The Danger of Spiritual Complacency

In a couple of short months, school will resume across the country for children of all ages.  And this of course, means back to school shopping.  Hence the reason I found myself in a car with my family several years ago, speeding down the Interstate on our way to one of the local outlet malls.  It was time to look for both clothing and school supplies.  My wife and I had planned to spend a little bit too much money, as well as toting two tired kids around from store to store.  All of that is very normal considering the circumstances.  What we hadn't counted on, however, was to be part of a large traffic jam that same day. 

Two semi-trucks ended up in an accident about two miles ahead of our exit in route to the shopping mall.  One was in the ditch, and the other was split in half!  I'm not sure what caused it, but you can imagine the chaos that ensued thereafter.  Fortunately, I don't remember any fatalities being reported that day.  We were stuck at a complete standstill for almost three hours.  Unable to move in any direction. 

It reminded me of how some people conduct themselves on the faith journey that God has assigned to them.  I suspect a good many people become stranded along the way, falling prey to distraction or even some garden variety idol worship.  I believe that Scripture supports the idea that we should stay active and moving when it comes to our faith.  Not that we can't have lulls or respites here and there, but for the most part, I think that an active faith requires forward momentum.  

We should stay in motion while we pursue the things of God; we need to make sure our "vehicles" are in drive and not neutral.  Worse yet, some have shifted their car into park ... they are at a dead standstill, completely giving up on spiritual growth.  Just as the fleet of SUV's and minivans were stuck that day on the Interstate, so are those who cannot seem to generate an intentional and vibrant faith.  There are two Scriptures that I want to quote today to help illustrate this spiritual standstill.  Proverbs 8:35 says, "For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord."  And then 2 Timothy 4:7 says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."  

Although these two passages were written years apart by two different authors, they convey basically the same sentiment.  They talk about the importance of movement and motion in order to engage with God.  Proverbs 8 mentions actively seeking after the Lord, and 2 Timothy talks about finishing a race.  Keep seeking, and keep running the race.  At any point in time, we have the ability and the calling to shift our vehicles from neutral into drive.  We need not settle for being stuck in traffic and becoming spiritually stagnant.  

Partner with God so as to realize the plans He has for your life; not to mention the lives of those around you.  Once you start to let Him in, it can create a ripple effect not unlike throwing a pebble into a pond.  If people see the Jesus inside of you, then they might be encouraged to shift their own cars into drive as well.  Life is so much more than just going through the motions until we get to our next exit.  If you see the ripple from across the pond, then take the time to go and see what all the fuss is about. 

Let's face it - a life without God is often an empty pursuit.  Much of the time we can end up at a standstill, wondering just how much of what we have accomplished in the secular world might be in vain.  Consider instead, moving in conjunction with the Holy Spirit on a faith walk prepared especially for you by a loving God, who desires nothing more than to spend time together.  Get up, get moving, and get to church.  Become one of those cars speeding by from the other lane on the Interstate.  

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Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

I do a fair amount of teaching at a local college.  This actually goes hand in hand with my role as a pulpit supply preacher; the two occupations make use of the same public speaking component.  As a teacher, I attended an Adult Literacy conference a few years ago, and one of the guest speakers was a young woman named Lilian Okech.  She was an immigrant from the Sudan who created a successful cleaning business here in the United States.  Through hard work and determination, Lilian battled the typical discrimination that immigrants often face in our country and formed a viable business in spite of those roadblocks.  

She spoke eloquently and with passion about how our education system has the opportunity to make or break aspiring students.  At one point, she told a story of how one of her teachers told her she was "smart and beautiful."  Lilian said that this phrase stuck in her mind from the time she was young, and helped guide her through the rest of her life.  May we all hope for teachers like this.  So at this point I want to take a break from everything going on in the world today, and let the reader know that God thinks you are beautiful also.  The book of Genesis says that you and I are created in God's image, and that we are to have dominion over the Earth and everything in it.  This is no small feat by the way.  In fact, the Lord views us as His children, and loves us with an incredible passion.

John 15:12-13 says, "My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  We remember here that Jesus was foreshadowing his own death and crucifixion on the cross - the ultimate loving sacrifice given freely to humankind.  God sacrifices for His people until it hurts (both literally and figuratively).  As I have said before, we are beautiful in His eyes.  1 Peter 3:3-4 states further, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."  God's spirit inside of us is of innumerable value, and Peter compares it here with unfading beauty.  Have I mentioned lately that God loves us?

