Well we’re in Wyoming now and I find this tragic demise of Nutella on the road side…may it rest in peace! Speaking of peace the mountains appear to be bleeding red from the rich red soil and the mountains just seem to jut up out of nowhere as it attempts to kiss the open blue sky. Talk about getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city…well here we are.
I buried a man today
Ten years my junior
Stark, the room
Cold the assurances
As the fragile breath
Sighed no more.
Sleek alabaster carpets
With leaves enwrapped
As if half in protection
Coddled close the precious
Tight.
Solemn the day light slipped
Past windows half closed
Curtains half drawn
Yet unnoticed, we bid farewell.
Sorrow, this despised guest,
Beckoned us to come
And with eyes
heavy with mourning
We duly obliged.
Yet as prayer and song
Evaporated past these lobby doors
I swear I saw him there
Glimpsing one last time
At what he missed,
He nodded to me
Seeing me there…
and i knew that
The sunset was not
too far
Behind.
We utter agreements to work together. We vow to ‘come along side one another’. But are all these promises false? Are we faking it ? I’m speaking to fellow pastors and church members. Do we really intend to support each other even if we don’t belong to the same denomination or brick and mortar church?
It seems all too often that we are so preoccupied with what we are doing in our ministries that we do not have time to support the greater ecclesia. We have our heads down and we are plodding onward completely oblivious that there are other Christians in our own community struggling and in need of Christian fellowship and support.
Is this what Christ had in mind when He prayed to the Father “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:20-21 I don’t think this is what Christ had in mind at all. In fact I believe that He is greatly saddened by our separation from one another.
Conversely then, if we are called His bride, we the church, how can we justify the sheep stealing that takes place among churches? Are we in competition with one another? Has it become strictly about who has the most congregants in the pews? Will God, one day reward us in heaven for the amount of sheep we have stolen from another flock? NO! I’ve literally seen the smirks and pride on the faces of some pastors when they compare their churches. This ought not be!!! I have witnessed the arrogance of some who look down on smaller congregations simply because of their size of memberships. This cannot exist in the body of Christ! I am not saying this because I grew up in small congregations and also now pastor one. I’m saying this because when we start comparing our church flocks and when we start looking down our noses at other Christians we allow sin and pride into our midst. After all didn’t Jesus say; “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45 (NIV)
Pastors, stop acting prideful of your accomplishments. Stop comparing yourselves with what other churches are doing and looking down your noses at smaller congregations. Don’t let pride seep into who God has call His body to be. Congregations stop trying to be better than the church down the street. Stop wearing a fake front in order to impress and steal congregational members from other churches! You are hurting the body of Christ!
Is this an indictment on the Western Church? Perhaps. But am I to judge? It’s not my place to throw blame anywhere, I’m just as guilty as the next pastor is. But what I am saying is beware, be careful pastors and church members! Satan would love nothing more than to tear you down with your pride and arrogance so that you resemble more of the world and less like Christ. Watch out, because he would love nothing more than to destroy our fellowship of believers!
God’s Bride needs to stop comparing. She needs to stop the sheep stealing and competing with itself. We cannot act like the world because we are made for so much more than this. We are to reflect the very heart of Christ…and if we aren’t then we either need to readjust our course or be prepared to face His displeasure and judgement.
I admit it, I’m in a bad mood. I’ve just grabbed my soap box and I plan to stand on it for a moment or two. I have a confession to make. I hate child stars and child actors. But let me clarify. It’s not specifically the person I hate, it’s what these networks which are cash cows hell bent on their endless cravings of greed have done to them. I hate the system. I hate the build up of these children, as the television, movie and music industries exploit and seemingly pimp out these young stars and bleed them dry of their lives. These industries commercialize and exploit young children and their families. Brainwashing happens…not like it’s done in the espionage world but these kids are taught at a young age that appearance is everything. They are told in so many words “don’t get fat”, “look your best”, and you’ll make us money. Parents and the child stars are sucked into these lifestyles and the industry works these children to either an early grave from drugs or suicide or until they grow up, grow old, get in trouble with the law and lose their ‘shine’.
