jesus demonstrated this in his 33 years in flesh. 

So it comes down to this: Which makes me what God asks me to be? Being informed on the political goings-on? Or walking this difficult life in the peace of God? If thinking on all the beauty and goodness of God pushes out my political concerns, and replaces it with peace, it is most certainly a win. This is my prayer: May I think on the beauty of God all day long and with every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God.

The Influence of One Decision

 This is not my story to tell. Or maybe it is, because it needs to be shared.

This story was heard while listening to Pastor Caesar preach. As I understand it, Caesar was born to underprivileged non-hearing parents. He struggled in school and was considered special needs. I don’t know the details but later in his difficult childhood, Caesar was mentored/adopted by a dentist named Dr. Luckett who took him under his wing.

Dr. Luckett was a Christian man so he took Caesar to his church where he was told Caesar was not welcomed because he was black. Dr. Luckett could have left Caesar at home, he could have dropped Caesar off at a black church, or he could have quit going to church because they were hypocrites. But what he did changed lives forever. He left that church and found one that would accept Caesar. Under Dr. Luckett’s guidance, Caesar played college and pro football, graduated from college and gave his life to spreading the gospel. He is currently a chaplain at Methodist Hospital in Dallas and an associate pastor in charge of the Celebrate Recovery program at our church. The lives he has touched all can be traced back to one decision by one man who made the right choice.

Unexpectedly at any moment we could have to make a life changing decision like that. Or maybe we make them all day long. We choose our words, our likes and interactions on social media and our actions in real life. Which one will be a pivotal point in the life of someone else? I don’t think we will know until we get to Glory. Most of these decisions will be forgotten and not even mentioned at our funeral. Yet each decision we make, no matter how insignificant, makes ripples that go out to affect those around us. We are woven into the fabric of humanity and any action can change hundreds of decisions made around us.

I believe what determines my choices is my preparation. I didn’t know Dr. Luckett but he probably was not blindsided with a desire to do the right thing in a life of chasing his own selfish pursuits. He probably had developed a habit of listening and responding to God throughout his life. So if I am prepared, when the small or large decisions happen, my response will be what God would have it be. This is like when the soil is prepared for a crop. The farmer cannot control the weather but he can weed and till the soil and plant the seeds. My part is to prepare it for the best yield.

Did I pursue Christ that day? Was I grateful to God? Did I humble myself before him in prayer? Did I listen and look for God’s intervention in my day? This is simple stuff, not rocket science. And that is Good News. There is so much that I can’t control and I am often tempted to wring my hands obsessing over this lack of control. But I must remember that God’s powerful hands control the results of my decisions.

Like the decision of Dr. Luckett, in God’s hands, our tiny ripples can become a tsunami. It is a story of a small decision that made a world of difference. I believe we as Christians need to be reminded of our mission and how important it is that we make the decisions which may go against the flow of those around us, yet are the right thing to do. Decisions that we make can be forgotten in an instant but the ripples that go out from it will continue on in ways we cannot fathom.

One Right Decision

I have been rescued. And I am rescued on a daily basis. No, I was not a drug addict. No, I didn’t suffer from alcoholism. My demons are covert, they are many and I am under the delusion that I hide them well. They vary and come at me from every angle. They resemble self-pity, anger, bitterness, selfishness, self-righteousness and a plethora of other chains all of which stem from pride. Any one thing on this list can destroy faster than a heroin addiction and I am inflicted with these demons on a daily basis. But God…

Yes, I have been rescued today. And I was rescued yesterday and I will be rescued tomorrow if I choose. All I have to do is make one right decision. I have to let go and give it to God. It is a choice. It is the one right decision. To let Jesus take the wheel even though I grab at that wheel during the stressful moments of a day. But making this choice consistently and daily over the last seven years has brought me peace and joy that has rooted and grown. Most of my days I am not aware of this change since it isn’t one of those bolt-of-lightning type changes. But sometimes I am given a glimpse of someone who is like me who hasn’t made that decision and my eyes see the miracle that God has produced in me and I want this so badly for them too. He is cutting my chains off one by one, replacing each with his peace, love and understanding and I am so grateful. 

I am beginning to understand this verse from the Apostle Paul. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Along for the Ride

 My Lessons in Living in Humility

People who know me probably got a good laugh that I would write about humility because that is one thing I know little about. Pride, humility’s opposite, has been my jam my entire life. In elementary school, I believed I was smarter than my teachers and scoffed at anything they tried to teach me. In high school, pride kept me from following the pack because I thought I knew better.(So in this case it was handy.) In college, I didn't listen to the voices of wisdom around me and that led to a painful seven years of regret. In my arrogance I  always thought I was the smartest one in the room. 

