Noise. Sound that is unpleasant or causes disturbance. The opposite of serenity. By way of connotation, chaos. The thing that makes a person want to cover their ears. For most of us, being described as ‘noisy’ wouldn’t be complimentary. However, it seems like an accurate word to describe what is happening all around us right now. Noise. There have certainly been times for me in the last few weeks when I have wanted to close my eyes and put my hands over my ears. Lots of noise. It makes me think of these very familiar verses –

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Would any of us volunteer to be in the same room for even an hour with a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal? Yikes. I would not want to sign up for that. I can’t even tolerate the sound of a pencil tapping on a desk or someone clicking a pen. The very thought of having to endure a consistent noisy gong or a clanging cymbal is enough to send this extremely auditory sensitive person running for cover. Yet, that is how the Apostle Paul describes loveless people. Noisy. Clamorous. 

In addition to the noise, he goes on to say that without love, we are nothing and we gain nothing. Even if we have a lot of wisdom, even if we could move mountains with our faith, even if we would give away everything including our lives. Even if we have all the right answers and the solutions to all the world’s problems. Without love, none of that matters. Noise.

I know these words are so familiar, but let’s read on.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

As you read those words, who did you think of? Did you think of someone whose Facebook or Instagram post bothered you this week? Did you think of those angry protesters you’ve seen on the nightly news? Did you think of those people from that other political party who just can’t seem to understand your idea of common sense? Did you wish that they all would read these verses and get it figured out? 

I  will admit that at times, I have approached verses like these with self-righteous thoughts like, “God, I wish ____________ (fill in the blank) would read these words and love in this way.” “Lord, would You convict ____________?” “Would You help ____________ to see the error of their ways and the way that they are misrepresenting Your love?”

Today, I am calling a spade a spade. That is pride. Our hearts are so bent toward pride and self-exaltation. We see lack of love in others so clearly, while at the same time, we are completely blind to our own lack of love. (We see the speck in someone else’s eye, while we have a log in our own.)

Let’s read those verses again, and this time, let’s refuse to think of anyone but ourselves. It might help to insert your name every time you see the word ‘love’ or ‘it’. Let’s take this opportunity to measure our own thoughts, feelings, and actions. Before reading, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us read these words as if we are reading them for the first time. Ask Him to give us fresh eyes to see these words and to let them penetrate to the deepest parts of our hearts.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

My heart breaks when I read those words with myself in mind. When I come to those verses with a humble heart, I see that I fall so short of the kind of love that could change the world. You see, all the noise around us can only be silenced as we humbly learn to love. One at a time, as we humble ourselves and learn to let God’s love live in us and flow through us, the noise begins to diminish.

This world doesn’t need our noise. As believers, we don’t need to add to the chaos. We need to put down our clanging cymbals and pick up the towel to serve like Jesus did. When I read those verses in 1 Corinthians 13 and insert my name, I see how far I still have to go. If I insert Jesus’ name, I see it modeled perfectly. There is nothing noisy about the way Jesus loves. Perfect humility, perfect compassion, perfect love for others. Love that gives even when it is confronted by hate. Love that sacrifices even for enemies. Love that changes the world.

Yes, I can look around and see the shortcoming and the noise of others, but I can’t do anything to change that. It is far more productive for me to look inside my own heart and to ask the Holy Spirit to show me my shortcomings and noise. With His help, as I see these things, I don’t measure myself by the standard of others’ behavior. I measure myself by the perfect standard that God has put forth in His Word. I confess my sin, and I repent. I depend on the Holy Spirit to make me more like Jesus as He does His work in my heart. I learn to be a peacemaker, and I learn how to let love win.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

-Dana

I need to confess.

I have been silent when I should have spoken. I have spoken when I should have been silent. By not choosing to be an active part of the solution, I have been part of the problem. I am sorry. I am sorry for what I have done and failed to do.

Today, I choose to speak. Honestly, I don’t really know what to say. I feel inadequate to express things that I don’t fully understand. I am afraid of causing harm with my words, but I am choosing to risk that rather than to cause harm with my silence.

Racism is a real thing in our country. It is not the way of Jesus. Sometimes it is blatant and intentionally cruel, and sometimes it is undercover, hidden in “the way things have always been.” From where I sit, it takes work to see quieter, nicer-looking disparities between the lives of people of color and the white majority. It is uncomfortable and unpopular and easy to avoid. It requires turning my focus off of me and mine, interrupting my agenda, and risking for the sake of another.

