Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Lord’s Armies Defied

"Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?"

1Samuel 17:26 (NLT)


 

David's words are so innocent. Even when I know the end of the story, I am struck by his naïve statement. His youth blinds him from the reality that bad things happen even to God's army. Isn't that true? An experienced warrior knows some battles are just not won. Good soldiers are lost at the hand of the enemy. And no matter how strong the faith or pure the quest, the armies of the living God will be defied. The battle- wearied among us don't hear a childlike faith but a silly child who in time will be beaten down like the rest of us.

Someone suggested I was melancholy recently. I replied I didn't think I was melancholy but rather just a realist. Bad stuff happens and choosing to admit the truth rather than pretend all is well seems like the wise way to live my life. Yes, at this time in my life, there have been a lot of bad things happening. To say divorce is an awful thing is an understatement. Every aspect of my life has been affected by the end of my marriage. This dark night has continued and the pain multiplied by the struggling of my children.

In the midst of this darkness, well-meaning and loving friends tell me of God's redeeming power. And tell me this pain is not for naught but that God will do a mighty work in and through and because of this pain. And out comes my melancholy realism. How is God going to bless me? Why couldn't he bless my marriage? What can be done when I feel so weak and the mountain so high? The words seem as empty and naïve as David's did to the soldiers who stood before the Giant Goliath. "Silly boy, if you only knew how life really was? You wouldn't speak such silly words."

And yet, I am beginning to think I need to be thinking more like David now and not my usually melancholy self. I am still for realism – yes, this dark night has been awful, terrible. It is something I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. And yet, how can I sit back and allow the ugliness of these depths defy the living God?

"What is this divorce anyway, that it is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?"

If I don't stand up against this giant in my life, I run the risk of the evil winning. Isn't that why David acted? He couldn't bear the thought of the living God being shown as anything but the victor He was. If I don't stand up to this enemy in my own life, how will God ever be glorified? And if I don't want my life to be defined by this dark night, I must stand up against it and fight for God's glory to be shown. So

"everyone will know that the Lord does not need weapons to rescue his people. It is his battle, not ours. The Lord will give you to us!"

1Samuel 17:47oHo

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Strength to be Content

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.  For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.   Philippians 4:10-13
Twenty five years ago, I learned an important truth while taking New Testament 101 under Dr. George Knox. Amongst the study of concepts and the memorization of important passages, I learned the importance of context in regard to understanding scripture. Basically, we learned that a passage cannot mean something different than what it originally meant in the context of the verses around it. Ever since, the misuse of context has annoyed me.

Ironically, one of the most quoted passages from the New Testament is often taken out of context.  It is a temptation to use this short and sweet passage which is high on inspiration to encourage us to succeed at whatever we attempt.
"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13
 These words can be found on mugs, pens and posters. We hear it in the context of commencement speeches and in pep talks. And I can't disagree, God does promise to give us strength in our weakness. Yet, Paul shared these words with the Philippians in relation to something very specific, the strength to be content.

Is strength really needed for contentment? I had never really thought about it until I looked at the verse in its context. Paul is speaking about how he has learned to accept whatever circumstance he has been placed in. He says, "I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little." But how does this require strength?  Is it hard to be content when you have plenty? Is verse 13 only referring to the living in want part?

Recently, it dawned on me that I don't need strength to find contentment. As if it is something to be grasped or created. Instead, what I need to finally feel content is the strength to let go of what I think I need. I can be content when I live in plenty only if I give my need to keep what I already have. Because if I live in the fear of losing it, I am not living contentedly. And if when I am in want, I can't be content as long as I am striving for me.

This is a different way of looking at it, we don't need strength to either get more or live on less. We need Christ's strength to surrender control of our lives and accept what is given to us. So that we neither strive for more or worry and fret over what might be lost. And personally, the hardest thing to surrender in my own life is control.

As I learned long ago, sometimes a passage is much easier to like out of its context than when it is looked at in its context. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. But in the end, will I actually be willing to do all the things Christ calls me to do.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Ties that Bind

Everyone seems to have a bucket list these days. These life "to do" lists are often filled with things like sky diving or visiting the Great Wall of China. Personally, I haven't felt the need to have a bucket list. I am not sure why. Perhaps I am a big chicken and don't look for an excuse to practice risky behavior like sky diving or bungee jumping.  Or perhaps I don't want my life summed up by a list of destinations or activities. Or more likely, perhaps I don't want to come to the end of the list and find out there is nothing keeping me here. As if what binds me to earth is a cosmic "to do" list and after I check off the last item I will instantaneously find myself in God's presence in heaven.

While I might not have a bucket list binding me to earth, I do hold tightly to things that bind me from experiencing God's presence on earth.  A life "to do" list filled with things like bitterness, revenge, anger, and pride. I hold onto these attitudes and dream of the day the come to fruition. The day the one who betrayed me feels the sting of abandonment. Or the moment when the one who always wins sees the look of victory in my eyes and knows the agony of defeat. The thought of these moments bring a rush of adrenalin to me as if I had just jumped out of a plane. Yet, truth be told, they really just rob me of the joy and peace God has promised me here on earth.

The second list is a stumbling block to my faith. Jesus cleared the temple of the merchants and money changers who made it difficult for the people to worship God. Both are distractions which rob us of the relationship we were created to have with our Heavenly Father. Obstacles created to protect our own interests rather than seeking the interests of God. A list grown out of my own selfish needs and for our own gain rather than the interest of others.  I need to ask Jesus to cleanse this temple as he did the one in Jerusalem. Or maybe I just need to clean my own house.

A bucket list can be a good thing. It can encourage us to live life to the fullest and create goals for ourselves. The other kind of "to do" list serves no purpose but to squelch life and rob us of the life God intended for us. So maybe I need to make a bucket list:
  1. Forgive the ones who have hurt me the most
  2. Let go of bitterness of past hurts
  3. Cheer for the one I envy
  4. Pray for the ones who plot against me
  5. Bungee Jump
Ok, I will never do the final one, a little insurance for a long life.