Christian living- dealing with one 'oops' at a time…

Archive for the ‘Theology’ Category

Some Not So Usual Suggestions for Studying Your Bible

Creation

1. Do not start with Genesis. I know this sounds like bad advice, but the truth is most people who start Bible reading programs do not finish them, and Genesis is the book they already know the most about. A Bible reading program is supposed to increase your knowledge of the Bible. To most effectively do this begin with the books you know the least about.

2. Read the footnotes. Most Bibles contain footnotes. They are great sources of information that most people overlook. They will help to explain what is going on in each passage and give you the information you need to more fully understand what you are reading. Footnotes are like a free mini-commentary, so use them.

3. Choose a Bible translation you enjoy. While there is much debate over which Bible translation is best, most of them are excellently translated. Choose one that you can read and understand easily, then look at the footnotes. Different Bibles have footnotes that focus on different things. Some are focused on ‘life application’ and will try to relate the Bible reading to something in your life so that you can more easily apply the Bible to your own situation. Others are ‘study Bibles’ and the footnotes focus more on giving you background information about the passage you just read. There are a lot of different styles of footnotes so spend some time finding ones that are right for you.

4. Use a Bible reading plan. If you know that you know that this time you will in fact read through the entire Bible use a Bible reading plan. (Google ‘Bible reading plan’ and find one that looks good to you.) Bible reading plans keep you accountable, and also put passages of the Bible together so that you can see how different books viewed similar teachings.

5. Mix it up. If you have already read through the Bible at least once in your life do not use the same plan, or the same Bible to read through it again. Different footnotes will broaden your understanding, and a different plan will put different passages together allowing you to see things in greater context.

6. Use the verses listed in the margins. In most Bibles there are verses listed in the margins beside each passage. They are references to other places in the Bible where similar things are taught. When you get to a topic you are unsure about use them to look up what the Bible says about this in other places. They typically do not contain every passage on the subject, so look at the verses listed next to the passages you look up for even more information.

7. Read with friends and plan to discuss what you have read. Accountability works, which is why Weight Watchers does so well. If possible, find a group of people who are willing to read along with you and encourage you to stay the course. Further, their insights will help bring into your life more than you noticed while reading alone.

8. Use Bible studies that force you to look up scripture and read it for yourself. Commentaries are good. (I have one that is currently being released now, so I am not against them.) But, the best learning is done when you do most of the work yourself. My favorites are Kay Arthur’s Precept Upon Precept studies. You will need a concordance, and these studies require much of your time, but they are worth it.

9. If you know you have limited time, choose a book of the Bible that relates to what you are going through right now. Every book in the Bible focuses on a different theme. Leaf through them and decide which book will speak to you and your situation most right now.

10. Bring your Bible everywhere. Life is busy and most people fail because there is just not enough time in the day to do everything they want to get done. While waking up early and simplifying your life are good ideas, most of us will not make that change, so bring your Bible with you. Whenever there is a moment of downtime take it out and read. Do not be afraid of getting ahead. You will probably need a day off soon, and any ‘getting ahead’ you did will now come in handy. Life vacillates. Some days we have more down time than others. Use yours wisely.

11. Choose a Bible reading plan that gives you days off. These are not really ‘days off,’ they are days to catch up. Most people quit reading through their Bible because they have missed days and are now too far behind to catch up on the arbitrary goal they set for themselves. Days off give you time to ‘catch up’ so you do not feel frustrated and quit quite as easily.

12. Keep things in perspective. The Bible is a big book. It is actually 66 books. Most people would not set reading 66 books as a goal to do in a year. Thankfully many of the books are short, so it is not as bad as it sounds, but reading through the Bible in a year is a big commitment if daily Bible reading is not already a part of your life. Have mercy on yourself and know that if it takes a little longer than you planned it is still worth it, so stay the course.

13. If you have the time, take notes. Journal about what you have read. Writing things down helps you to remember and relate things to your life. Reread your notes frequently to remind you about what you have learned. But, if your time is limited, forget what I just said and keep reading through. Once you have covered the entire Bible more than once there will be time for more leisurely strolls through its pages.

14. Read even if you only have a few minutes. Many people make a big deal about their Bible reading time. This can be helpful, as it becomes a daily habit, or it can be limiting, since you feel you can only read in the right place at the right time. Take your Bible out as if it were a novel. Every little bit adds up, and reading short sections allows you to think about what you read more than you may have if you had read more at once.