Remember Jesus’ story explaining who our neighbor is?

The Parable of the Good Samaritan
“Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’

Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity [also translated compassion]. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’

Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’ “

The directive is clear, if I choose to see it. If someone is hurting, help them. Do what you can. Don’t ignore the situation. Go out of your way to show love and work for healing. Give your presence, give your money. Help and come back to help some more.

There is a passage in Isaiah that has been heavy on my heart for quite some time. Jesus quoted it and Paul quoted it. (Isaiah 6:10, Matthew 13:15, Acts 28:27)”Go to this people and say, You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull [also translated calloused], and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn-and I would heal them.”

May this no longer be said of me or of the followers of Jesus, the Church.

As I have watched the events in Minneapolis unfold the last few days I have wondered & prayed about how I should respond. Below are my thoughts. I hope you read the whole thing because the final thought is most important. Romans 12:21 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/9uTtk0R9gW

— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) May 29, 2020

God, soften my heart. I choose to open my eyes; teach me how to truly see. Speak to me. Let me hear You and be willing to listen to all my neighbors. I want to understand. I want to understand with my heart. May I be willing to turn and act. Will You heal? My brothers and sisters of color need healing. Your Church needs healing. America needs healing. I need healing.

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…’ ” (Hebrews 3:7-8)

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14)

I kneel. I kneel in confession, in humility, in prayer for healing.

-Leah

In this blog post, I am going to share my heart. I do so with an understanding that what I am about to say may not be well received by everyone. Please know that it is not my intention to offend or be controversial in any way. I just want to provide some food for thought.

I am concerned that the current political polarization in our country is causing harm to those of us who are believers in Jesus. What I see happening is an equating of American nationalism and right-wing conservatism with the gospel of Jesus. Hard lines are being drawn, and they seem to be resulting in pride and division. Pride and division are certainly not what the gospel is all about. I’ve been meditating on this passage of Scripture lately –

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:13-18)

Yes, I was blessed to have born in this great nation, and I love the freedom that we experience here. However, if my American citizenship becomes as important or more important to me than my citizenship in Heaven, that is idolatry. As a believer, I am a citizen of Heaven FIRST. This world is not my home. I shouldn’t live for the things that are here, and I shouldn’t hold tightly to the things that are passing away. Let’s see what Scripture says about this.

“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is their destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:17-21)

“Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when He judges the world.” (1 Peter 2:11-12, NLT)

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

Pretty strong and clear language from Paul, Peter, and John. We are citizens of Heaven, temporary residents and foreigners in this world. Our primary concern should be God’s Kingdom and the advance of the gospel found in Scripture. If we are spending more time meditating on politics than we are on God’s Word, we are out of balance. If our thoughts are filled with things of this earth (or this country) instead of things above, our priorities are not in order. We have a call to make the most of our time, and I believe that refers to evangelism and discipleship, not political agendas. Practically speaking, here are some considerations –

We are called to live in submission to the government and to pray for government leaders. This is true whether we like what the government is doing or not. It is true whether we like specific government leaders or not. No such exceptions can be found in Scripture, and the commands again are pretty clear.

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (Romans 13:1-2)

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:13-17)

It’s interesting to note that the emperor Peter was referring to was Nero, who was notorious for killing Christians. Peter didn’t recommend a protest or a revolution; he commanded his readers to honor and be subject to the emperor. These are hard truths, but they are truths just the same.

I wonder – do we pray for our leaders as much as we criticize them and complain about them? Do we ask God for their salvation? Do we pray that they would have wisdom to lead and to make good decisions? What would happen if every time we opened our mouths to start to say something negative, we stopped and prayed instead? 

We are called to love those who think differently than we do.  Interestingly enough, Jesus didn’t negatively address the corrupt government of His time. Instead, He boldly confronted the religious people who were self-righteous and looked down on other people who weren’t living up to their standards. I don’t know of a command in Scripture that tells us that we should feel contempt toward people who have a different perspective than we do. In fact, I think the very opposite is true. We are told to even love and pray for our enemies. It’s not our job to make sure people around us think the same way that we do or agree with all of our ideas. We love people, and we point them to Christ. I love something the Apostle Paul said along these lines –

“Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.” (Philippians 3:15)

The “this way” Paul was referring to had to do with righteousness through faith in Christ and pressing on toward the goal of the upward call in Christ Jesus. Notice though, he didn’t choose to take on an argument even about those very important concepts. He chose to trust God to make those things clear to anyone who disagreed. 