Far too many of these ‘pop tart’ stars are milled out every year as the ‘next big thing’ and our children are subjected to these standards of acceptance and perception of perfection. I’m sick and tire of it. I can’t tell how much it grinds on me to see former child stars like Miley Cyrus and Lindsey Lohan flop around on music videos flaunting their half naked selves in order to break the ‘childhood star perceptions. I can’t tell you how much it annoys me that some of these stars who have lost the lime light claw and scratch for any sort of media attention even to the extremes of partying, rehab and arrests.
It is a sad, vicious cycle of self deprecation, egotistical flaunts and greed. What makes it even worse is that our children look up to these stars. They’re in some ways peers to our children. Turn on the t.v. and they are there, front and center. Perhaps it’s time to turn off the television. To stop supporting these networks that pimp out child stars upon the public stage.
I’m so sick and tired of hearing about the latest childhood star who was found dead. When will these networks be held responsible for the monsters that they have created? When will we reach a point where people will wake up and discover the acting lifestyle with its glitz and glamour has a dark and twisted underbelly?
I’m almost ready to come down from my soapbox…almost. But look at the victims of these industries for a moment with me, and this is just a tip of the iceberg:
Corey Haim: (December 23, 1971 – March 10, 2010)
80’s child actor who starred in many box office hits but struggled with drug addiction and the pressures of performing successfully. Though his death was ruled accidental overdoes he fought his demons of Hollywood.
River Phoenix (August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993) He died on a sidewalk outside a nightclub of a drug overdose. He also starred in movie hits as a child actor and ironically enough was even a spokesperson for an anti-drug campaign shortly before his death.
Heath Ledger: (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) Heath was a child star from Australia who started off on television and became world famous actor. He wasn’t much of a chronic but drug user but struggled with sickness and sleeplessness and overdosed on medications.
Cory Monteith (May 11, 1982 – July 13, 2013)
Star of t.v.’s hit show ‘Glee’, Cory Died after failing to stay in rehab and overdosed on drugs.
Amy Winehouse: (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011)
Drug overdose
Jonathan Brandis (April 13, 1976 – November 12, 2003)
Child star in movies such as Sidekicks, Neverending Story and tv shows like Seaquest. He discovered acting to be very difficult as an adult, dealt with bouts of depression and heavy drinking. Gone too soon, died of at his own hand -suicide.
Dana Plato (November 7, 1964 – May 8, 1999)
Suicide.
Lee Thomas Young
(February 1, 1984 – August 18, 2013) -Suicide.
There so many more that could be listed here. Some died from drug and alcohol overdoses, others vehicular accidents, and still others suicide and murder.
I recognize there are many choices that people make. I recognize that not every child actor ends up this way. But seriously the statistics of drug overdose or suicide are so much higher with former child stars than any other demographic. What does this teach our children, what does this teach us of our culture today? We live in a very fickle world where beauty and popularity lasts mere moments and then it’s gone. Do we allow culture to teach our kids, do we allow it to replace us as the parent or the teacher or the guardian? We are our children’s parents, our child’s role models, we are their instructors in this life. Step up and act like it.
Ok…now I’m stepping off of my soapbox for a while.
Luke 5:16 (ASV)
But he withdrew himself in the deserts, and prayed.
Apathy is the death of man’s spiritual relationship with God. It happens when we stop caring, or find ourselves at a point in our lives where we are unfeeling. Have you been there before? It can be both terrifying and silent because we are often very good at faking it. We are often quite good at acting the part even when the heart isn’t in it.
I don’t mean to cast any doubts your way today or cause you to feel down…because there is hope in all of this! Sometimes this pathway of apathy leads directly to the wilderness. What do I mean by the wilderness? I don’t mean an empty lonely place full of strife and pain. When I say wilderness I am implying that there are times in which God is longing for us to draw closer to Him. If we are aware of this apathetic pathway we can take steps in the right direction.