15. Make an effort to think about what you have read throughout the day. Even if you do not have time to read more, think about what you have read while you are driving or doing any other task that requires little thought. This will also help you remember things better.

16. Go for the audio version. While the audio version lacks footnotes and other helps, it is better than not reading at all. Audio versions are great for joggers, time in the car etc so they often fit into your life more easily. James Earl Jones does a very nice job with the King James Bible, if you can handle the vocabulary and word order in the King James. There are also theatrical versions of audio available where different speakers assume different roles and try to make the Bible come to life.

17. Incorporate what you are learning into your daily life. This is more than just doing what the Bible says. If you are an artist, take a verse that speaks to you and incorporate it into your art. If you love to cook, try following the dietary laws when you read through them. If you love maps, look up the places mentioned. If you love the outdoors, imagine the terrain you are reading about on your next hike or bike ride. If you are a parent, think about what it must have been like raising children under the conditions described. If you are a nerd/geek, make outlines and lists, or maybe even a computer game that incorporates what you have learned. (You should see the outlines I have accumulated! But only do so if you find this fun.)

18. Pray. Always pray. Pray before you read. Pray when you are dealing with a difficult passage. Pray when you find an instruction and realize that you need the strength to change something in your life. Pray that you find the instructions you need and realize there are things you need to change in your life. Then, when you are done, meditate peacefully on what you have learned and thank God for everything He has revealed.

19. Set up an environment you enjoy to do the majority of your reading in. Making Bible reading time a treat, rather than a chore will help you do it more often. There can be candles, soft music, nice food and drink, a comfortable chair etc. Your routine should invite you to want to read. Even a bathtub can be set up with a bar for reading, so figure out what you like and get creative. Just don’t spend so much time setting up that you never find the time to actually read.

20. Reward yourself when you meet your goals. The Word of God is sweet like honey according to scripture. The Jews took this to mean that there should be rewards for learning it and rewarded children with treats. Most people are motivated by the thought of reward, so set goals for yourself and celebrate when you reach them.

Bible reading should never be a chore, but for those of us who did not grow up doing it, it is something extra to fit into our already hectic lives. Hopefully my suggestions will help you find the time, learn more and succeed. Remember, they are only suggestions. Take the ones that work for you and throw the rest out. And enjoy!

photo art by Kristin Andraka

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Theology

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Poop In the Bible

There are a few instances where ‘poop’ is mentioned in scripture, and a few things we can learn from them.
The first instance of ‘pooping’ in the Bible is when Saul goes into a cave to poop. He is alone, and David is in the cave. While he is pooping, David sneaks up behind him and cuts away part of his cloak. David immediately regrets what he has done. He realizes that he has no authority to remove Saul as king and has no business passive-aggressively making a fool out of a man whom God has placed in authority over him, no matter how awful that man may be.

Saul is awful, and in the cave he is at David’s mercy. He is alone, vulnerable, and in an embarrassing position. Still, this does not give David the right to take advantage of it. Ham was punished for much the same thing when he found his father passed out naked from drinking in his tent and then decided to call his brothers over to laugh at their father’s lowly state. Noah is a good man who has made a mistake. Saul is an ungodly man who, because nature called, is in a compromised position.

What this tells us is that God does not want us to do things lightly. We do not take matters into our own hands when we have no authority to do so, nor do we make fun of the person we dislike when he is in charge. We also do not allow the mistakes good men make to become defining moments that are used to make fun of them. This advice comes into play during the election season. While issues of policy are fair game, good or bad we do not seek to belittle and put down the men who are in charge by repeating their mistakes or taking advantage of them when they are vulnerable. So, picking on verbal mistakes, replaying the time they tripped on the steps or taking pleasure in their stomach upset is not a godly thing to do.

The Bible also tells us (twice) to take a something to dig with as part of our hiking equipment to bury our poop. (Dt. 23:13) God cares about the environment. Keeping it clean and preventing disease are important to him. Notice that Jesus’ disciples clean up the people’s scraps after He feeds the thousands.

