Eritheia

In my quiet time the other day, I came across the passage in Galatians 5:20, which mentions the acts of the flesh. For your reference, here's the NIV version:

¹⁹ 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.

As I was studying this scripture, I recalled some time ago reading in one translation something phrased much differently than the NIV version. Of course, things get lost in translations, and a lot of it is left up to the interpretation of the translators. The Living Bible used the phrase " the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group."

Having remembered that, I decided to investigate with my handy Bible app called the Blue Letter Bible. (BLB is a tool that utilizes concordances and other sources to help dig a bit deeper into scripture.) The word that I came up with was eritheia.  

Strong's Concordance defines it as this:

1) electioneering or intriguing for office

1a) apparently, in the NT a courting distinction, a desire to put one' s self forward, a partisan and fractious spirit which does not disdain low arts
1b) partisanship, fractiousness

In this hyper-partisan age, I find it dangerous that we're not willing to attack the seed of dissent that has easily been sown in our churches. Some of the most contentious bickering has come from people who claim to be believers.

I, too, have felt the pull of partisan politics in my life. In my chosen career field, I read about it daily. However, we're not called to be tools in a shouting match used by political parties to cast a divide across the country in order to gather votes and/or influence.

In fact, much of Galatians 5:19-20 describes the political climate in America. Discord, hatred, jealousy, factions, distension, selfish ambition — any of that sound familiar?

From personal experience, I'd like to run down the caveats of getting too involved in partisan politics:

• It takes our focus off Jesus and puts it on a political leader. Any time we put our hopes on a person and not on our Father, we commit idolatry. 
• We lose our joy. People and ideas often let us down. We can spend our lives hoping for a utopia that will never come, except from God. Besides, how can you tell people about the goodness of Christ if you're too worried about what the government is doing.
• We lose sight of our mission field. Everyone we come in contact is part of that field, whether they are liberal, conservative, gay, straight or any other group. If a person doesn't know Jesus, we should be focused on introducing them to Christ — not winning an argument. 

It's likely that in any situation, we can win an argument and lose our minds and souls in the process. To me, that's much too high of a price to pay. 

A backslider's story

It's been months since I've updated this blog.

It's not hard to see why most people don't bother. Life gets in the way. You don't have as much time. It's too hard to come up with something interesting.

For me, it's been about one thing: My wavering walk with Christ. You probably won't be shocked to find that most folks have a hard time maintaining a consistently close walk with their Savior. I, on the other hand, have found my walk rife with ups and downs.

A few months ago, I was in probably one of the steepest lows I've experienced since being a Christ follower — so low, in fact, that I contemplated taking my own life on several occasions. The reason I'm here means that God still has some work for me to do, and I'm thankful that He's been with me through this time.

In the middle of that, I no doubt caused many family and friends to have some sleepless nights. I could feel a lot of anger, frustration, insecurity, hopelessness and depression. I would often post on my Facebook wall how sick I was of life and how often I wish I would have the guts to simply "end it all." Friends and family called, but I really didn't want to talk to anyone.

Then the call came.

It was a family emergency so serious that it shook me to the core — something I could scarcely believe.
It would be logical to assume that a blow like that would be the one that did it for me. I would finally give up and take my own life. That didn't happen. At the point when that call came, it stopped being about me.

What changed?

My attitude changed. I had gone from bitter to believer once again. I realized if I was going to help my family get through this, I would have to man up. The only way I knew how is through my walk with Jesus.

Each time, I'm reminded of this scripture:

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4

That's about as simple as it gets. If you don't plug your TV into the electrical socket, it's not going to work. Stay away from the Source of life, and you can expect death.

Losing our walk with Christ is a lot like forgetting blog posts.

"I don't have time."

"I have too much on my mind to have to spend time with Him."

"But there's a great show on TV right now!"

"I'll do it later."

When later comes, you don't care anymore.

Our pastor often makes this statement, and I believe — through experience — that it's 100 percent true: If God seems far away, guess who moved. Jesus said he would never leave us or forsake us. If we don't feed our spiritual self, he dies. It reminds me of what Jesus said:

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4

Our walk with Jesus was never going to be easy, but we can rest assured that He won't drag us along if we're not willing to go.

Choosing not to perish

One scripture that keeps coming back to me is Proverbs 29:18: "Where there is no vision, the people perish ... ." In the original language, the word "perish" literally means "to cast off restraint." I think it's a good explanation for my rocky spiritual growth in the past 8 years.

It might be a large problem in a lot of our lives. A common meme in the church is that, "Man makes plans and God laughs." While man-made plans fail to meet God's standards, we often don't dig deep enough to find out what God's plans for our lives are. If we're not looking hard enough to discover what His purpose for our lives are, we're likely to "cast off restraint," because we see no point in our spiritual lives.

Jesus wasn't a guy who floated around like a leaf in the breeze; He knew what His purpose was. In Matthew 16, it says, " ... Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." He was predicting his own crucifixion. Peter, as we may know, rebuked Jesus, and Jesus responded with the famous line, "Get behind me, Satan!" Jesus knew what His mission was, and he wasn't going to let Peter's words derail it.

Every major company has a mission and vision statement. I doubt any successful people or companies succeed without a plan. In fact, we've seen how myopic planning has ruined the economy in the past few years.

I'm excited with what God's doing with my life, and I think he has some great plans for me. However, I need to stay in close fellowship with God to know where He wants me. He won't reveal all the details, but I know He won't keep me in the dark about everything. Only my inaction can do that.