All of these wonderful Scriptures do not, however, mean that God also loves our sin.  We may be created in His image, but when we do things we ought not to, it isn't beautiful in God's eyes at all.  Remember the Bible states that our bodies are like temples, designed to project and reflect His light.  Contrast this with people engaging in behaviors such as spiritual pride or blasphemy for example, and we have a whole new problem.

So how do we bridge that gap between God’s love and our sin?  The answer is simple, but not easy.  God's restitution plan for us is to believe in Jesus, and repent of our sin.  If we accept Christ's death on the cross and believe that God raised him from the dead, we will be participating in the great atonement.  This isn't easy because in order to come to Christ, we must first accept our own shortcomings and ask for forgiveness.  And I don't mean the backhanded, excuse-laden false apology either ... I'm talking about asking for real forgiveness.

We are beautiful in God's eyes in the sense that Jesus saves us and redeems us.  When God looks at the born-again believer, He sees the reflection of Christ's light in them.  But understand this also, God loves those for whom salvation has not yet occurred as well.  All life originates from the Creator, and as such, all life is precious and beautiful.  

So please don't stop here.  Go that extra step and seek out a relationship with the one that created you.  Don't forgo the potential you have to walk closely with the carpenter from Nazareth.  It's a different kind of fulfillment; better than what the regular world offers.  It is - dare I say - beautiful.  There is an old hymn that many will find familiar called ‘Jesus Loves Me.’  The lyrics were adapted from a poem written in 1860.  One of the stanzas says, “Jesus loves me this I know, because the Bible tells me so.”  It was true then, and it is true now.  Never stop seeking out the God who loves you and sacrificed Himself on your behalf.  

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Our Pride, God's Humility

It's fashionable today to advertise how important we are.  Peruse anyone's social media account or Instagram, and you may find hundreds, if not thousands, of pictures glorifying their accomplishments.  For some, it's a matter of pride.  Showing the world photos of their vacations, new house, or new car is akin to the kings of the Old Testament constructing palaces full of opulence and grandeur.  All of it designed to do one thing: show the world that we are important, and that we matter.  

I have always appreciated the story of Naaman in the Bible.  He was a soldier who served the king of Aram.  Naaman was considered an accomplished warrior, leader, and right-hand man to the king.  But Scripture tells us he also had leprosy.  Finally after years of suffering from this affliction, he heard about this mysterious God of Israel who sometimes healed people.  2 Kings 5:2-3 recounts it like this, "Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife.  She said to her mistress, 'If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria!  He would cure him of his leprosy."

From there, the story goes on to tell us that Naaman eventually visits the king of Israel, in an attempt to be healed of his disease.  But the king denies him, and redirects Naaman to the prophet Elisha.  This famous prophet commands him to then bathe in the Jordan river seven times, at which point he would be healed.  Naaman complains at first that the cure is 'too simple!'  He can't believe that it's free, and that there is no ceremony attached to it.  After all, he is a renown warrior, and surely worthy of some type of public celebration, right?  Apparently not.  Eventually Naaman relents and visits the river to follow Elisha's instructions.  He is healed that same day.  Later, this famous warrior ends up repenting and accepting God.  The good news of the Gospel made its mark on him.  

There are many lessons we can take from this account, but I want to point your attention to something in particular.  Notice that God brings awareness of the miraculous healings happening in Israel to Naaman's attention via a lowly servant girl.  He was then given instructions on how to proceed by the servant Elisha (instead of the king).  In his excellent book 'What is Wrong with the World', author Timothy Keller says that God shows Naaman that the way to healing is through servants and common folk; not kings or politicians.  In essence, God works through regular people in order to produce miraculous things.  

Surely we know this is true.  Just take a quick look at how God reached people throughout the Bible.  Moses was not well spoken or rich, yet he led a nation out of slavery with God's help.  David was a mere shepherd boy, but God made him a king.  And of course, Jesus himself chose several poor fisherman and a tax collector to help spread a message that would change the world.  Time and time again, we are reminded of this strange lesson: man glorifies himself with wealth and power, but God spreads the Gospel message through the humble and obedient.  He uses regular, ordinary people to do extraordinary things.  

Now this is a difficult lesson for us today.  We are often surrounded by lavish creature comforts, especially here in America.  For example, we don't even have to go to a theatre anymore to watch a movie and be entertained, we can simply stream it at home on our television.  But understand this timeless Biblical truth - the pursuit of significance without God always leads to empty riches and lonely fortune.  If we really want God to use us, then it appears we must be willing to stay humble and submit to His authority.  May we always choose God over pride, and be willing to empty ourselves so that He may fill us with something redemptive and new.  Something that the regular world cannot give us through status or position.  

 

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