We also see poop in the book of Ezekiel. The prophet is told to cook his food over human excrement (his own poop) when he is laying on his side to show the people how disgusting God finds their behavior. Ezekiel protests and God allows the prophet to use animal poop instead. (Ez. 4:12-15) Poop is used here as a metaphor for something God does not want close to Him. Used menstrual rags are used in much the same way elsewhere in scripture. (Is. 64:6)

Poop shows up again in the New Testament. This time Paul tells us that everything is ‘poop’ compared to knowing Christ. (Phil. 3:8) While most translations use the word ‘rubbish’ instead of poop, the point is clear. The substitution of a less offensive word for poop also begs the question: ‘Are we trying to be better than God by using less offensive words than He did?’ Times change, and so does how people see certain words so I will let you ponder this for yourselves.

Underwear is also found in scripture. Jeremiah is to take his loincloth and do things that will ruin it. God then tells him that wicked people will face ruin in much the same way the loincloth was ruined. He tells Jeremiah that the relationship He wished to have with the people was to be as close (intimate?) as a loincloth, but the people rebelled. So God wants to be very close to us, and is not afraid to use underwear as a metaphor to describe this relationship! (Jer. 13)

So what can we learn from this:

First, metaphors are just that, metaphors. We may therefore use whatever people will understand to get our message across without worrying about other implication that people may make. A metaphor only goes so far. To point out the ‘good’ aspects of poop would be to misunderstand what Paul is saying, and to point out that underwear are not the most respected piece of clothing would be to miss the fact that God wants us to be in a very secure relationship with Him.

The other thing we need to examine is our choice of wording and translating. By cleaning up the language in scripture we muddy the point. Poop and used menstrual rags are disgusting, and underwear is a lot closer to us than a waistband or a belt. We also need to consider the words that we refuse to use that are common in society. Paul used the word ‘poop’ or some version thereof while talking to the Philippians. Are we being too uptight by refusing to use some of the common words that non-Christians frequently use in our society? Yes, there are words that everyone agrees are offensive. But then there are the others. When appropriate should we pussy-foot around them, refusing to say them because we are Christian? When we do this, is it because we truly do not want to offend, or because we are trying to be better than others? If it makes us look pretentious and uptight then we need to knock it off. If we find ourselves talking about others who say questionable words as if we are better than them, then maybe it’s time to get over ourselves and expand our vocabulary, lest we become self-righteous and hateful? Just a thought.

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Life, Theology

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The Four Things the Earth Cannot Bear Up Under (Proverbs 30:21-23)

So what does it mean when scripture says that there are four things that the earth cannot ‘bear up?’ It means that if these four things are occurring, the laws that God has put into place have been violated to such a point that wrong looks right and life will begin to be very bad in that area.
So what are these things and why are they bad? (As you will see, we do some of these things today and call them ‘right.’ I will try my best to explain exactly why they are wrong, but society has had a lot more time to teach you differently…)

1. A servant (slave) who becomes king.
Okay, so why is this bad? Most of the movies we like have the poor, oppressed but good person ending up in charge, and we love it. The problem here is that a person who ends up as a slave in this passage is not a godly person. They have mismanaged their own finances to the point where they were forced to sell themselves (and likely their family as well) into slavery because there was no one who would help them out. Now remember, in Israel you live surrounded by your entire extended family, and family members are expected to ‘redeem’ you and your land when things get bad. If you are in this serious a financial situation then you have not only mismanaged your money, but have ticked off everyone you know who would be motivated to help. You make bad decisions, and are brick-headed. This is why it is bad to have this type of person in charge!
The other way to become a slave is to be captured. This means that you are a foreigner, likely an enemy, and probably ticked off at the people who captured you. It will go bad for the people if somehow this type of slave becomes powerful. (Joseph is a righteous exception. He is an example of what you should do if you wind up in power after being oppressed and unfairly treated. Most people don’t behave this way though!)

2. A fool who is full of food.
Fools cause trouble. They do stupid, sometimes evil, things that make other people’s lives miserable. Keeping them busy, working to feed themselves keeps them out of trouble. If they have all of their needs met, and want for nothing, they will do things you do not want them to be doing with their free time. It is not that we want them to go hungry, but they need to be kept occupied, or else bad things happen.

