Beneath the highlight reel

Many people on social media tell us that an exciting life can be ours – if we have enough money, power, or fame – or better yet, a lot of all three.  The message is loud and clear: get what you can, any way you can, and do it in front of as many people as you can…and then, the world says, you’ll be happy. 

There is a ton of content available with people flexing their money, power, and fame.  Looking for likes and approvals in order to feel validated and justified in their life choices.  However, we’ve seen too many people flame out to fully believe everything we see on social media.

We need to remind each other, and ourselves, that what we see on social media isn’t the whole story of a person’s life.  That what is presented is just a collection of highlight reels.  No one’s life is glamorous all the time.  No one is super-adventurous all the time.  No one is happy all the time.

But despite these warnings…I think that deep down, we wish that life could be full of highlights.  We feel like life should be exciting and fulfilling, but we struggle to find it.  The easy reaction would be to damn social media or money/power/fame.  It’s not difficult to rail against them, and you’ll get many people to join you in doing so.

But…social media, money, power, and fame aren’t the problem – our selfish misuse of them is.  That said, they certainly aren’t the solution to our desires, either.  There is another way, one that results in a life where money, power, and fame are managed well, even being a blessing in a person’s life.

Take a look at this psalm describing blessings from God.  There are highlights of money, power, and fame.  Wouldn’t it be great if this was our highlight reel?

Psalm 112:1-9
Hallelujah!
Happy is the person who fears the Lord, taking great delight in His commands.
His descendants will be powerful in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house and his righteousness endures forever.
Light shines in the darkness for the upright.
He is gracious, compassionate, and righteous.

Good will come to the one who lends generously and conducts his business fairly.
He will never be shaken.  The righteous one will be remembered forever.
He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is assured; he will not fear. In the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
He distributes freely to the poor, his righteousness endures forever.
His horn will be exalted in honor.

Oh, to have a life described like this!  The blessings are fantastic and far-reaching – but did you notice they are simply tools to protect his family and help others?  The blessings are not the focus of this life.

Instead, a person with this kind of highlight-reel-life is one who fears the Lord, taking great delight in His commands.  God is his focus, and living life according to God’s design is his aim. 

This is the gut-check for us: Are we seeking the blessing more than the one who gives the blessing?  If so, then we can’t expect God to bless us – because we’re not ready to handle it.  Giving a child too many gifts doesn’t mature them, instead it spoils them and the relationship between the child and the giver. 

However, even if we mature to the point God blesses us at the level described in Psalm 112, as great as this life would be to live – admittedly, no one is perfect.  And no one’s life is perfect, even if your heart is confident, trusting in the Lord.  The psalmist knows this, and interestingly added one more verse to close out the psalm:

Psalm 112:10
The wicked one will see it and be angry; he will gnash his teeth in despair.
The desire of the wicked leads to ruin.

Just because you’re on God’s side and He’s blessing you…doesn’t mean you’ll be free from struggles or drama.  The wicked one – the person living contrary to God’s design – will see the life of the person God has blessed.  Instead of rejoicing and celebrating with them, the wicked one will become enraged…and may even act on their feelings, lashing out toward those who live righteously.

But in the end, despite any opposition they face, the one who trusts in the Lord knows that his heart is assured; he will not fear.  He isn’t shaken due to circumstances or situations or opposition from those who are living in rebellion against God.  Why?  Because he trusts that God will have the final victory and that in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

That kind of life is worth highlighting.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Pause on abuse

Physical.  Mental.  Emotional.  Sexual.  Financial.  Spiritual.  Attach the word “abuse” to one of those terms and any rational person cringes at the thought of personally receiving it or witnessing another person taking it.

The Christian church has a spotty record when addressing these issues.  For years, we’ve seen pastors and clergy make headlines for misusing their positions.  Unfair fights and manipulations do happen in homes where the family goes to church.  Also frustrating is that when presented with abusive situations, many in the church don’t know how best to offer support.

We expect the church and our church family to be a safe haven from abusive behaviors, but that’s not always the case.  And as big and sensitive as this topic is, I want to focus on just one aspect.  A question that has been both wondered silently and shouted out loud:

Does God even care that abuses are happening in society at large and even in His church?  Does He not understand how much pain this behavior causes?

In all honesty…yes…God does understand the pain of abuse, because Jesus experienced it directly:

Matthew 27:27-31
Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence and gathered the whole company around Him.  They stripped Him and dressed Him in a scarlet robe.  They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a staff in His right hand.  And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!”  Then they spat on Him, took the staff, and kept hitting Him on the head.  After they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

Let’s pause right here.  We often read these verses quickly and don’t fully take in the situation.  I get it, it’s painful to think about, but let’s pause for a moment and recognize that in these verses, we see Jesus experience a range of abuses:

Verbal abuse: through their mocking, taunting, and demeaning words.
Physical abuse: when they stripped Him of His clothes, shoved thorns into His head, spat on Him, and beat Him with a staff.
Emotional abuse: through their isolation, intimidation given, and Jesus’ humiliation as the whole company gathered around and participated.

Jesus did nothing to deserve this treatment.  Those in power chose to take advantage of the situation and treat Him this way.

But the abuse Jesus endured didn’t stop there.  A little later, more people joined in.  When Jesus was at His weakest point, when He was totally naked and exposed to everyone…it only got worse.  While the soldiers’ abuse happened away from everyone, isolated in one part of the governor’s residence, Jesus’ next round of abuse was in public.  While He hung on a cross, people from all walks of life began piling on.  It must have felt like the entire world was against Him.