Why did God lead His people into the wilderness in the first place? Through this dry and thirsty place God showed His chosen ones how they could fully rely on Him. He was present for them. He was (and still is) in love with His people. When they were in this barren wilderness the total acknowledgement that they needed help became completely apparent. Stepping onto this pathway of apathy is dangerous, but it can also lead us back to the wilderness and back to a right relationship with God.
Are you unfeeling today? Are you simply going through the motions in life right now? Sure the routine is somewhat rewarding but somehow you’ve lost that passion you once had. Perhaps it’s time to take a step into the wilderness once again and get reconnected with the Almighty. Apathy might be the death of man’s spiritual relationship with God…but it doesn’t have to be!
Taking time to stand before God without distractions of all kinds is absolutely necessary! If Jesus had to get away and commune with the Father what makes us think that we can simply ‘go it alone’? The truth of the matter is we cannot! The wilderness is calling…will you go? Will you take the time that your spirit and heart crave? Will you sacrifice some of your schedule in this day and give it completely to God so that He has your undivided attention? It’s not so much for His benefit but rather completely for our benefit and His renewal that we do this.
Go into your wilderness and meet with The Father, and over time you will find that every motion your body makes, every schedule that you keep matters to Him as well. He wants to be included in it all, He wants you to bring glory to Him in all things. But it begins with our time in the wilderness before Him.
A friend of mine reminded me recently that sometimes it takes a village to raise a child. And at times, dare I say, the village is better than the parent. Sometimes if the village wasn’t there the child would have a tougher path to walk.
What can the village (which is the church, neighbors, friends, family, teachers, Sunday school teachers…etc) do to help the child and the family? Dare I say that the village is vital. In fact the village is a necessary component to the parent!
What can the village do?:
1. Listen:
Be a listening ear to children. As mentioned in the first part of this conversation, sometimes a child’s home life isn’t the best. Perhaps their parents really suck at being parents. Perhaps there’s substance abuse at home. A lot takes place behind closed doors. To be a supportive village one has to be a good listener, in order to be a good listener one has to be available. Don’t just offer random advice to children who come to you, but actively engage in listening. Sometimes it’s not what the child is saying that speaks the loudest. Be sensitive but listen. I recall having numerous conversations with my Grandmother who was always a wonderful listener. Children growing up need this kind of support as well!
2. Engage and Challenge:
There were times when I was growing up that I would more readily listen to a teacher or a Sunday School teacher say something that my parents had been saying for years. Why is it that our children will actually hear it from an outsider or one of the ‘villagers’ before they will hear it from the parent? For whatever reason this is true. As a member of the village sometimes parents need you to reinforce what they’ve already been saying for it to finally click with the child. Be an engager with the children you have the opportunity to instruct. Challenge them, remind them of how to live consistently and faithfully. What you say, at times, carries more weight with a child than what their parents have already said. These children need to hear godly instruction and see consistency in you as well!
3. Safe Harbor
By this I mean, be the safe zone for the children in your ‘village’ that you have the opportunity to minister to. Have an open door policy. Let them know that though you’re not their parents you accept them for who they are and you will be there for them. Being there for a child is sometimes all that they need! It’s not that their parents are bad or abusive but rather it’s a place to come to get away from their parents and you have an opportunity to instruct and further develop them. Every child needs a safe harbor that they can go.
4. Pray for them.
People even members of the ‘village’ often underestimate the power of prayer. Prayer is a primary weapon not a secondary weapon. Use it. Let the child know that you are praying for them and allow them to share with you prayer concerns. Also this is a wonderful teaching opportunity that you have to instruct them as to how to pray. So not only are you actively engaging in prayer for them but you are showing them how to pray as well. This will further develop the child in the ways of God…which are vital for adulthood.
