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Joe Wherry stopped
editing here on approx. 8/89
CHAPTER SIX
“Life is lived in the vast
complexity of the gray.” — Thomas Merton
CHAPTER SEVEN
“He put his hand upon
my shoulder and told me that in the world were two kinds of people, those
who wish and those who will, and the world and its goods will always
belong to those who will.” — The Warrior’s Path by Louis L’Amour
One day while working as a university chaplain, I spent a great deal time
trying to help a young lady work past her despair. She had been a student
of veterinary science at the University of Nairobi, but dropped out. Her
cousin, who brought her to me, said she had suicidal tendencies caused by
a breakup with her boy friend.
This, however, was not her real problem — it was much deeper.
After establishing a rapport, I made several unobtrusive probes. After
satisfying myself that she most probably would not end her life I gave her
an assignment. I handed the her a small note book in which I had listed
the following instructions:
1. Memorize and repeat Romans 8:28 at least 5 times a day.
2. Establish but limit your daily devotions to twice a day, maximum of 15
minutes each.
3. List the 10 things that hurt you the most, and the 10 things which give
you the most comfort; and
4. Write an unedited autobiography on the remaining pages.
My experience as a pastor and chaplain taught me that people need to
establish new thought patterns. They need to be reprogrammed. Therefore,
Scripture memorization plays a large role in my recommendations.
Second, most emotionally disturbed people don't pray well. They spend too
much time on petitions and introspective guilt trips; in short, on their
hurts. They need, instead, to worship. So, I encourage them to worship.
For I find that if a person does not worship well, they cannot become
well.
Third, most Christians mask their hurts; so I encourage them to identify
these hurts. I also ask them to identify those experiences which have
given them the most comfort. Surprisingly, a large number of hurting
people mask their real hurts by retreating into a comfort zone. So, we
take a close look at their comfort zones.
This serves two purposes. Primarily, it serves to identify their hurts.
And, secondly, it serves to see if their most cherished comfort zones are
there to shield them from their real problems. For example, this young
lady enjoyed the ecstasy of listening to her boy friend tell her how
physically attractive she was.
She knew that he was not sincere and was using this as a way of getting
her to become romantically involved with him sexually. Basically, she
wanted to be something she knew she was not, to pretend that he was
sincere in his affection for her. Later, after several sessions of meeting
with her, we came to the conclusion that he was giving her compliments
that her father never gave. She had always been the ugly duckling in the
family. Now that she had found someone who was willing to tell her
otherwiswe, she became a victim.
Finally, I always encourage those that are hurting to express themselves
in an unedited autobiography. I find this is the best way to get to know
them. Also, I have found that most people don't really know themselves,
and a good cathartic experience, like writing the biography, helps.
Well, I don't want to take too much of your time in detailing why I
counsel as I do, but basic to my theory of counseling is the belief that
you and I are created in the image of God, and that a remnant of that
image is still present. Further, I believe that we will never be
psychologically and spiritually well until His image is reconstructed in
us.
So, good spiritual advice encourages those that are hurting and in despair
to allow God to help them reconstruct that image of Him in themselves.
CHAPTER EIGHT
If you cain't
bear no crosses, you cain't wear no crown.
African-American
Spiritual
To be honest, the first five
years of my forties have not been the most gratifying. One of my
colleagues, a psychologist, has shrugged this personal evaluation off as a
phase we men struggle through a kind of male menopause. Now, before we
venture too far into this chapter, I want to assure you that I don't
usually dwell in negativisms, neither have I ever been under psychiatric
or psychological treatment, but I do want to be honest. I have had my
"black dog days", as Winston Churchill called them. We all have.
Also, let me lay further
foundation to the subject at hand by confessing that, much to the
detriment of the success image that popular Christianity demands these
days, I have always tried to be transparent and share my personal feelings
of triumph and tragedy equally in conversation with my Christian friends;
which in the following anecdote are Wayne and Sylvia Turner, missionaries
to Zaire, the old Belgian Congo.
During the span of one of
these periods of personal defeat probably more imagined than really said,
"Wayne, the thing that really disturbs me is that it really seems that
I've been on a slow downhill skid since my career peaked at age 27, when I
was administrator of a large hospital. "Now, look at me," I said, "I'm
assigned to Kenya with no real clear cut job description. I'm just kind
of a floater with a Ph.D., which, incidentally, no one appreciates".
Wayne (bless him) did his best
to console me, but, unfortunately, he was somewhat in the doldrums, also.
The results of which was that we were really having a "pity party".
Fortunately, however there were only two guests, Wayne and I. Sylvia and
Bonnie, my wife, were there but had refused to join in with us.
Finally Sylvia got a far off
look in her eyes and then quietly interjected, "Maybe what you guys need
is trust. I've been listening, and it sounds as though you feel that God
has forgotten you and your careers. Perhaps, that's not it at all.
Perhaps, He is just trying to teach you the real meaning of trust." That
was all she said, but the truth burned itself into my heart that day.
You see, dear reader, an
attitude of trust is exactly the lesson which the ultimate tragedy, the
cross, teaches us.
Concentrate for a moment on
what I have just written. Most of us subconsciously refuse to accept the
cross in this light. This, incidentally, is not just a Christian
characteristic. The Muslim, for instance, cannot accept that a just God
would allow an innocent and morally perfect individual like Christ to die
unjustly. Judas, most likely, they say, actually died on the cross God
tricked the spectators into believing that it was Jesus, they believe.
But never Jesus!
Yet, sound evangelical
theology insists that it was just that He did die unjustly and forsaken.
He was abandoned... temporarily. Yet, He trusted in the midst of
personal tragedy.” My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" He cried, in
real human desperation. It was at this weakest moment, however, that He
demonstrated His greatest spiritual strength He trusted. Those two,
almost insignificant possessive pronouns, spell the difference between
Christ dying as just another great ethicist, or the Son of God, worthy of
emulation.
You see, it is when it seems
as if heaven has become brass and God has turned His back on us that our
greatest test comes, too. And the real strength of our spiritual
character is manifested when we also can say, "My God, My God", in spite
of all the circumstances, in spite of a career that is floundering. In
spite of all adversities, I still trust!
And, Oh, think of the benefits
of these experiences. They build character, real Christ like character.
Such experiences leave us both
dependent and independent. We are dependent in that we acknowledge God as
our sustaining strength, and yet independent in that we must pull upon our
deepest spiritual resources in order to survive spiritually.
It is only in allowing this
dilemma that God's real purpose is shown that is to make us into that
perfect image, the image of His son.
Never, dear colleague, ever
enter a hospital room when some helpless brother or sister is dying of a
painful cancer and point an accusing finger at God and call Him unjust.
It is only in these valleys that we are made fit for the mountaintops.
And, it is only through these valleys that we are made into Christ's image
and thus worthy of that final mountaintop, where we shall find rest
forevermore.
CHAPTER NINE
Sincerity stands out as the
greatest virtue a man can possess, in my opinion. Yet, I suppose, it is
one of the most misused and overworked words in the English language.
Almost every letter ends with "Sincerely yours," even those from the most
hardened criminal. It is not hard, however, to sense it once you are
around a sincere person for a short while, and, isn't it refreshing to be
around someone whose primary motivation is triggered by sincerity?
Sincerity, if you stop and
think of it for very long, is really the basic ingredient in wisdom.
Every wise man is sincere. Fools can be shrewd, but we can hardly call
them wise.
With this in mind, consider
the following quote which I jotted down on the back of a bulletin from the
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Costa Mesa, California. It was taken
from a rather informal talk given by the Reverend Harold Bredesen, the
noted Lutheran charismatic leader. He said, "The manger was not God's
best PR job. But, this did not deter the wise men, because they were wise
men; it only prevented the Herods from recognizing Him as King."
Jesus' use of parables, he
said, was to offer the Kingdom to those who already had the facilities for
clear spiritual perception in a word, sincerity. There is a story taken
from African folk wisdom which I believe best expresses why I believe
Jesus used parables. There were, it seems, two brothers who lived in
typical African fashion in their ancestral compound with their aged
father, each of the three males had separate dwellings with the father's
wives, including their mothers, and the small children living in a single
room house in the center between the three men, whose dwellings sat on the
three extremes of an imaginary triangle. The elder brother was an
undisciplined rascal. However, the younger was just the opposite. One
day the father went to the neighboring village and secured a bride for the
elder son. She came to live in the big hut with the women and children,
since she was still young, and was taught how to cook and care for the
family. She was especially skilled, as it turned out, at preparing the
dainty dishes that the men so relished. In short, she was a real
princess, a jewel of a find. She was also a very find Christian, as was
the rest of the family, with the exception of the elder brother. The old
man grew to love her as a daughter, but inwardly he feared for her welfare
once she was married to his elder son.
One day it was quite obvious
that the young lady had developed in every into a mature woman, ready for
marriage. So, one very dark night during a heavy rainstorm, the old man
went to the women's hut and led the girl out into the open compound
between the two brother's places. First he walked over to the elder
brother's door and said very loudly, "Son, I have a little thing here.
Please help me, I am afraid that it will get water in its ear and drown."
After several attempts to arouse the son, finally the son shouted, "Old
man, leave me be, I've been up late and I just got to sleep. How
disgusting of you, anyway, you know how I hate goats. You take the filthy
thing and put it in the pen yourself." Then after shouting a few more
unkind and abusive words, he fell off to sleep. The old man then stood
outside the younger brother's door and said loudly, "Young man, I have a
little thing here. Please help me, I am afraid that it will get water in
its ear and drown." The instant the younger son heard the voice of his
father, he leaped from his bed, pulling his garment around him, and ran
weeping into the dark compound, "Father," he cried, "Why have you come out
in a storm like this. Please go back into your room and when I am
finished, I shall come and dry you." Suddenly, as the young man stood
groping in the darkness, he felt something warm and soft, gently pushed
into his arms. With that, he let out a shout of glee.
Sincerity had won the prize.
Jesus understood this
principle and He, too, used language to separate the pure of heart from
those whose interests were selfishly motivated. That is why He used the
parable. This was not unfair, either. Remember that both the sincere and
the insincere did not originally understand the moral. The explanation
was given later to sincere ones who sought Him out.
You see, there are really only
two people that an insincere person cannot fool. One is the person,
himself; the other is Christ. And, we who are being made into the image
of our Savior, can never afford for a second to let insincerity slip in.
It's the beginning of hypocrisy.
People generally sense it,
too. It is one of the hardest traits not to non-verbally communicate.
Nothing will damage the image of a pastor, or a Christian lay person more
than insincerity. Avoid it at all cost. It is unacceptable.
Insincerity, which is closely
aligned with lack of integrity would say, they are the same because both
do deep psychic damage. Dr. John Drakeford, a Christian psychologist and
former professor of mine at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has
developed a complete program of therapy based on just this observation.
He calls it "Integrity Therapy." It is based entirely on the principle
that we were made in the image of God and any dishonesty within us causes
deep psychic wounds. Guilt, he feels, is a proper mechanism which
operates positively to warn us that there is something fundamentally wrong
with us. We are not living up to God's intention for us. He has built us
to operate honestly, sincerely, and with internal, as well as external,
integrity. When we fall short of His intention we suffer psychologically,
too.
So you must understand, dear
reader, if you do not already, that God has so structured the entire
universe, including the master piece of His creation, mankind, to function
harmoniously only through the principle of integrity. Nature will not
permit anything less. It's law of physics as well as of psychology.
Neither realm will function smoothly, either, unless one respects this
rule. Cheating is not just poor choice it is also unwise.
Integrity, which is
inextricably wedded to sincerity, psychologists have found is a basic
ingredient in the formation and maintenance of a strong self-image. After
all, how can one believe in himself, or inspire others to believe in him,
if his self-image is marred with dishonesty? Now, I know that it can be
questioned as to whether or not being strong willed and having a strong
self image are synonymous. No, a dishonest, but strong will thief, or
politician, or for that matter, a shady religious charlatan, might fool
others, but he can never convince himself that shrewdness and
deceitfulness will not someday backfire. Thus, he feels constantly
threatened and suspicious, the results being that his self-image is
continually in jeopardy.
There are better
illustrations, but the following will demonstrate what I am driving at, I
hope.
In a recent ad campaign, the
Tobacco Institute, has been crusading for the virtues of the tobacco
industry. According to an article tucked away in the back pages of
Reader's Digest, which in turn quotes Newsweek magazine,
Tobacco means
$1,193,000,000 to Virginia,"
trumpeted one ad .
"Virginia tobacco
helps pave Virginia roads and support Virginia social programs. Tobacco
means 90,000 Virginia jobs."
The message was repeated with
appropriate dollar figures in six other tobacco states.
The Reader's Digest article
points out, unfortunately, however, that while Virginia is collecting its
#1.2 billion in tobacco revenue that, according to the American Cancer
Society, 2900 of Virginia's citizens will contract lung cancer, in
addition to which thousands of others will become afflicted with diseases
"strongly associated with smoking. And the U. S. Surgeon General
estimates the direct dollar costs of treating smoking related illnesses
nationally at more than $13 billion a year, not to mention another $25
billion in lost wages and productivity." (Reader's Digest, Sept.
1982, p. l4O).
The point, just in case we
have lost it somewhere in the illustration, was that statistics can be
manipulated, and that improper motives always result in dire
consequences. Any liar has a poor self-image. Why? Because, the
foundational image stamped on every individual, the image of God, has been
marred, but it can never be erased. Imagine an ad writer, unless he is
extremely callused or just plain dumb, returning home after he has just
written a pro tobacco campaign, sweeping his gleeful child, who has run
out to meet him, into his arms, without feeling a tinge of remorse.,
knowing that the same ad campaign may convince another father that smoking
is the thing to do, but who will, unfortunately, die later of lung cancer.
Dishonesty, the flip side of
integrity, can never be tolerated by the sincere. The never justifies the
means because in God's universe the end and the means have the same goal.
That is, spiritually making us into the image of His Son.
There are no short cuts, or
middle ground.
CHAPTER TEN
Solomon was not the wisest man
that ever lived. That unique distinction belongs to Christ. He sets the
standard for even the Solomons among us. Wisdom is not, however, the sole
property of just the Solomons, it is within the domain of all.
Dr. Alfred Cawston, my father
in law, was a missionary for several years in India. Some of my fondest
memories are of stories he always refers to as "The Wisdom of the East".
One in particular always ignites my imagination, and I might add,
reinforces my appreciation for my Hindu friends. Here's the story:
Once a Hindu father died
leaving in his estate a factory and a cat that was to be divided equally
among four brothers. Naturally, the brothers began arguing over who was
to keep the cat. No compromise seemed to work until one day the eldest
suggested that each brother be allowed to claim one leg, each which they
could pamper and dress any way they wished. One of the brothers loved
pink so he tied a pink ribbon on the leg which belonged to him. Another
one loved red, so he combed the hair on the cat’s leg that belonged to him
and painted the toenails red. Each of the remaining also decorated their
leg as they wished. The scheme seemed perfect. Everyone was happy over
the arrangement. One day, however, the cat injured the leg which belonged
to the youngest brother. So, using Indian folk medicine, he wrapped the
leg with a rag soaked in kerosene. The creature, however, nestled too
close to the fireplace one cold evening and caught the leg on fire. In
his panic he ran through the factory which caught on fire and burned to
the ground.
Naturally, the other brothers
were incensed. They took the youngest to court and charged him with the
destruction, because it was the cat's leg which belonged to him which set
the fire. The wise old Indian judge, after carefully weighing the
evidence and arguments, decided against the three older brothers. It was
his decision that they must pay compensation to the youngest, because,
"After all," he reasoned, "It was the three good legs which carried the
flame through the factory. Had it not been for them the cat could not
have run through the factory in the first place."
Such is the wisdom of the
East. And, it is hard to argue with this type of wisdom, as any
missionary who has ever lived among them can testify. It is not this type
of culturally tainted wisdom that I wish to criticize my non-Christian
friends for, however, in this chapter. It is with the higher wisdom —
religious wisdom, that I can find fault.
This higher wisdom, I believe,
is the sole property of one religion, the religion of the Christian. I am
fully aware also that such inflammatory prejudices raises the ire of the
more liberal minded, as well as the devout non-Christian. But I had just
as well admit it, I am biased. My exclusiveness is, however, not without
proper reason.
Wisdom on this higher plane is
for the most part an act of obedience, and as I have shown previously,
trust. Although, even trust, I believe, has its roots in obedience to a
promise of something to come. I am sorry that I do not have space to
develop this though further, as it will distract from my present line of
reasoning, but, perhaps, you can reflect on it at the end of this chapter,
and I am sure you will agree then, if you have not already done so. Now,
back to my statement that "wisdom on this higher plane is for the most
part an act of obedience...". Christ recognized this when in the Garden
of Gethsemane, with great effort He prayed, "Father not my will, but thine...".
Thus, very quickly we are able to surmise that this higher wisdom was an
act primarily based not on a preponderance of knowledge, but on the will.
His knowledge was limited, as he prayed later, "My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me?" Thus wisdom was stranded with sheer personal will power
and commitment alone. For, in the final analysis God had not forsaken
Him. Yet, humanly speaking, He felt so; however, He still acknowledged
Him as His God.
In contrast to the commitment
of Christ, most of us can very easily identify with Beverly, a dear friend
of ours, who was recently picked up by her husband, John, in their family
car in which my wife and I were passengers. After a cheerful but brief
greeting, it was obvious that she was frustrated. So, I remarked, "What's
the matter, Bev, something got the best of you?" "No, not really Jim," she
replied, "it's just that I have been praying all day for God's will, but
my way." We all laughed, but the truth of her casual answer sparked a
lively conversation. In the conclusion of which we all agreed that it is
far better that we be on God's side than He on ours. For, you see, there
is really only one side — His; ours, if in opposition, is just a
temporary victory, anyway. He will always have the final word. Further,
Beverly's problem was just a macrocosm of Christ's dilemma — the human
vs. the divine. Wisdom, in both cases, rested squarely on willful
obedience. And the wise prays as Christ prayed, "Nevertheless, Father,
not my will, but thine be done."
Thus far, we have been
considering the obvious position for the Christian, that is, to willingly
and obediently trust God. What does one do, however, when ignorance
prevails, as for instance, when one does not know the Christian's God?
Then one acts out of ignorance — wisdom is impossible. In either case,
though, a moral choice is made and the consequences of this choice will
ensue.
Consider in the light of what
I have just written, the cardinal vices. Murder, whether committed by a
heathen or a Christian, is still murder; rape is still rape; a lie is
still a falsehood; and so on. And, the act is still wrong, whether
perpetrated by a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian, or an African Bushman.
Why? Because God, the Omnipotent, the Eternal I Am, decrees it so. And,
to maintain an orderly universe, justice must ultimately reign before
mercy. That is why. Although, he can't prove it, the Christian believes
in the Final Judgment. Such wisdom rests on faith, and faith in the final
analysis, according to orthodox theology, depends on the blending of our
will and His. Yet, the initiative is exclusively His.
Why do I say this? Precisely
because Omniscience who was also our Creator, has predetermined that we
free agents, who have the capacity to respond correctly, may not respond
until He reveals Himself. This Divine initiative we call grace, but grace
is rendered powerless without personal cooperation. Again, an act of the
will, cooperation, is transferred into wisdom in action. Thus, it should
be plain by now that the will and wisdom are inseparable. Therefore, it
is safe to say that wisdom is a facet of our will and that higher wisdom,
to which I referred to earlier, is when God's will and ours harmonize.
Please, don't conclude for a
moment that I am just performing philosophical gymnastics, when I write
like this. God forbid. No, more than semantics is involved. Eternal
souls are in jeopardy. For, unless we, like Christ, submit our wills
unreservedly to God, we are fools, and wisdom is impossible.
All men, including the
educated intellectual as well as an ignoramus, must place his will under
the umbrella of God's will. As a professional intellectual, a college
professor, I, myself at times, too, must lay intellect — which is
basically an opinion, after all, and thus a commitment of the will — at
the Cross, and say, "Not my will (my opinion) but Thine, O Lord." Private
opinion must always be sacrificed on the altar of His will.
I wish to conclude this
chapter at this point, but not before I explain why I have been so careful
to work my way through this philosophical maze, and have not been more
particular about making this section less demanding on the thought
processes. I know that for some this has been a very hard section of
mental turf to struggle across. The reason is, we have been penetrating
to the very core of reality, the will: His and ours. There is nothing in
the universe more fundamental. It is (to us a fancy philosophical term)
the ontology of the universe — that is, the very ground of all that is,
its very being. For reason dictates that if the will of God did not
sustain all that is, then all that is, would cease.
Therefore, wisdom always
decides in favor of God and what God has spoken. His Word is final;
therefore, in wisdom, I choose to obey.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Now thanks be unto God Who
always leads us forth to triumph with the Anointed One, and Who diffuses
by us the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place.” —
(2 Cor. 2:14. Literal translation
from Streams in the Desert)
One of my favorite Scriptures
is "...we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." (Romans
8:37 KJV) yet, I must admit that I don't always act like a conqueror.
Most of the time, I am content to cope, instead of conquer. There is a
difference. When we cope, we primarily tolerate. When we conquer, we
change things. When we cope, we are primarily passive. When we conquer,
we are active. We are pawns when we cope; but, when we conquer we claim
our Kingship, and act accordingly.
A story is told of an African
prince who was captured and sold into slavery. One day a new slave master
was employed to work the plantation and upon observing the young African
at work, asked one standing by, "What makes that black hold his arrogant
head so high?" The reply came, "He ain't arrogant, he's proud. He's a
prince." That anonymous slave wasn't coping, he had conquered. This must
have been the thought Paul was trying to convey when he wrote, "...we are
more than conquerors through Him that loved us."
In the Kingdom of Christ, one
conquers his spirit first; therefore, he is never a slave to his
surroundings.
Jesus knew and taught this
when He said, "The Kingdom is within you." Why is it then that we spend so
much time and precious energy on circumstances. Take for instance our
careers. Why is it that we spend so much time planning and plotting
instead of praying? Primarily, I believe, because we are satisfied with
coping instead of conquering the Kingdom way. We are contented to opt for
the cop-out, instead of conquering.
Kingdom rule is established
first within, then without. This is a spiritual principle. It is a fact
that if we conquer the internal (our spirit, soul, will and mind), then
the externals (our circumstances) will appear less threatening. This is
not to say that there will be no setbacks, there will be. But, in each
crisis there will be calm because Christ is present.
Lest, however, we over
emphasize the negative, it should be equally emphasized that life is not
just one crisis after another, generally speaking. Even in the most dire
circumstances there are bright spots. And, if we are not careful our
greatest temptation to condescend to mediocrity will present itself at
precisely that moment. Ask any hero, the greatest letdown is after the
triumph. Oh, there is that fleeting moment of elation, the parades, the
medals, the accolades; but then comes the great thump, the letdown. This
brings me to my next point.
Once the Kingdom is
established within us, then circumstances cannot change us. There is a
permanency.
walked on water. He was constant. It was
the same Christ who hung on the cross, as rose from the grave. His
position may have changed, but His person remained the same. And, it was
because of His person that He was elevated to such a high position. You
see, circumstances did not change Christ, He proved Himself to be a
conqueror even in the most adverse circumstances. So must we.
Now let us pursue our
definition of what to be a conqueror means in perspective. First of all,
we note that God gauges our progress in reference to a standard —
Christ. Our position is always in reference to the First Person in the
Kingdom, Christ. Never are we to be conned into believing otherwise.
The world does not set the standard; our colleagues do not set the
standard; no, as much as I appreciate them, good Christian books do not
set the standard either. Only Christ determines the definition.
We are more than conquerors
through Chest. Not by Him, however. There is a vast difference. If we
were simply conquerors by Christ, then we could remain passive. He would
do all the work. No, Christ works in and with us to make us the conqueror
that He is.
One further observation must
be expressed, however, before we leave this intriguing subject. Paul very
clearly says that we are more than conquerors. Why does he not say that
we are simply conquerors? Well, again we are thrown back to the original
purpose of God, that is to make us into the image of Christ, who according
to I Corinthians 15, especially verses 2028, after He has conquered all,
including the last enemy, death, shall deliver the Kingdom to God, the
Father. So, we who are conquerors through Him will also triumph over the
foe. And, when there are no more foes to conquer, then there is no need
for conquerors. Thus, Paul speaking in the perfect tense was right, we
are more than conquerors.
Hallelujah, we are triumphant!
Somewhere in the scheme of
things (we are inclined to believe) surely, there must be some method,
perhaps a technique, which we can use that will help us achieve our goal.
No, that is precisely what we must avoid is, that we can somehow achieve
this image. Now, as unreasonable as it may seem, we achieve nothing in
the Kingdom; we only accept. This acceptance most assuredly includes
responsibility and yes, even sacrifice, but neither of these are
considered achievement, in the strictest sense of the word.
This does not mean that we
become apathetic attitudinally, though. But, it does mean that we get our
cues from God, through the God-man, Christ, and accept our
responsibilities accordingly. Salvation is never achieved. Paul the
Apostle and Luther the Reformer made that theologically clear. It is
always a gift which must be accepted to be affected.
Where does achievement fall
into the scheme of things then?
Achievement is primarily
relative to the human perspective, but, in Christ, God does think
humanly. So, achievement, although it does not produce salvation, is a
convenient way of gauging our obedience, all of which will naturally
produce human pride. Immediately I must reassure myself that there is
nothing wrong with human pride as long as that pride is centered around
Christ in us, the hope of glory.
You see, the kind of pride
about which I am talking is perhaps more properly labeled self-dignity, or
self-respect. Now, when one respects his true Christ-like-ness, arrogance
and all of the other ugly characteristics associated with false pride are
non-operative, in fact, nonexistent.
At this juncture, we must be
very careful, because the Devil, the scripture says, does come as an angel
of light, and if we are not alert, false pride can be substituted for the
real thing. Or, worse yet, the enemy of our souls can convince us that
the self-dignity which produces confidence is really false pride. The end
results will be, if we are not extremely careful, that we are given a
one-way ticket on a self-propelled guilt trip. And, believe me, that's an
awful ride.
God never places anyone on a
guilt trip. Not you. Not me. No one. We are the party responsible for
guilt trips. Not God, No, not even the Devil. We do it. The Evil one
may eagerly sell the ticket, but we do the purchasing.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Hardship is often God’s way
of strengthening us.” — Helen
Hoiser
Phil Kerr, the late Christian
songwriter and pianist, paused during one of his concerts which I attended
and began to reminisce. He said something which I shall never forget, he
said: "Great songs are born at midnight," and then resumed playing. I
agree. It is a principle woven right into the fabric of life an
inescapable fact.
Nothing, absolutely, nothing,
worthwhile, of any lasting value, comes easily. It has been ordained that
without a cross there is no crown. This is a divine principle. Talents
and skills lie dormant without torturous practice. And, then, if one is
not conscientious, they will atrophy.
So, if one seeks kingdom
success, there is a price to pay. There is always toil before triumph.
This is a kingdom principle. That is not to say that we Christians are to
seek tragedy before we can accept triumph. No! It is simply an
affirmation of a principle that is built right into the universe.
Now, I realize that this idea
runs counter to most of the "pop" theology espoused by a spiritually
illiterate clergy and lay leadership. God, it seems, for most of them is
a cosmic Father Christmas with a big bag full of goodies, who is anxiously
standing at the banister of Heaven waiting to give them out at our first
whimper.
Such petty theology could
never stand the rigors of an Isle or Patmos or the cell of a Philippian
jail. It’s too shallow.
Perhaps, we should take a
second look at what success means in God's vocabulary. It means one, and
only, one thing. It means that we have become more like Jesus.
You see, God is not able to do
anything through us, unless he is doing something in us. That is to say
that the measure of a man's success is not quantitative. That is why,
generally speaking, God's will of us is not vocational (status), or
geographical (position); but it is usually expressed rather in an internal
strategy.
Alexander Pope is reported to
have cried, "Oh, God, make me a better man." His aide overhearing this,
replied, "It would be easier to make you a new man."
That's the business of God, to
make us new men from the inside out!
Oh, there will be failures,
because Christ did not come to choose that which is perfect to follow Him,
but rather that which would be perfect in following Him.
C. S. Lewis approached this
truth in a little different way, but he expressed very much of what I
would like to say, so I shall paraphrase his statement. That is, God does
not love us because we are good, but he makes us good because He loves us.
C. S. Lewis. Mere Christianity: 64;
MacMillian 1952). Certainly, there will be times when dark clouds of
doubt will cast a shadow over us, blotting out the radiance of that love,
but we must never doubt in the dark that which God has shown us in the
light.
What has He shown us in the
light!
He has shown us His divine
purpose — We are to be made into the image of His dear Son. Therefore,
nothing. Positively, nothing should deter us from that.
He has also shown us in the
light that He,
...has reserved for His children the
priceless gift of eternal life; it is kept in heaven for you, pure and
undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay
Notice also that the prize
awaits us. We shall have trials. Yes, but even our hardships will steer
us heavenward!
Bob Wieland knows this. Both
of his legs were blown off in Vietnam. This only slowed him down,
temporarily, though. The last time I saw him was when I had dinner with
him in Palm Springs. He was then on his famous "Walk For Hunger." He had
started at Independence Hall at Knott's Berry Farm, an amusement park in
Southern California, and was determined to make it all the way to the
steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC walking, by resting on
his hands and then thrusting his torso forward! The purpose of the walk
was to collect funds from sponsors, at a certain price per mile, and then
turn the funds over to charitable agencies to help feed the poor of the
world.
When I commented on how
difficult the trip undoubtedly was, he beamed a broad smile at me and
said, "No, the joy has been in the journey."
Instead of accepting defeat,
he affirmed the purpose of God in his life and turned tragedy into
triumph.
So must we!
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"We have placed too much hope
in politics and social reforms, only to find out that we were being
deprived of our most precious possession: our spiritual life." Alexander
Solzhenitsyn in his famous 1978 "Sermon to America."
Lining the path along our
journey, as I am sure you have discovered, have been roses as well as
thorns, each nourished by a steady stream of charity. For the essence of
a Godly life is Christian charity, and such charity nourishes both thorns
(sacrifice) and roses (joy) charity is long suffering and does rejoice in
all things.
Contrary to common practice
and opinion, salvation is not solely a personal matter. We are "saved" to
serve. He that is the greatest in the Kingdom is servant of all.
Our calling involves
commitment because we are called to care. This is not an option; it is an
obligation. James makes this very clear when he emphasizes that true
religion is to care — yes, , for the orphans and widows, but anyone who
has ever studied the Greek language knows that the admonition is pregnant
with the implication that such caring is for all those who are in need.
We Christians have the
potential to be the greatest revolutionaries in the world. Love is
dynamite. It can shake kingdoms, and topple dictatorships. It has
before, and it can again. But we all must once again, as those primitive
Christians did, learn what it means to be in the world, but not of the
world. (John 16, 17).
May I suggest the following
guidelines? First, we, not the world must set the agenda for social
action, realizing that God is transcendent over politics. He is neither
wedded to socialism nor capitalism. And let me also emphasize that
fundamental to all Christian action is pacifism, lest we are sucked into
an immoral vortex of violence advocated by the Liberation Theology of the
Left or the conservative evangelicalism espoused by Francis Schaeffer and
his disciples on the Right. (In the latter category, I am referring to
Schaeffer's last book, Christian Manifesto, which approves of violence as
a last resort to achieve religio-political goals.)
The words of Jesus still
resound clearly down through the war swept corridors of history that "He
that lives by the sword, shall die by the sword." And, for a so-called
Christian Marxist or Schaeffer, et al, to advocate otherwise is
impractical and contrary to the spirit of Jesus. Jesus came to fulfill
the law and usher in new ethics in a Kingdom of Love. For us, therefore,
to revert to the theology of the Old Testament and go thundering out like
Joshua with weapon in hand to slaughter our modern Canaanites misses the
whole theme of the Kingdom of Christ. It is, in a word, biblical. It may
sound "cliches-ish" to remind our brethren at both ends of the political
spectrum that in Christ's Kingdom "The end never justifies the means," but
this axiom is nevertheless rooted in the theology of Jesus.
Secondly, we must establish
sincere dialogue with those with whom we differ. We must make an honest
attempt to understand the other man's viewpoint, and in spite of our
differences, we must convince him that we really love him.
Thirdly, may I suggest that we
practice the politics of Jesus, which is primarily the politics of
reconciliation. Realizing, of course, that no true reconciliation is
possible without love. Far too long, we Evangelicals have advocated love
without reconciliation. True Biblical reconciliation reconciles the races
(Jews and Greeks/Blacks and Whites), denominational schisms (Peter and
Cornelius), Political systems (There's room for Simon the Zealot as well
as the praetorian guards)in short, it is morally uncompromising but
tolerant. Unfortunately, as far as I can determine, true New Testament
reconciliation is absent in most of contemporary Christianity. Thus, the
true image of Christ has not yet (and this should cause us to weep) been
fully stamped on the institution that bears His name. That is, upon
Christianity, or for that matter on many of its adherents.
The
End
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