3. An unloved woman who is married.
Again, many, many movies show this to be a good thing, and in the Song of Solomon we see a woman who is not treated well by her family becoming the ‘beloved’ of a king. There are two problems that may be occurring here, and neither is good.
In the Song of Solomon, it appears that her father has passed away, and her brothers are the ones not treating her well, so this woman knows what it is to be loved, but is not experiencing love now. This is not an ‘unloved’ woman. She is just in-between loves (her father’s and her husband’s) and has brothers who are schmucks.
Unloved people are children who do not experience love at an early age. They develop something we refer to as ‘reactive attachment disorder,’ (though they are trying to change the name of this disorder so it doesn’t sound so ‘final’). The problem is that very few people ever overcome RAD. Children who are not held, who are in abusive homes, or orphanages, or who are ripped away from multiple families through foster care do not learn to bond with people. They crave love, but are so afraid of it being taken away that they destroy relationships rather than letting anyone get close. People who suffer from this are self-destructive and often hurt others as well. (Google this. It is an impressive problem.)
The other way a married woman is ‘unloved’ is to be in a marriage where her husband does not love her as he should. Human beings crave love, and love is expected in a marriage. To be denied this leads people to become bitter, self-focused and harsh. Not the recipe for a ‘healthy’ society, and not the type of mother who will be ideal at raising children. Though a few may overcome and do well, generally an unloved wife will have too much personal pain to fully and joyfully devote herself to be the parent she wishes to be, and her husband is setting a horrible example for his children regarding how people are to be treated.

4. A maidservant who replaces her mistress.
Today this would be the man who cheats on his wife with his secretary, divorces the wife and then marries the secretary. The woman who replaces a wife in this way can never be sure that she will not be replaced herself. This leads to insecurity and an unhappy household. It is not a healthy way to live, or raise children as it teaches them that people are ‘disposable’ and can be traded in for a ‘better model’ any time one likes.
Notice that two of these things have to do with the family unit. Problems in the family affect more than you would expect. Not only are the adults who are hurt in these situations less productive because their minds are occupied with other issues, but the children do not receive the care and attention that they deserve. (While you may think your children are doing ‘just fine’ ask yourself if your goal for them is ‘just fine’ or if you want them to have the most optimal conditions to grow up in. I think you know the answer…) The next generation will therefore suffer, and likely repeat the mistakes of their parents, usually doing worse than the previous generation did.

So what does this tell us?

First it tells us not to elect , or put into power people who have messed up their own lives. The people we place in power over us should be financially sound (excellent at handling large sums of money would be good since that is essentially what we elect them to do), and they should get along well with others. They should be the type of people who, if their fortunes suddenly changed, would have plenty of people offering to help them out with no thought of taking advantage of them later in return for the favor. Greedy, selfish people do not have these types of friends.
We also learned that some people don’t behave and it is best to keep them busy. There must therefore be wisdom in our social programs.

It is also clear that marriage and family are the bedrock of our society. Loving your spouse is important, as is loving your children. Cheating on her causes problems that are bigger than even I may have indicated since the world cannot ‘bear up’ when a society is full of this type of behavior. Guard your marriage. Get counseling if needed. It is too important to let it be less than God intended it to be. Your marriage will be the example though which your children learn how to treat others. It will therefore affect more than just their later love relationships. Remember, Isaac and Rebekah’s marriage was arranged and they were happy. Following godly principles leads to love. Feelings are not the bedrock on which a marriage lasts. Trust and commitment are. Knowing that your spouse will never intentionally do anything to hurt you, disrespect you or lose your faith in them is an incredibly sexy thing! And teaching your children to do the same leads to stable individuals who are free from the drama that consumes some people’s lives. ‘Drama’ and our focus on it keeps us from spending that time concentrating on what it takes to be all that we were made to be. Work hard to be a person who brings peace and security to all of those around them, especially those they are supposed to love. (There is also an argument to be made that we need to fix our foster care system so that children have a more stable environment when the family does fail them…)

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Theology

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Thoughts On Deborah And Barak

Oh Barak… When I first met you I thought, ‘What a wimp!’ But then I grew older, and saw something else. I saw a man who was not all that unlike the people I know, and the person I have become.

Barak is a warrior, the commander of the army, yet he will not go into battle unless the woman, Deborah, goes with him. The question is, ‘Why?’ Why won’t he just go?