5. Visit their homes, befriend their parents
To be an engaged village one has to have a connection to the families. Be proactive in going to the homes of the children you are collectively raising. Get to know the parents for a couple of reasons. 1) so that you can understand better the child and 2) so that you can understand the parents and their style of parenting. Great things come of fellowship in the home setting. It’s a place where guards are let down and real connections are made. As a member of the ‘village’ you are only as engaging as how deep or shallow your connection with the family is. Meet the parents, understand what they are going through. Get to know if they are working 80 hour weeks and need some help to care for their kids. Get to understand the family dynamics and look for ways to come along side them on this journey.
Parents need you! The village is vital! Don’t let the parents or the children take advantage of you though, be wise while at the same time be available.
Sometimes it’s spoken out of anger. Other times it’s spoken out of selfishness. Many times it’s spoken because forethought wasn’t given. Let’s just lay it out there…sometimes parenting sucks. We, as wanna be parents, sometimes we completely and totally suck at it. There I’ve said it. Now that we are all on the same page let’s move on.
Yesterday we explored what parents should be saying to their children. Today let’s explore the things parents should not say to their children. I have a confession to make too. At times I have been guilty of saying the wrongs things to my children, so what I am writing right now comes from my own experience as a father of four beautiful children.
Here are a few things parents should avoid saying to our kids:
1. “I don’t have time right now.”
I’ve said this phrase, I was busy doing work and barely looked up at my child who was holding up a picture that they had drawn. They wanted to show me and I was so consumed with what I was doing that I uttered this phrase. When I realized what I had done I hugged my child and apologized. When we utter a phrase such as this what many children hear isn’t that we don’t have time right now but rather we don’t have time for them. It’s most likely unintentional and yes we all work and are busy, but be careful how you share your busy-ness with your child. Don’t utter something like this with frustrated exhalations don’t let them think that they are less important than the work you do. Your kids and your spouse are your first priorities after God.
2. “I Don’t Care”
This goes in step with the last one, but be mindful of how you express your frustrations with your children. When conversations or actions get out of hand parents, we can’t stoop to the child’s level and tell them like a friend “I don’t care!” We might do that with our words and even with our non-verbal communication of body language. Be careful how you express yourself and in how you conduct your body language. Your child needs your support in this world that seems to care less and less for the individual. You have to be a source of hope, love and acceptance with your children. Try not to utter “I don’t care” if at all possible, because in all likelihood you really do care so tell them that.
3. “Shut Up!”
This is a banned word in our household. It’s obviously impolite to say to one another and with it there is a sense that what a person says doesn’t matter. In the heat of an argument or a disagreement be mindful that words can hurt. ‘Shut up’ is one of those words. Parents, I know we want to hear from our children…and then there are times that we wished our children would be quiet. Select better words to say to rear your children other than ‘shut up’. It is not only rude but it carries with it a hostile approach which can be taken to mean what you have to say even outside of this argument is less important than what I have to say. We may feel that way in the heat of the moment, but we want to give value to our children don’t we? We want them to know that as they grow and mature what they have to say is important.
4. “I hate you!”
You may not even know you’ve said this phrase. In fact you may not have said it in so many words, yet your child has interpreted what you have said to mean ‘I hate you!‘ In the heat of anger you may say things like “I am extremely disappointed in you” or “How could you do such a thing“, or “I can’t even talk to you right now“. Kids sometimes misinterpret our anger and what we are saying to mean that they are despised and hated. Make sure you measure your disappointment and your anger with them. Let them know that what you are disappointed in are poor choices not your child. Help them understand that they are loved. Don’t for a moment allow them to think that you hate them. I know we as parents we don’t obviously hate our children but sometimes in the way that we act or conduct ourselves our children can interpret it to mean that they are hated.
5. “Why can’t you be like your brother or sister?”
Every child is unique and different. If you have more than one child it may be very tempting to compare them with one another…don’t do it! If every child is unique and different why in the world would you want your other children to become the same? We get frustrated with our kids, I know that to be true. Yet don’t let them think that you favor one over another. Don’t ask them “why can’t you be like your brother or sister?” What can happen is that the child you are talking to can become convinced that their identity is wrong or they begin to question if they are good enough. Young children even up to teenagers are still unsure of who they are. When we compare them we are in a way validating in them that their identity is in some way wrong. God made your child very uniquely, yes discipline them but don’t compare them. Make sure they feel your love and acceptance and help them to craft their God given identities into adulthood.