You can’t believe how much it hurt me to type that introductory paragraph. That is my pride rearing its ugly head. So because the first step to getting better is to admit you have a problem, I suppose I am in the process of learning humility. And in case you may have a bit of a pride issue too, I am going to reveal a couple of life-lessons in my baby steps of this recovery process.

The Lightbulb Moments

Humility always sounded so feeble and in no way was it appealing to me. You don’t have to look long on social media to see a meme declaring the cool factor of being a sassy, independent, scrappy, don’t-mess-with-me kind of person. Who would want to be humble when you can be such a cool bad-ass? I gravitate toward these messages of self reliance. I love to read a book or watch a movie about an aggressive, combative, fierce hero. This is our culture. This is pride. How can I possibly give up this attitude for humility? And why would I want to? 

My first ‘a-ha’ moment of seeing the truth about pride came from a poem written by Beth Moore about pride. I keep a copy and read it often to remind me of why I need to give up my arrogant attitude. 

My Name is Pride ~by Beth Moore

My name is Pride! I am a cheater I cheat you of your God-given destiny…because you demand your own way. I cheat you of contentment…because you “deserve better than this.”  I cheat you of knowledge… because you already know it all.  I cheat you of healing…because you’re too full of me to forgive.  I cheat you of holiness…because you refuse to admit when you’re wrong. I cheat you of vision…because you’d rather look in the mirror than out a window. I cheat you of genuine friendship…because nobody’s going to know the real you. I cheat you of love…because real romance demands sacrifice. I cheat you of greatness in heaven…because you refuse to wash another’s feet on Earth. I cheat you of God’s glory…because I convince you to seek your own. My name is Pride. I am a cheater. You like me because you think I’m always looking out for you. Untrue. I’m looking to make a fool of you. God has so much for you, I admit, but don’t worry…If you stick with me, You’ll never know.

Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.

C.S. Lewis 

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Baby Steps in the Right Direction

Pride has been said to be the root of all sin and I do believe that to be true. Pride is a liar and a cheat. It cheated me out of true friendship repeatedly by not allowing me to  come down off of my pedestal. 

So do I need to be a wimp to give up my pride and become humble? Jesus modeled humility all the way to the cross yet he was far from milquetoast wimpy. He was a warrior! He was always about his Father’s business and nothing got in the way of that. Not his parents and not the rules of the Pharisees. He defied the rules of polite society and kept company with the lost and rejected. 

In my mind, Jesus words from the cross were not expressed in defeat. I think Jesus expressed “It is finished” triumphantly! I picture those final words of Jesus voiced more like when Braveheart voiced “Freedom!” at the end of that movie. Jesus life is our model for humility. He didn’t care what people thought. He only cared what the Heavenly Father thought. He wasn’t in it for himself. He was in it to save us. And that is an important note about humility. It starts with our focus on something bigger, something outside of ourselves. It gives up self-promotion and promotes the bigger cause tirelessly. 

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Micah 6:8 NIV
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

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So after my confession of pride, I next need to focus on something outside of myself, something worthy of my sacrifice. I can’t think of anything more worthy than the God of the universe, the Creator, my Savior, the beginning and the end. And so I begin this two-steps-forward, one-step-back process of fixing my eyes on Him. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, I will learn to walk humbly with my God. Like the picture of the dog happily riding in a car, I am just along for the ride.

Great Ideas

 

Have you ever had a great idea? One that you are passionate about and will solve a problem, help people and even glorify God? One thing I am trying to learn is to stop and talk to God about everything before I take action. I always thought that good ideas that help people and magnify God are always from God.  And while this may be true, I am learning that a great idea isn’t an automatic stamp of approval and a green flag. I must not forget about God’s timing and God’s choice for leadership. God may have a different idea for how this great idea should be carried out. He can see the past, present and future all at once. What seems like a great idea to me here and now, may be a better idea at another time for another person to carry out.  He may want me to bring this idea to someone else to complete.

