What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You, But it Can Get You Labeled a Fool

It's a shame that admitting you don't know something so often prompts the pity or disdain of others, rather than their admiration or respect. It's a weird thing really... we want people to be honest, and not arrogant, but then when a person seeks to learn by admitting they don't know something, the most common emotion (from what I have observed) is to view them as less intelligent, and to thus feel superior to them. But, in reality, a person who seeks to learn, and isn't afraid to admit that they don't know something, is likely more secure and wise than those who won't.

Maybe I'm off base here, but my typical response when someone mispronounces a word, or says they don't know what a word or phrase means, is to suddenly feel superior. In my less idiotic moments, I guess like right now, I see that it's actually reversed. While my ego is inflated by their honesty, it's actually they who are likely more secure and wise. That's ironic.

Knowing this, while I want to be a learner, and to admit my ignorance, I also know what many others will think when I do. So, I just have to remember that my significance does not come from others, and my identity is not found in my intelligence (a fact for which I should be thankful!).

I'm thankful that God is beating me over the head with this lately, teaching me that my identity and significance come from my relationship with Him and not from how other people view me. Outwardly, I hope it results in me loving and caring about others more genuinely.

Don't Forget to Love!

Since my earlier blog entry had a bit of a condemning and angry tone to it, which I don't regret, but would like to balance, I thought I'd try to be more specific in developing the idea of Christian love.

Do we really consider love in our day to day choices and interactions with people?

Much of the behavior I see from Christians is, in my opinion, yet another indicator of how far the vast majority of the church has strayed from biblical truth.

Don't Forget Who You Are
Often times Christians behave as though non-Christians are appalling. This is ironic since we were once in their shoes and still struggle with most of the same issues they do...The difference? We're just forgiven because of Jesus. Oh, and while I think the "I'm just forgiven" deal has been distorted by many to where it sounds like a boasting ("Oh yeah? Well I'm FORGIVEN.. unlike YOU.") I am saying it in humility. I mean, my rebellion against God, and my self-centeredness (lack of love for others), is despicable.. and yet Jesus' sacrifice wipes the slate clean. This leaves NOTHING for me to boast about. All I can do is point to His work. Oh, and one other problem with being appalled by non-Christians is that JESUS CALLED YOU TO LOVE THEM, just like He did/does.

Don't Forget Who Jesus Is
The Bible describes Jesus as a friend of sinners. He was accused of being a glutton and drunkard (by the religious leaders) and He hung out with tax collectors and prostitutes. Ironically enough, many "Christians" today would likely, like the religious leaders of Jesus' time, be the first to condemn someone for hanging out with prostitutes and corrupt government contractors. Jesus loved others by serving and sacrificing for them, not by ruling and legislating over them.

Don't Forget Who Other People Are
Non-Christians are people. They're living, breathing, and hurting people, made in the image of God and capable of both amazing love and beauty, as well as horrific evil (just like YOU and ME!). But non-Christians are also not Christians. This means they aren't going to act like Christians, or hold all our values and beliefs. This is why I believe we should never try to legislate morality. Changing laws to dictate how people should act will not change their hearts, fix the world, or bring them to Jesus. There are lots of non-Christians who are far more moral than most Christians. Morality and good behavior does not save people... Jesus does. So, don't waste your time imposing YOUR rules and morality on people who don't embrace YOUR beliefs. Instead, love and serve them.

Don't Forget Who God Is
I think most of us tend to take injustices, whether against ourselves or Christianity in general, as some kind of personal affront to which we are called to respond. Additionally, we tend to carry our sense of justice into other places it doesn't belong as well. Instead, we need to respond with grace and patience, as Jesus did and does. This doesn’t mean soft peddling sin, nor does it mean ignoring the plight of the oppressed, etc., but it does mean that we don’t have to act indignant or appalled when non-Christians don't share our Christian views. It's not my job to judge and condemn. God doesn't need me to fight His battles, He needs me (and you) to show the world His love and grace.

Don't Forget What Love Is
Despite how it is portrayed by many today, love is not optional for the Christian. While it's not optional, love is:

• Genuinely seeking the best for others, including those that most would consider our enemies (Matt. 5:44). 
• Paramount. I Corinthians 13 says "I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains—but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned—but if I have no love, this does me no good."
• THE indicator of Christianity. "And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples." (John 13:34-35)
• The greatest commandment (according to some guy named Jesus): "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: Love your neighbor as you love yourself."
• Patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up. (1 Cor 13). 

I'm pretty comfortable ranting about stuff, but in this case I'm going to leave it simple. Let's consider how the Bible describes love, and then compare our behavior to that.

August 10

I think we all have certain words or phrases that, when heard, bring a smile to our face. Maybe it's an old saying our grandpa used to repeat... maybe it's our the address of our childhood home... maybe it's the make and model of our first car. For me, it's August 10, 1977... the birthday of my wife Corey. Every time I see that date on a calendar, or hear it uttered, it makes my heart happy solely because it's her birthday.

You see, I have an amazing wife. I have rarely, if ever, thought myself to be worthy of her, because she really is the ideal woman, and as near to flawless as you can get. An amazing blend of beauty, brains, love and creativity, she brightens every room she enters and cheers every person she meets.

Everyone who knows Corey knows how good she is with people, and how genuinely loving and wise she is. So often I come into a conversation with her convinced that I know what's right, and leave seeing a better way. I've seen older women come to her for advice. I see other people's kids light up when they see her. I've heard people say "We need Corey here... then this would be fun."

She's amazing, and I'm so glad she was born.

I know it will please her more if I don't tear myself down during this post, but I'll just end by saying that I definitely "married up". Thank God for marrying up...

Happy Birthday beautiful...

The Danger in Taking Stands

In recent blog posts I've talked about a couple of different stories. One was a guy who, some news outlets reported, was arrested for "having a bible study" at his house. It turns out that, in reality, he built a 4000+ sq. ft. building in his yard, put a sign and a cross in his yard, and,  basically had a church meet in his home. After skirting the law, and failing to install proper bathrooms, handicap accessibility, etc., he was arrested, not for having a bible study but for breaking the law.

Elsewhere, Chick-Fil-A has been in the headlines when their COO Dan Cathy said the following on a radio show:

"we’re inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage. And I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude that thinks we have the audacity to redefine what marriage is all about."

These comments, and opinions regarding them, went viral. It seemed everyone was talking about Chick-Fil-A and, depending who you listened to, the opinions ranged from "That's his opinion, big deal.." to "Christians need to stick up for Chick-Fil-A and their family values!" to "Chick-Fil-A is run by hate-mongers!" to "Chick-Fil-A gives money to hateful organizations, and that is a big deal". (I made those up, but I think they largely convey the gamut of opinions out there.)

But here's the deal, even as I write about those two examples, I have no way of knowing if I have all the facts. And having all the facts is vitally important. One thing I've learned about communicating is that it's very easy to assume. When we don't have all the facts it's very easy to paint a very one-sided, and yet seemingly believable, picture. Whether it's in individual relationships, or corporate decisions, we really do need to know the full story. We need the context, but the problem is that context is frequently withheld.