What would happen if we developed this same attitude? Here are some things I think are true and very important, but if you think otherwise, I’m praying that God will reveal the truth to you. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is the approach most of us are taking right now.

We are called to prioritize the Gospel. Have we become so consumed with the events around us that we have lost sight of what matters most to God? There are people in our lives who desperately need to hear the Gospel. Instead, what they are witnessing is infighting, division, and pride. Are we destroying our witness and making the Gospel unattractive? If so, how that must grieve the heart of God! 

Are we as passionate about the Gospel as we are about our political beliefs? Do we share the Gospel as quickly as we share our opinions about current events? Do our hearts break over our own sin and selfishness? Have we become so entangled with the affairs of this world that we have lost our focus?

“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4)

In conclusion, I would like to share some questions about the idolatry of politics that were posed by David Platt in his recent Secret Church event. May we all search our own hearts as we prayerfully consider these questions, and may God help us to think biblically about these things.

1) Do you ever find your hope tied to the success of a particular politician or political party? 

2) Do you ever see a politician or political party you support as practically perfect? 

3) Do you ever struggle to stop, hear, and understand why your political opponent holds his or her position? 

4) Do you ever struggle to admit when your political opponent is right? 

5) Do you ever side with your political party without thinking through that issue from a biblical perspective? 

6) Do politics capture an irresponsible amount of your thoughts or emotions? 

7) Do politics ever steal your joy? 

8) Is your political speech more kind and honorable, or more harsh and hostile? 

9) Are your hidden political thoughts more kind and honorable, or more harsh and hostile?

10) Do you ever hate sin in those you oppose politically but excuse sin in those you support politically?

11) Do you ever hate sin in those you oppose politically but excuse sin in yourself?

12) Do you ever forget that those you oppose (and support) politically are sinners in need of a Savior? Do you ever neglect to pray for them and share the gospel with them accordingly?

13) Do you ever experience disunity with Christian brothers and sisters over secondary political issues?

Father, thank you for the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, that has made us citizens of Heaven. What an incredible gift! Forgive us for becoming so easily entangled with the things of this world and for all the times when we given those things priority over You and over the gospel. We need Your help to see things the way that You do and to love other people the way You do. Please help us to live in such a way that we make much of You and Your Kingdom. We want to live according to Your Word and not according to the culture around us. May we live for Your glory today and every day. Amen.

-Dana

Where you look matters. I found this to be true at a boy scout camp family night where I tried out the slackline. (For any of you, who like me, might wonder what a slackline is, it is like a tightrope, just not so high from the ground. The line is fastened between two trees. It seemed tight, not slack, so I’m not sure where the name comes from. Brave or crazy or young people try to walk from one end to the other without falling off.) The key to crossing the slackline is to pick a point in front of you and focus on that. When you are looking straight ahead, you tend to walk straight ahead and keep your balance.

I guess the same thing is true when you are riding a bike or driving a car. If you look to the right or left, you will tend to veer toward the direction you are looking.

The analogy to walking through life is obvious. Where you look matters. It affects your direction and your balance and your likelihood of falling or crashing.

This advice from Solomon in Proverbs could have been written to slackline walkers as easily as to those of us on life’s journey: “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Keep straight the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” (Proverbs 4:25-27)

Luke, the writer of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, repeatedly used a Greek word for “look” that does not appear anywhere else in the Bible except twice in the book of 2 Corinthians, written by Paul. The word is atenizo. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, it’s meaning is to stretch or strain; to be completely fixated; to stare at because fully occupied with or taken by; to observe with great intent and a fastened (fixed) gaze; to fix one’s eyes on some object continually and intensely; to look straight at, to stare at, to keep one’s eyes fixed on. A study of the twelve time Luke pens this word in his recounting of the life of Jesus and the beginnings of the church, while important and instructive, is beyond the scope of today’s post. The definition of the word alone is enough to catch our attention. Is that a description of how we “look” at Jesus? Do we gaze at Him, or just glance at Him? And how can we move from glancing to gazing? I am convinced that the degree of our fixation on Jesus Christ is directly related to our ability to live our lives well.