What am I saying?
Love your kids. Hug em. Don’t miss opportunities to teach them because you’re busy. Make sure your body language and your attitudes aren’t in conflict with what your mouth is saying. You have children who are like mold-able clay you can either help them become a beautiful vessel that God can use or you can dismiss them and let the world mold them. Be the best parent you can be and be mindful of what you say to your children. Also let them know that you’re not super parent, and you do make mistakes. Own up to those mistakes so that they can also see how to act and respond in maturity to missteps and mistakes of their own. Parenting isn’t easy, we will suck at it from time to time, but be encouraged we can do this!
Like it or not our culture and society is progressing. Progressing where, well that remains to be seen. But if the trends are any indicators where we’re going may not look so good. I don’t mean to sound all ‘doom and gloom’ here but what exactly are parents teaching their kids these day? And on the flip-side what are they not saying to their kids?
History Lesson:
How and who teaches our kids makes a world of difference. Don’t believe me? The Warlords in Africa understand this notion. Why do you think they abduct young boys and recruit them for their armies? He who controls the youth controls the next generation. Right or wrong (and that last example is most definitely wrong) the principle is still constant and true. Who is responsible for instructing the youth of our next generation? The Parents!!! But what are the parents not saying any longer?
Here’s a list of a few things they aren’t saying:
1. NO!
Discipline has become inconsistent at best. Children are allowed to do more, stay up later, eat whatever they want and parents aren’t telling their children ‘NO’. Let me make a confession. As a parent of four children I think I know a little bit about kids. And if we as parents don’t tell them no when we know what is best for them they will begin to craft their own ideals and notions of right and wrong. I am the parent! You are the parent and we have to set boundaries for our children especially when they are young and in the formative stages of life! I’m not saying it’s too late for teenagers if you’ve never said ‘no’ to your child, but much of a child’s understanding of right and wrong begins when they are young. Say no, not just to say it, but when it applies to situations and circumstances that may endanger your child, when they act up or push the boundaries…have the guts to be consistent and say no. There are far too many lazy parents in our world today who just don’t have the time to tell their children no. Be a better parent than that!
2. Wait!
We live in a fast paced, fast food society. Everything is based on instant gratification. But what is that teaching our children? Good things don’t come to those who wait, no good things come to those who get it now! Whatever ‘it’ is get it, why wait? This applies to purchasing items that are beyond our financial means, eating foods in over indulgence, and even sexual pursuits. Parents, we have got to step up to the plate and tell our children to wait! Don’t let them make decisions based on what their friends are doing or what modern media is telling them is okay. Have ‘the talk’ with them. Get involved in their lives and remind them that God does have a plan for their lives…and some of it involves waiting.
3. I love you
Let me be clear on this point, many parents are saying the words ‘I love you’ but they’re not backing it up with action. If you love your child don’t just say it be involved in their lives, actually listen to them as they share with you their day. Be available to them so that they have someone to come and talk to. They say body language is sometimes more important than actual verbal language at times. So put the tablet, cell phone, or laptop down and actually make eye contact with your child! Let them know that you love them by paying attention to them! Parents we cannot afford to be selfish when it comes to sharing our love with our kids. We only have them for 18 years of their life and then they go out into the world on their own. Make it count, help them show love in the same respect by being there and being attentive to them.
4. Your choices matter!
Start young with this! Make sure they understand what consequences are for both good and poor choices! Instruct them properly and help them to weigh out their choices in this life. We are witnessing a whole generation of young people growing up in a world where no one is responsible for the consequences of poor decisions. How does that happen? It starts at home. If the parent can’t admit wrong doing or own up to bad choices, the child learns from this as well. The child has learn to blame others for their mistakes, to ignore the consequences and to just do what makes you happy. Parents we have to be adult enough to show our children how to admit wrong doing, and to help them make better choices in their lives. It’s not a weakness to admit that we were wrong at times. Doing so displays something that is lost in our society today: integrity and courage.