God tells him that, since he insists on having Deborah with him, the credit for the victory will be given to a woman, and not to him. I am sure he is thinking Deborah will get the glory, and he is fine with that, after all, she is the leader of Israel, just please God let her go with him! What he does not know is that God, in a typical God-like fashion, does not like to do what people expect. God gives the victory over Sisera to Jael instead. But who cares? Well, any man at this time does! A woman being given credit for a military victory is unheard of and this woman has no status. At least if it was Deborah, people knew who she was, and that she was someone with power and authority! This will hurt Barak’s masculinity. Still, Barak does not care. Why?

Here’s my take on the situation: Barak has faith that God can deliver His people. He knows that God gives victory to the weak who are righteous. He believes that Deborah is righteous. What he does not have faith in is his relationship with God. He knows himself. He knows he is not perfect. Likely he does not feel that he prays as much as he should, nor does he read his Bible as he ought (and it is much shorter at this time in history!). But, he believes that Deborah does, and even though it will cost him in pride and kudos, he knows that Deborah is a person who God blesses and does not want the failings he perceives in his relationship with God to be the downfall of Israel. So give the credit to the girl, in his eyes, she is better than him. And to his credit he gladly shares the credit with her and Jael after the battle is won, singing a duet with Deborah when it is over. (Many men would have been walking around trying to explain that they did all the work, and the Deborah did nothing, and Jael did almost nothing since Sisera pretty much fell into her lap.)

The only thing Barak does not have faith in is his relationship with God. He does not feel ‘good enough’ to be used by God. But how many of us feel this way today?

What I realized is that the list of the faithful in Hebrews is not a list of people with perfect faith, but a list of people who were just like us, insecure and still making mistakes. The point is that God is not looking for perfection, and that we can be sure of our relationship with Him, even when we doubt. Remember: Abraham did not trust God to protect him and allowed people to believe that Sarah was ‘available’ to save his life –twice! Isaac did the same. Gideon too did not believe that God could use someone like him. Yet they are all listed as people of faith. The faithful have doubts. Barak had doubts. The beauty of Barak is that he saw a woman as a faithful person whom God could bless and use, a person whom he perceived as more godly than himself, and was not afraid to let her have the credit for what he, as commander of the army, should have longed to have credit for.

In Proverbs 31 the husband is told to give his wife the praise that is due her. This is exactly what Barak does. He allows women (Jael and Deborah) to receive the praise. This is tough for a man at this time, where prideful talk, patriarchy and war were a manly way of life. Yet Barak humbles himself, due to his own insecurities. But Barak deserves double kudos for this, because typically it is the more insecure who cannot in the end stand to share the spotlight and feel the need to hog the praise…

Many teach that Deborah was judge because there were no godly men at the time. I disagree. Only truly godly men could follow God even when He was using a woman, someone they thought of as lowly and weak, to do His will. This takes trust and recognition of what ‘godly’ is. It is easy to follow someone the world tells you is worthy of respect: the big, strong and powerful. It takes much more faith to follow, when you know you should, someone others would look down on you for listening to at all.

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Theology, Women

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Gluttony- Why is it a Sin?

Have you ever wondered why gluttony was a sin? Most people have, and, since many, many Christians are overweight, it is obviously not a sin that really convicts us, and causes us to change.
Here’s the problem with gluttony. (And it’s two-fold.)

1. It causes you to be less productive. Being overweight causes you to be more tired, less energetic, have more health problems etc. These problems lead to poverty, so they are to be avoided. (Scripture even says so: Prov. 23:21) Gluttony therefore either leads to laziness because you are no longer able to do things a more able person could do, or is a result of laziness (ie. You have nothing better to do than eat, and/or not enough to do to burn off the calories you consume.). I am not saying it is easy, some jobs are highly productive, yet burn little fat while being done. But being ‘fat’ does effect your health and decrease your lifespan (the time you have to teach and influence your children and others) and your productivity (even if you have a desk job, being over weight makes you want to sleep more, and be sick more often, so you get less done).

2. This was an agricultural society where famines were frequent. People who ate more than they needed were taking the chance that, by the end of the season, or if there was a famine, there would not be enough food left for everyone to survive. Food was a precious commodity, not to be wasted. Today, in the US food is plentiful, so we do not feel like we are causing the less fortunate to starve by having an extra serving. But this principle can be applied to any resource in short supply. For example: If you insist on washing your car, or watering your lawn when there is a drought, you are being a ‘glutton,’ using more than you need for your pleasure without concern for the future needs of others.