News organizations, political parties, and social media sites (which are largely fueled by commentary from those not in the know) are fully capable of twisting and manipulating stories into unrecognizable, but very sexy, dramas. And all this leaves the reader/listener/viewer completely ignorant of the truth, and yet completely sold on what they've just ingested. And so it goes on and on, propagating, morphing, and fueling people's sense of justice, rage, bitterness, sadness, or whatever.

I guess this, among many other reasons, is why I'd suggest focusing our efforts on the problems and issues right around us. If each of us did that, then the world could be dramatically more like God intended it to be. Imagine if we all poured their lives into those around us... into our neighborhood, our downtown, our local government. I imagine this would be a very effective bottom-up approach.

So... let's stop accepting the hype, stop assuming that what we hear online must be true (or false), and pour ourselves into helping and loving those right around us.

Ouch.

Just as a follow-on to my last post, I wanted to share this picture I saw on Facebook. It pains me greatly to share it, and it pains me more to agree with it. Here goes:

This image was, presumably, taken when Christians recently showed up in droves to support Chick-Fil-A after all the recent hubbub. I had heard there were multi-hour lines as a sort of show of 'solidarity'. The problem I have with this isn't so much that people want to support Chick-Fil-A, after all people do have a right to their opinion, but it's rather that Christians spend so much of their time doing stuff like this. It seems that the genuine efforts, support, and outspokenness of most who proclaim Christianity are poured into keeping their local "Christian coffeeshop" afloat, donating to Christian radio, changing legislation to stomp out homosexuality, or helping other Christians prosper financially.

How about we be outspoken and passionate about things Jesus actually cared about?

Anyway, I could go on, but the picture (and my previous blog post) make my opinion clear.

Persecuted? Probably not.

I've encountered a number of stories lately that have gotten some of the Christians (or maybe just the right wing folks) all in a tizzy. These stories lead to the inevitable "They're gradually taking away our rights" or "They wouldn't do this to other religions" or "Watch out for this ruling, things are going to get very bad" or "They're persecuting us". 

I'm going to say this as nicely as I can: No, they're not persecuting Christians...at least not for the reasons you seem to think they are. I rarely meet a Christian who is worthy of being persecuted for the things that Jesus said would get us persecuted. While Jesus said we'd be persecuted for being his disciples (i.e. being like Him), most of us are persecuted for being annoying, judgmental, snobby, harsh, self-centered, illogical, hypocrites. I know that may be hard to swallow, but it's true. Most of "Christianity" that the world around us sees right now is a bunch of whiny, judgmental, prudes who directly equate Christianity with being a Republican. It makes me sick.

Christian's are suffering from a sort of tin-foil hat paranoia. Someone is out to get us, all because we're being like Jesus. We're sure of it.

Nowhere is this paranoia clearer than in the news. For example, some dude was recently arrested in the southwest for, depending on which news network or blogger you tuned in to, either "having a bible study" or for "breaking the law". Christians got all upset about this guy getting arrested for "having a bible study" at his house when, in reality, he built a gigantic building in his yard, put a sign and a cross in his yard, and, well, basically had a church meet in his home. And no, this was not a "house church". It was a 4000+ sq. ft. building (in which he refused to install proper bathrooms, handicap accessibility, etc.). This guy was arrested, not for having a bible study but for breaking the law.

When Christians raise a ruckus about stuff like the above, they look stupid and petty.I've said it before, but Christianity IS NOT ABOUT BEING RIGHT! When we sit around waiting for non-Christians (such as Obama) to make a mistake, rather than loving them unconditionally, EVERYONE LOSES. When you are looking for mistakes, you'll find them... even if they aren't really even there. But, again, is this what Jesus did? No. 

When you admit that someone you disagree with has made a good point, you don't invalidate your belief system, emasculate yourself, or deny Christ. As Chevy Chase said "It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong... I am not a big man." In fact, admitting someone else has a good point makes you look GOOD, and SECURE in your identity... (oh, and it makes Jesus look good too). How often have you watched someone argue vehemently, even when they're clearly wrong, and thought "Man, they look smart, secure, and comfortable with their identity."? Me either. On the flip side, I can't imagine how cool a politician would look if he said "You know, my opponent makes a great point here and I really like what he has to say on this topic."

Oh, and just to be clear here, when I say "even when they're clearly wrong" because Christians are OFTEN wrong. Why? Because, again, we choose to view other people as our enemies and to wait for them to make a mistake so that we can cram it back down their throat. Obama said "You didn't build that" in regards to small businesses, and what was the response? I saw many Christians jump him. A) Try to understand his point, not his exact words. B) Give some grace. C) Even if you DO disagree, SO WHAT! You look petty and scared when you point it out.

I think this all comes down to the fact that most Christians are insecure in their identity, and thus believe that they need to prove themselves valid, right, and worthy. BUT OUR WORTH DOESN'T COME FROM PROVING OTHERS WRONG... IT COMES FROM JESUS! Jesus was patient and gracious, He hung out with sinners, He focused on people rather than government laws, He denounced religious leaders, He focused on the hurting and helpless, He spoke about the GOOD NEWS rather than the sins of those around Him. I can't help but think that this sounds NOTHING like most people in the church today. 

Or, maybe some deluded Christians genuinely believe that denouncing anything "sinful" is the best way to win people to their view. (I say "sinful" in quotes because people have baggage associated with that term, AND because some of the things that get denounced aren't even really sinful!) This is some sort of purist view that seems to imply that people will be attracted to us because of our purity. But they won't. The bible doesn't say they'll know we are Christians by our purity. It says they'll know us by our love.

It seems like some of us think that we need to be a "jerk for Jesus"... like the more outspoken, and rude, we are with our beliefs, the better. As if drawing persecution to ourselves then makes that persecution/suffering 'holy' and 'righteous'. This isn't what Jesus had in mind when he promised that we would suffer for Him (John 15:20). It's also not likely to lead to people asking about the hope within you (I Peter 3:15).

Old Testament figures, such as Daniel and Joseph, were put in positions of authority and power not by mocking authority figures and telling them how wrong their religious views were. Instead, through humble submission and servitude, Daniel and Joseph both endeared themselves to those in power, and gained a strong position for their God. Also, the early church, which spread like wildfire, and was unstoppable in its growth, was effective not because they denounced the culture and sins around them, but because they admitted their OWN sins and loved those around them (servitude) DESPITE their sins. True Christianity is completely dependent on Christ alone, not on self. 


We've clearly forgotten the gospel.

I long for the day when the church wakes up, remembers who it is, puts down its signs, pens, and keyboards, and picks up a towel to wash some feet. Regardless of where you are now, you were once an enemy of Christ...How can you stop arguing with those around you, and start loving them?