Here is an example that brought this blog to mind.  In 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17 it is recorded that King David had a great idea. He wanted to build a beautiful cedar palace for the Ark of God and get it out of a tent. I’m sure it must have been David’s love for God that inspired this thought. And it was a great idea! It would glorify God! However, God put a stop to it. It was an act of love for God from David and God nixed it! He told David that He didn’t need a palace to perform great works. And David’s response was not pouting or griping. It was obedience and praise.  I’m sure David did not understand why, but he clearly understood God’s instructions. And he obeyed. We, the readers of this story, have the advantage of seeing why. We know it was Solomon, David’s son who carried out the building of the temple. We see that God had this task in mind for someone else at another point in time. In fact, God may have planted this idea in David to pass on to Solomon, his son.  

But here is the bottom line. Just because it is a great, loving, kind idea that would glorify God, does not mean I don’t need to ask God if I should go ahead with the plans. I must always, always remember to lay it before God. 

So how will I know if it is right to go ahead? If I took it to God first, it is on God, and He will let me know. All I have to do is pause and bring it to Him first and trust Him with the rest. 

The Good Book

 Psalm 119:105 NIV

[105] Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

One thing that I have been struggling with lately is the pull of reading good Bible-based books in the place of reading the Bible itself. There are so many wonderful scripture inspired books being written right now. I get excited about them and want to spend some of my quiet time reading them instead of going straight to the scripture.  

However, in these faithful book studies, the authors point out that the true source is the Bible and the Holy Spirit speaking to me through it. All other words, from Billy Graham or C.S. Lewis or Henri Nouwen or Martin Luther King or John Wesley, pale in comparison to the words of the Bible itself applied to an open heart by our Holy Spirit. 

Does this mean we should toss the words of C.S. Lewis and the gang? Oh no! One caveat for those books about the scripture is that they can be used as a tool to lead us to the scripture itself. This is why we should continue to read them. But we should be careful that we don’t allot all our precious time to them, disregarding the reading of the Bible itself. We should prioritize and value the Bible above the others.  It is like baseball.  It is good to learn how to steal bases or what to do in a squeeze play.  But it is worthless if you don’t know how to throw, catch and hit the ball. The Bible teaches our heart the basics. 

Hebrews 4:12 NIV
[12] For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

But what if I don’t understand the Bible? How can I read it?  Remember that the Holy Spirit is given to each of us when we give our hearts to God. He is an interpreter. Pray for his guidance and trust that He will show you what you need to find. Don’t compare yourself to others. Look to God. Trust the Holy Spirit and learn from the words of Jesus.  

When I get more excited about reading a book about the Bible than I do about the Bible itself, I have to review the amazing journey the words of the scripture have made throughout history. This reminds me of how God has protected his Word through wars, plagues, fire, flood and decay.  I have to remind myself that the very words I am reading have gone through a miraculous journey of time. I have to remind myself of the fairly recent amazing discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls which verified, magnified and reinforced the truth of the scripture handed down through the ages. I have to see that no other book has endured the test of time like our Holy scripture.  And I have to realize the privilege I have to read them myself. 

Part of Dead Sea Scroll 28a from Qumran Cave 1. The Jordan Museum, Amman.jpg
From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
[16] All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

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Coping With COVID

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Hebrews 12:1-2a [NIV]

Lately there has been a plethora of things that hinder!  I don’t know if you can relate, but every time I chose to do something, I realize that it will be different because of COVID. And that hinders me and makes me stop cold. Today, to me, this is what the what the verse above is addressing. Issues of COVID tie up my excitement and creativity in a little knot and easily entangle me in a downward progression of thoughts. If you can relate to this, then keep on reading. There is good news ahead.

Are we stuck in this entanglement of coping with the hindrance of COVID, or is there a better way?  Is there a way out of this daily, as folks in the South say, “whoopin’? ” As I was reading a devotional from a friend, I was drawn to the above passage in Hebrews 12.  Embedded in it was a way to cope and live in this time victoriously.  It starts with telling us to run the race. There were no contingencies. It said to run. Don’t sit and worry. Don’t wait to feel like it. Just get started.  And it also says the path is marked for us to run. Right now our path is terribly curvy. We don’t know what tomorrow holds. We can’t see around the next bend, but we can make up our minds to persevere and run today’s path.  And what is more, we are given instructions on how.  Fix your eyes on Jesus.  Don’t fix your eyes on what might be looming ahead. Don’t even fix your eyes on today’s tasks. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  So how do you fix your eyes on Jesus?

