I turned 37 this year. I know a lot of people who have a problem with their age. By God's grace, it's never bothered me getting older. That may change in time, but at each birthday, I take some time to think back to what God has done in my life. This year, however, I got into a discussion with my kids about my childhood and what I liked/didn't like when I was there age. Did I fight with my brothers and sister? Did I get punished for being bad. But as we talked more and more, I began to think about the nostalgia of my childhood. Transformers (the real ones - not today's imposters), GI Joe, building forts, sledding with fam, playing b-ball from morning till night. And I thought about one of my favorite books (I've always been a HUGE reader). The choose your own adventure books. Maybe someone reading this will remember those. You would read a chapter and then make a choice of where the story went. Once you made the choice, you'd turn to a certain page and find out. After a few readings, the endings weren't a surprise. But if you had an imagination, it would be as much fun over and over again. I also remember those books eventually having a computer code you could enter and see graphics of the story...on our ultra powerful Apple 2e systems :)
As I thought of those books, I couldn't help but think about how the same thing happens in Christianity. But instead of a "choose your own adventure", we've gotten into a "choose your theology" trip. I read recently that Thomas Jefferson was known to go through his Bible and physically tear out the parts that he didn't like. And many do the same today.
2 Timothy 3 tells us that "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" It's not a mysterious verse. All Scripture is God breathed - means it came from his mouth! It means that the book we call the Bible is from God himself. Yes, it was written by different people, in different areas, many years apart. But the Lord has made it so that it flows together and supports itself in various places. It's even been proved historically that the events in Scripture actually occured. It's the only book in the world that proves itself to be true over and over again! And yet, we still treat it as a "choose your own adventure" book - we can alter the outcome of the story by choosing a different path.
I'm not perfect, and I hope I hope I never give the impression that I think I am. But one thing that I have never found myself questioning is the authenticity and reliability of Scripture. That has been a huge help in my walk with Christ, because I can honestly say that if it's against Scripture, then I want no part of it. That doesn't mean I don't sin or have struggles, it just means I can't use the "i didn't know any better" excuse.
This has bothered me for some time, but more so even now. I get to minister to some amazing teenagers at Grace. They're exciting, loving, and many of them are genuinely digging and searching the Word for answers to who God is and what He has for their lives. I love that, because they're not just taking my word, or their parents word, but they're reading and finding out for themselves. But what's been bothering me is that there are people out there, authors, tv preachers, and even some local who have decided to take this book and pull a Jefferson - cut out what they don't like. And that's become a cultural norm now, even within the Christian church. If a person wants be a homosexual, they just avoid the passages in Leviticus and 1 Corinthians. If a person has been burned by a pastor or church leader, it's easier to find a few passages, re-interpreting them, and then write about how the modern church is unGodly and how pastors aren't a true Biblical office. For those who want to live the way they want, without consequence, they find a few verses about "letting the Spirit lead" and head out. All of which is damaging and surely breaks the heart of God.
I would like to challenge anyone is these areas to simply sit down and read through the Word, as it's written. Don't try to look for some hidden meaning. Don't convince yourself that after thousands of years, you're going to find some new fact. Read it as God intended it to be read- as His love letter to us. Fall in love with the author, and the one who the story is written. As you're reading Scripture, let Scripture read you. Let it challenge you, confront you, upset you, calm you, encourage you, and inspire you. It will do all of these if we let it. The Bible is called a "double edged sword" so it can cut to the heart of us all, not to be used as a weapon for our own destructive motives.
God loves each of us, read His love letter and He'll prove it to you!
Selah
Monday, March 26, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Damage of anonymity
As I've grown in my walk with Christ, I've learned so much the hard way. Not because I'm not intelligent, but because I was pig-headed and stubborn. I'm a guy...and it's a typical guy stereotype to be stubborn. Normally, I'd be the first to argue with the "all guys are..." statement, but I know I fall into this category. So why argue :)
But there is one thing that I truly have a problem with. It's a disease that does nothing but cause pain and trouble. It's deadly to any situation and to any relationship. Anonymity. When we say things but don't want to own up to it. If not careful, it can destroy. Over the past couple of years, I've gotten several anonymous letters in the mail. And none of them positive. They've been critical, accusatory, mocking, blaming, and hurtful. It's hard to digest someone disliking/distrusting you so much that they're not even willing to talk to you personally. Obviously, those types of letters are just out to cheap shot the one the letters are addressed to.
The same applies for verbal issues. If you have to start a sentence with "I need to tell you something about someone but you can't tell them I told you", then you're going down a slippery slope. You're setting up the conversation to go in an ungodly direction. I'm not talking about confidentiality. As a pastor on a large church staff, I realize that there are things that have to be kept confidential. It's one thing for me to speak to a fellow staff member about a situation, to get prayer or wisdom. It's another for me to talk to another staff member about a problem I have with someone else. The sum that up in one word - GOSSIP.
If you want to be a person of character and Spirit-led, and you have an issue with someone or something someone said, address it with them. No go through back channels, shadows, or late phone calls and tell others what's going on. Go to the person first....tell them what your upset about. Deal with them face to face!! I've compiled this list below
5 Things to do to avoid gossip
1) Mind your own business: We don't do ourselves any good by jumping into situations that don't involve us. If someone comes to you for help, help them. Encourage them, challenge them. Deal with the situation they're asking about and then let it go. When we step into things that don't involve us, uninvited, we're bound to step in it (do I need to explain what "it" is? ;)
2) Shut down gossip when it comes to you: If someone comes to you with a "keep this anonymous" comment, stop it dead in it's tracks. You won't be held accountable for what happens after that, unless you participate in the gossip. Challenge the person to go to the other and discuss the issue. Matthew 17 clearly states how things like this should be handled. I believe even if a gossip isn't saying it to us, even if we just overhear it, we should take action to confront them. Colossians 3:16 tells us to use Scripture to admonish each other. I'm not saying slam them against the wall, but challenge them and "confront" them about their sin.