5. Love the Lord with all your heart and serve Him first!
I understand many do not live in Christian homes, but for any parent out there who attend Sunday School as a child or still goes to church today this is one of the most fundamental building blocks for any child’s development! Without knowledge of God’s love and our reciprocation in word and deep we stand to lose an entire generation to ignorance and faithlessness. Understanding that God is real and that His love saves us has to be at the forefront of our children’s development. I’ve heard it said that it’s not our job to get our kids saved, I offer an contrary view. It is our job to point our children in the right direction and to instruct them in the ways of God! If we feel ill-equipped then I think we’re doing it right. It won’t be easy but when our children see faith in action through us the Bible lessons about God and our relationship to Him will be that much clearer!
Parents I cannot stress it enough, we cannot omit these important instructions from our children’s development! The dangers in our society today are very real. We are facing the possibility of an entire generation blind to faith and lost in sin. We must instruct our children. We must take the time. We cannot afford to be selfish with our time and our knowledge of God. Don’t dismiss this as just another alarmist, get involved with your children, tell them no, tell them to wait, help them to learn to make better choices in life and that consequences do exist. Lead them and point them to God…make sure that you also display in word and deed these same principles and attributes in your life!
-Get on with it!
They say that Apple Innovator and Pixar founder Steve Jobs would only become more emboldened when people told him that something couldn’t be done. This excuse is very common in churches and in church leadership today. I’ve mentioned it before and I will mention it again but churches are dying at an unprecedented rate. Why are people leaving the church? Could it be that church is no longer meeting the needs of people they serve?
I understand that church is what you make of it, but there is also a mentality within denominations and within leadership of these denominations that needs to change. This mentality is this: ‘We can’t do that‘. Why? What happened to the early church when they had nothing to lose but to be faithful to God and display His love to all they met? They grew! What has happened to the Church today? We’ve settled. We’ve stopped risking. We’ve resorted to excuses like “We can’t do that” or “we’ve never done it that way before”.
Our churches have played it safe for far too long! It is understood that no one likes to change but what are we risking if we don’t modernize and if we don’t adapt and change? We risk a slow agonizing death in the pews. Time and time again we’ve heard the same spiel from leadership…our stats are down, it’s your fault, it’s your job to get those stats up. I agree we need to increase our church attendances and our biblical instructional programs for adults and youth…but what if it’s not necessarily that our stats are down but rather the programs that we’re employing that are to blame? Many churches have specific mandated programs that the local chapters are required to do. But no one is asking the right question. So let me risk something here and ask it anyway.
THE QUESTION:
Are the programs we are required to do still relevant or are they the same tired revamped programs we’ve been doing for nearly eighty years?
These programs get dressed up from time to time but it’s the same thing…the cover or design may have changed but IT’S THE SAME OLD TIRED THING!
Don’t get me wrong I’m not railing against doing what we’re told and especially not about ministering to adults and youth, these are vital to our survival. What I am saying is that if we want to see statistical and numerical growth in our churches then we ought to have the flexibility to try new innovative ministries without being labeled ‘the rebels’ or called obstinate. If we are truly interested in getting people saved and into our churches then we have got to stop focusing so much on indicators and start focusing on the people and their needs and the needs of their families. When we can serve the needs of the families in our communities and connected with them with relevant programs and ministries then we will have succeeded in both the cause and the indicator.
If we are to finally crest that hill of “we can’t do that” and see the other side of “we can do that” we have to take risks on the journey up the hill. It won’t be easy, it never is. But if we continue only to look at the indicators to guide us instead of tackling the causes; and if we keep using the same antiquated recycled program ideas we will not stave off the terminal prognosis for our churches. I don’t know about you but I would rather risk much, fail often, face criticism from leadership than watch the continued dwindling of church goers to the point where we simply die and fade away. I would rather not be responsible for the continued death of the church. I don’t want this to happen on my watch. Better yet I won’t let it happen on my watch!!!