Now, before we get too crazy with the diet and exercise there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. ‘Not fat’ in Biblical times was not super-skinny, heroine-chic, supermodel thin, less than 5% body fat etc. These were the poor, and they died early because when sickness, or famine came they had no reserves to help them fight. ‘Not fat’ was probably not overly Rubenesque either. (Google the painter: Peter Paul Ruben for examples. Caution: many of them are nudes.) Why? Because people in the Jewish culture at the time the Bible was written walked everywhere. They gathered in Jerusalem for feasts three times a year, which could have been a 100 mile walk for some. Now there is evidence that pregnant women were allowed to ride on donkeys (think Mary and Joseph) but for the most part people walked. It is hard to be extremely overweight and still walk everywhere you need to go. So how thin should we be? Thin enough to do everything we need to do without tiring easily or having health problems associated with obesity, and if famine does occur, eat only what you actually need to survive so the maximum number of people may live.

Caution: Over-exercising and attention to your diet can also be a problem. If your workout routine limits how much time you have for your family or work you are doing too much. Find activities that include your family, or maybe you do not need the six-pack abs so much? Dieting and exercise can cause the same problems as obesity when it affects your health (You are so thin you are weak, you have no ability to fight infection, you are so muscular you cannot get your cell phone to your ear or cannot bend in ways you need to etc.). Or when exercise causes you to have less time to do the things you need to do, but instead of sleeping, you are at the gym. Either way, productive work is not being done by you. In my experience, most of the guys who spend three or more hours at the gym to look ripped do not have time to be good husbands/fathers, and most of the women on permanent diets are rather cranky and do not make good wives or mothers. Keep it in perspective. Also remember that God loves to have His people get together for meals. Crazy diets that limit your ability to eat with others, or worse, make you feel superior to them, limit your ability to have the relationships God wants you to have.

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Theology

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The Problem With ‘Raca’ (Mt. 5:22)

“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. (NIV)”

The problem with ‘raca,’ or at least our debate about it is that people are not reading enough good Jewish literature. The Bible is a Jewish text, and must be read as such. Jewish literature does two things. First, it uses the word ‘raca’ in many of its stories so that you get a sense of what this word means outside of scripture to an average Jewish person. Second, Jewish literature gives you a sense of how Jews say things. Today, when we make two points consecutively we are often telling you what something is not. For example, I may tell you that my car is grey, and then say ‘a dark grey-almost black.’ This is not how Jewish people talked. Jewish people often said the positive, then said exactly the same thing in a negative way. So what we will see are statements that say if you are good you do this, if you are bad you do that. These statements mean exactly the same thing, they are just said differently so that all may understand. (Read through Proverbs for the best examples of this.)

When we look at the verse on ‘raca’ though, we are trying to figure out what the difference is between calling someone ‘raca’ and calling someone a fool. The point is, there is not one. Fool is a more general term, and can be used Biblically, but here it is calling someone ‘worthless,’ unable to learn and not worthy of our time or attention. Scripture is telling us that we are not to do this. Everyone has worth. This is supported in the teachings that tell us that every person has been made in the image of God and should be treated accordingly. What is being pointed out here is that even the Pharisees (who Jesus frequently disagrees with) realize that it is wrong to treat a person this way, when we know from scripture that they do treat people this way, so how much worse is it when you, who call yourself a follower of Jesus, treat people this way (even a little bit)?

This is an important point. We are not to consider anyone to be ‘worthless.’ So what does this mean? This means that we are not to look down on people or exclude them because we think they are somehow ‘less’ than us. This is hard to do. In many churches people are afraid that the problems children of new believers come in with will affect their children. Worse, some of our more immature members point to the fact that the new people’s behavior (ie. mere presence) interferes with their worship. Because of their fears they tend to subtly shun anyone who is not already ‘up to speed’ on how to behave. This is wrong. While we do need to protect our children, we also need to disciple new people. (People who have been in the church all of their lives should not need discipling; they should be teachers by now!)