It starts with that first real look, at who Jesus is and at His invitation to follow Him.

Here is Charles Spurgeon’s account of his first life-changing look at Jesus.

“I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair now, had it not been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm one Sunday morning, when I was going to a place of worship. When I could go no further, I turned down a court and came to a little Primitive Methodist Chapel. In that chapel there might be a dozen or fifteen people.

The minister did not come that morning: snowed up, I suppose. A poor man, a shoemaker, a tailor, or something of that sort, went up into the pulpit to preach. He was obliged to stick to his text, for the simple reason that he had nothing else to say. The text was, ‘Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth’ [Isa 45:22]. He did not even pronounce the words rightly, but that did not matter.
There was, I thought, a glimpse of hope for me in the text.

He began thus: ‘My dear friends, this is a very simple text indeed. It says, “Look.” Now that does not take a deal of effort. It ain’t lifting your foot or your finger; it is just “look.” Well, a man need not go to college to learn to look. You may be the biggest fool, and yet you can look. A man need not be worth a thousand a year to look. Anyone can look; a child can look. But this is what the text says.
Then it says, “Look unto Me.” ‘Ay,’ said he, in broad Essex, ‘many of ye are looking to yourselves. No use looking there. You’ll never find comfort in yourselves.’

Then the good man followed up his text in this way:
‘Look unto Me: I am sweating great drops of blood.
Look unto Me; I am hanging on the Cross.
Look: I am dead and buried.
Look unto Me; I rise again.
Look unto Me; I ascend; I am sitting at the Father’s right hand.
O, look to Me! Look to Me!’

When he had got about that length, and managed to spin out ten minutes, he was at the length of his tether. Then he looked at me under the gallery, and I daresay, with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger. He then said, ‘Young man, you look very miserable.’

Well, I did; but I had not been accustomed to have remarks made on my personal appearance from the pulpit before. However, it was a good blow struck.

He continued: ‘And you will always be miserable—miserable in life and miserable in death—if you do not obey my text. But if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.’ Then he shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist can, ‘Young man, look to Jesus Christ.’

There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen that moment and sung with the most enthusiastic of them of the Precious Blood of Christ.”

Jesus Himself reminded Nicodemus of a time when looking had saved people. When the people of Israel had been impatient and complaining and spoke against God and against Moses, God sent poisonous snakes among them. The poison was killing them, so they turned back to Moses and God. God’s remedy was for Moses to make a serpent of bronze and set it on a pole. Everyone who was bitten would look at the serpent of bronze and live. This is recorded in Numbers 21:4-9.

Jesus told Nicodemus, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15). Jesus compared Himself to the serpent. He became a symbol of God’s punishment. He became the poison of our sin that was killing us, and looking at Him is our path to healing and to life.

If you haven’t already, take a look at Jesus. Not just a glance. Consider Him. Stretch and strain to see Him and to understand His love. He wants to change how you walk through life.

And once you have looked, keep looking. Fix your eyes and your attention on Jesus and His way. If you get distracted and your eyes wander, look back. He is light and peace.

“Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” Psalm 34:5

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3

Jesus, it’s when we look to You that we really see. Nothing compares to You. There is no path we want to walk other than the one following You. Please help us to keep our eyes and our attention on You and on Your kingdom. Forgive us for being focused on things that don’t matter much and being distracted from Your plan for us. Remind us to point others to Your beauty and Your truth. When we feel darkness slipping in, remind us that gazing at You covers us with light. When we grow weary and lose heart, turn our eyes back to You. Thank You for being the remedy for the poison of sin in our lives. Thank You for Your patience with us. It is because of You and Your name that we can pray these things. Amen.
-Leah

How the Snowpocalypse of 1850 Led to Spurgeon’s Conversion 164 Years Ago Today

As I write this, my heart is a little heavy. Maybe what I’m feeling can best be conveyed through an experience I had at work last year. I had forgotten it, but in the last few weeks, it popped into my mind as an illustration for what is on my heart.

I work for an educational publishing company and often communicate with school leaders in the planning of training for their teachers. Our customers include schools of every kind – from big public school districts to small private schools. Last summer, I received an email from the director of a private, Christian school. His name was James. He was responding to an email that I had sent him in error. My email should have been sent to the school principal, who coincidentally had the same last name, but whose first name was Jamie. I hadn’t realized they were two different people. In his email response, he berated me for not emailing the right person and for wasting his time with something that wasn’t his concern. It’s not that uncommon for me to receive an unkind email every now and then, but what made this time different was his closing. This particular email was signed “In Christ’s love, James _________,” title, school name, etc.

