My sister was two, my mom was painting the trim in the living room, we had hardwood floors. Oh yes she did! Haven't you always wanted to walk barefooted on a hardwood floor after you just stepped in a gallon of fresh white paint? I have! And...my sister Stephanie did! How do you think my mom felt when she walked into the living and found a perfect path of white little feet meandering around the house? Furious, frustrated, or leaping for joy? If you were my mom, what would you do with your two year old daughter: Lock her in the closet, make her sleep under the stairs like Harry Potter, or reward her with a lifetime supply of chocolate? I think the more significant question is this: Was my sister's paint walk done out of a rebellious heart or was it caused by the normal curiosity and rambunctiousness that is part of a two year old's playful mind? How you answer that really matters. If you think it is rebelliousness, which sadly some parents would, then it needs to be immediately and sternly punished. I have heard of parents spanking children for some of the most innocent acts like picking a daisy out of the garden or sticking their finger in a bowl of freshly stirred pancake batter. If you realize curiosity and rambunctiousness is how God hardwired two year olds, then a good mom should realize that and not freak out in uncontrollable rage when they see the trail of white that is left behind by two little feet. If they only could see past the mess and look at how cute their two year old's feet are in white paint, they may even be able to flash a smile. An open bucket of white paint with no adults around is like waving a piece of cheese in front of a hungry mouse - - you can't expect them to do anything different. So mom, lighten up! A young man has tattoos, he hasn't been to church in years, he sits in the back pew, the preacher takes to his pulpit with a look of stern certainty and fire. Oh yes he did! If you were a preacher, wouldn't you want to let the tattooed rebel have it? Don't you think it would feel good to just let the full barreled gospel with all of its wrath and burning coals come thundering down off the pulpit like thunder off a mountain? How else is a pastor supposed to feel when young men and women are dressing like slobs, getting tattoos, and running with their mischievous friends on the streets? If you were a pastor or a church leader, what would you do with nasty rotten sinners: Kick them out on the street, make them cut their hair and wear dresses and ties before they come back in, or reward them with a lifetime supply of eternal grace? I think the more significant question is this: Was the young man getting tattoos to make the pastor and God mad out of a rebellious heart, or was it because before anyone meets Christ they live in the normal brokenness and blindness that has affected us all? How you answer that really matters. If you think it is rebelliousness to wear tattoos, jeans, and adopt the cultural trends and tastes around you, which sadly many church people and pastors do, then it needs to be condemned and denounced with blazing rhetoric from the pulpit. I have heard of pastors calling out people for some of the most innocent acts like wearing shorts in church, drinking a beer with a friend, watching a movie with their non-Christian friend, and even getting a tattoo. If you realize that living by cultural trends and joining in with the current culture is how broken and blind people normally act outside of Christ, then a good Christian should know this and not freak out in judgmental anger when they see a person acting like a normal person. If they only could see past the mess and look at how that person is loved by God and can be used by God, they may even be able to talk to them and eventually like them! A world offering carnal delights with friends and the media encouraging personal indulgence and hedonism are to be expected. So pastors and people of God, lighten up! Start loving people where they are at.
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I love the Bible, I really do; but sometimes it sticks it's nose into areas of my life that I don't quite like. It gets too personal and exposes areas that I want to keep private, thank you very much! I don't mind it at all when the Bible explains to me that it is by faith I am saved, or tells me how the heavens declare the glory of God. I love the swashbuckling stories of David, and the lyrical poetry of his Psalms. I am often held spell-bound as I read the life of Jesus in the gospels, and anxious for Paul as he is thrown in jail again and again in the book of Acts. I even like wrestling with the theological paradox of God's Sovereignty vs. Man's Free Will that is scattered throughout all of scripture. But if you look closely, hidden in the dark recesses of the New Testament, there are some awfully knit-picky and pesky passages; when after reading them I feel rather offended and upset by what scripture wants from me. I want to raise my fist in rebellion after I read what the Bible commands me to do. Can't the apostles leave well enough alone? I don't like it at all when they expect me to actually keep a tight rein on my tongue, or demand that I watch over my thoughts with vigilant care. They even have the nerve to tell me where and with whom I can sleep with! But the one area in particular that seems like they have no business getting into, that should be completely off limits, concerns my everyday work-a-day world. What I do from 9-5, and how I do it, should not be any of God's business. How can he expect me to be a spiritual man during those boring, mundane, frustrating, and soul-killing hours of the day? It seems like when it comes to the area of work, he asks too much. For instance: * 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells me that "whatever I do, do it all for the glory of God." How can flipping burgers be done for God? And not just that, but this verse makes it sound like I need to work hard all the time - - that would completely spoil the fun of calling in sick when I want to go fishing. Talk about a buzz kill. * 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 says I should be content with living a peaceful and quiet life, and I should enjoy simply "working with my hands." B-o-r-i-n-g! What happen to drive, ambition, making a name for myself, and wanting to be famous? Oh no, work hard and be boring. No wonder the Bible was loved by the rich land owners back in the 14th and 15th Centuries, it was a great whip to keep the peasants in-line: "Work hard you rabble, that is your lot, and there you will stay - - so says God!" But the one verse that is like a complete punch in the gut, where I know I have every right to be offended by, is 2 Thessalonians 3:10. Just listen to it and you will see what I mean: "For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule (command): 'If a man will not work, he shall not eat.'" Am I supposed to take this serious? I live in a country that takes pride in not asking people to work. Is it wrong to want to be laid off so I can collect un-employment and enjoy my long winters hunting and driving my RV down to Florida? Why get a job when the only ones available are so beneath me? God cares about our work, he really does. In fact, our work is the primary way God wants to reveal himself and bless others through our life. How you work, and the attitude you take in your work, speaks volumes to a watching world. I really think Christianity has gotten it all wrong for the past 100 years. We have separated evangelism from everyday life. We think "outreaches and evangelist crusades" are the only way to convince people God exists. The truth is, a person who works hard, finds great delight in even doing the mundane tasks, who provides excellent workmanship, knowledge and skill on the job is declaring the greatness of God. I once was told, "As Christians God has given us his grace so we can do 'Humble jobs with dignity and dignified jobs with humility.'" Maybe people are not interested in Jesus because most Christians are just as miserable to work with as the average guy? They are just as lazy and critical? They are looking for a handout just as much as the next guy? I even think it is worse than that: I have found Non-Christians often work harder and find delight in what they are doing while many Christians are just waiting to be rescued by the rapture while their work slips because they see no use in it. You want to be a witness for Jesus and a blessing to others? Work hard, even when no one is watching. And if you do, God will use you! |
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