The Importance of Gospel Fluency

I've said it before, but I think most Christians still see the gospel as a portal which they are to pass through into the Christian life. When we think of it this way, we're saying that the good news (which is what 'gospel' means) is the beginning, but we move on without it after that. There are some big problems with this way of thinking. As I've said before, the gospel is the good news that God has made a way. The good news that Jesus, God's perfect son, died to make right what we had made wrong and, if you want to end your rebellion, surrender to the One who loves you (the maker of you and of the universe) and turn to follow Him, that He is now, and forever will be for you....your advocate. This advocacy is good news.

The good news that, in Him, we have complete freedom.
The good news that we get to be adopted into His family.
The good news that our joy in Him begins now and is a foretaste of the world to come.
The good news that when He returns there will be a world without pain, death, or suffering, and that we get to enjoy it with Him.
The good news that He is our reward, and is the only thing that ever fulfills its promise to satisfy.
The good news that we have permanent acceptance based on nothing but Jesus.
The good news that we have nothing to prove and nobody to impress.
The good news is that He has done it all.

So, I hope it's clear that these are not things you should want to 'move past.' God did not forgive our rebellion, and then expect us to do it on our own after that. We've clearly proven incapable of doing it on our own, so that would be ridiculous. No, God makes it clear that the good news is all Him. He has done it all, and we need only to rely on Jesus' finished work. We can do nothing to make Him love us more, and nothing to make Him love us less. Perfect freedom. Complete Joy. No stress... GOOD NEWS!

So, on a practical level, how does it look? Well, simple examples:

• When you encounter rejection from others, you can know that the God of the universe accepts you and loves you unconditionally.
• When you face potential workforce reduction, you can rest assured that God is in control and works all things for your good.
• When you treat your spouse like garbage, you can know that God loves you no less than He did before, and that you are free love your spouse like He loves you because your burdens and needs are taken care of by One who is able to truly bear your burdens and perfectly meet your needs.
• When you're tempted to hoard your belongings, you can remember that God owns it all, and that your joy and security are found in Him, not in things.
• When you are hurt by others, you can forgive because you've experienced the ultimate forgiveness, and you will never be hurt or failed by God.
• When you look foolish, you can remember how foolish Jesus looked dying for you, and you can rest assured that you have the permanent acceptance and perfect love of the one who made the world and everything in it.
• When you fail, you can remember that your failures won't make God love you less, and your success doesn't make Him love you more. He loves you completely and unconditionally.

We encounter our need to be reminded of the good news dozens of times every day.

Gospel Fluency

I first heard the idea of Gospel Fluency during a training session by Jeff Vanderstelt in Boise. Fluency, as Jeff explained it, is when you no longer have to translate in your mind in order to speak the language. This means that you dream in the language, and are completely comfortable in that language. So, based on that definition, Gospel Fluency is when you are so comfortable applying the Gospel to your life, that you don't have to stop and figure out how it applies...it just comes naturally.

It may sound easy to be Gospel Fluent... but it's not. It's simple, but not easy. The above examples I gave are not only simple ones, but I'm removed from experiencing them. When we're in those situations, it often becomes even more difficult for us to "gospel" ourselves (quickly remind ourselves of the truth).

Although it's not easy, it's important. If we're not constantly 'gospeling' ourselves, then we're likely replacing the gospel with lies. We're likely living as though we are God and can handle things ourselves. We're likely to condemn ourselves and others, or deify ourselves and others. This is a dangerous path, and I believe it's the path the bulk of the modern evangelical church is on. (This is the basis of my previous post "From Good News to False Religion").

So maybe you are wondering how to become Gospel Fluent. I can't tell you that. I'm in process myself, and it's different for each person... but I can tell you what others have told me:

1) Read the Bible, in chronological order (like a story) a lot.
2) Seek the help of others who want to walk the same path (i.e. gospel each other!)
3) Pray a prayer, such as the following "Gospel Prayer" (written by JD Grear), as both a reminder to yourself AND as a request for God's help:

“Father, There is nothing I can do today that would make you love me more; nothing I failed to do yesterday made you love me less.”

“Your presence and approval are all I need today for everlasting joy.”


“As you have been to me, so I will be to others.”


“I’ll measure your compassion by the cross and your power by the resurrection and pray accordingly.”

The Role of Christians

Despite our best efforts to make the Bible and God's will confusing, they're usually not. For example, the answer to one of the most important "what is God's will" questions, namely the purpose of mankind, is crystal clear. Does that surprise you? If this was ever unclear, or up for debate, Jesus put it to rest when He answered a question posed by religious leaders of the time. These leaders, who had (like most of us) missed the forest for the trees, asked Jesus this: "Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Good question eh?

Well, Jesus answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: Love your neighbor as you love yourself."

You see, the Bible is full of admonishments and commands, but they aren't all weighted equally. Jesus put the emphasis right where it belongs. Love God and love people.

This is, I believe, the purpose of the Christian life, and the purpose of the church. That's right. You and me, we exist to love God and people.

But what does that mean?

Loving God means enjoying Him and the gifts He gives (which serve to point us to Him as the giver of good things), and by making much of Him. Most people are very good at enjoying God's gifts, they're just not so hot at recognizing them as gifts from God. We also tend to not be so great at enjoying God. This is wrapped up in the gospel, and could use a big explanation (which I won't do here), but, simply put, it's recognizing that His very person and characteristics are the only place that joy can fully be found.

Additionally, we make much of Him by telling others about Him. C.S. Lewis does a great job of describing this, and I think I've even quoted it in this blog before, when he says "The world rings with praise — lovers praising their mistresses, readers praising their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game — praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars." We praise everything around us naturally. God is the ultimate good and is ultimately deserving of our praise. If you don't talk well about your spouse (i.e. praise) then your love for them is called into question. If we don't praise God (both when alone and when speaking with others), then our love for Him is questionable.

The other primary purpose of mankind is to love people. There are lots of great ways to love people, such as feeding the poor, helping the helpless, and finding ways to make the world more like God intended it to be. That said, I don't believe those alone to be the best means of loving others. If I truly believe that God is the ultimate source of joy, and the only one who can break the cruel taskmasters to which people are enslaved, then pointing people to God is the most loving thing I can do.

So, if we assume these purposes to be true, and truly primary, then what are all the commands throughout the Bible there for? Well, they're there to promote and further the cause of God (Love). Oh, and just to be clear, love is not always what people think of as love. Love does not always let people go down a self-destructive path. Loving a buddy of mine does not mean I let him abuse his spouse. In short, love does not always mean letting the other person get their way. Love is doing what is best for that person. Oh, and to be clear here, that does not mean that they should be berated with the gospel either. Love is patient and kind. Love waits for the recipient (of the gospel) to be ready to act on it, and does not force the issue.

I alluded to it before (when talking about other means of loving people), but all means of loving people can, and should, point people to God. I can feed the poor and help the helpless because I believe they're made in the image of God, and are valuable to Him. I love the fact that many of the seemingly bizarre commands in the old testament are much less bizarre when we look at them from the perspective of love. For example, if you read the Bible as a book of rules, then when you read that you should put a parapet on your roof, you'll think "gosh, that's bizarre." But, when you read the Bible as God's story, which is all about loving Him and loving people, then you see a parapet as a good and loving thing, which keeps people from falling off your roof and dying.