We cannot settle any longer. We cannot do ‘programs’ simply because that’s the way they’ve always been done. It is simply not working. If we are to find life again, stop transposing blue prints from other churches. Discover the needs of your own community. Explore the demographics. Do the research and get to know your community…then pray. Pray for the right leaders, the right ministries, and the right opportunities. God will provide us what we need if we are serving Him and loving His people! Then get to work and stop worrying what the nay sayers are telling you!
If we are to serve and love the generations in our communities and save our church it’s time to reconsider how we minister and serve them!
-Just a thought.
“In a word, I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong.” ― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
I am in no way endorsing or recommending a song of the same name by the singer Robin Thick. But for just a moment in our pop tart world with its cheap, catchy beats and lyrical lines filled with double entendre our messy morals are exposed in the light. Many people want instant gratification and pleasure without the consequences or guilt. Yet when confronted with their choices of immoral decisions and behaviors some simply deny any wrong doing or blame someone else.
We live in a blurred lined culture where right and wrongs are subjected to an individualistic and hedonistic world view. Do you remember the prophet Hosea? God told him to marry a prostitute named Gomer (Hosea 1:2). Reading this passage of scripture one might proclaim shockingly, “God did what?” God told one of his prophets, one of his faithful servants to go out and marry a woman who was a known ‘lady of the night’. God used Hosea and his marriage to an unfaithful harlot to illustrate how adulterous his chosen people Israel had become.
Israel had blurred the lines of moral, set-apart living. They had stepped out on God. Just think of it for a moment. God had given himself fully to his people Israel. His love had been poured out upon them. He blessed them with prosperity and riches and protected them from the dangers of other encroaching cultures. But Israel had been hell bent on their selfishness and their lusting after sin. They had broken God’s heart again. Just place yourself in their story for a moment. Imagine you were the faithful spouse. Imagine your soul mate, your beloved being in caught in unfaithful acts over and over again. Feel the shame and the embarrassment. Feel the hurt and gut wrenching anguish. “How could you do such a thing?” You might exclaim; “I trusted you!” God was fed up with Israel and their unfaithfulness. Hosea became a living testimony of God’s love and faithfulness to red light prostitute named Gomer who illustrated Israel’s adulterous ways.
‘How did Israel get to this point?’ one might ask. Blurred lines are the answer. When they ignored their moral compass and did what they wanted anyway it happened. When they rationalized their sinful persuasions as ‘okay with me’ it happened. When they settled for instant gratification that lasted for but a moment instead of an eternal kind of love it happened. They blurred the lines of right and wrong to fit their sinfulness and corroded moral compass. What started out as ‘innocent fun’ turned into a full blown heartless affair with other gods wrought with immoral choices and selfish acts. They started out as a ‘set-apart’ people of God but ended as a torn apart culture wrecked people.
The Danger Zone:
This danger zone doesn’t include fighter jets from an 80’s movie, but it does include us and our culture that we live in. We live in a very media saturated world where right and wrongs are based on an individual’s sense of morality. Where we are taught that to defend God’s word and his laws of living is considered intolerant in our society. If this is intolerance then so be it. I would rather have God find us faithful than find us acting like Gomer or Israel as we prostitute ourselves out in a lost and dying world. The danger zone is the blurred lines in our world today. Those who profess to be Christ followers ought to know better! Those who claim Christ with their lips yet live a life contrary to their claims WATCH OUT! God doesn’t want your ritual or your lip service…He wants you! He wants me! Don’t let blurred lines of loose living dilute your faith! Don’t give that slippery slope of immoral living a second glance. Be faithful to God. He has set us apart for a reason. He loves us so deeply and when we serve Him we not only display our love back to Him, but we display what a lasting love relationship with God looks like for the world to see.
Don’t allow these blurred lines to blur your faith or your love relationship to God. He wants us to live above reproach and above these influences. 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old (blurred lined life) has gone, the new life has come.”
Pastor's Ponderings 