Your Only Human, so am I

   This evening I was able to have a deep conversation with a few people that I dearly love.  The conversation came around to expectations that we have for ourselves and for each other.  Many of us admitted to having anxiety and sadness about how we have not lived up to our potential.  This of course is a favorite topic of mine, due to it being how I see myself.
  
   I oftentimes catch myself in mid-wish.  Silently thinking to myself how if I had taken the right instead of left, gone straight instead of turning around, or done such and such better.  A part of me desires to correct the things that I did wrong.  But, like the bell that has been rung, we cannot undo the past.  Although I am certain that God is capable of rewinding the clock if He so chooses, I am not sure that is His will for any of us.  Like the sound when the bell is rung, so it is with my past experience shaping me to who I am today.

    It is human nature to desire to be perfect.  But in our fallen state and in a fallen world we lack the ability to do so.  Sometimes the one thing we desire more than our own perfection is perfection in those around us.  Knowing our own limitations (even if we don't care to admit them) we still have an unreasonable desire to not be troubled with the failure of those around us, especially those closest to us.  You will see those expectations in almost every relationship: husband/wife, parent/child, employer/employee, friend/friend, etc. 

   This is the crux of what Jesus spoke about in Matthew 7.  How often it is quoted.  "Judge not lest ye be judged."  Oh how we love to say that, and especially when we are the ones being judged.  Jesus never commanded us not to judge or not to have high expectations of one another.  On the contrary, He said "Be prefect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."  Oh what a standard and a goal.  One that we can desire after and strive for, but ultimately one that is completely out of our grasp.  That is why Jesus came to die.  So what does He mean by that?  To not judge but to also be perfect.

   A man is on a journey through a forest that is overgrown and dangerous.  He is making bad progress and he slips down into deep pit.  He struggles to jump out, to climb out, to dig out, but with everything he tries he sinks deeper into the pit.  He yells out, he can hear people talking and walking by, but it seems that nobody cares.  He finally gives up and decides he is better off dead and begins to regret ever starting his journey.  Just then from up above he hears someone at the top of the pit.  The man looks up and sees a friend.  He cries out for help.  His friend waves at him and jumps down into the pit.  The man looks at his friend and says, "Why did you jump down here you fool? We are both going to die now."  The friend smiles big, places a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and says, "Do not worry, I've been down here before.  I know the way out." 

   What Jesus meant was that we are to use our shortcomings to soften ourselves to our brothers and sisters.  He gave Himself for us and he expects each of us to treat each other accordingly.

3 people 3 responses

   I have had the sorrowful experience lately to be around three people who have had to endure some very heartbreaking and earth shattering news.  Two of the individuals received very similar news and the third lost a very close relative.  I have been able to observe their overall demeanor and would like to make a few observations about how they handled it.  For background, all three of the individuals grew up in a traditional Southern Baptist environment and had made professions of faith in Jesus as children.  They all studied religion in college and had at one time or another felt led into the ministry.  One of my friends believes in God, one probably believes but you could never know it, and the third says that God is a myth. 

   My first friend has found out just recently one of their parents died.  In speaking to my friend and offering condolences their demeanor can only be described as casual and unconcerned.  Our close circle of friends are heartbroken for our friend and have expressed sorrow at the passing of their parent, but they just explained that they were not that close and it is what it is.  They seemed more annoyed with the loose ends needing too be tied up. 

   My second friend learned recently that their spouse does not love them anymore.  Their spouse asked for a divorce after announcing a few months earlier they were unhappy, and they were just tired of being unhappy all the time.  They also explained how they have secretly developed an emotional attachment to a co-worker and feel this other person is now their best friend ever.  Mind you just a few years earlier they said the same thing about my friend.  My friend is full of sadness, anger, rage, and confusion.  Not knowing which way to go or what to do now, they only know that their world has just turned upside down and it is impossible to fix the problem.  All of the friends in this friends circle are outraged and want to seek vengeance on their behalf.

   My third friend has learned recently their spouse has had an extramarital affair.  The sordid details of the affair came not through direct revelation or discovery, but through rumors that all of their friends had gathered and shared.  When my friend and their spouse were finally coming clean about the affair, the friends started to intervene and make comments not directly at the situation, but it was obvious these were veiled attempts to get a steamy response.  My friend has handled this situation with great dignity and grace.  The spouse has admitted to wrongdoing and my friend has forgiven them and vowed to make their marriage work.  When speaking to those closest to this friend you can hear the outrage and anger in their voices.  They feel that the spouse should pay dearly for the sin, but my friend asks them please leave us be and let us rebuild our marriage.


Be a sport tell me which one believes in God.

To God be the glory.

    I feel it necessary to share a recent experience.  Being an Elder/Pastor of County Line Baptist Church in Bullard, TX, I receive many calls about our church on a fairly regular basis.  Our church belongs to our local Southern Baptist county association, known as The Smith Baptist Association,  and has for many years.  In Baptist circles, each local Baptist church is an autonomous, self contained, self governed church.  To the Baptist, there is no higher earthly authority than your local church where you are a member.

   On the first Sunday evening of each month our church has a congregational prayer time.  Usually a small number of our church gathers and we pray for God to work in specific areas of the Kingdom, our church, and our community.  As I was leaving the prayer time this evening, I noticed I had missed a call from a local number I did not recognize.  I called it back and asked if they had called me.  The person on the other end of the line identified himself as a representative of our local Baptist association and that he was in charge of a program called M.O.R.E. 

   He explained that M.O.R.E. stands for More Out Reaching Everyone, or something to that effect.  He inquired if we had evening services and I told him about our weekly services.  He informed me that County Line Baptist had won an award through the M.O.R.E. program.  He stated that our baptisms were over 15 percent of our church membership and we should be proud.  Along with this award he wanted to present to our church a plaque during one of our meetings.  He said it was quite an honor and we should be proud of ourselves and the work we are doing for Christ.  He explained we should have received the award at our yearly associational meeting but for some reason County Line Baptist Church's ministers were not in attendance. 

    He thought he was telling me something I did not know.   The truth is we all knew the association was trying to give this award to us.   We chose not to attend based on personal conviction for the following reasons.

1. I could care less what they think about me, my church, or our work for the Lord Jesus.
2. Our church discussed this issue and this award and decided we did not think it was in our best interests to participate in a "pat me on the back" award program for doing what we are supposed to do for Jesus.
3. Our association needs to put its resources to reaching the lost for Jesus and not creating commemorative plaques to show off how important we are.
4. Finally and most importantly:

      Matthew 6 1-4

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!  But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

    I Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

    

   After I explained to him that County Line Baptist Church would not accept or welcome any award he said, "Well, there is nothing in the Bible saying that we can't give out awards."    Well I guess Jesus and Paul said it best.  You have the reward of your suffering.  I hope your plaque gleams brightly for all the years it hangs in your church.  As for County Line Baptist Church we will not accept any corruptible trophy.


   I am  independent, I am Baptist, I believe in the fundamentals of the Bible.  Since when did Baptists care what anyone else thought about them?  And I just love how our association likes to praise each other.