Love is the consistent, overarching theme of the Bible. Whole books could be, and have been, written on this subject...so I'm going to stop before this becomes a book. That said, I hope this gives you pause, as it has me, to consider what you are doing to pursue the purpose of your life.

P.S. - If you want to know if you are using your day-to-day life to its fullest for this purpose, see my prior post (which is just a link to a short Jeff Vanderstelt video).

P.P.S. - I don't think I'm supposed to use P.S. in a blog. Oh well.

How To Know You're On Mission

I saw this video today and loved it. It's Jeff Vanderstelt, who we've modeled much of our recent lifestyle after, talking about how to know if you're on mission. It's a short clip, and well worth it. If you're a Christian, and wondering how to tell if you are "on mission", then this video may be helpful.

You're Wrong, I'm Right. You're Stupid, I'm Smart.

As I sat at my computer the other day, I came across a quote by Carl Sagan. As a Christian, I find atheist quotes instantly get me upset. And so, I have to ask myself why.

Why Josh?

I'd love to say it's simply because of my zeal for God to be honored... Unfortunately, though I'd hope for this to be my response someday, I don't think that's the case now. I think it's just pride on my part. It's the same feeling as when some MU fan spouts off about their rival KU. As a KU fan, I get irritated and want to prove them wrong. Same with the atheist. I want to prove them wrong.

But here's the problem...I don't think God is honored by proving people wrong. God is honored, glorified (made to look good), when people confess who He really is and worship Him (confess He alone is worthy of our devotion and adoration). While this might, at a very superficial level, still seem like "proving them wrong," it's notably different from a typical attempt to prove someone wrong. How?

Well, people tend to feel justified when they prove someone wrong. "You said God wasn't real, but He is! See! YOU WERE WRONG and I WAS RIGHT! My beliefs are valid and justified. I'm on the right team." That's prideful justification on our part because we're concerned with being right, not with God being right. If we want God to be glorified, then we should want to help others come to Him... not prove them wrong.

Again, God is most glorified when people become worshippers...when they enjoy Him. Think of it this way. Is your favorite sports team or politician made to look best when you prove their opponents wrong? "Actually sir, your statistics on Robinson's free throw percentage are dramatically flawed. See this link for the actual number." BOOM! In your face! Hmm... Or are they made to look best when a doubter becomes a fan? "You know, I hated Robinson and thought he was overrated, but hearing you talk about his personal suffering has made it so I want to cheer for him." Exactly. The latter scenario honors Robinson much more. The opponent is no longer simply wrong about Robinson, they are a follower. And so it is with God...

Our response to a person's hatred and criticism of God should be to show them a glimpse of God's love and mercy in our response... not worry about being "right." I think this is the sentiment behind the archangel Michael's response to Satan (in some bizarre situation involving the body of Moses) when he said "The Lord rebuke you!" He realized that it's up to God. It's God's place to rebuke. God's place to be proven right. God's honor that matters. Michael didn't feel the need to prove his point. He just left it up to the ultimate Judge.

To me, this plays out in all kinds of everyday scenarios and frees me up to love God and love people without having to worry about being right all the time... something I worry about FAR too often.

From Good News to False Religion

I am convinced that much of the church has, functionally speaking, become a false religion. How's that for a light-hearted hypothesis? Well, it may sound like some kind of knee jerk, "I'm sick of these people" reaction, but I swear it's not. Let me explain.

From what I see in my admittedly limited scope of contacts and resources, genuine understanding of the gospel, and reliance upon it, are rare commodities these days. I don't know at what point in history this turned, but the predominant belief system I see in the church today is one that has resulted in the church becoming eerily similar to most other religions by defining acceptance and/or maturity in terms of deeds done. And yes, the vast majority of the evangelical church would say that this is not their belief.

The climate of the church today is one in which people do not cling to the gospel as their only hope for life. Instead, people cling to rules, self-worth, knowledge, behavior, status, power, etc. to define their position with God. And, to be clear, this does not primarily consist of people who simply fail to constantly remind themselves of the gospel, rather it's people who have a fundamental failure to fully grasp what is meant by "salvation by grace".

One Master - The True Gospel
The gospel is not about the good we must do for God, it's about the good that God has done for us. It's not a doorway through which we pass, then maturing on to our own life of good deeds. We always have, and always will, need Jesus in every moment of every day.

"Gospel" means "Good News."
It's the good news that God has made a way.
The good news that Jesus, God's perfect son, died to make right what we had made wrong and, if you hate your sins and turn to follow Him, that He is now, and forever will be for you....your advocate.
The good news that, in Him, we have complete freedom.
The good news that we get to be adopted into His family.
The good news that our joy in Him begins now and is a foretaste of the world to come.
The good news that when He returns there will be a world without pain, death, or suffering, and that we get to enjoy it with Him.
The good news that He is our reward, and is the only thing that ever fulfills its promise to satisfy.
The good news that we have permanent acceptance based on nothing but Jesus.
The good news that we have nothing to prove and nobody to impress.
The good news is that He has done it all.

God has carried out every detail of His plan and our only task is to love Him for it....and how can we not?

How Did We Get Here?
I think, aside from the "minor" issues of poor preaching, leadership, and writing, we have other problems. The first problem is that we are a very logical people, and our logic is based on our sensibilities. After all, the gospel is foolishness to the world is it not? I Corinthians 1:21-25 says:

"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."

Deep down we know we are broken, and inadequate, but the gospel seems foolish and weak. And because of that, we seek to get right with God by means that we see as worthy. Our culture promotes the idea that you can pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, and that nothing is beyond your reach if you simply believe and work hard. The problem is that God says that's hogwash. He says we can never be good enough... NEVER.

Human wisdom aside, the other way we got here, and by far the most popular way, is by being idolaters. Idolatry is, for many of us, an old-school word which conjures up images of bowing down before hand-carved statues. But, that's not what idolatry really means. Idolatry is anything which we put in place of God for our hope and happiness. In the case of our salvation, that can be a variety of things but it often comes down to being good enough. Practically, this means that we believe that in order for us to be right with God, for Him to be pleased, we need to be strong, good, successful, mature, humble, kind, etc. The problem with this is that the gospel says the very opposite is true. The gospel is about God's strength in our weakness and foolishness, thus showing Him to be supremely good.

Incidentally, I believe this is why the majority of us are so uncomfortable with rebuke & admonishment. Proverbs 9:8 says that if you “reprove a wise man” “he will love you” and proverbs 15:31 says that those that “listen to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.” These verses indicate that the wise like rebuke!  I know... that sounds wrong. But why? And why is it so foreign to us? I don't know about you but I don't look forward to, or delight in, being rebuked. Well, I think the answer is directly tied to what I just described in those of us who try to be good enough. A rebuke is someone telling you that you aren't good enough. Telling you that you've sinned. So, if your system is all about being good enough, a rebuke threatens to topple the entire belief system, and even your very salvation. Understandably, when this is the case, instead of reproof working to our benefit, we run from it out of fear. Praise God that's not the gospel and that is why the wise embrace rebuke. They know that only by admitting their weakness, and casting themselves at the foot of the cross, will they actually grow in their relationship with Christ.

