BEING DIFFERENT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

I have voted. I believe it is my obligation to use the freedoms I still have to try to preserve those freedoms. It is my duty to vote my convictions, for the good of my family and the faith I firmly follow. If you have not participated in the political realm—do it while you can. It is easy to become indifferent thinking we can make no difference. We may hesitate to choose between the lesser of two evils. Yet, in a world cursed by sin, should this surprise us as our options?

My challenge is to maintain the balance of, “grace and truth,” like my dear Lord Jesus, (John 1:16). Paul put it, “speaking the truth in love,” (Eph. 4:15a). I confess that it is a tightrope we walk, and it is easy to fall off. Does it matter which side we fall off on—as either brings the same result. If I try to be gracious and loving, yet ignore that grace operates and love expresses itself through truth, then I am “nice,” but am salt without seasoning power and light hidden under a basket. Yet, if I club people with truth—failing to be gracious and loving—I may win an argument, but not win a soul!  Is not the purpose of salt to make things more palatable and the usefulness of light to dispel darkness? It is true the salt will sometimes sting and the light may hurt the eyes—yet, that is not the intention.

I will confess that I struggle with this balance. It is easy in this charged political climate, so polarized, to be anti-social on social media. The worst of it, is not that I struggle, but succumb at times to the flesh instead of the Spirit. I ask forgiveness of God and my fellow humans for times that I have been too soft and failed to speak truth courageously when I ought. I ask forgiveness of God and my fellow humans for times that I have been too harsh and failed to speak love graciously as I ought. Lately, the latter more than the former is the side of the tightrope from which I have fallen.

Yet, even when we are most like Jesus—gracious and truthful—the result may be what it was for Him. The world nailed Him to a cross. He told those who follow Him that we must take up our cross and follow Him. 

Here is a word from Scott Sauls:

If you are a Christian leader, boss, or influencer, a time may come when your faith is costly to you and also to those whom you lead and serve. A time may come when certain organizations are put out of business because faithful Christianity becomes incompatible with the dogma, moral vision, and laws of the land. A time may come when religious freedom gives way to religious persecution for those who stand firm in their commitment to be disciples of Jesus versus disciples of prevailing culture. Perhaps what was true of Christians in ancient Rome, and what is still true of Christians in other parts of the world today, will also someday become true of us—losing our livelihoods, our friends, our families, and even our own lives for Jesus’s sake. 

Even if these things do occur in our lifetimes, it should not come as a surprise to us because Jesus said that, in this world, we will have trouble and that people will hate his followers because of him. Jesus said that those who remain loyal to him will be persecuted and have false things said about them. He said that if we want to be his followers, we will have to deny ourselves daily, take up a cross, and follow him. The apostle Paul similarly said, “It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29). [From Weakness to Strength: 8 Vulnerabilities That Can Bring Out the Best in Your Leadership, pp. 110-111, Kindle edition]

Let us embrace the words of our Lord:

“ ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.’ ” (Matt.‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬-‭16‬‬).

What will the day after the election bring?  I have done what I can and encourage you to do likewise. Yet, I know God is sovereign and His will cannot be thwarted. The One who taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” wants us to believe that prayer will be answered—when Christ returns. 

Until then, let us be different to make a difference—refusing to compromise while embracing compassion. Lord Jesus, live out Your life through me, and speak truth and love through all your preachers. Amen!

FACING OUR FRUSTRATIONS

I would be the next Billy Graham. My first church was a small country church with mostly senior adults, but from that pulpit would proceed widely published sermons and multitudes would stream down the aisle to give their lives to Christ.  During that three years and six months, before I moved away from that congregation to an even smaller one, no film crews had come and I had not been invited to speak at the State Pastors’ Conference!  That is not to say there were not any visible ministry results, but there were not many.

You may chide me for my honesty. You may say—that is an egotistical approach to ministry. They say, “Confession is good for the soul.”  Yet, it can be bad for the reputation!  

The truth is that frustration in serving God is a fact we must face.  