Lowe's ad controversy

One news story's been a veritable buffet for thought lately. It concerns the retailer Lowe's and its decision to pull ads from a reality show called "All-American Muslim." If you're unfamiliar with this, the story is here.

Truthfully, my knee-jerk reaction was to support the decision by the retailer. Lowe's is a private business, and they have a right to advertise where they want. Also, non-Muslims face much worse persecution in Islamic countries. People of other faiths are treated as second-class citizens in these nations. Granted, there have been some incidents of persecution of Muslims in America since 9/11, but it can hardly be compared to what happens to religious minorities in Islamic countries. I also remember the anger and outrage I felt on 9/11 and how Osama bin Laden was honored like a rock star in some nations.

On the other hand, I question whether this is a godly attitude to have. Would Jesus — who asked us to pray for our enemies — approve? Is my pride and arrogance in the way? Is it right to hold a grudge against an entire group of people for the actions of a tiny minority? If we were to use that logic, then Christians would just as easily become pariahs. And if some groups are persecuted in Islamic countries, do we want to repay that evil in our own?

A few weeks ago, I watched the show. It was interesting to see how Muslims balance their religious practices in a Western society — and it showed that Muslims don't spend all their time plotting the destruction of America. Programs like this can help us grow in understanding and respect for other cultures and/or religions, even if we may not agree with them. After all, it's harder to hate someone if you get to know him.

As for those who disagree with this post, all I can say is read what Jesus said in Matthew 5:

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Also, what the apostle Paul said Ephesians 6:2:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

When we make enemies out of our neighbors, it makes it easier to push them from Christ — this is in direct opposition to the Great Commission. If we're kind only to those we agree with, does that show that we've been changed by Jesus? In the end, I want my life to be remember for what I loved, not what I hated.

The end is nigh?

Recently, I read a story about how in just 2011 alone, America had more billion-dollar natural disasters than in all the 1980s combined. Some attributed the freakish weather to man-made climate change. Other incidents were mere freak chance. Reading that story, I was reminded about how Jesus described the end times in Matthew 24:

⁶ "And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. ⁷ Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. ⁸ But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come."

Looking at the state of the world, I'm reminded that scripture proves itself to be true, even centuries after it was written. Of course, I don't look on these disasters flippantly. They're heartbreaking and frightening to see, much less experience, and the church needs to reach out and love those affected.

But it's not just the weather. If the past few years has taught me anything, it's that government and industry — the two systems that we've trusted in for centuries — make terrible gods. Even our love of religion has led us down a dark path. We're more dedicated to tradition than the Savior. And our foxholes of denominations and spiritual cliques seem to bind the hands of Christ.

I'm convicted that I don't make the Kingdom the highest priority in my life. I've floundered in my walk. I've shown a horrible example to the world. He needs hands and feet, and I just seem to be a hangnail. Jesus doesn't need pew potatoes; he needs holy warriors that will love radically. There are too many tares among the wheat already.

In the end, it's not about what type of church you go to (so long as the doctrine is sound, of course). It's about showing the love of Christ to a hurting world that will see a lot more pain in the coming years. Hope and change doesn't come from ourselves; it comes from above.

Promising too much?

I'm wading into piranha-infested waters, but I think this will be a subject where too many Christians (including me) lose focus. Politics, as Ronald Reagan said, was the world's second-oldest profession, bearing a strong resemblance to the first. In my quiet time the past few days, I've been reading the books of 1 & 2 Kings. One of the things that's always stuck out in those books was the spiritual lives of the kings. One king would do amazing things for God. Another would be so wicked that he would sacrifice his own children to idols. In the end, both the nations of Israel and Judah were plundered, and the people were sent into exile for their wickedness.

So what do ancient kings and modern-day politicians have in common? In the end, they'll let us down. In 2008, being duped into the "hope and change" meme, I thought Barack Obama would turn things around. Not to slam the president, but he was grossly overestimating his powers as commander in chief. The past three years has been a reality check for the nation. After January 2009, we still faced the same problems.

The GOP presidential candidates lately have made similar grandiose promises. Some would have us believe that they'll get the economy humming in a matter of months. Many of those candidates are tied to billionaire activists who are trying to get favorable legislation passed. I'm not holding my breath for great change on the Republican side.

To tie this together, I'm reminded that we'll always be let down by our leaders from time to time. Some presidents (or kings) can be great; some may be terrible. In the end, our hope isn't in a political party, but a Savior. Our hunger for a political savior runs deep. The apostles, when they were with Jesus, expected him to be a political messiah. In fact, when Jesus said he would have to die, Peter rebuked him! In the book of Judges God told the nation of Israel not to pine for a king, warning of numerous hardships that one would bring. God wanted to be their king!

I rarely see the fruits of the spirit when people start discussing politics. If most discussions degenerate into childish name-calling and insults, can it be of Christ? Can we trust a millionaire's club to have our best interests at heart? In the end, I know that our King is greater than our problems and fears. Jesus is the one that gets my vote.

Will Power and Self Control

Those are two guys that don't show up at my dinner table too often. In all honesty, I've realized that a lot of issues I have stem from my lack of both. Whether it's eating too much or spending too much money, I'm reminded that I definitely have issues to work out in this area of my life.

Recently, Proverbs 21:5 was brought up at church: "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." To me, this says that we need to have a plan and have the integrity to follow through with it. Conversely, it says that our haste (the New Living Translation uses the word "shortcut") can bring us down.

Looking at my life, I can see the damage that haste and poor planning has caused. It's not an easy or comfortable thing to bring up, but it's important to see where I've come from and where I'm going. Making sacrifices, planning a course and following through is a long journey. But it's one that I pray that God will let me make.