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 

‘Fixing your eyes’ is all about focus.  Our focus is what determines how we live our life. This is a choice of putting the emphasis on God. So rather than choosing to feel wrung out and tired, I will choose to feel needed, essential and invested.  It is a choice. Placing my eyes on my blessings and what is good in my life places my focus on the God who gave me these blessings. So today if I am grateful, I will see the fruit of that gratitude which is peace and overflowing joy.  And then tomorrow, for the new peace and joy, I am more grateful and pretty soon I am in a perfect cycle of blessings!  Gratitude inspires gratitude. This isn’t about adopting a ‘PollyAnna’ attitude. Gratitude doesn’t deny how hard things are, it just puts the emphasis on the good. And God is the goodness in our lives. 

The Missing Adversary

Watching Dana Carvey as The Church Lady on Saturday Night Live, I laughed at the little old lady that saw Satan around every corner exclaiming in a whining, nasal tone, “Could it be...Satan?” Like most of the audience, I believed Satan was only a funny, little ineffectual bad spirit. Due to my upbringing, I never denied that he was real. My upbringing was grounded in the Bible enough to admit that there was an adversary.  But it also minimized this to the point that he was only spoken of in jokes.  

Satan goes by many names. The Devil, the Adversary, the Enemy, the Darkness, the Author of Lies, and the Deceiver are just a few. The first time I realized that the enemy wasn’t just a little voice sitting on my shoulder giving me bad suggestions, I was relieved.  I was relieved that he was so much more evil, powerful and active in the world and my life than what I once thought. Why on earth would this be a relief? Wouldn’t this be scary? Isn’t the reason we hesitate to tell children much about Satan, because we don’t want to scare the poor little guys?  

This world IS an evil and scary place.  It is immediately obvious from our first peek at the cold cruel world from outside our mother’s womb. So from the beginning of our lives, we already know the pain of evil, the heartbreak that happens when a loved one leaves, the feeling of hunger, and the difficulty of getting along with others. But we don’t know the explanation for it. For me, it is much more comforting to understand where something bad is coming from. If the monster is under the bed, at least I don’t have to worry about that closet! When evil goes unexplained it looms larger than life causing even more fear. If there is no source of evil at work in this world, so many things can’t be explained or are blamed wrongly on a blameless God. (The later is a pet peeve of mine.) So understanding the enemy helps me understand the source of constant tension in this world. 

Ephesians 6:11-12 [NIV] Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

This passage confirms that we live in a dark and spiritual world. In fact, the correct perspective is that we are spiritual beings caught in a natural world full of evil. It also confirms that the source of evil is the opposition to God.  But if God is all-powerful, why doesn’t he kick that bad angel down to where he belongs? I know the following explanation is oversimplified and full of holes but here is my answer to this question.

As a girl growing up in the 1960’s, I played with dolls non-stop. But I can remember that as much as I loved controlling the lives of those dolls, I would have given anything if they would have, just once, had a voice and choice of their own. How great would it have been if just once my Barbie would have complained about her outfit I selected for her? However, I would drop those dolls in a heartbeat to play with a real baby that I didn’t control and manipulate, one that could choose to love me. 

This, to me, is the best way to explain why God let his created humans have a voice and a choice. Isn’t having a choice the very definition of freedom? If our choices are removed, we become enslaved. Freedom was God’s gift to us. He created us, the objects of His intense love, and allowed us to choose. The funny thing is, if there was no bad verses God’s good, there was no choice and no freedom. Couldn’t he just have given us a choice like vanilla vs. chocolate? First of all, vanilla and chocolate are both from God so that is not a legit choice. The only choice God could give us is to choose his light vs. darkness because darkness is the world without God’s light. Just let that sink in a minute! God gave us a voice and a choice because He wanted to be chosen and truly loved and not just obeyed like a mindless robot. 

And what did we choose? Right out of the box, the first humans chose the lies of evil. Humans chose to keep this adversary around and we continue to make this choice daily. Humans were created by God for God, but chose to listen to the enemy because we were free to do so. When we see a beautiful sunset, a perfect newborn baby or feel the hug of a loving friend, that is authored by God. When we see COVID-19, when we feel rejected, when we deal with cancer and death, that is the temporary evil of this world. 

The good news is that God didn’t leave us stuck with our choices and no way out. God is a God of second chances. He created a path out of this evil world and sent messengers to point the way. It is a simple choice but involves admitting our helplessness, letting go of our sinful ways and pursuing Him. Someday, for those of us who chose this path, the enemy with all the pain, suffering, disease and death, will be defeated. But until then, I will continue daily to choose God...

2 Timothy 1:12 [NIV] because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay