America Voted...and the World Fell Apart

"If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone." - Romans 12:18

Disclaimer: This post is not supportive of any political candidate or my viewpoints on the election.  It is about the aftermath of Election Day.

On Tuesday, November 8, 2016, America voted....and then the world started falling apart.

I have refrained from sharing anything about the election on social media because I just really feel like it does more harm than good to post about my views/feelings concerning politics as so much can be taken out of context when you aren't talking face-to-face with someone.  Think about it.  How many things have you read on Facebook or Twitter and believed AND shared, just to later find out that it wasn't true or that you interpreted it the wrong way?  How many times have you read something that someone else wrote, and judged them based on what they said only later to find out that the way they formed their post didn't really or appropriately express the thoughts they truly had?  Give me a human being to talk to any day.

Admission: I am over it.  Over the negative posts about the candidates and about other people.  Over the name-calling of one another.  Over the bullying from both sides.  Over the hatred of someone believing differently than another.  It was old months ago during the election season and it most certainly is old now.  This isn't about Republicans or Democrats.  This isn't about particular candidates or supporters.  It's about everyone...all of it.

Ya'll it's bleeding into our children's lives.  In the past two nights since the election results, I have had to personally deal with kids bringing up to me the election and their fears and anger about it.  And honestly, it hasn't been just a certain race that's talked about it; it's actually been all races.  Some of them are on Facebook (yes, 13 year olds are still children).  Some of them hear it from their parents at home.  Some of them have television or internet access.  Children learn their behavior from adults and I can speak from personal experience, they certainly are watching.

I'm fairly certain that those of you who read my blog are followers of Christ.  I'm speaking to you.  A number of Christians have been just as yucky about political posts as non-Christians.  So take a minute to hear me out.

Jesus commands us to "love one another" (John 13:34) ... that includes people we don't like or have strong disagreements with (aka: enemies) (Matthew 5:44).  People are gonna disagree...we're all different, God made us that way.  Accept those differences; love them through those differences; show them the grace and mercy of Jesus.  And if you feel as though you need to speak truth, then speak it in love.  Ephesians 4:15 says, "But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head - Christ."  Let me just stop right here and say, a bunch of posts have not been very loving - instead they've been insulting and harsh; and again, I'm not speaking to one particular side...I'm talking to all sides.

No matter what the outcome on Tuesday night had been, God was in control.  And He still is...He really is.  He knew the outcome before the world even began.  It's not a cliche or a "Bible phrase."  It's truth.  Now it's up to us to carry this truth to the world.  We are the light in the dark world (Matthew 5:14).  We are to do unto others as we would want them to do unto us (Luke 6:31).  We are to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).  **side note: Jesus - the Savior of the World...the man who died on the cross for you - said all of those things.  Just FYI.

So friends, as you are posting on social media or encountering someone who has differing opinions than you do, remember these things.  Be gracious in your speech to one another (Colossians 4:6).  Encourage and build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  And love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31).  

Finally, I leave you with the words of Paul in Romans 12.  Here was a man who encountered a lot of differing opinions in his lifetime.  He had, in fact, been a man who believed differently in his earlier life - I mean he was so dead-set against Christians that He tried to kill them.  But after his conversion experience and after his experience of many hardships and people who didn't agree with him, he found a way to learn how to get along with others without being hateful.  I think Romans 12 is a glimpse into his mindset about that.  I hope you will take a few minutes to read, reflect, and apply to your own life.

God is in control, people.  Don't freak out. 

Romans 12 (HCSB)

A Living Sacrifice

1 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.[fn] 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Many Gifts but One Body

3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts:

If prophecy,

use it according to the standard of one’s[fn] faith;

7 if service, in service;

if teaching, in teaching;

8 if exhorting, in exhortation;

giving, with generosity;

leading, with diligence;

showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

Christian Ethics

9 Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. 10 Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. 13 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His[fn] wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay,says the Lord. 20 But

If your enemy is hungry, feed him.

If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

For in so doing

you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.

21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Learners for Life

“Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. 
Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.”
– Proverbs 9:9

School has started for most kids and they are now getting back into the swing of learning and growing in their knowledge of life and academics.  I remember quite a number of first days of school – I was usually the one who was super nervous about starting a new chapter and getting used to new teachers and classmates (well, all except for the years I was homeschooled…my mom didn’t make me nervous :) ).

One of the biggest “first day of school” stories I can recall is the year I started third grade.  We lived in Kentucky and I attended my church’s private school.  It was their custom at that time that on the first day of school they would gather all students and parents in the sanctuary of the church and then bring a teacher up and read off the students that would be in his/her class.  Once your class was called, you went with your parent up to your new classroom.  You wouldn’t know who your teacher was until that moment.  I remember that in third grade I didn’t care which teacher I got – all except for one.  The students who had just finished third grade the year before had said that this one particular teacher was really tough and mean.  I knew I did NOT want her.  We got to the point in the “ceremony” to the third grade class.  One third grade teacher had been called and her class filled and now it was time for the “tough” teacher to get her students.  I prayed my name wouldn’t be called.  Last names were called…and of course, I had to wait until the end to find out if I was in her class (hazard of having a last name with a “y”).  Well, wouldn’t you know it – I ended up in this “dreaded” teacher’s class.  I was devastated.  My mom tells me that as she took me up to my classroom, I was fighting off tears.  What a miserable year third grade was going to be…or so I thought.

As it turned out, my third grade teacher was the most phenomenal teacher I ever had.  What those crazy fourth graders had told us about her was for sure not true and, I suppose, was just to scare us.  This third grade teacher is actually the person who inspired me to one day be a teacher and instill the love of learning and growing in knowledge in others – something I do to this very day.

One thing I have learned in these post-school years is that you never stop learning and growing.  I think that learning as an adult means learning about how to do life and grow in your walk with God.  In this last decade (so over my twenties), I have most definitely done a lot of learning and growing in these two areas.  I’ve learned a lot about myself, about others, about the Bible, about my job(s), and about living life as an adult, among other things.

Proverbs 9 is quite an interesting chapter.  The writer, King Solomon, personifies Wisdom and Folly as individuals and goes on to discuss how these two “individuals” “live their lives.”  I encourage you to read the entire chapter, but I want to focus on two nuggets from it:

Nugget #1: Proverbs 9:9: “Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser.  Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.”  As growing Christians, we should take this straight to our heart.  It is super important that we personally be instructed and taught in how God wants us to live so that we can be wiser and righteous in our lives and walk with the God.  In order for our walk to match our talk (which makes our walk evident to the world), our talk/walk must be learned.  Additionally, we should heed these words and instruct and teach our fellow younger Christian brothers/sisters so that they too can be wiser and righteous.  Instruction/teaching (academic or not) should always be passed from generation to generation so that whatever is being taught is never lost…and this is especially important as it relates to God and His Word.

Nugget #2: Proverbs 9:11-12: “Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.  If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.”  Who doesn’t want to have a long and fulfilling life?  These verses tell us that having wisdom will be a benefit to us and add years and days to our life!  How great is that?!  These verses also give a warning of what will happen if we reject or ignore wisdom – we will suffer for it.  Ignoring wisdom is very dangerous because it’s putting you in a place where temptations may (and probably will) abound.  So how will we suffer for our ignorance?  I would tend to say that it depends on situation, but whatever it is, suffering doesn’t sound good. 

From one teacher to another (or even to those of you who are mainly “students”), make special note of this: make absolutely sure that whatever wisdom you are imparting or learning is that which is biblical.  A lot of things can sound really good to the ear, but when the rubber meets the road – it doesn’t always line up with Scripture.  Look what Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:3 – “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.”  Sometimes this is completely an accident, but there are sometimes where this is intentional (think prosperity preachers and the like). Part of you being the student (and we are all students of God’s Word) is to do your homework and take what you’ve been taught/what you're going to teach and check the source (the Word), because it’s author is inerrant and our ultimate Teacher.

There are many things I’m so grateful to have learned – these things have made me a more informed and knowledgeable person who is able to live and communicate with others in society.  Conversely, there are things I wish I didn’t have to learn – like about hurt and grief and loss.  All of these things combine, however, to shape and grow us into the people God wants us to be.  When we gain wisdom from what we are taught, we are then able to handle future experiences/challenges and help others down the road who may be going through similar situations.  I’m thankful, and I don't take it lightly, that I am able to do that as a teacher in ministry with children from all walks of life (a passion passed on to me from my amazing third grade teacher) because I am passing the wisdom of God onto the future generations so that they in turn can do the same.

Learning isn’t over when we walk across the stage with a cap and gown and diploma in hand. The reality is actually that we will be learners for life.

Prepare to be a learner for life!

Love Knows No Color

“I give you a new command: Love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another” 

John 13:34

My heart hurt when I woke up this morning and saw the news about the tragedy in Dallas and how it was precipitated by other tragedies that had happened in other cities across the United States earlier in the week.  Jesus calls us to love one another – and that’s not just a specific race to another race – it’s everybody loving their fellow human enough to respect their feelings, and most especially, their life. 

Upon hearing this morning’s news, my mind immediately jumped to a conversation I had with one of the inner city children I worked with last Monday.  For those who are unaware, in January I became the childcare coordinator for a Christian ministry in downtown Nashville (in addition to my full-time job) where I am responsible for not only the kids, but the childcare volunteers and program schedule on the two nights we meet each week.  We keep the kids while their moms are learning and studying to pass their GED test so that they can get a good job and provide for their families.

Anyway…back to my conversation with this five year old little girl…

During Bible story time, she had a very pouty look on her face and so I pulled her out to the hall to find out what the problem was and how it could be fixed.  She wasn’t in trouble; I simply wanted to find out what had happened.  (I ended up finding out that one of the other workers had asked her to sit away from another child, so as not to disrupt story time; and she didn’t like that someone was telling her what to do.)  However, instead of explaining to me why she was pouty, she goes into a 20 minute speech, in which she was basically yelling, about black people and white people and how white people don’t like black people and vice versa.  Calmly, I explained to her that this was not the case – especially here at our ministry, but still she continued.  I explained the Bible and how Jesus calls us to love each other, but she brought up stories that involved beatings and violence. I assured her that no one in our group felt this way against anyone and that she could trust that we had hers (and the other children’s) best interests at heart, but she exclaimed that she didn’t believe me.  Ya’ll, she’s five years old.  Five.

It appalls me that a five year old knows and can articulate division and strife among race in her community.  It breaks my heart that she thinks yelling and hate are the responses to counteracting the division and strife she sees.  But honestly, if that’s all she sees, then that’s all she’s going to know.  Unfortunately, this is the case and not just with her, but with all of the children that I interact with at this ministry.  I pray daily that we childcare workers show these impressionable children how to counteract hate with love.  I pray that they are learning from us how to be civil and handle conflict calmly and not through violence and harsh words.

Sadly, though, it’s not just violent news stories where children see negativity.  It’s in their homes.  It’s in their schools.  It’s in their communities.  It’s in politics.  It’s even in the church.  How can I teach love, trust, patience, kindness, compassion, and so on when pretty much every other place these kids live, watch, play, or breathe are filled with hate or violence or dirty words or distrust or lying or countless other negative acts and feelings?

When asked by the Pharisees what was the greatest commandment that all people should follow, Jesus responded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).  Everything that Jesus said in Scripture is for sure important and noteworthy, but anything that Jesus COMMANDED in Scripture must be followed…has to be followed...and followed to the letter.  He spelled it out plain and simple - love your neighbor.  We know this command is important because Jesus mentions it, yet again, following His Last Supper, “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another” (John 13:34).  What better example of showing love to others than Jesus – the ultimate example of love.  

Loving your neighbor isn’t always going to be easy – they may have caused some serious distrust in your life. 

 Loving your neighbor isn’t going to be comfortable – you may have to step waaay outside your comfort zone. 

Loving your neighbor may cause you to have to give up something that’s been a part of you – a piece of your past that you need to let go. 

BUT it’s important.  

It’s necessary.  

It’s Christ’s command.  

Jesus never promised that this life would be easy.  When we became His followers, we said we were willing to deny everything – our legacy, our family, our lifestyle, and the list could go on and on – to take up our cross and follow Him – Matthew 16:24. 

It’s not about religion, it’s not about lifestyles, it’s not about race, it’s not about flags, and it’s not even about whether or not somebody’s got a tattoo … every.single.human.being.alive. is the “one another” Jesus was talking about.  If He meant for us to leave a particular group out, He would’ve said it…but He didn’t.  One another means everybody.  Loving them like Jesus doesn’t mean you agree with their thoughts and feelings; it means you are being the light of Christ in their lives…and that, my friends, is what our ultimate goal as Christians is in this life – to be His light and help turn the lost to the cross.

I want to end this heart-felt post with a positive conclusion to the conversation I referenced earlier between me and the rather vocal five year old.  About half an hour after her bizarre protest, the precious little girl apologized to me.  She told me she had made a bad choice to say those words and that black people and white people could be friends and get along with one another.  She said, “Even though I have different skin and you have different skin, God made both of us and we are all the same on the inside.”  You’re right, sweet girl, you are so right.  Love - most especially God's love - knows no color.  We are all the same on the inside and we can show friendship and civility to each other.  Now if we can get the rest of the world to realize that.

Love knows no color.  Neither should we.

Forsaken for Me

"About three in the afternoon, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lena sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?')" - Matthew 27:46

Loneliness and abandonment are situations that most people hate enduring.  Feeling like you don't belong and that you're forgotten can bring even the most strong-minded person down in a deep, dark valley full of tears, hurt, and depression.  Thankfully, we know that no matter what we go through in this life, Jesus is our constant and ever-present friend that sticks closer than any brother ever could (and maybe even would).  We don't have to fear being completely forsaken in this life because we know Jesus will be there to walk with us through ever single moment - good or bad.

Can you stop and imagine, however, if Jesus wasn't there for us during our hardest moments?  If you're like me, you probably don't want to even imagine it.  To imagine going through pain and hardship completely and utterly alone seems like more than I could ever endure.  Yet someone did just that...and it is the very person that is with each one of us during our pain and hardship - our precious Savior, Jesus.

Matthew 27 outlines - in detail - the events leading up to the death of Christ.  He endured far more than hardship...He endured torture and agony.  He was accused of lying, when all His words were complete truth.  He was mocked by those who, just days earlier, had praised Him.  He was scourged and beaten and forced to carry part of the cross to which He would soon be nailed.  As hard as all of this is for us to even read, none of it compared to the torment of abandonment Christ felt as He was breathing His final breaths.  Matthew writes that around 3:00 in the afternoon, Jesus yelled to His Father, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46).  While this was actually a portion of a Psalm that Christ was quoting (Psalm 22:1), I don't think He was saying this to "just" quote Scripture, I believe that when Jesus said this, He meant it with every fiber in His being.  The torture of having to endure this horrendous suffering alone was now a reality for Jesus - He was completely alone with people laughing at his demise, with blood pouring from his head, hands, and feet, and with death waiting right around the corner.  And God wasn't - really He couldn't be - there.  That is scarier than any horror movie could ever be.

God still loved His Son, He just couldn't be there for Him because God knew that this action and the feelings - all the feelings - associated with it were a necessary step in the redemption of mankind.  As humans, sin separates us from God, and as we learn in Romans 6:23, the punishment for sin is death - eternal separation from God.  When Jesus was nailed to the cross, He took that punishment for us which meant He had to endure it - being separated from everyone and every.single.thing.  So when Jesus was on the cross crying out in a loud voice this portion of Scripture, it wasn't just a repeating of a verse He had learned as a child in Hebrew AWANAs, it was a proclamation of how He felt at that exact moment.

My NLT Study Bible commentary states, "Jesus was not questioning God; he was quoting the first line of Psalm 22 - a deep expression of the anguish he felt when he took on the sins of the world, which caused Him to be separated from His Father.  This was what Jesus dreaded as he prayed to God in the garden to take the cup from him (26:39).  The physical agony was horrible, but even worse was the period of spiritual separation from God.  Jesus suffered this double death so that we would never have to experience eternal separation from God."

As hard as being forsaken by others may feel to us, Jesus is the one constant we have to depend on - always.  Jesus had no one.  He was forsaken so we wouldn't ever have to be.  What a friend we have in Jesus!  

As you reflect on this past Easter weekend, I hope you will continue to take to heart the sacrifice Jesus has made just for you.  He sacrificed everything - His relationships, His emotion, His identity, and His life - all so you wouldn't have to endure eternal separation from God and be alone for eternity.  He loves you THAT much.

If you are struggling with feeling forsaken or abandoned by others or someone in particular, remember Jesus' last words on earth and let them be an encouragement to you as you walk through this lonely time - "And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b).

Below is a video clip of the song that inspired this blog post...one of my favorite songs that has ministered to me so strongly over the past few months.

Love Hurts

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. – 1 Corinthians 13:7

The title of this blog post may seem quite unusual considering today is Valentine’s Day.  We mainly celebrate this holiday by centering on happiness and lovey-dovey gifts and gestures.  However, there’s another side to love that I want to touch on…a side that seems hard to deal with on the surface, but actually says a lot about how we love.  In fact, the purpose behind this Valentine’s Day post is in connection with a statement my pastor, Mike Glenn, made last Sunday.  It is a statement that is a bit strange, yet is absolutely true.  He said, “Love hurts.  If you’re going to follow Christ and love a world that can’t [and I, Allison, want to add in here, might not] love you back, it’s going to hurt.” 

If love is going to get to a place where it can hurt, it’s because we have given so much of ourselves to that person/place/thing.  Although it sounds hypocritical to think about something hurting us as we approach Valentine’s Day, getting to a place where love hurts actually says a lot about our walk with Christ as it shows how we have poured our life into something or someone so much so that we are willing to open ourselves up to potential hurt that might happen.  Paul talked about this in 1 Corinthians 13:7 when he said that love “endures through every circumstance.”  Every circumstance most definitely includes hurt. Maybe someone you love disappointed you, maybe someone you cared deeply for passed away, maybe you lost a job that you poured your life into, maybe you were rejected for speaking the truth into a friend or loved one’s life – whatever happened, something or someone you loved hurt your heart.  It doesn’t take the love for them away, but it still does hurt…and probably very deeply.

Jesus understands, more than anyone past, present, or future that love hurts.  The greatest example of this is seen as we read about how He sacrificed His life by dying on a cross for all of humanity’s sins. 1 John 3:16 says that “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us.”  Notice those words, “…Jesus gave…” these words show us the incomparable character Jesus exhibited as He willingly gave his life for us just because He loves us.  Love hurt Jesus that day.  Another example is seen a few days prior to the crucifixion, as Jesus was riding into Jerusalem following His triumphal entry.  Luke 19:41 tells us, “But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.”  Jesus cried for Jerusalem because He knew what the future held for them (and it wasn’t a good future, if you catch my drift).  He had such a deep love for the people He had taught, healed, and ministered to and hated that they were going to have to go through hardship.  Love hurt Jesus that day.

Giving your love to someone or something else is a very vulnerable action.  You are opening yourself up to whatever the other contributor gives back.  It could be a blessing or it could be a hurt.  It could be something you anticipate might happen or it could just blindside you like a tackling football player (sports fans be proud of me for using this analogy).  It could mean accepting forgiveness from the other party or it could mean that you may be ignored by them for the foreseeable future.  There’s always the risk…but the risk of loving and being open to the possibility that the love might hurt you is one that we should all be willing to take. 

Should we get to a place where we should avoid loving something or someone because we don’t want to be potentially hurt by them or even regret that we ever loved them in the first place?  No.  In fact, that’s not very Christ-like.  Look at Jesus; He keeps loving us even though we still hurt Him by sinning.  

Real love may get to a place where it is going to hurt; but getting to that place means that we have invested ourselves, our time, our prayers, and our service to them – something that Jesus has commanded we do (Mark 12:31 - “love your neighbor”; Matthew 5:44 – “love your enemies…pray for those who mistreat you”; Mark 9:35 – “become a servant of all”). 

Missionary Amy Carmichael is quoted as saying, “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”  As a missionary to India, she most likely experienced the hurt of love.  You don’t spend 53 years as a missionary and not give yourself to a people and location, that more than likely (especially the first few years) didn’t love her back.  She knew full well that what it meant to love ”through every circumstance.”  But, like Paul urges, she never gave up, never lost faith, and remained always hopeful.  What an encouragement and example to us all of truly loving “through every circumstance”…even the circumstance of hurt.

Quote: Amy Carmichael; original designer unknown

Living in a Crazy World

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."  - Romans 12:2

The world is rapidly…and I mean rapidly…changing.  The things we hear on the news, see on social media, or just hear around the watercooler each day increasingly show us that our world is much, much different than the world of even a year ago, let alone five years ago.  Just stop and think about all of the big headlines (and not necessarily covered by the mainstream news) that have happened over these past eight months – terrorism, environment, marriage, foreign policy, civil rights, gun control, abortion, and the list goes on and on. 

With all that is going on in the world today, do we keep up with it?  Do we change our behaviors and patterns to match today’s culture so that we “fit in”?  Logically it would make sense to blend in with culture because that way we would have friends, be in the “in” crowd, and not stick out like a sore thumb. As believers, though, in our hearts we know we can’t conform to the way the world is turning.  If we did it would be going against everything we believe and stand for in our faith in Christ (marriage – Mark 10:6-9; abortion – Psalm 139:13-16; civil rights – Romans 12:8; and it could go on and on). 

Paul spells it out point blank in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  I believe that Paul is definitely telling us as believers not to get caught up and be a part of the “big ticket” problems and cares of the world such as the ones previously mentioned, but I also believe that Paul is encouraging believers to not get caught up in the “less mentioned and easily overlooked problems and items” of the world as well.  I’m sure you are now wondering, “what does she mean by ‘less mentioned and easily overlooked items’?”  Thank you for asking. 

I believe Paul is also telling us as believers not to conform ourselves to more “common” day-to-day things like pride, lying, deceit, drunkenness, slander, idolatry, adultery, and the list could go on and on.  For some of us, we don’t correlate the “less mentioned problems” of the world with the more notable problems of the world, but they are one in the same.  The Bible even tells us that God hates these things.  Proverbs 6:16-19: “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes,  feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”  In one of his other books, Paul tells us: “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Did you see what was mentioned there? While some of those are definitely deplorable acts, notice those “easily overlooked items.”  They seem small, but in reality they are just as equal as the “big ticket items” in the sight of God.  Things like lying, false witness, stirring up conflict, hatred, discord, jealousy, dissensions, etc. … all of these the Lord hates.  Any of those sound familiar and quite common?

Romans 12 isn’t just advice to new, baby Christians to leave the things of the world behind when they choose to follow Jesus, it’s an appeal to established, mature Christians who also need to heed its words.  As Christians we aren’t perfect.  We have our pitfalls and, yes, we sin.  It doesn’t matter whether the sin is deplorable or one of those “easily overlooked ones”…sin is sin and God hates it. 

I think Romans 12 is an even more crucial verse for established, mature Christians because of how hypocritical we can appear to the world if we are following in its screwed-up ways.  The devil is looking for every possible, minuscule way to get into our Christian lives so that we lose our Christ-like witness.  John 10:10a says, “The thief [devil] comes to kill, steal, and destroy…”  Although we are Christians, we aren’t exempt from temptation or sin; we are subject to the world’s ways just as easily as an unbeliever – the devil knows this and will do whatever he can to take advantage of that fact.  We fall into the temptation/sin and end up hurting our Christian witness to unbelievers. We don’t have to just fall into the temptation of “big ticket” sins, we can sin by lying, cheating, stirring up conflict, creating discord, and the like.  Unbelievers see it and immediately call us out as hypocrites because we are doing something we know – and maybe at one time espoused – to be something contrary to Christ and His Words.  This is why God hates sin, especially for the Christian, because it makes us look like fools in His Kingdom.

But because God is a good, good Father, there is hope in how to live in this crazy world.  Just look at the end of the verse I mentioned earlier from John 10:10.  After telling about the devil, Jesus says, “...but I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.”  In Him is fullness of life!  Praise God!  When we take up our cross and follow Jesus…and I mean follow Him with complete abandon …He will give us the strength we need to not conform ourselves to the world.  To do this, we have to be willing to be transformed through the renewing of our mind (I take that to mean delving deep into the Word of God and also being willing to listen and do what the Holy Spirit asks us to do).  That can be hard – even for the mature Christian – to do because it requires sacrifice and giving up control over our wants and desires. 

If we do decide, however, to buckle down and completely surrender our lives to God instead of surrendering it to the world, we have a great reward ahead of us!  The tail end of Romans 12:2 says that should we choose to follow God with our whole heart and life and transform ourselves by renewing our mind, then we will be able to learn God’s perfect and pleasing will for our lives.  I don’t know about you, but knowing what God has prepared ahead for my life is something that definitely interests me!

In a “perfect world,” Christians would separate themselves from the rest of the world so that they wouldn’t have the temptations that the world offers and so that they could truly live out Romans 12:2 with nothing to worry about.  But we don’t live in a “perfect world,” and as Christians we are to be ambassadors for Christ and go into the highways and byways telling others about Him.  It’s gonna be hard because we’re going to be faced with temptations and obstacles along the way.  We’re going to be forced to give up control of what we want to do.  My pastor, Mike Glenn, likens it to swimming against the current...a task that, in our own strength, is quite hard to accomplish.  We’re going to lose friends, stick out like a sore thumb, and even face ridicule and/or persecution.  However, if we set our sights on the Son and our Father and choose to renew our minds in them, we truly won’t have to worry about anything else because they are in control.

This is a loaded blog and I totally realize that.  I’m even convicted and I’m the one writing it!  It’s my hope, however, that you aren’t discouraged and feeling like you can’t step up to the task of following Romans 12:2 because YOU CAN!  Our Savior is so great, so strong, and so powerful and He will give you the strength you need to follow Him in this crazy, crazy world.  In fact, less than 2,000 years ago He prayed just for you as you live in this insane world that you would have the strength to live for Him.  Let the following prayer…prayed just for you by Jesus in John 17:9-25…be an encouragement to carry you through this world and live a Romans 12:2 life.

From Jesus -

“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. ¹⁰ All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. ¹¹ Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. ¹² During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.

¹³ “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. ¹⁴ I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁵ I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. ¹⁶ They do not belong to this world any more than I do. ¹⁷ Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. ¹⁸ Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. ¹⁹ And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

²⁰ “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

²² “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. ²³ I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. ²⁴ Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

²⁵ “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. ²⁶ I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

Mirror the Word

 “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.” – James 1:22

As a teacher to kids, I have the amazing opportunity to speak words into the ears of earnest listeners who are just itching to learn about something they’ve never heard before.  I love seeing the light bulb go off in their heads when something that I’ve said “clicks.”  It’s always my hope, however, that listening isn’t where it stops…it’s always my hope that the kids take what they’ve heard and mirror it in their own lives. 

Thankfully, I’ve had the blessing of seeing kids apply what they hear to their lives.  I think about the times kids have come to me and shared that they want to make missions their career, or the times kids have shared with me how they showed Jesus’ love, and even the times I’ve gotten to go on mission trips with kids and watch them serve.  To see them live out the words that they’ve heard or read from the Bible and reflect that in their own lives fills me with so much joy and thankfulness, but it makes me equally aware that I do that personally in my own life as well.

The book of James has quite a bit to say about how we as Christians should live out our faith…and one of those ways is by putting action to what we learn from the Scripture.  Read this powerful passage from James 1:22-25:

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Those first three sentences are very influential and important.  We can’t just listen to what we hear or read from the Scriptures.  We…and notice the word James uses…must do what it says. 

Now in some cases, for a Christian, doing what the Scripture says is kind of a no-brainer…look at these examples (and note that there are many others that could fit in this category):

- Worshipping God (1 Chronicles 16:23-31)

o   Attending church, singing worship music in car

- Telling others about Jesus (Matthew 28:19)

o   Going on a mission trip, teaching people about the Bible

- Reading the Bible (Joshua 1:8)

o   Memorizing scripture, committing ourselves to daily quiet time

- Praying with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:16)

o   Thanking God for his blessings, praying for others

In other cases, for a Christian, doing what the Scripture says is a lot harder than it sounds (and note that there are many others that could fit in this category too):

- Speaking truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)

o   Do we share our frustrations with others lovingly or with no regard to their feelings?

- Carrying another person’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)

o   Are we willing to walk with our hurting brothers and sisters in their deepest sadness and hurt?

- Being concerned about others and encouraging them (Hebrews 10:24-25)

o   Do we truly have concern for what others are going through in their day to day lives?  Enough to reach out to them and offer them an encouraging word?

- Losing our life for Christ (Mark 8:35)

o   Would we be willing to lose our life for believing in Jesus, as is the case today for so many martyrs around the world?

Quite a lot to consider, isn’t it?  You see, the words of the Bible aren’t just suggestions for us as Christians to follow, they are the commands of God that He expects we follow.  Some things require simply our obedience, other requests require sacrifice…the giving of ourselves. 

James uses a very powerful visual in the passage above…did you see what it was?  A mirror!  What a great illustration for us to have to visualize how the Word of God is to be an essential part of our lives.  If we glanced in a mirror and then forgot what we looked like, what was the purpose of going to the mirror in the first place?  A mirror is a reflection of who we are.  That is what the Bible is to us as Christians!  The Bible tells us who we as Christians ARE to be!  It’s our guidebook for how to live, it’s our answer key to the tests of life, it’s our mirror into the image of Christ!  Like James says, we must do what it says!

I realize and understand that doing everything that the Bible says is a tall order to fill.  It’s hard to do some of the things the Bible asks us to do.  However, in order to heed the words of the Bible we have to be willing to step outside of our own boxes, egos, and comfort zones to put action to what the Word of God says to do.  James says in verse 22 that if we don’t, we’re simply fooling ourselves.  I don’t want to be a foolish Christian…I want to be a following Christian…one that follows the truths and words of the Bible, no matter how hard they might be.

Look at yourself in the mirror, whether literally or figuratively, and ask yourself this question, “Am listening AND putting into action the Word of God?"  If your answer is yes, then good job, you are totally on the right track and if you have any advice for the rest of us in how to live a life of complete surrender to the Word, please share it with us!  If your answer is no, then stop and contemplate where you are falling short.  Is it in obedience?  Is it in sacrifice?  Is it in something else?  Pray about it and ask God to reveal to you how to follow Him in what He asks you to do through His Word.  Finally, DO IT…mirror His Word!

Mirror the Word of God!