Many churches today have overcome these issues and are growing. Unfortunately, instead of figuring out how they are doing this and joining them many smaller churches are condemning the larger ones for ‘watering down the gospel’ as evidence by all of the people who know very little about God in their church (ie new believers) and their need to preach simply (since there are many new believers). But isn’t a whole bunch of new believers exactly what we are told a good church should have? And if you are mature, shouldn’t you be looking for a whole bunch of people to share your wisdom with, rather than keeping it to yourself, and your group who has already read through their Bible a bazillion times? Just saying…

Category:

Theology

Are We Trying to Be Better Than God?

There are three kinds of love that we commonly talk about (even though they are not in the Bible this way).

1. Unconditional Love- Unfortunately we often confuse unconditional love with agape love. God’s love is ‘unconditional’ in that it is available to every human being, but that is not how ‘unconditional’ love is usually defined. When people tell others that they are to love ‘unconditionally’ typically they are telling the other person to act like a doormat. They are to put up with whatever someone does and not say, or do, anything that might upset them. This is not how God loves us, and not how He tells us to love others. In the Bible we are clearly told to do justice, to warn people when they are doing things that are destructive (sinful) and to avoid people who refuse to repent. We do this to protect the innocent (which is sometimes ourselves) as well as to cause them to see that their actions are not good. These are loving gestures. ‘Unconditional love’ causes there to be no consequences for their actions. It is showing partiality, or ‘favoritism’ since the rights of the person who misbehaves on a regular basis are placed above the rights of the person who has done nothing wrong since the innocent person is being asked to just shut up and take it. Shutting up and taking it is not love, and is not Biblical. Sure, there are times to turn the other cheek and to show mercy, but there are also times when justice must be done. (Remember, Jesus also overturned some tables, hit people with his coat and called the Pharisees some not so nice names. He will also come back to finish the war between good and evil and judge, condemning those who would not repent.) Loving people ‘unconditionally’ (not saying anything no matter what they do) is not Biblical, but it is common Christian advice. By loving in this way, we are telling God that we ‘love’ better than He does, since we ‘judge’ no one. Not good.

2. Conditional Love- This love is when a person will only be your friend if you do what they want and agree with everything they believe. While we do not often label it, it is the type of love most often exhibited in our society today. You believe in gay marriage, our relationship just got strained. You vote Republican, while your friend is a Democrat, then you will not be hearing from that person quite as often. Conditional love is controlling. It forces the other person to reconsider sharing their thoughts for fear you will not like them anymore. It causes people to conform. Everyone must keep their house as clean as Martha Steward, breastfeed their babies (which is a great thing, but not something to end a friendship over), wear suits and dresses to church (or not) etc. Why? Why is it so important that we agree on every little thing? Why can’t we sit down and discuss current issues and respect the other person even when they have a different opinion. Why can’t we admit that God made us all unique, and that we will do things in different ways for different reason, and that is okay? By loving in this manner, we are telling God that His love is too freely given, and we can do better by limiting who we put up with.

3. Agape Love- This is the love of God, but often it is defined in ways that are not completely ‘godly.’ Why? Because we like some aspects of God better than others. And at times we wish to apply only certain aspects of God to any given situation. When we want mercy (so we, or people we like, can avoid consequences) we preach a merciful and loving God. When there is a behavior we detest, fear or do not identify with, we want the God of judgment. Rarely do we balance the two. God is a God of mercy. He would like to see us come to Him without much prodding and punishment. But, He is also a God of justice. He knows that if He does not punish sin things will only get worse. So how do we balance the two? We must remember that God’s ultimate goal is for all people to be in a relationship with Him. Where mercy furthers the relationship and leads to repentance, then mercy should be shown. When punishment and harsh words will wake the person up and cause them to realize their mistakes and turn to God for help, then that is the godly solution. Agape love requires wisdom and a knowledge of the situation and the person. (You will find that very little of the Bible can be lived without close relationships.) The person may not always like your decisions when you love them this way, but you are always working towards what is best for them. (Think: parent/child relationships- when you punish a toddler they do not understand or like it, but it is for their own good.) This does not mean that you know it all, are better than them, or even more mature than they are. Loving someone with an attitude where you feel superior and are condescending does not help the situation. God, as Jesus, became a friend and servant to many, never taking the status He deserved. You must make decisions on how you will deal with other people’s actions in your life. Even ignoring things is a decision. Keep in mind though, that in making these decisions you are just doing what every human being does. Do not start thinking that you are the ‘better’ person, or soon it will be you, and your less than humble attitude that other people will be making tough decisions about!

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Theology

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