A Welcomed Warning

I love how life can often seem to swing things from one end of the spectrum to the other. Quickly! My last set of posts were addressing the issue of convictions - not only praying over our own, but trusting the Holy Spirit to speak to other Christians in certain areas. And understanding that my convictions are not always going to be everyone else's. It's not supposed to be that way. (Why am I going off on this again?) Back to the reason for writing today. I'm seeing more and more evidence that there's a clear lack of understanding with some Christian's that there's a difference between a brother or sister in Christ confronting sin in your life (&) someone simply being judgmental. I have a few thoughts about this and would love to hear your input.

First off, scripture makes it clear that if we call ourselves Christ-followers - if we claim the Spirit of God is living within us - we have opened ourselves up to the confrontation of sin in our life. Obviously our first desire should be that our life be rid of sin (Romans 6, 1 John 3). Along with that, scripture not only exhorts us (Hebrews 10) to "admonish one another", it even gives us clear instruction on HOW to approach and confront each other when sin has taken root (see Matthew 18:15-18). What kills me is when I hear someone, after being confronted over sin in their life, say, "Who are you to judge me?" or "Didn't Jesus say we aren't supposed to judge each other?" What this shows is not someone who's been immersed in scripture and being led by the Spirit, desperate to know the heart of God on in their life, but someone who's living in sin, possibly apathetic in their faith, and defensive from being called on it. There's a HUGE difference!

Jesus speaks clearly when He tells us in Matthew 7 that "with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged". Understood. But admonishing and confronting a "Christ-follower" to stop walking in sin is not judgment: it's (supposed to be) a welcomed warning! And we're called to usher this warning to our brothers and sisters in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 5:12, Paul says, "For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?" In other words, when a person within the body of Christ is living in sin, the body of Christ is called to confront the sin. (Paul actually even goes further with it and tells the Corinthians that if there isn't repentance, "Purge the evil person from among you!") How's that for judgment?

Here's the thing: As a follower of Jesus Christ, if there is ever anything in my life that even resembles sin, I want to know about it. Because I want to purge it from my life and get as far away from it as I possibly can. I want to constantly have a heart like David in Psalm 139 as he cries, "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test my thoughts. See if there is ANYTHING offensive in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. And if my response to a brother (or brothers) in Christ coming to me in love (which takes a TON of courage, by the way!) to confront sin in my life is to defensively cry, "Who are you to judge me?", all this does is affirm it loud and clear. That's not humility and holiness talking. That's pride and apathy. That's sin.

Do you want biblical instruction, correction, and exhortation in your life? Do you welcome the warning? This is a question - as Christians - we have to answer.

Conviction Confusion

My last 2 posts have dealt with our convictions and how we express them. I feel I need to clarify that this is NOT commentary on whether or not we should preach the Gospel &/or speak words of truth to others. That is our calling as Christians. But it is also our calling to "speak the truth in love" and to trust that it is the Holy Spirit that actually does the work. Sharing our faith and imposing our convictions are 2 completely different subjects. In this post, I'm focusing on the latter.

We could grab one of a hundred different issues: gambling, what movies or TV shows we watch, the music we listen to, dancing, and on and on and on.... These issues (and countless others like them) are what we can label GRAY areas of scripture. The reason for this is because there is no "Black & White" rule in the Bible that says you can or cannot participate in these things. What scripture does teach is that we have been given the Holy Spirit to discern what God desires of us in these matters. And because I believe it is probably the most sensitive subject in this area, let's taking drinking as an example. 

There are 2 major Biblical principles regarding drinking:
1. Drinking is NOT a sin.
2. Drunkenness IS a sin.

That's it. That's what we have to go on. And as Christians, we are to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us in knowing whether or not we have been given the freedom to participate or the conviction to abstain and refrain. But because this is not a post on Drinking, I'm not going to go much deeper into that subject. What I do want to look at is Paul's directive to us about our convictions and how we live by and share those convictions with others. 

There are 2 people in this world that will be subjected to your life and convictions: Christians and others (or "the lost", as we all them). It's important to understand that the idea of imposing our "convictions" - Spirit-led beliefs - on someone who isn't even filled with the Spirit is ridiculous. If someone is not even aware of their sinfulness, they're not going to see it as sin. And your convictions aren't going to get them there either. The message of Jesus Christ and the power of the Word and Spirit of God - the Gospel - are the ONLY thing that bring "many sons to glory"! But back to those 2 types of people, the others are Christians. And in Romans 14, Paul puts it this way: "As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand." To further expound, the NLT translates that last verse as, "The Lord's power will help them do as they should." Think about this for a moment: Often, when we impose our convictions on other Christians, it's because we don't trust them to make the right decision. If we're being honest, we think, "There's no way they've prayed about this!" And we might be right. But if Paul's statement is true - that the Lord is able to make each of His followers stand - that it's the Lord's power that causes us to do as we should - isn't it in all actuality that our imposition is exposing that we don't fully trust God? Isn't it that we really, in this person's case, just don't think He can handle bringing conviction into their life as He's done in ours? 