The sermon you spent so much time on brings yawns instead of amens.  The service you offer is not celebrated, but criticized. You prayed for growth in the flock, both spiritually and numerically and the results have been people leaving because they say they are “not being fed.” Sunday morning’s anticipation is supplanted by Monday morning’s depression. 

I read about the author J. R. R. Tolkien facing his frustration that his dreams of being a celebrated author were not being attained. He expressed those feelings in writing a short story called, “Leaf by Niggle.” This helped me, and I pray it will encourage you.

 

Niggle spends his entire career attempting to create the mural about which he dreamed: a large, robust, colorful, and fruit-bearing tree that would inspire many. But in the end, the artist is only able to eke out a single leaf. After this, he dies. On the train to heaven, Niggle sees a vague yet familiar image in the distance. He asks the conductor to stop the train. He steps off the train and, as he approaches the object, discovers that it is a tree—his tree—complete and more lovely and fruitful than he ever hoped or imagined. And there, right in the middle of the tree, is his contribution—Niggle’s leaf for the whole world to see. 

It is then that Niggle realizes that his little leaf is a part of something grand, a part of a Greater Work by a Greater Artist for the enjoyment and flourishing of a Greater and Everlasting City. 

I’m told that Tolkien wrote “Leaf by Niggle” as a way of processing his feelings of anticlimax about another work that he had spent years of his life creating. He was convinced that this painstaking project would never be seen, enjoyed, or appreciated by anyone. 

The name of this presumably insignificant work was Lord of the Rings. 

Tolkien’s own story, and the short story that proceeded from it, compels us to again consider Paul and Isaiah. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul quoted the prophet Isaiah, saying, “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). 

[From Weakness to Strength: 8 Vulnerabilities That Can Bring Out the Best in Your Leadership, by Scott Sauls, pp. 103-104, Kindle edition]

Follow the Lord with faithfulness, even when you do not see fruitfulness. There is more than meets the eye, and only eternity will reveal fully how God was honored by your obedience though none in this world honored you. Some obscure preacher who served in some small places will be crowned and called to come to the front table and dine with the Master in glory!

It may be you.

FACING OUR INSECURITIES

 

It is quite the paradox—I preach about the grace and mercy of God and yet am often haunted by my sin. I glowingly speak of enjoying the presence of God from the pulpit, yet am fearful as a sinful man before a holy God as I lie in bed.  I quote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Phil. 4:13), while despairing that I am a total failure!  Can you identify?  

Scott Sauls can. Here is what he wrote in “From Weakness to Strength: 8 Vulnerabilities That Can Bring Out the Best in Your Leadership”:

For me, the presence of God is most palpable when the world is quiet. But the presence of God is not always comforting to me. Sometimes being in the presence of God, or just thinking about God in the middle of the night, is disorienting and disruptive. There are few things like the presence of God that remind me that I am not yet what I am meant to be; that I fall short of the mark; that I am more small than I am significant; that, one hundred years from now, my name will be forgotten by the weary world in which I now live. I will die, and the world will move on. Even in my own church, a hundred years from now, its members will have never heard of me. It is quite possible that not even my own great-great-grandchildren will know my name or care what I accomplished. 

Yes, my heart makes noise. My inner life is a paradox of comfort and accusation, inner rest and inner restlessness, enjoyment of God’s grace and despair at my own lack of grace, awareness of my completion in Christ and knowledge of feeling incomplete. Added to this, and related to my calling to lead, you’ll find a feeling of simultaneous momentum and failure. In the middle of the night especially, God is my refuge on one hand, and the darkness is my companion on the other. In the presence of God and in the quiet, most of my anxieties and worries and self-loathing and guilt rise to the surface. And, if I’m being honest, in the middle of the night, the words of Jesus often fail me. Or, more accurately said, my heart fails the words of Jesus: 

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28–30) 

For me, the yoke sometimes feels hard, and the burden sometimes feels heavy. And the single thing that comes between my heart and the easy yoke and the light burden … is me. (p. 80, Kindle edition).

