The Next Level

I’ve been thinking about Hebrews 11:1-2 this last week, and the writer’s statement that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” That comes on the heels of hearing a sermon a few weeks ago about the Apostle Thomas, who is often called “Doubting Thomas”–usually with a bit of disdain. But Thomas’ statement to Jesus after seeing the Lord–“I believe; help my unbelief”–has taken on new significance to me the last few weeks. The reason is that I am increasingly wondering if most (or any) of us truly believes what we say we believe. Now before you decide I’ve turned into an agnostic, hold on. The issue is not so much what we affirm as true, but how we live into what we affirm as true.

For instance, we say that God is good (all the time). But how often do we fail to see that goodness in things that don’t seem all that good? Similarly, we say God is “in control,” but when something goes differently than we think it should, how to we respond? Or, if we believe that God is gracious, how prone are we to face our sin and failure more with a sense of anxiety and fear of judgement than with a loving embrace from our Heavenly Father? I can’t answer for anyone but myself, but if I’m honest, I see a lot of gaps between what I say is true, and how those truths shape my life.

Part of this started to come home to me several weeks ago when I was facing a situation (the specifics are unimportant) where I know what I want–and what I truly believe God wants–but faced it with a fair amount of skepticism as to whether or not God would actually make it happen. At various points, I tried to “steer” things myself while, at the same time, I became increasingly uncomfortable with my attempts to shape the outcome. Enter Jesus’ prayer in the Garden and the phrase, “Not my will, but your will be done.” Therein was the real challenge: Do I really want God’s will, or just my own? It’s easy to say I want His will, but do I–really? It comes down to whether or not I truly believe God is trustworthy and that his purposes are good–or I just say those things. So, over the last few weeks, my steady prayer has been those words by Jesus, “Not my will, but your will be done,” not because I doubt in my mind that it is God’s will that will prevail, but because I need to get my own heart around that–and be okay with that will, even if it’s not what I would want. In other words, if I say I trust God, I need to trust God–no matter what the outcome.

When it comes to biblical “show-downs,” perhaps none is better-known than that between David and Goliath. The match between the humble shepherd boy and the Philistine giant is the classic “little-guy-beats-the-big-guy” kind of story. But I’m wondering if that’s really the best victory we can pull from the life of David. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a powerful example of God at work in an amazing way. But there’s another struggle David faced that, I think, may be more significant, even though it’s lesser-known.

I’ve been reading through I and II Samuel, where we find much of the historical record of David, his battles, and his reign as King. What has struck me more powerfully than before is the dynamic between him and Israel’s first king, Saul. Saul began his reign as a good king, but over time he fell into petty jealousy (and worse) against David. Saul’s success was, to a large part, due to David–but Saul didn’t appreciate that. So over a period of time, Saul pursued David, even looking for an opportunity to kill him.

More than once, David had a chance to get out from under the threat and kill Saul–but he didn’t. Instead, he spared the king’s life, and instructed others to do the same. Then, when Saul did die, David led the mourning and lament. And long after Saul was gone, David still looked after Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth, out of respect for Saul. What strikes me is that, in every way, despite the very real danger Saul posed to David, David refused to do Saul harm. Some of the men around David urged him to kill Saul when he had the chance, but David refused. David seemed to be steadfastly committed to maintaining his own integrity–even to the point of putting himself in danger at times.

That kind of character often seems lacking. Even without people actually trying to hunt us down, there are times when it can be easy to slip–times when it can seem expedient to cut corners in dealing with others. As I have reflected on David’s dealings with Saul, it has challenged me to pay closer attention than ever to watch how I deal with others–especially those who may not have the same concern for how they deal with me. It may not change how they think or act, but at least I will (hopefully) not have anything to be ashamed of myself. And that’s worth a lot.

Over the last several weeks, I’ve been struck repeatedly by the difference between valuing people and simply using them.  In part that stems from what has become all too common in the public realm:  blindly defending people who seem useful politically while mercilessly attacking those who are not “useful.”  Think about even the simple interactions we have with people at the grocery store or drive-through.  Obviously they’re there to do a job, and we expect them to do it.  Their employers need them to do it.  But if all people are “good” for is to perform a function for us or someone else, then replacing them with machines or touch-screens is no big deal.  Or is it?