But a life of moralism doesn't just do harm to our relationship with God. When we attempt to look good enough, or to be good enough, we unwittingly attempt to disprove the gospel. How so? Well, if we are successful in being good enough then the gospel is proven to be a lie. We're not too weak. The gospel is suddenly unnecessary, and God is a liar, and the whole system collapses. I think that's vital to understand. Any attempt to prove yourself good enough is an attempt to prove God a liar. God says we are weak and incapable of saving ourselves and we best believe Him rather than believing in ourselves.

While being "good" is one major aspect, idolatry also rears its head in the church via people who are there for "other" reasons. What I mean is that there are a huge number of people in the church who have never been truly impacted by the gospel, but are there instead for other reasons. Some have traded in their "sins" for "righteousness." Someone who seeks power over others via the sin of sexual abuse can trade that in for seeking power over others by being a very devout, religious person. The Bible, knowledge, spiritual "maturity", leadership, monetary giving can be used to exert your "spiritual authority" over others.

Most forms of idolatry involve serving God in order to get something from Him, or through Him, rather than serving God to get more of Him. God is the treasure and if we state it any other way, then it's no longer Christianity.

I realize these "false gospels" aren't what very many of us would profess to believing, but it is what many of us functionally believe. Think about it. Does any of this sound like you or people you love?

It's dead religion and it leads only to despair and exhaustion. Chasing idols (Respect, prosperity, sex, power, human acceptance, etc.) will always leave you disappointed and exhausted because they cannot bear your weight! All it can do is create workaholics who can never quite do enough to be feel justified, parents whose children never live up to their expectations, and lovers who cannot find satisfaction.

Trusting in ourselves, and in our deeds, to satisfy God will only drive us to see Him as a cruel task master who can never be satisfied.

The gospel flips this all on its head by assuring us that God has accepted us, and that there's nothing we can do to make Him love us more, and nothing we can do to make Him love us less. Good deeds naturally flow out of the experience of this kind of love. When we seek God as the reward, and we have nothing to prove, and no bar to reach, then Christianity is exciting, freeing, and joyful.

You Got REBUKED!

At a recent church gathering, there was some mention of accountability as a positive aspect of community. Having come from a really conservative, unhealthily so, Christian background, in which accountability and rebuke were, at least for me, things to be feared. So, I have spent some time trying to recover the true meaning of accountability, and thus have some opinions on the matter. Yeah, I know...surprise!

I think it's natural to view accountability, and specifically some of its aspects, such as rebuke and admonishment, with suspicion and fear. And, in many ways, these feelings are justified. I say this because the American church has, for the most part, failed to employ a Biblical version of accountability. This typically falls into one of two camps: 1) Hands Off and 2) Gloves Off.

1) Hands Off - In this model of accountability, we observe people struggling in various aspects of their lives. This can be marital strife, addiction, pride, and other general idolatries and failures to trust God. In the Hands Off model, instead of lovingly assisting the person who we see struggling, we watch and hope someone else helps them, or we figure it's "between them and God". Hands Off is the default model for most Christians partly because of fear of conflict (which is really a misunderstanding of what accountability is) and partly because most of us have so few relationships that are deep enough and rooted in love enough to really justify acts of confrontation or admonishment. After all, admonishment and confrontation from someone who doesn't really know us is at best superficial, and at worst deeply hurtful. Unfortunately, often times the Hands Off model is practiced until things "go too far", at which point the "Gloves Off" model is deployed.

2) Gloves Off - In the Gloves Off model, when struggling is seen it is confronted aggressively. This typically means telling them to "man up" or "STOP IT", to motivate them with guilt or threats, or to challenge their 'Christian maturity' by accusing them of lacking faith or some other apparent Christian "requisite". In many cases, Matthew 18:15-17 (passage on "church discipline") is viewed with cold-hearted, dogmatic "instruction following", rather than in the light of attempting to rescue someone from themselves. When this kind of "instruction following" is employed, it's often done with complete disregard for feelings or for how well you know the person you are confronting.

"Uh hi, I saw you speak unkindly to your spouse and just wanted to say that you need to quit acting like an unbeliever. Have a nice day!"

In reality, Christian accountability is supposed to be done for the other person's good. It's simple and subtle, but we often get confused and act as though accountability is not for their good but for ours. Maybe we are annoyed, or apalled by behavior we observe, and we feel it's our "God given duty" to let them know they are wrong.

But, again, the problem with that is that accountability should be an act of love. Not an act of justice, revenge, or pursuit of "the truth" (insofar as "the truth" is just "setting the record straight"). It's not shaping the other person into your likeness, or your ideal, at your pace. It's shaping them into Christ's likeness at HIS pace.

In reality, this should look more like real friendship than a business transaction. In these scenarios, when you see your friend stuck in the throes of sin, you will choose to approach them about the sin, to empathize, to help them determine the root cause of their sin, and to show them how the Gospel answers that root cause. Then, you'll choose to stick with them, pray for them, and help them in any way that is truly beneficial, regardless of how quickly (if ever) they respond. It is usually not a quick meeting or two or a counseling session, but a continual walking beside and loving of a person.

And, as I've tried to describe before, loving doesn't necessarily mean simply trying to make them feel better or convincing them that everything is ok. Loving them means being real, and helping them to see areas of weakness which may be blind spots to them, praying with them, and talking specifically about the sin that is contributing to to their situation. Sometimes it can seem like a tough love, and other times it is the sacrificial love of helping to support a friend in their time of exaggerated weakness (I say exaggerated since we are always weak and in need of the Gospel of Jesus).

I hope you've gathered from this description that this kind of accountability is nearly impossible to do without a prior relationship of love. If you haven't already invested heavily with love in a relationship, then you probably aren't the right one to "help" direct that person. But, when this kind of relationship does exist, and accountability is done in love, then it will most often result in good. Yes, it can still be painful, but it's good. "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."

One additional thing to keep in mind, so that you might love others more effectively, is to realize that, due to a variety of factors, many professing Christians believe an appearance of maturity, independence, and even sinlessness, is a good and necessary thing. And so, when you point out a sin or weakness in their life, they're likely to respond negatively. After all, you are challenging what they believe to be the very core of their Christian existence. Acknowledging your accusations may very well seem to them to be acknowledging that they're not good enough, or aren't worthy any longer or that they're not as good as you are. This is clearly an opportunity for you to speak gospel truth into their life. To "gospel" them by showing them that it's not about being "good enough" and self-reliance, but about reliance on Jesus. If the gospel is truly the key to their happiness, as it should be, then you'll be reminding them of their freedom from sin and they'll likely, in the long run, thank you.