Surely, this is akin to what Asaph experienced and expressed in Psalm 77.  Read it and reflect on it. He states, “My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled,” (vv. 2b-3a). 

But, the psalmist does not stop there. He remembers more.  He not only remembers his own worthlessness in light of God’s worthiness, but the Lord’s work and wonders on behalf of His people of old. “You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph,” (v. 15).

Has there ever been a people so unworthy of the grace of God as the children of Israel? Still, God miraculously brought them out of bondage. They were descendants of the scoundrel Jacob, and still God came to him by night as insecurity drove away sleep for fear of his brother Esau. Still Jacob fought against God!  But, God broke him and then blessed him!  Sauls highlights this in that chapter of his book. 

When you wrestle with God, it is a fight you cannot win. But, if we will confess we are “Jacob,” the rascal, and cling to the Lord as we surrender, He will cripple us, but then crown us as “Israel,” a prince with power with God. If God so loved Jacob, then surely He loves me! If God used that man, then surely He will use me.

THE EVIL OF ENVY

Scott Sauls in his book, “From Weakness to Strength: 8 Vulnerabilities That Can Bring Out the Best in Your Leadership,” focuses on the evil of envy in chapter 4. 

He quotes from Bertrand Russell:

“Envy consists in seeing things never in themselves, but only in their relations. If you desire glory, you may envy Napoleon, but Napoleon envied Caesar, Caesar envied Alexander, and Alexander, I daresay, envied Hercules, who never existed.”

Russell was an atheist! Yet, a broken clock is right twice a day!

Sauls’ Biblical basis for the chapter, most significantly, points to the attitude of King Saul to his servant David.  

“Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. So the women sang as they danced, and said: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.’ Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, ‘They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?’ So Saul eyed David from that day forward. And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the spear, for he said, ‘I will pin David to the wall!’ But David escaped his presence twice.” (1 Sam. ‭18‬:‭6‬-‭11‬‬).

Pastors are not immune from this prideful plague. We look at how God is blessing a church down the road. Our conclusion is that they must be compromising and creating a circus atmosphere. We may not literally hurl a spear, but we throw out a slander. 

A pastor can become so consumed by the evil of envy that it can be destructive of his soul, his family, and the very ministry he seeks to elevate—not to exalt God, but himself.

If such a spirit could seduce an incredible angel named Lucifer—who was not content to be all God made him to be, but rather to be as God, and thus become the Devil, we certainly face this prideful peril.

There are no heights we climb (or aspire to) from which we may not fall.  “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall,” (1 Cor. 10:12). Paul recognized the evil of envy, and submitted to God painfully placing a governor on the throttle of his soul, “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” (2 Cor.‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬‬). The thorn did the job, so much so that the Apostle would write from his prison cell:

“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” (Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬-‭18‬‬).

Here is the prescription for peace when the sickness of envy invades  the soul:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”…“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians‬ ‭4‬:6-7, ‭11‬-‭13‬‬).

May God protect and preserve us from the evil of envy. I am not strong enough to overcome it, but the Christ who indwells me will enable me, if I cry out to Him!

RECEIVING CRITICISM

I do not like criticism. 

Sometimes it comes from a conceited blowhard—a know-it-all who builds themselves up by tearing others down. Then, there are those compassionate friends whose desire is to help us, though they must hurt us in doing so. 

If the criticism is a poison pill, spit it out!  If it is real medicine, though bitter, swallow it!

James stated this principle, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭20‬‬).

BE SWIFT TO HEAR. Listen—really listen—to what the critic says. Even in the worst criticism—99% slander—the 1% may be true and thus, helpful. Indeed, 100% is sometimes accurate, and like a surgeon’s scalpel it cuts, but then cures, hurts and then heals, if we submit to the operation.  

BE SLOW TO SPEAK.  I struggle at times with listening—really listening—because I am already thinking of responding. Those initial responses may be improper ones, because I have not heard and reflected fully on what the critic was saying. We need to calm down, concentrate, and comprehend fully what is being said as we commit ourselves to correction where needed.