Funny. And sad. More sad than funny. An email that was so out of step with something Jesus would say, but signed in His Name. 

His Name. Jesus. Christ. Lord and Master. In His amazing grace, He has loved us, redeemed us, and let us carry His Name. We are called ‘Christians’. We are named after Him. And most likely, the people around us know that we carry that Name. We are called by His Name. We associate ourselves with Him. (Think of those silly t-shirts that say “I’m with ________.) I’m with Jesus.

How often do we stop to really think about what a responsibility that is? I’m carrying the Name of Jesus. I’m letting people know that I represent Him. That’s what name carrying is – it’s a representation of someone. Think about it. I grew up a Garrison. I carried that name, and my parents did a lot of work with me so that I could carry their name well. I represented them and their influence in my life. This is true for every Christian. We represent Christ and His influence in our lives.

The Apostle Paul told us in 2 Corinthians that we are letters read by all men. Let’s check those verses out –

“You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3, ESV)

Do our letters accurately represent the signature they carry? Are we behaving in ways that are consistent with how Jesus taught us to live? Or are we like that email, venting our anger, pride, bitterness, etc.? The book of James issues a similar challenge –

“For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:7-10, ESV)

What I have seen lately on social media concerns me. I see strife, contention, bitterness, pride, and even hatred. That wouldn’t be as surprising or disheartening if it were coming from unbelievers, but I have seen it from people who are carrying the Name of Christ. This makes my heart hurt. I agree with James. My brothers and sisters, these things ought not to be so. Has it become okay for political views to rise above the call to love and humility we find in the Bible? Have we lost our love for the lost and replaced it with a passion for our agenda? Are we filling the world around us with our opinions no matter the cost and then signing the letter of our lives with ‘In Christ’s love’? 

There is a message by Damaris Carbaugh that was given at Revive Our Hearts’ Revive 2017 conference that I love. (The link is below. It’s a 20-minute video and worth your time to watch if you are so inclined.) In it, she talks about how when we misrepresent Jesus, we are really slandering Him. We are lying to others about His character. I remember the first time I heard this message. I was driving to work, and I cried the whole way there. Why? Because I have done that very thing. I have not always represented Jesus well to those around me. I have blurted out my frustration, vented my impatience, belittled people, etc. Those things do not accurately represent the heart of Jesus. My tears that day were tears of repentance. I find myself in that place over and over again, thankful that when I confess my sin, God is faithful and just not just to forgive me of my sin, but to cleanse me of all my unrighteousness.

I would like to share with you these verses from the Apostle Paul –

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 1:1-3, ESV)

In a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. Interestingly enough, that word ‘called’ has this definition in Strong’s Concordance – to receive the name of, to give some name to one, to bear a name. Paul is telling us here to be careful to walk in a manner worthy of the Name by which we are called. How do we do that? With all humility, with gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, with an eagerness to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Oh, how we need God’s help to live this out! My challenge for all of us this week is  to be mindful that we are representing Christ with our lives, whether accurately or inaccurately. When we misrepresent Him, let’s confess that (and even fix it if we can) and run to the cross with repentant hearts. Let’s be careful about what we choose to post on social media with an understanding that other people are reading the letter of our lives. Let’s live this week with our hearts seeking FIRST God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, and let’s not let ourselves get swept away in controversies that are secondary. Let’s endeavor to lift high the Name by which we have been saved, the Name above every other name.

Jesus, we love Your Name. Yours is the Name that has saved us, and no other Name is as precious as Yours. Please forgive us for the times when we have misrepresented You or made others think less of you because of our words and actions. We know that we need the help of the Holy Spirit to enable us to walk in a manner worthy of Your Name. Please empower us to be humble, gentle, patient, forbearing, and passionate about maintaining unity and peace. Please help us to be quick to see it when we fall short, and give us repentant hearts. Do Your good work in us, and help us not to be so tangled up in the affairs of this world that we miss what is most important to You. Let the world around us know that we are Christians by the love we are displaying for one another. May You increase, and may we become less. Amen.

-Dana