Ultimately, true Christian accountability should point us to Jesus, to the cross, and will serve to help us to see where we have failed to believe truth about God.

Hearing vs. Listening

I find in myself, and in most people, a strong drive to be heard, respected, and cared for, but little, if any, drive to listen, respect, and care.

If you follow Jesus, or if you just desire the world to be a better place (as God intended it), then I have some good advice for you: listen. Not merely hear, but listen.

While it may seem silly to split hairs by distinguishing a difference between hearing and listening, I'm going to do it anyway. For the purposes of this blog entry, this clarification will be helpful. After all, you can hear what someone is saying, and even comprehend their words, without understanding their true meaning and motive, or even caring. That last part is vital. In order to really listen, you must care. And if you really care, then you should listen.

In order to care, and subsequently listen, we must put ourselves aside, let our thoughts and opinions take a backseat, and get to know their point of view. This doesn't mean that we cease to have thoughts and opinions, it just means that those thoughts and opinions should be secondary to the person to whom we are listening.

I think the reasons for most people's tendencies to hear, but not listen, are varied. But typically, they're one of the following:

1) The desire to prove ourselves valid, worthy, and lovable.

How this plays out in conversations is that we hear the other person's words, and we immediately want to respond with a story about ourselves, a counterpoint to their belief, one-upping whatever they say, or something of the sort. When this happens, we're so enthralled with ourselves or what we're going to say next, that we don't listen.

2) A genuine delusion that we're right and they're wrong.

In reality, it shouldn't be about "right and wrong". Instead, it should be about learning about the perceptions, interpretations, and values that have formed their view. Every person views things slightly differently. We each have been formed by various input in our lives. A great book on the subject, "Difficult Conversations", says it this way:

"Some of us are artists, others are scientists, others pragmatists. Some of us want to prove we're right; others want to avoid conflict or smooth it over. Some of us tend to see ourselves as victims, others as heroes, observers, or survivors. The information we attend to varies accordingly."

If we come at conversations from an angle of "convincing them we're right", we will likely fail to achieve that very goal.

3) Hesitance to "get involved".

We fear getting involved in people's mess, and thus refuse to dive deep with them.

4) Bad habits.

Our culture has trained us to stay superficial and to carry on conversations by batting a ball of superficial conversation back and forth:

Person 1: "I've always liked the Yankees."

Person 2: "I'm partial to the Red Sox myself."

Person 1: "The Red Sox are alright, but I really like the tradition with the Yankees."

Person 2: "That's cool."

Consider how this conversation can go if you listen to the person:

Person 1: "I've always liked the Yankees."

Person 2: "Really? Why is that"

Person 1: "Well, I really like the tradition involved with that organization."

Person 2: "What part of the tradition intrigues you?"

Person 1: "Oh, mostly all the great names that have been there over the years. DiMaggio, Ruth, Mantle. The list goes on and on."

Person 2: "Yeah? How long have you followed them?"

Person 2 is really listening and caring about Person 1... even in something small.

I'm sure there are more reasons we don't listen, but those are the big ones I've seen. So, in summary, here are some brief reasons, or motivators, for listening:

1) Caring - Genuine caring. Digging deep into their thoughts and hopes... what has formed and influenced them, rather than trying to prepare your next statement or idea while they're still talking. Whatever your motivation, caring for people should be a goal. “The first duty of love is to listen.” - Paul Tillich

2) Learning - Listening and asking good questions allows you to fully hear the other person out. After all, if you are humble, this is a great chance to correct your OWN views as well! "Big egos have little ears." - Robert Schuller

3) Building trust - People can usually tell if you're listening or not within a few minutes of talking. Further, after more time spent, people can tell just how serious and genuine your listening and caring goes. There are few, if any, greater obstacles to the gospel, and to relationships in general, than being known as a poor listener. On the flip side, there are few greater doorways for the gospel and for relationships than being a good listener. "There's a big difference between showing interest and really taking interest." - Michael P. Nichols

4) Influencing - After trust is gained, you can use effective listening to help shape and influence a person. Even when you disagree with someone, good, thoughtful questions can be a great way to subtly, lovingly, guide them to healthy conclusions. Though counter-intuitive, this can be MORE effective than pushing your point. "A good listener tries to understand what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but because he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with." - Kenneth A. Wells

This is a huge subject, much bigger than I'd feel comfortable inflicting on you in one blog post, but I hope you'll join me in studying to be a better listener. My suggestion? Next time you go to visit someone, go with the goal of not talking about yourself or your interests at all. Instead, try to really love them by thoughtfully paying attention, really thinking about what they're saying, and asking relevant and caring questions.

What is Your Life About?

Let's assume a relationship with God, and a desire for His glory, are the primary driving force of your life. I say good. But after that, what is your life about?

I think most people will find it easy to answer quickly, that the bulk of their life is about the "right things." But I'm asking, at a very practical, functional, day-to-day, level... What is the driving force behind your day-to-day activities?

Is it...

Gaining Knowledge?
Having status or perceived spiritual maturity?

Being "good"?

Following Church traditions?

Running (or attending) Church functions?Following Church traditions?

Having good quiet times?

Having a peaceful life?

I'd like to suggest that if it is any of the above, or if you're not sure, then you're likely missing the point. God's entire goal for the life of His people is this: Love God, and love mankind. That's it. Jesus Himself said it: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and Love your neighbor as yourself." And this isn't just a "New Testament concept". The entire Old Testament was about God's people, and their call to love God, and love the nations. Yes, it was a rarely successful mission, but it was the mission nonetheless. Commands to leave the corners of fields unharvested (Leviticus 19:9), to put a railing on your roof (Deuteronomy 22:8), to preach to hated enemies (Jonah)... all had the motivation of love behind them. And it is a call that becomes even clearer in the New Testament, thanks to Jesus.

If your time and focus is on items in that list, rather than on loving people, you may have a problem. The things in this list, though they can be good and valuable, are not eternal and are not, primarily, what God has called us to. If you're anything like me, finding spare time is next to impossible. Consequently, focus on one area (filling my life with church programs, for example) means less focus on another area (getting to know my neighbors, for example).

So, practically, what does this look like?

I think it'll look different for each person. But, at some level, it means getting out of your "personal relationship" mode (aka "just me and Jesus") and pursuing people. I can't emphasize that enough. Pursue people. Listen to them. Jump into the midst of their pain, problems, joys and sins. Invest heavily in people. God does not want us to waste our lives planning worship

services, organizing Sunday school, and attending meetings. Does that sound shocking? I think it is quite shocking for most American evangelicals, but it's true nonetheless. That's not saying God doesn't want Christians to meet. He absolutely does. He just doesn't want us to waste excessive time on it because, it's not the goal. People are the goal. Making disciples is the goal. Even our Bible study can be a waste of time if it terminates on us. The Bible should be studied to grow in love and wisdom SO THAT we can be better equipped, and more driven, to love people.