Matthew 27:38-44
Then two criminals were crucified with Him one on the right and one on the left.  Those who passed by were yelling insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself!  If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” 

In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked Him and said, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself!  He is the King of Israel!  Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.  He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now – if He takes pleasure in Him!  For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”  In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with Him taunted Him.

While there were people who loved Him, none of them were with Him in this moment.  Most had scattered.  Some watched at a distance.  A few got as close as they could.  But as He died…He was alone.

Jesus’ purpose was to die on the cross to remove the sin barrier between God and humanity.  But was this “extra” abuse necessary for Him to complete the mission?  No, it wasn’t – but the Roman leaders allowed it.  The Jewish religious leaders were not sad that it happened.  The Roman soldiers chose to pile on what they saw as a poor, powerless, helpless Jew.

Jesus took blows that were unfairly delivered.  He endured taunting that criticized Him as a person, questioned His identity, and mocked His purpose.  However, there is hope.  His endured suffering became our peace and healing:

Isaiah 53:5 (HCSB)
But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.

Hebrews 4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses – the mistakes we’ve made as well as our struggle to cope with how others have mistreated us.  Jesus wants us to come to Him, because He has mercy and grace for us.  He gets it.  He understands us.

Whatever abuse you have suffered, Jesus has been there.  He’s taken the hits.  He’s endured the taunts.  He’s suffered through others piling on insults, blame, and shame.  You are not alone.  It was wrong for Him to receive it, and it is also wrong for us to receive it.

Pain and abuse isn’t some academic discussion in Christianity – the God we worship has personal, direct experience with human suffering.  The church needs to identify and assist those who have been abused and those who are being abused now.  As ambassadors, we need to lovingly introduce them to a God who sees them and understands their history more intimately than they would expect.

If someone has taken advantage of you or abused you, let me be clear: It was wrong.  Others may not understand.  Blood family or church family may not handle it well.  But know that God understands – and in Him we can find peace and healing. 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

An engagement ring, the Holy Spirit, and witnessing

It felt like any other workday as everyone came in, but before I could even start with the normal Monday morning pleasantries – How was your weekend?  What did you do? – a coworker actually jumped into my path and started waving her left hand in my face.  The diamond on her ring was close enough to poke me in the nose, and as I pulled back, I could see the large smile on her face.  She was practically giddy that the man she had spent so much time getting to know had asked her to marry him.  All day long, she bounced from person to person, telling anyone she knew about their relationship and future together.

My co-worker had gotten to know this man and was already in love with him.  Most people at work knew she was dating, but didn’t really know how serious they were or if they had any future plans together.  However, when the proposal moment came and he placed the ring on her finger, everything snapped into focus.  Because of the ring and her bubbly excitement, everyone at work soon found out that she had experienced a life-changing moment and that she was in a life-changing relationship.

The memory of that Monday has stuck with me for many years.  It was so easy for her to tell others about her relationship, how special it was for her, and how her talking about it felt like a celebration of their relationship.  I’ve often compared this to how most Christians share their faith with others, and obviously there are significant differences.  I think every Christian would love to have the confidence, boldness, and excitement that my coworker had, and we often scold ourselves for not having the courage to share.  So, what do we do?  Typically, we go one of two ways: either we grit our teeth and fumble around in the awkwardness of forcing “Jesus” into a conversation, or we resign ourselves to shame for being too scared to bring it up.

However, we’re not alone in this.  The Biblical parallel that comes to mind is what Jesus told His 11 disciples just before He ascended into heaven:

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you,
and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem,
in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.

When reading Scripture, one way to sharpen our Observation skills is to look for the particular order things are presented.  Us modern-day believers tend to key in on the phrase “you will be My witnesses…to the end of the earth”, and while that is where we are on this list, we need to be aware that Jesus said there was a part that comes before becoming His witnesses.

Jesus told His disciples that first the Holy Spirit has to come into their lives and that He would be the power for them to be His witnesses – and if you continue to read in Acts, you find out that is the case.  The disciples knew Jesus well because they had just spent the last 3 years with Him, watching everything He did and being personally taught by Him.  Yes, they did do some preaching and teaching under Jesus’ leadership, but that all stopped when Jesus was taken from them.  Scripture does not show them telling others about Jesus until after the Holy Spirit came.  The disciples had all the information and relationship basis to tell others, but they were lacking the boldness and power to talk about Him.  The arrival of the Holy Spirit in their lives gave them the confidence they needed to share what they already knew.

For us, we are given the Holy Spirit the moment we believe in Jesus for eternal life (Ephesians 1:13).  The point is the same, however.  The Holy Spirit is the one who enables us to witness…it’s not something that can be drummed up or done by our own strength.  And yet, we shame ourselves for not being able to do the Holy Spirit’s job!  The disciples could not effectively witness without Him, and neither can we.

Our efforts should not be in finding and perfecting a “witnessing moment” because that’s not our jurisdiction, not our focus.  Our witness is an outpouring of our relationship with Jesus.  We can only share what we know.  As such, our efforts are better used in purposely spending time with Jesus – getting to know Him by talking with Him in prayer and watching what He did in the Scriptures.  The Holy Spirit will take care of the rest.

Keep Pressing,
Ken