BE SLOW TO WRATH.  Emotions are powerful. Anger that simmers, steams up as rage, and explodes into wrath if we do not rely on the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭23‬‬).  A bulldog can whip a skunk, but is it worth it?

Put yourself in God’s hands by submitting to Him. He hears and will turn the criticism to good, while dealing with the critic as He sees fit. He can handle them without our help.

ON GUARD

“I would never…” (fill in the blank).  We hear of some scandal of a celebrity pastor—an abuse of power, an adulterous relationship, a theft of funds, and such.  Our reaction is to say, “I would never…”.  The one thing we must not do is say, “I would never…”!  David was a man who brought down a giant with a slingshot, yet was brought down himself by a woman he saw bathing.  David was the one who wrote so many psalms that show such an intimacy with God, and yet decided to cover up his sin by basically committing murder.  He is identified as, “a man after [God’s] own heart,” (1 Sam. 13:14), but surrendered his heart to lust.  If David could fall, so can I…and so can you.

Weigh these words: 

“Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed,” said the apostle, “lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:12–13).

Are you a leader who thinks you are not vulnerable? Are you like the person who looks at the acorn and thinks that such a little thing could never become an oak tree, or a forest, or a forest fire? The sin in our hearts is the acorn. It has the power, if not crushed, to germinate, to become a sprout … and then a tree … and then an entire forest. 

This is in part why Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, warned not only against adultery but against lust in the heart. This is also why he warned not only against murder but against a grudge in the heart. Every adulterous fling begins with a “harmless” thought or glance, and every murderous rampage begins with a seemingly insignificant grudge. 

Wherever our hearts are vulnerable, it is essential to crush the acorn before it becomes a sprout, to dig up the sprout before it grows into a tree, to chop down the tree before it becomes a forest, to plow the forest before it takes over more and more land. God said to Cain, “Sin is crouching at your door … You must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). Master the sin, Cain, lest the sin gain mastery over you. Crush the sin, Cain, lest the sin end up crushing you and those around you. 

As the wise Puritan John Owen said, “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” (From Weakness to Strength: 8 Vulnerabilities That Can Bring Out the Best in Your Leadrship, Scott Sauls, pp. 34-35, Kindle edition).

Let us humbly confess our weakness and cast ourselves upon the Lord for strength.  Let us go to the cross and ask God’s Spirit to crucify the flesh and enable us to walk in reliance on Him. Be on guard. 

IDOLATRY IN MINISTRY

Satan may attack us overtly, as a roaring lion seeking to devour us.  Peter warns us of that, (cf. 1 Pet. 5:8).  Yet, at other times, he comes as a serpent and assails us subtly.  He is so cunning, (cf. Gen. 3:1a). The devil will take something meant for good to be used for God’s glory and entice us to seeking our own glory.  It becomes a substitute for God—and that is idolatry.  There can be idolatry in ministry.  Scott Saul’s points this out in his book, “From Weakness to Strength: 8 Vulnerabilities That Can Bring Out the Best in Your Leadership.”  He warns:

If you find your happiness in yourself and your own achievements, you’re bound to be disappointed. Consider how often you’ve let yourself down, for one thing. For another—well, C. S. Lewis was onto something when he said:

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you will get neither.

I learned this the hard way when, for a season, I allowed ministry in a “notable” city among “notable” people to become an idol. I now see how foolish this thinking was. I see how right Francis Schaeffer was when he said that there are no little places and no little people. If Jesus would choose the small, obscure town of Bethlehem as his birthplace and the better-known (but only because of its bad reputation) town of Nazareth—“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46)—as his temporal home, and if he could choose to build his kingdom chiefly through people who were not wise or powerful or of noble birth (1 Corinthians 1:26), how dare I act or think or believe otherwise as I minister in his name! (p. 26, Kindle edition). 

May we never seek the spotlight, but strive to shine it upon the only One worthy—our great God and His Son, Jesus Christ!