April 10, 2019

Right Or Wrong?

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. – Romans 8:6

The rant was unexpected and hard. No. It wasn’t directed at me but I was shocked just the same. She had fixed her mind on one thing and all the other things had somehow become attached to it.

That one thing was a “very nice man” who needed to lose his job. Why? Because he didn’t do enough work to justify a full-time position. I spoke truth gently. She didn’t want to hear it but I said the words anyway. The man did many things of which she was unaware. He is a servant. But it also is a pointless thing. His job is secure and she is wasting time and energy being angry about it.

She has convinced herself everything in one church service will be better if this man goes away. The committee that oversees the service has apparently devoted countless hours to discussing this. I now understand why the service is stagnant. The people who lead it are too busy pointing fingers to accomplish anything.

We all do this. We focus our minds on what’s wrong. We decide that something or someone else is to blame. We don’t do anything different. We don’t see ourselves as needing to change. We aren’t the problem we tell ourselves. We also aren’t the solution.

When the mind is focused on the flesh we allow evil to take control. We focus on ourselves, ignoring gratitude and rightness, and head straight down a path headed away from God. Every time. Where are you headed?

August 12, 2018

Are You Right?

“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.” – Jeremiah 4:22

The other day a usually sweet young woman tried to explain something to me. I listened. I did. Then I tried to explain to her that she was wrong and why she was wrong. She became so upset with me that she was almost yelling. It would have been comical if it wasn’t so sad.

Here’s a simple truth: We are rarely as smart as we think we are and other people are rarely as dumb as we think they are. Let that soak in for a moment.

Sometimes we are so busy being right that we miss learning something new. Sometimes we are so set in our beliefs that we miss the truth staring right at us.

Look at the Pharisees. They knew God’s Word. They were well-versed in Jewish law. But they were so busy keeping the rules and looking down on others that they missed the Messiah. What are you missing? Be careful how you answer.

God was furious with His people because they didn’t know Him. They really didn’t. They went through the motions of sacrifice, all the while doing evil. And they somehow believed it was all okay with Him. It wasn’t.

Sometimes I see and hear the actions of others and I wonder if they heard anything the pastor said on Sunday. Maybe they didn’t think it applied to them. It does. Just like it applies to me and you. It’s not about us. It’s about God. Be honest. Do good. Put Him first. It’ll all work out.

Because when we invite God into whatever we’ve got going on, it does work out. When we get out of the way and ask Him to control the situation, He works it out for our good and His glory. And when we set our own agendas and try to manipulate a situation to fit our desires and what we think is right, it always blows up in a really nasty way.

Read your Bible. You’ll see that truth playing out again and again. God won’t tolerate disobedience, especially when it’s done in His name. Church is no place for selfish motivations and backstabbing maneuverings. Of course, we could say the same about life. Can you imagine how the world would change if God’s people always behaved like God’s people should?

We are so busy pointing fingers at everyone else that we miss the plank in our own eyes. We’re supposed to work together, to respect each other, to listen and learn and grow in His Word. We can’t see that.

Oh, we claim we do. We’re happy to tell you how things are supposed to be. I’ve had people quote the Bible to me and become really upset when I ask them to show me where the quote actually is in the Bible. Do you know why? Because the “quote” wasn’t there. They were passing on things they’d heard without bothering to read and study God’s Word for themselves.

I am not perfect. I make mistakes daily. So do you. But when we seek God’s Presence in all we do, when our hearts try desperately to do His will and to bring honor to His name, it shows up in our relationships with others. We find ourselves extending grace and mercy. We come to understand that we don’t have all the answers. He does.

The next time you get upset because you “know” you’re right and someone else is wrong, take a deep breath and hold your words. Ask God for insight and wisdom. You may not be as right as you think you are and they may not be as wrong as you think they are.