3) Don't be afraid to ask for help: especially if you attend a solid church, ask a pastor to guide you and help. If you come across gossip and aren't sure what to do, ask for help. But remember - you're asking for help with an issue, not spreading the information to another person.
4) Be above reproach: handle things in a way that no one can come back and say you're lying, you manipulated the situation, etc. Be honest and be clear. The more we do this, the less likely gossips will come looking for you.
5) Shine a light on to everything! If the gossip is about you, don't keep it hidden. Go to the people involved and get it out in the open right away. The minute we say to anyone "we can't say who said this...", we're tiptoeing the line between confidentiality and contributing to the problem. It's a hard place for any person to be, but it's under this type of pressure where our growth can happen.
In ministry, anonymous letters, emails, blogs, FB posts, tweets, calls, discussions, etc. are very common. I'm on staff at a large church so sometimes they seem to happen more than you'd like. When these have happened to me, it was like a kick in the gut. The first time just about ripped my heart out. As each one has come, I've begun to just toss them out without reading them. I was reminded of the damage this does recently as I've spoken to someone who's having this done to them - gossiping about to those close to them.
I'm begging anyone who might be reading, and challenging myself every day, to deal with people face to face. If you have an issue, talk to them. If someone has a problem with you, go to them to get it straightened out. If you hear gossip, take the intiative and shut it down. Unity is so important...don't let the enemy destroy that because of a few comments.
Selah....
But there is one thing that I truly have a problem with. It's a disease that does nothing but cause pain and trouble. It's deadly to any situation and to any relationship. Anonymity. When we say things but don't want to own up to it. If not careful, it can destroy. Over the past couple of years, I've gotten several anonymous letters in the mail. And none of them positive. They've been critical, accusatory, mocking, blaming, and hurtful. It's hard to digest someone disliking/distrusting you so much that they're not even willing to talk to you personally. Obviously, those types of letters are just out to cheap shot the one the letters are addressed to.
The same applies for verbal issues. If you have to start a sentence with "I need to tell you something about someone but you can't tell them I told you", then you're going down a slippery slope. You're setting up the conversation to go in an ungodly direction. I'm not talking about confidentiality. As a pastor on a large church staff, I realize that there are things that have to be kept confidential. It's one thing for me to speak to a fellow staff member about a situation, to get prayer or wisdom. It's another for me to talk to another staff member about a problem I have with someone else. The sum that up in one word - GOSSIP.
If you want to be a person of character and Spirit-led, and you have an issue with someone or something someone said, address it with them. No go through back channels, shadows, or late phone calls and tell others what's going on. Go to the person first....tell them what your upset about. Deal with them face to face!! I've compiled this list below
5 Things to do to avoid gossip
1) Mind your own business: We don't do ourselves any good by jumping into situations that don't involve us. If someone comes to you for help, help them. Encourage them, challenge them. Deal with the situation they're asking about and then let it go. When we step into things that don't involve us, uninvited, we're bound to step in it (do I need to explain what "it" is? ;)
2) Shut down gossip when it comes to you: If someone comes to you with a "keep this anonymous" comment, stop it dead in it's tracks. You won't be held accountable for what happens after that, unless you participate in the gossip. Challenge the person to go to the other and discuss the issue. Matthew 17 clearly states how things like this should be handled. I believe even if a gossip isn't saying it to us, even if we just overhear it, we should take action to confront them. Colossians 3:16 tells us to use Scripture to admonish each other. I'm not saying slam them against the wall, but challenge them and "confront" them about their sin.
3) Don't be afraid to ask for help: especially if you attend a solid church, ask a pastor to guide you and help. If you come across gossip and aren't sure what to do, ask for help. But remember - you're asking for help with an issue, not spreading the information to another person.
4) Be above reproach: handle things in a way that no one can come back and say you're lying, you manipulated the situation, etc. Be honest and be clear. The more we do this, the less likely gossips will come looking for you.
5) Shine a light on to everything! If the gossip is about you, don't keep it hidden. Go to the people involved and get it out in the open right away. The minute we say to anyone "we can't say who said this...", we're tiptoeing the line between confidentiality and contributing to the problem. It's a hard place for any person to be, but it's under this type of pressure where our growth can happen.
In ministry, anonymous letters, emails, blogs, FB posts, tweets, calls, discussions, etc. are very common. I'm on staff at a large church so sometimes they seem to happen more than you'd like. When these have happened to me, it was like a kick in the gut. The first time just about ripped my heart out. As each one has come, I've begun to just toss them out without reading them. I was reminded of the damage this does recently as I've spoken to someone who's having this done to them - gossiping about to those close to them.
I'm begging anyone who might be reading, and challenging myself every day, to deal with people face to face. If you have an issue, talk to them. If someone has a problem with you, go to them to get it straightened out. If you hear gossip, take the intiative and shut it down. Unity is so important...don't let the enemy destroy that because of a few comments.
Selah....
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