So again, let me make sure a few things aren't misconstrued:

• If you're under 21 years old and drinking, you're in sin. (See Romans 13)
• If you're providing someone under 21 with the opportunity/ability to drink, you're in sin. (Read Romans 13 with group 1)
• If you're using your so-called "freedom to drink" to get drunk, I will go out on a limb and tell you that I don't believe for a second you've prayed about this conviction. You're just living how you choose to live. There are consequences! (See the whole Bible)

But, if you and I wind up at the place where we believe that everyone should hold the same convictions about every issue that we do...the bottom line is...we aren't trusting God. His Kingdom doesn't look like this.

Agree? Disagree?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

HOW Overpowers WHAT

In my last post I talked about the danger of our own convictions becoming a "hill to die on" - becoming our "cause" - which in turn leads us to believing that everyone else should share our convictions. Romans 13 says there is danger in this. If you missed it, read that post first: When Our Conviction Becomes Our Cause

Yesterday I talked about my neighbor's posted front-door protest: WE DO NOT OBSERVE HALLOWEEN! Which was followed by an explanation of why you shouldn't either. Some things just rile us up, don't they. We go from sensing that something is not quite right for us (or for our family) to believing it is our mission in life to convince the whole world that our conviction is most certainly what God intended for the whole of humanity. And sadly, we don't know how we even arrive at that place. We just wind up there. On a corner with a poster. In a free speech area with a bullhorn. Posting a sign of protest to our front door. And as I said in my last post, our motive and intent is nowhere near being rooted or grounded in hate. But - whether we intended it or not - that's how it's coming across. And this is why we have got to begin realizing that if HOW overpowers WHAT, our message will never be heard.

99% of the time a politician gets publicly angry...and it shows...I stop listening.
When I discipline my children in anger, I wind up hurting them more than helping them.
When we post signs of protest, 99.9% of the time...NO ONE reads them!

And when we attempt to communicate the love of Christ to the world through judgment rather than love, our message is never heard. More important, HIS message is never heard! Remember that Jesus himself said, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:17) Trying to communicate a message of LOVE in a spirit of ANGER makes no sense. ZERO! Yet, people do it every day. We stop paying attention to HOW we're speaking, walking, communicating, acting, living...not realizing that the most important WHAT in the history of the world - the love and redemption of God through His Son, Jesus Christ - is being buried, covered, and smothered. Lost in translation.

And all of this hinges on another vital question: WHO are we trying to communicate with? If we're hoping our message reaches the eyes and ears of the lost, what is the message going to communicate to them? More on that later....)

Have you seen HOW overpower WHAT?
Have you been guilty of this in your own life? (I know I have.)
What steps can we take to walk and live in intentionality to share the love of God and the message and hope of Christ with others?

When Our CONVICTION Becomes Our CAUSE

Not many people thoroughly read and study Romans 14. I don't know this because I walk around asking or surveying; I believe this with great certainty based on the evidence I see in many of our lives - and moreover, our attitudes and reactions to other people's lives, habits, and convictions. I also strongly believe this because of the tendency with many to believe that their convictions should be everybody else's. And as this happens, our conviction turns into our cause. We move from personal (private) conviction to open (public) soapbox. And sadly, what is most likely our motive - defending what we think is right - becomes not only clouded and muddied, but invisible and completely lost in translation. Let me give you an example.

Last night Morgan and Libby went "Trick or Treating". (Already, someone has read this and winced.) In our neighborhood, they approached a house where the lights were on, the family was in the yard having a good time, but there was an enormous sign on the door that read: WE DO NOT OBSERVE HALLOWEEN! (followed by a descriptive explanation of WHY you shouldn't either.) My wife watched as a few very young kids approached and said, "Trick or Treat!", only to hear one of the family members mumble under their breath, "Can't you read?!" My first thought upon hearing this story was, "NO. They CAN'T read! They are 6 year olds!" But what's more painful in this story is the stark realization that I don't believe for one second that my neighbors' desire in all of this was to communicate hate or anger. But that's exactly what was coming across. And the plain and simple reason why this happened: Their conviction had become their cause!

Please hear me: I'm not saying that there aren't some things in this world we aren't supposed to speak out against. Standing up and saying that abortion is wrong - yes. Defending the orphan and the widow from oppression and hunger - absolutely. Doing everything in our power to eliminate slavery and human trafficking - without a doubt! But the lines begin to blur when our personal conviction over whether or not to dress up like a Power Ranger and roam the neighborhood in pursuit of sugar (or) to lock our doors, turn off our lights, and pretend we're not home becomes our mission in life. When we start thinking that everyone else needs to care about the environment as much as we do or that everyone else should give to the humane society or that every living breathing human being owes it to the world to protest gambling, prohibit the sale of guns and alcohol, or to publicly renounce Halloween, our conviction is no longer our conviction - it's our cause. And when we MAKE our conviction our cause, we begin to believe that it should be everyone else's conviction. And there is grave danger in this!