So, let's make our faith about love... shall we?

We Are Delusional

People are naturally pretty adept at deluding, or deceiving, themselves. I don't say this in a hateful, judgmental way, because I too am likely delusional in some areas of my life.

I've seen many examples, in my life and in those around me, of a person's ability to believe their own point of view so strongly, being so prideful and so convinced

that they are right, that when their point of view is challenged or questioned, they demonstrate that they have actually become, to some degree, incapable of seeing, or at least admitting, any flaw therein. This is often followed by name calling, finger pointing, blameshifting, avoidance, and flawed logic; all done in an effort to protect their own point of view. Often they can't even give the other side credit for anything, instead believing them to be a "bunch of idiots".

Now, it should be understood here that there is a big difference between delusion and lying. Some people know what they're doing when they lie to protect their point of view, while others have so completely bought into their point of view that they genuinely don't see its flaws or any potential truth in another point of view. I tend to think that much of what appears to be delusion, is actually just lying.

What I mean is that people are so fragile that when they are confronted with the truth, it is often so painful and so ground-shaking, that they must take cover. This is often done by either sticking their head in the sand and pretending they don't see the problem, or by attacking the messenger. But, in terms of pra

ctical application, I'm not sure we can discern the difference between genuine delusion and lying without significant time invested in that person (and even then it may be extremely difficult). So, for the sake of brevity, let's just refer to all seeming inability to see or admit error as "delusional". Fun,

eh?

So, where do we see delusional behavior? How about in:

Politics - It seems rare for someone in either major political party to compliment the other side, or even to be able to credit them in any way.

Personal flaws - It is a rare person who can take criticism. Most people will, depending who the criticism is coming from, lash out in counterattack (either outwardly or inwardly). Others will simply self-destruct, thus being deluded that they are completely worthless.

Relationships - "It's obviously their fault, not mine."

Religion - This takes place internally, in the form of doctrinal debates, and externally, as a defense against other religions.

If you ever find yourself labeling a large group of society (A political party, a gender, a race, a religion, etc) as stupid, uneducated, evil, etc. then you are likely either lying in order to promote your own beliefs, or you

are self-deceived. Even when it's not a group, if we assume someone with an opposing viewpoint is a fool, then we may be guilty of a great irony. It

almost seems like a prime dictionary example of foolishness could be "believing that YOUR group is so right, and the OTHER side is so foolish." Okay, maybe not... but it sure fits. It's often only when this kind of behavior is viewed from the outside that it's sheer lunacy is apparent. Until we take the time to know someone, understand them and their point of view, then we would be wise to withhold judgment.

If you're a Christian, then you may appreciate what God has to say on the subject:

Jeremiah 17:9 - Who can understand the human heart? There is nothing else so deceitful; it is too sick to be healed.

Matthew 7:3-5 - Why, then, do you look at the speck in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the log in your own eye? How dare you say to your brother, Please, let me take that speck out of your eye, when you have a log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

So, God says the human heart (In the Bible, the heart = the emotional core) is extremely difficult to understand and is naturally deceitful. This deception affects the heart's owner, and those around them. And before we can consider labeling others as foolish and self-deceived, God suggests we remove the "log" of delusion from our own eye first. You know...so you can see better.

What am I delusional about?

I can speak to some personal examples here, as I know of some clear examples of delusion from my past. I take no credit for overcoming these delusions, as it was clearly God who facilitated the introduction of countless books and, more importantly, several awesome friendships which pushed me (sometimes kicking and screaming) along the path away from these delusions.

1) Delusion #1: Democrats (or anyone "liberal") are evil and/or illogical and/or foolish. I have gone from believing this to believing a, hopefully, more balanced view which sees that all political parties are flawed and there is wisdom in examining both sides. I see huge flaws in conservative politics, and equally huge flaws in the liberal camp.

2) Delusion #2: Knowledge (which I saw as a synonym for "truth") is supreme. I used to believe that proving the truth, truths which I still believe in now, was of utmost importance. I've learned, thanks to my wife, that truth at the cost of relationships is folly. I also now see that, ironically, the truth in which I so whole-heartedly believe, values the love of God and love of mankind over the love of knowledge. In fact, the Bible describes truth without love as the "banging of cymbals". There is no better way to convince somebody of your point of view than by showing them it's merits in love.

3) Delusion #3: Other Christians, with opposing views, were silly and illogical. I now see that any hotly debated doctrinal subject (Calvinism vs. Arminianism would be a prime example) is hotly debated for a reason. And that reason is rarely that the other side is evil and just wants to have their evil ways.

The above are just three examples from my life, and I'm sure there are dozens more.

I think it's important to realize that MOST people's views have been shaped by their lives, and MOST people don't come to their conclusions without some amount of thought or reasoning. It's true, their reasoning may very well be critically flawed, but until you know that, you should withhold judgment. And, even once you confirm that someone is incorrect, or even delusional, judgment should be overshadowed by patience and love... after all, there's a good chance that you too are delusional in some (if not many) areas of your own life.

If you're wondering, and maybe curious about how to prevent this in your own life, I believe the best safeguards against this kind of attitude are 1) Be aware of your pet beliefs 2) HUMBLY seek to keep learning and growing, and not just reinforcing what you already believe to be true 3) Surround yourself with people from all walks of life, not just people who agree with you and/or tell you what you want to hear.

Can People do Good apart from Jesus?

In my last post I discussed why I believe people cannot sustain doing good (i.e. because of their nature), but I claimed that I believe people do desire and prefer good. This, however, flies in the face of what some Christians believe, that is that people are incapable of doing, or even desiring, good. It seems to me that this is a nasty little misconception, as it will affect how you view, and interact with, the world around you.

I'm guessing the primary support for this line of thinking would be Romans 3:10-12, with an Isaiah 64:6 kicker:

Romans 3:10-12 says:

"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."

While Isaiah 64:6 says:

"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; "

So, let me clarify what I believe these verses do and do not mean.

They DO mean:

1) Mankind is rebellious and does not seek God.

2) Mankind's best acts of kindness do not count as payment, or serve as a counterbalance to our acts of evil.

They do NOT mean:

1) God frowns on, or is not pleased with, mankind's acts of love and goodness.

2) Mankind (apart from a life in relationship with Jesus) literally does no good.

Explain the "relationship with Jesus" aspect and how Christians believe this to be the qualifier here.

What is "good"?

Good, in the context of Romans, is speaking of a general way of living. Submission to, trust in, and love for, God. This verse in Romans is a hyperbolic way of saying that we don't seek God as a way of life. Clearly God does not mean that we do nothing good. If you save a drowning child, God does not label that as evil, or void of good.

Mankind has remnants of the character of God within them. God sees the good, praiseworthy things done by Christian and non-Christian alike and, I'm sure, He smiles at them. That said, our genuinely good deeds, are both exceedingly rare and inadequate.