All of that is a way to get to the real question I’ve been grappling with:  Do we pastors and church leaders simply “use” people, even though we might couch it in terms of wonderful and important things like “mission” and “ministry.”  I’m not saying it’s our intention to simply “use” them, but I can’t help but wonder.  For instance, do we want to know peoples’ spiritual gifts or leadership “strengths” so that we can truly honor them by helping them find fulfillment through ministry?  Or are we more interested in figuring out how they can “fit in” to our own agenda or further our own goals and dreams?  Or think about our attitudes to certain people regarding their financial support:  Do we value them–or just their money?

I’ll be the first to admit that these are uncomfortable questions–especially for those of us who are goal and task oriented.  And, again, I’m not saying that we don’t value others.  I am trying to remind myself and others that the real value of people is not in what they bring, offer, or give.

I recently heard a pastor friend remind his congregation that God doesn’t just tolerate us, he loves us.  Each and every person–each and every person–is a unique creation of God, created in God’s image and loved deeply by the Creator.  God’s love has nothing to do with how smart, gifted, accomplished or personable we are.  It has nothing to do with status, power, gender or race.  It has nothing to do with anything other than the fact that we are human.  How different the world–and even the Church–would be if we could not only accept that for ourselves, but also accept it for others.  A line in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment says it all:  “If you don’t respect others, you harm yourself…”

I’ve recently run across stories about people who have made significant contributions despite the “odds”–or at least what a lot of us would have considered the “odds.”  Both stories have reminded me of many things.  The first reminds me of challenges my Dad had to overcome as a young man, and the second reminds me of the important place of immigrants in America, including that of my own great grandparents.

The first person is 77-year old Harry Stine, whom I will call the “father” of the modern soybean.  Stine’s work revolutionized soybean farming and his research is reflected in roughly two-thirds of all soybeans grown in the United States.  His company, Stine Seed, holds 900 patents and employs 600 people around the world.  That’s a big accomplishment for anyone, but particularly noticeable for someone who struggled in school, is on the autism spectrum, and is dyslexic.  From the standpoint of many people, Harry Stine probably wouldn’t have been voted “the most likely to succeed.”  Instead, a lot of people probably would have wondered if he would ever even make it.

Another person I read about recently was Manfred Steinfeld.  Steinfeld died earlier this year, but along the way he managed to build a Chicago-based company named Shelby-Williams into the largest maker of hotel and restaurant seating in the country.  As The Wall Street Journal noted, “If you ate out, you likely sat in one of his chairs.”  Steinfeld’s background is even more dramatic than Stine’s  “Manny” arrived in the United States as a 14-year old in 1938.  His mother (who later died in a Nazi concentration camp, along with his sister) sent her young son away from his home in Germany in order to escape the rising tide of anti-Jewish violence.  As a young man, Manny earned the Bronze Star for combat service during World War II, then went on to serve in Korea.  Later, as a result of his own business success, he sought to help others in significant ways.  Among his legacy are more than 500 scholarships which he funded at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  Not bad for a poor refugee kid who arrived in America with only a $10 bill sewn into his pocket.

Both men remind me of another “overcomer,” Sir Winston Churchill, and his famous line:  “Never give up!”  Churchill–perhaps more than anyone in Western history–knew the importance of that sentiment!

I ran across this from Reggie McNeal earlier this week.  He was writing about leadership specifically, but it applies to life generally:

Great spiritual leaders have God’s view of a situation.  This enables them to partner with him in bringing about the future God desires.  This powerful prayer life is not accidental.  It requires a commitment and discipline on the part of the leader to listen in prayer, not just talk.

I take exception to the idea of “partnering” with God.  Partnership implies equal standing, and we are not God’s “equals” by any stretch.  However, the point is still well-made:  for us to lead–or just to live life–in a way that fulfills God’s good purposes, we have to be serious about prayer–listening as well as talking.

