Self-interest or selflessness in dark days.

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." From Paul's second letter to Timothy as translated in the NIV.

"The darkest hour is just before the dawn" ~ Thomas Fuller

It is a truism that we are drawn as humans to focus on those things that are horrifying. Social media and the news media in general flood us with all the horrific things that are happening in the world and feed fear of "the other." Right now, at this very moment in history, the world is full of horrors. We have news of a disease that may or may not be highly infectious, we have people fearing death at the hands of government officials, we have rioting in the streets due to terrorist groups infiltrating protests causing even more fear of death, and we have hateful and angry speech being hurled back and forth mostly about who is to blame and how awful the "other side" is. That is only what is happening in the United States. In other parts of the world, there are even more horrors to be found, but the issues here in the U.S. are enough for the purposes of this writing. 

Human beings, by the very existence of sin in our hearts, are incapable of making any decisions on our own that are not tainted with self-interest. From the investment banker who thinks, "what if I just take a little bit here or there, no one will notice," to the man or woman who says to himself/herself; "I like what I see, so I'm going to take advantage of this other person and use them for my own physical pleasure," in spite of consent, outside the bond of marriage, or even outside the legal restrictions of age; to even something seemingly as innocuous as the person who says to themselves, "I see something happening over there that doesn't seem right, but I may be hurt in some way if I intervene, so I will not," all are acting in percieved self-interest. 

The believer in Jesus Christ should be different by nature of the "renewal of our minds." (see Romans 12:2) We are changed by the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and this, through prayer, Bible study, and meditation on God's Word; subdues the natural human inclination toward self-interest. Our focus must be centered on others rather than how we feel about a situation. It is natural to form opinions, but will the opinions and the sharing of same be beneficial to those who hear? (see Ephesians 4:29). 

Another application is to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (See James 1:19). Part of wisdom and maturity in Christ is knowing when to listen, especially when to listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. When we, as Christ followers, rush to judgement and speak the first thing that comes to mind, we fall into a dangerous trap. The world is watching. They know what we claim to be, and when they see us act exactly like them (and sometimes worse), we blend with the darkness and they see no difference. 

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16 NASB) A light shines in the darkness, and our light is the light of Christ. We do not have it of our own selves, it comes from God through the Holy Spirit, and when we let that light shine we share the Spirit of God with others. Only the Light of God can overcome the darkness of this world. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:5 NLT)

When we live as light, we show love to our neighbors. We know who our neighbor is, that particular illustration has been reiterated so many times that any American Christian who has not heard of the good Samaritan, has been hiding in a hole somewhere with no human contact. The instruction to love our neighbors is antithetical to self-interest. The Apostle Paul even goes so far as to say we should consider others as better than ourselves. 

Then there is the Apostle James, who tells us that the tongue (a metaphor for our speech, i.e. what we say), is like the rudder of a ship, which can either keep it on course, or scuttle it. 

We all have feelings, and there is a reason the Apostle Paul said, "be angry but do not sin." Our feelings need to be put under the submission of the Holy Spirit. We cannot let them control how we react or interact with others, but rather we should excercise compassion in all our interactions. Compassion, agape love if you will, is more than just a feeling; it is a pattern of behavior. 

So before we speak or post the tweet or facebook comment that will "show the other guy," we need to stop, take a breath, and make sure that it meets the following criteria:

1. Is is true? If yes, go to #2. If no, stop and do not post or say it. If uncertain, stop and do not post or say it. 

2. Is it compassionate or is it loving? If you are certain it is, go to #3. If the answer is no, or you are not sure, go to prayer and seek counsel from scripture or someone wise in the faith.

3. Is it beneficial? If I say what I am thinking, will it lead people closer to Christ or might it push them away? 

I hope this is helpful to those who read it. If you are touched by what God has given me, please share it. Let us encourage each other toward the Light. 

A modern Laodicea

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The above meme is circulating about as we are in the midst of yet another election cycle, in the middle of a tulmultuous time in world history. It got me to thinking. 

When we try to tie the Church to any political entity, we must consider that the Church started under Roman rule. Rome was openly hostile to what they viewed as a new sect of Judaism primarily because it rejected the ways of the world around it. The Christians did not worship the Roman gods. The Christians would not fight in the army. The Christians would not indulge in any of the debauchery of the Greco-Roman world. They were different.  

The Apostles taught "Crucifixion of the flesh," but also respect for those in authority. There is no place in the teachings of Christ or the Apostles where we can find that Christians are instructed to take part in the political landscape. The Apostle Paul did use his Roman citizenship as a tool to further the Gospel, but he did not seek power through politics. 

Fast forward 2000 years to modern America, where many Christians hold firmly to a sort of manifest destiny, in which it is difficult to find where their devotion to country ends and their faith in Jesus Christ begins. This is not what was intended. Christians in America fear persecution rather than embracing it. The idea of taking up one's cross is terrifying because it means giving up the comfort that we love so much.

The Apostle John spoke of the Church of Laodicea. “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”—Revelation 3:15–16 

Modern America is the very embodiment of Laodicae. It was a wealthy city, we are the wealthiest nation on earth. They were comfortable, we are also comfortable. If you wonder why there is no mention of a great western power in the various apocalyptic passages in the scripture, it is easy to infer that like Laodicea, we will be expelled for our lukewarm behavior.

So the challenge is this: Do we continue to live as if we have the power to change the world, putting our faith in elected leaders, or do we place our faith and trust only in God and live and speak the Gospel of Jesus Christ as if our very lives depended upon it? 

If we are in Christ, this is not our home. Certainly, there is nothing to prevent us from voting in an open election. By all means, we should; however, in light of the freedom we have in Christ, we should vote for Biblical principles. If a man or woman does not uphold or exemplify those things which are right and in line with the teachings of scripture, they should not have our vote. In the end, God is sovereign above all, and this allows us to vote our conscience. If we do this, we have no need for shame. 

A plaque hung in my parents' home as long as I can remember. I do not know the author, but I read it so many times it is etched upon my memory: "Only one life, 't will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."

Love God. Love your neighbor. Live Christ.