"Those who think it is alright to eat anything must not look down on those who won't. And those who won't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do. For God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn God's servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let Him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord's power will help them do as they should." (Romans 14:3-4) 

I've wrestled and struggled with this before myself. Have you?
Has your conviction become your cause?

More to come....

Bringing Home Our Little Brother

When Morgan and I began to sense the Lord was calling us to open our hearts up to adopting, there were countless questions and concerns that flooded our hearts: Adopt from where? Where do we begin? How will we pay for this? That's just a sample. But the one question that loomed over us and that we constantly prayed about was plain and simple: How will Libby and Nathan respond to the idea of having another brother? While I don't want you to think for a second that there haven't been questions (and even concerns) raised by both of our kids (who are 9 and 7, by the way), we have been blown away by the evidence that the Lord was preparing their hearts just as He was preparing ours. He's like that, you see. Faithful. And today I want to share with you the vision and plan that my daughter Libby has for bringing a little brother she's never even met home.

Clean Hands * Pure Hearts Hand Sanitizer
Made with all natural products (right in our dining room), coming in 3 scents (Vanilla Pomegranate, Green Tea & Cucumber, and Tangerine), and sold for a suggested donation of $5 a bottle, every penny will go to fund our adoption and to raise awareness of the thousands of children right here at home in the US who are waiting to be united with their family.

Here's Libby to share with you a little bit more about her plan & product:
Clean Hands * Pure Heart Promo

Here's our Facebook Page: Clean Hands * Pure Hearts

Here's how YOU can help us:
- Go to our Facebook Page & hit the LIKE button
- Share our story with anyone and everyone you know
- Pray for our family - that in the Lord's timing and in His ways He will lead us in all of this and we will ultimately be united with that little boy He desires to be part of our family!

Details coming soon on WHERE & HOW you can purchase & promote Clean Hands * Pure Hearts. Stay tuned.....

Dealing With Discouragement

What do you do with discouragement?

I guess you have several options. Like the most commonly chosen coping method: pretending that "Everything's fine". We tell ourselves to just not think about it and - for heaven's sake - don't let anyone else know that we're feeling beaten down and weary. Of course there's also the classic "If my day (week...month...) is going to suck, then your's is going to suck, too!" mentality. There's the tendency from some to evidently believe that their misery really does need some company. LOTS of company! We all handle it differently. There's no right-or-wrong textbook blueprint: What To Do When You're Discouraged. [If there is, please pass it along!] That said, I see God's Word give us some very clear instruction and encouragement of how we're to handle times like this - and some evidence as to why we wind up feeling the way we do when discouragement appears to be eating away at our soul. So here are a few words I've reminded myself of today (as I've felt this way for a few days) that might encourage you as well:

We aren't created to face it ALONE.
In Galatians 6:2, the Apostle Paul says, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (ESV) The NLT puts it this way: "Share each other's troubles and problems...." Again, even though you don't want to "bother anyone else with your problems", that's exactly what you're supposed to do! We are called to carry the weight with each other. To pray for each other. To listen. Don't think you can lock it away. Discouragement knows how to pick the lock! [For more, see Romans 12:6-21]

We aren't created to face it FOREVER.
No matter how heavy or hard it's weighing on you, and no matter how longs it feels you've endured it, it will NOT go on forever! 2 Corinthians 4 tells us that we may feel beaten down, but we won't be destroyed, and that while we may be afflicted, we will not be crushed. And Paul says that our "light and momentary are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." The LIGHT will overcome the darkness. It will! Hold on to Him and trust. 

If you're discouraged, reach out. Don't even try to walk it alone.
If you're discouraged, hold on. God is faithful.

"David said to Solomon his son, 'Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be discouraged, for the Lord God...is with you!" 1 Chronicles 28:20

Grateful

Tomorrow will mark 2 weeks since my shoulder surgery. Spending these last 13 days trying to learn to do most everything one-handed and with one arm has caused me to do some serious reflecting. It's helped me to be extremely grateful for some things I normally take for granted - some of which I didn't even begin to consider to be as important as I do now. I wanted to share with you some of these things that I now have a heightened sense of appreciation and gratitude for. And hear what might be on your list that isn't on mine. Today, I am with enormous anticipation looking forward to (and grateful for) once again being able to:

• Tying my own shoes
• Lifting weights, running, stretching, and seriously exercising
• Wrestling, throwing the baseball, shooting baskets, and countless other things I do with my son
• Driving my car and shifting gears
• Giving my daughter big bear hugs
• Putting on my own shirt without wincing
• Brushing my teeth with my right hand
• Enthusiastically shaking hands with someone (I like enthusiasm!)

This is a snapshot of some of the things I now believe to be much more precious than I realized them to be beforehand. I am grateful for these things. And I'm looking forward to doing them again very soon. VERY, VERY SOON!

What about you?

What are you grateful for today?