Exceedingly Rare

Genuinely selfless good deeds are quite rare. I say this because the vast majority of deeds which appear good and selfless are still motivated, deep down, by selfishness. Or maybe it's just that way for me. Most people talk about how helping others gives them a "sense of well being" or makes them "feel good". That's not selfless... That said, genuinely good deeds ARE done by many people on a regular basis. People sacrifice their lives to save others, they give much with no thought of recognition, and more.

Inadequate

Good deeds, no matter how genuine, are completely inadequate to repay or counterbalance our evils. Even if you take our evils against other people out the picture, we have done far worse to God. This is true both logically, and otherwise. Jonathan Edwards, a Puritan preacher from long ago, argued that evils are more heinous if we are under greater obligation to the one against whom the evil is done. For example, we are under greater obligation to our parents than we are to an acquaintance, and so evil done against our parents is more, um, despicable. Since we owe God infinitely (He IS our creator afterall), then a single atrocity against Him is of infinite weightiness. (i.e. an infinite line with any width to it is far larger than the largest finite object). But, this is made much worse by the fact that our evils against God aren't even singular.

This is just one example to show our great (infinite) debt towards God, and I should think it obvious that we cannot repay that debt by doing a few acts of good. But, additionally damning is the fact that most of us do not do more good to others than we do harm. Our words, our inaction, our daily choices, inflict pain and suffering on others.

People are rebellious. Does the idea that we're rebels, and incapable of being "good enough", sound harsh?

God creates us, gifts us with our abilities, puts us on Earth with other people, desires that we maintain the Earth, love others, and live in peace... But what do I (and everyone else ever created) do? In varying ways and degrees, I deny His existence, use my abilities to further myself, squash others, abuse the earth, and create strife wherever I go.

I mean, people DO love good... just not when it challenges their freedoms, beliefs, or comfort.

So, all that to say mankind is rebellious, doesn't seek God, and our good deeds cannot earn God's forgiveness because our debt is infinite. HOWEVER, people still have echoes of God's design within them, and thus they love to do good, and that good is genuinely GOOD and pleasing to God, it's just not enough. People can do good apart from Jesus, they just can't use it as payment for their evils.

Do People Really Love Good?

I saw a recent ESPN poll which labeled Tim Tebow as America's favorite athlete, and I thought this odd. On one hand, sportswriters and athletes are constantly demeaning him, while on the other hand many people are fascinated and excited by him. While I suspect he got a large amount of votes simply for being outspoken about his faith, I also suspect he got votes because he's a nice guy. Everyone talks about how likable he is. How competitive. How hard working. It's a rarity in athletics and the world of celebrities.

This got me to thinking about how people view good. How they view the 'nice guy'.

I get the feeling that people don't generally like watching athletes, or performers, who think they're God's gift to the earth. People, again, generally speaking, seem to root for nice guys and underdogs... humble guys.. hard working guys. I haven't encountered too many people who are like "I love the way that guys points at his name on his jersey when he scores" or "I love how that guy struts after an interception" or "I love how that lady threatens her competition". No, generally people cheer for the nice guys/gals.

Maybe I'm way off, and maybe it's just me...but if I'm not, then this certainly seems like an odd tension.

Why? Well, the VAST majority of people seem almost completely incapable of sustaining acts of selflessness and humanity. I use celebrities and athletes as an example simply because they are at the pinnacle of wealth and power in our society, but I was struck recently by an article talking about the most charitable celebrities. I don't want to judge without having ALL of the details, but from what the article described, the most charitable celebrities seemed to give pretty minimally, and largely to causes unrelated to the suffering of the world. There are certainly exceptions, but they are just that....exceptions.

But this isn't just a problem among those with wealth, status, and power. It's a human problem which is simply more easily seen in those who are constantly in front of a camera.

Generally people don't like to see women and children abused, the weak oppressed and hurt, and property destroyed... but, when it benefits them, or when they feel threatened, most people are often completely willing to inflict this kind of pain and destruction. Need proof?

A simple example is seen in Stanford's 1971 Prison Experiment. The experiment was designed to test human nature by placing ordinary people in sudden positions of power or submission. Some were guards, and some were prisoners. It was intended to be two weeks in length, but was stopped after just six days because those overseeing the experiment found out that the guards were "were escalating their abuse of prisoners in the middle of the night when they thought no researchers were watching and the experiment was 'off.' Their boredom had driven them to ever more pornographic and degrading abuse of the prisoners." In fact, the guards were reportedly upset to find out the study was terminated prematurely.1

So, experience shows us that most all of us will, when given power, abuse it. We see it in politics, in the business world, in neighborhood associations, and in schools. If this is the case, then why do we ever cheer for the 'nice guy'? Why not be consistent and cheer for the one in power?

I mean, basically, it sounds to me like we want to see good done, and we even want to do good, but we are often incapable of sustaining, it. When it comes down to it, most of us value ourselves enough that while we love to see good done, we also put our needs and desires above everyone elses; even harming them in the process. Why?

I believe it comes down to our very nature. We all experience an assortment of insecurities, fears, pride (believing WE know the way things ought be done, or that we are deserving of more), and feelings that we are unlovable. These feelings drive us to prove to ourselves, and to those around us, that we are strong and valuable. Unfortunately, in our efforts to prove this we often end up hurting those around us, and thus putting them in the same situation in which we find ourselves (fear, insecurity, and unlove).

Mankind is a revolving door of pain infliction. We are either receiving, or dealing out, pain and insecurity 24/7.

So, people clearly desire good. This desire is seen in who we cheer for, what we approve of, and who we vote for. However, because of this selfish nature, people are largely incapable, or undesirous, of pursuing good with any amount of consistency.

So how do you overcome this?

Well, for the most part you don't. Sorry to be a killjoy, but if you believe that self-preservation is a necessary evil, then you're going to do, well, evil. This is why, philosophically speaking, you cannot live this worldview and still look down on those who do evil to benefit themselves. After all, they're only doing what they feel necessary in order to pacify their insecurities and fears. They genuinely believe they know the best way to get the job done, and they're doing it. Alternately, they can't react in disbelief if someone more powerful does the same to them. This is obviously a simplified view of things, and people will likely argue for a utopian society in which we all do good and thus live harmoniously, but it's not a reality. People don't behave this way. And if you know that others will cheat, hurt, and oppress you, then you're likely going to do it first as a form of self-protection.

However, as a Christian, you've got to know that I believe that there is a better way. I believe that God made the world to function in a harmonious relationship; mankind with God, and mankind with mankind.

The bulk of the above is basically a description of sin; our inability to trust God with our fears and insecurities, and our belief that we know best and can run our lives better without God. Our efforts to find love and significance apart from the one place it can truly be found (in God). Jesus answers this by His work on the cross. This work ensures that our evils are not held against us, and because of His extravagant love for us, we're able to live in peace and confidence. Christians, despite their behavior, have no reason for fear, pride, and insecurity. We are free to love the world without fear of consequence or loss of power.

Obviously this is the condensed (and potentially incoherent) version of something which could fill a book, but I don't feel like writing a book today.