That brings us back to “Thy will be done” and the idea that prayer is ultimately about aligning ourselves with God’s purposes.  Whether it’s a specific petition of the Lord’s Prayer, the pattern of the prayer, or just the seriousness and earnestness of it, it’s a powerful and important reminder of what prayer is all about.

Growing up, one of my favorite comedians was Flip Wilson.  I particularly enjoyed the sketch he did about a pastor whose wife had a penchant for buying dresses.  The line made famous by that sketch–so much so that it became part of popular culture–was “The devil made me do it.”

The last petition of the Lord’s Prayer is “and deliver us from the evil one.”  It’s a fitting “partner” to the previous petition about temptation and a reminder that the devil can’t make us do anything.  However, the earnestness of the plea for deliverance from Satan is also a reminder that we need to take the threat seriously–very seriously.

Keith Green had a song called, “No One Believes in Me Anymore,” in which Satan relishes in the fact that people no longer believe he is real–to the doubters about the devil, he is nothing more than a fairytale relic from a bygone era when people were not smart enough, sophisticated enough, or educated enough to think that he was anything but real.  But if Satan is not real–and if evil is not real–then how do we explain ALL the evidence in the world to the contrary.  We may not be able to see Satan, but we can certainly see his handiwork, just like I can’t see the people who made the computer I’m working on, but I know they exist because I see the result.  The Bible calls Satan a “liar” and “the father of lies,” and his most basic lie these days is that he doesn’t even exist.  Jesus, of course, had no doubts–no naiveté.  And if Jesus had no illusions about the reality of the demonic, why should we?

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul writes:  “Our battle 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.”  The battle is real, and failure to take it seriously has dire consequences.  In light of that, here are a few reminders of how to be aware and prepared–and they’re not that different from what we do to fight temptation.

• Recognize that Satan is out to destroy, and that any one of us can be a target.
• Recognize the evil is nothing to play with, and that Satan never fights “fairly.”
• Know the (biblical) truth, and pursue God’s righteousness.
• Trust God–not yourself–and pray.

Above all, remember that Satan is a defeated enemy!  One of my former pastors, Mark Killam, used to say, “Give the devil his due, but don’t give him more than his due!”  I like that.  Colossians 2:15 says that Jesus Christ has “disarmed the powers and authorities [and made] a public spectactle of them, trimphing over them by the cross.”  Along with I John 4:4, which tells us that “greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world,” we need not fear.  We can resist.  We can triumph–but not by our power.  We triumph only by the power of Jesus Christ living in us.

If you drive at all, you’ve probably hit a pothole or two.  Some are relatively small–others quite large.  But big or small, potholes can cause more than just a “bump.”  They can cause real trouble–even major damage.  Just as there are physical potholes, there are spiritual potholes.  Sometimes they may cause little more than a small stumble, but at other times they may lead to major catastrophe.

The next-to-last petition of the Lord’s Prayer is this:  “Lead us not into temptation.” Fourth Century archbishop and scholar John Crysostom called it the “most natural” petition of the prayer because of Job 7:1.  A common translation of that time read this way:  “Is not man’s life on earth one continuous temptation?”  It sure seems that way at times.

The word Jesus used for temptation in Matthew 6:13 can mean a couple of things.  It can suggest a test, which is something designed to prove or strengthen our faith.  But it can also refer to a trap–something meant to weaken or destroy us.  It would seem that it’s that latter meaning that Jesus had in mind.  I Peter 5:8 reminds us that we have an enemy–the Devil–who “prowls around…, looking for someone to devour.”  Satan is out to destroy us, so it makes perfect sense that Jesus would teach us to pray for safety from his attacks.

But, how do we prepare ourselves for temptation when it comes?

• First, remember that God does test us (remember Abraham?), but he does not tempt us (cf. James 1:13). Temptation comes from either our own internal desires (cf. James 1:4) or external pressures (cf. Romans 12:2).
• Second, be clear about God’s purposes.  Psalm 119:11 reminds us that knowledge of God’s Word, the Bible, is key to recognizing what is of God and what is not, and being able to identify when we are being tempted.
• Third, recognize that there are options when we are tempted.  I Corinthians 10:13 tells us that God himself provides ways to avoid sin.
• Fourth, commit to choosing what is right–or at least firmly rejecting what is wrong.  Let’s be honest, there are times when distinguishing right from wrong is not always easy, but I would suggest that it is usually more obvious than we might admit.
• Fifth, be aware of your weak spots.  A friend of mine is a recovering alcoholic.  He knows that there are certain settings and things he must avoid.  Your  danger zones may not be alcohol, but you have them–so make sure you avoid them.
• Sixth, focus on what is right and true, rather than what is not.  Philippians 4:8 reinforces the importance of that.
• Finally, pray–pray without ceasing.  After all, isn’t that what Jesus told us to do–to pray? “Lead us not into temptation.”

Prayer is a “dangerous” thing.  If we’re serious about it, it will change us, and many other things.  Perhaps the most “dangerous” petition in the Lord’s Prayer is this:  “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”  Without getting caught up in whether the best translation uses the word debts, sins, or trespasses, let’s remember that the key word here is forgive.  These 11 words bring us face-to-face with the one thing that does more damage to relationships than anything else:  unforgiveness.

There’s no question that we live in a litigious and increasingly argumentative society.    In so many areas of public and private life, it seems as if we thrive on hurting people–or feeling hurt.  Some people don’t seem to be happy unless they are making others miserable.  And, ironically, others don’t seem to be happy unless they feel miserable.  Yet Hebrews 12:15 warns us against allowing a “root of bitterness” to grow up.  Bitterness destroys–it destroys others, and it destroys us.  And what stands behind bitterness?  Unforgiveness–the refusal to let go of an offense–even an imaginary or unintended one.

This need to forgive is so vital that Jesus himself says in Matthew 6:14 that, if we refuse to forgive others, we ourselves will not be forgiven.  That’s a pretty dire warning!  So how do we protect ourselves, and live into Jesus’ words for us?

• Recognize that forgiveness is our choice.  It does not depend on anyone else.  It does not mean we simply forget something has happened.  It does mean that we intentionally decide to not hold something against someone.
• Cut others “slack.”  This does not mean that we abandon accountability or hard conversations.  It does mean that we recognize that we all fail, which means we all need to be forgiven.  And just as we depend on others to forgive us, they depend on us to forgive them.
• Be read to absorb pain.  In I Corinthians 6, Paul condemns the practice of suing other believers.  Instead, he says we should be willing to be wronged.  When we are wronged, we’re in good company because, let’s face it, no one endured more of it than Jesus.
• Be wary of escalating conflicts.  There are times to respond, and Jesus himself could be pretty harsh.  But in Romans 12, Paul says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  Our human tendency is to punch back when punched, or to drag others into the fight.  All that often does is cause more damage.  A friend of mine once said, “Life is too short to be spent in a negative and vindictive manner.”  Wise words.
• When offended, ask if it really matters that much.  Quite often, we allow ourselves to be offended by things that were never meant to hurt us, and which we may have completely misinterpreted.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the vast majority of things that we get worked up over really aren’t that important.
• Be quick to seek and offer forgiveness.  Put another way, “keep short accounts.”  That’s the best way to keep that root of bitterness from growing up in you, and in others.  When you suspect you’ve hurt someone, go to them–quickly.  And when someone comes to you, accept the apology and let it go–immediately.
• Recognize that forgiveness and reconciliation are different.  Depending on the situation, you may forgive someone and still not trust them for legitimate reasons.  And you may have been forgiven but still need to earn someone else’s trust back.  There are some offenses that, even when forgiven, forever change a relationship.  If you doubt that, just think of David after his rape of Bathsheba.  Things were never the same, and there were consequences David simply could not avoid.
• Remember that God has already done the hard work.  II Corinthians 5:21 reminds us that “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him he might become the righteousness of God,” and in Romans 5:8 he says that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  It is God’s action in Jesus Christ–at God’s own initiative–that makes forgiveness possible.  And so, we can “forgive as the Lord forgave [us].”