My son, Tim, asked me to read a book he had to read for school, Night, about one surviving Jew's story of the extermination of the Jews in Hungary under Hitler's regime. It's so sad...and mind boggling how someone's thinking can be so twisted and corrupted.
Then the Apostle Paul comes to mind. Paul, then known as Saul, was passionate. He boldly lived out what he was convinced of--what he believed was right. He was determined and successful in the mission he was carrying out (exterminating Christians). Unfortunately, he was deceived and unable to see truth, but he was also unable to discern his own blindness to truth.
Finally God got his attention by physically blinding him. His physical blindness allowed him to see the truth of his spiritual blindness. Eventually, the "scales" fell off his eyes and he was finally able to see both physically and spiritually. I wonder if the scales were what God used to cause the physical blindness OR if the scales were already there causing the spiritual blindness, and finally, understanding truth, they came off.
I'm constantly seeing and interacting with people who are spiritually blind. They believe they see truth. Sometimes it's a teenager who's convinced his parents are ruining his life, so he fights against them. Sometimes it's misunderstandings in who we really are (self-concept) that cause us to think others are against us...and we attack them...and sometimes ourselves.
We need God's truth. We need to understand, in those times, that we have a spiritual blindness that steals our joy and our God-given purpose. We need the scales to fall from our eyes.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
What's really behind this controversial word...submission?
Submission has been very misunderstood; I think, possibly more than any other word or concept in the Bible. Both men and women typically misunderstand it...in different ways, however. But today I'm getting more insight into it, for both men and women.
Paul talks about it in Ephesians saying it is for everyone, and husbands and wives to submit to each other (Eph. 5.21), and then gets a little more detailed with the inner workings of the relationship that is filled with the Holy Spirit.
Let's backtrack a bit, though, and really look at what submission is as God intended. In James 3.16, James describes how it is jealousy and selfishness that bring disorder and evil. There is no godly wisdom in this kind of behavior. A truly wise person, however, 'though tempted, will not dig his heals in to fight the jealousy and selfishness, but instead, will respond as someone filled with the Holy Spirit. Eph. 5.18 says, "Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you." Verses 19-21 describe what will happen in us as a result of letting the Holy Spirit fill and control us: "Then you will sing...making music to the Lord in your hearts. And you will always give thanks for everything to God.... And further, you will submit to one another."
Submission is not something to be demanded, but it is rather a result of the Holy Spirit filling us, controlling us and overflowing out of us. Now go back to James. James describes what it looks like to be someone filled with the Holy Spirit and controlled by the Holy Spirit, with the wisdom and the fruit of the Spirit flowing out of us as we respond to worldly actions, particularly jealousy and selfishness.
Characteristics that will flow out of us, as we are filled with the Holy Spirit, are healthy peace-making characteristics:
In considering submission as "a willingness to yield to others", first, having a willingness is something that can never be demanded. The will is an internal thing that no one can make you change. And second, the word "yield" conjures up images of road signs and how we respond to those. If I'm driving where two lanes merge into one, there is typically a sign that says, "yield" for one of the lanes, just so we don't crash. Yielding is simply a courteous, considerate action; NOT an action that shows the other person to be dominant. Actually, it seems to be the opposite. A gentleman who politely holds a door for a woman is yielding to her, submitting to her, by letting her go first. His behavior, in this way, sets him apart as respectable and honorable.
I realize some women have developed some deviated thinking on issues like that, and there are some men too who have tried to use this type of yielding behavior in dominating and demanding ways. That would be impure and not of the Spirit.
But we can choose to be filled with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to live virtuously through us.
So let's go back to the driving and road analogy. If I'm driving along on the highway and some wild and selfish driver comes speeding up to me driving recklessly and carelessly, worldly thinking would say I need to teach him a lesson or make him pay for his bad behavior. Godly wisdom, however, would likely yield and move aside with gentleness, mercy and peace (maybe even smiling and waving as he goes by), knowing that as James 3.18 goes on to say, "peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness."
I am in no way saying to allow another person to abuse you. Love sets boundaries in those relationships for the benefit of both people.
Look at it this way. My son is a black belt in karate. When someone attacks, my son has learned how to let the other person wear himself out by, in a sense, yielding to that person's momentum. Maybe you saw some of the first Karate Kid movies where Mr. Miyagi does this. Someone throws a punch and Mr. Miyagi quickly and calmly steps aside. He continues to dodge punches, using very little energy while the angry punch-thrower exhausts and frustrates himself with his ineffective effort.
Mr. Miyagi was yielding, yet it made him the strong one.
These are just some thoughts I had on the subject today. Of course, it is much, much broader and more complex than I've presented in these few paragraphs; nonetheless, food for thought.
Paul talks about it in Ephesians saying it is for everyone, and husbands and wives to submit to each other (Eph. 5.21), and then gets a little more detailed with the inner workings of the relationship that is filled with the Holy Spirit.
Let's backtrack a bit, though, and really look at what submission is as God intended. In James 3.16, James describes how it is jealousy and selfishness that bring disorder and evil. There is no godly wisdom in this kind of behavior. A truly wise person, however, 'though tempted, will not dig his heals in to fight the jealousy and selfishness, but instead, will respond as someone filled with the Holy Spirit. Eph. 5.18 says, "Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you." Verses 19-21 describe what will happen in us as a result of letting the Holy Spirit fill and control us: "Then you will sing...making music to the Lord in your hearts. And you will always give thanks for everything to God.... And further, you will submit to one another."
Submission is not something to be demanded, but it is rather a result of the Holy Spirit filling us, controlling us and overflowing out of us. Now go back to James. James describes what it looks like to be someone filled with the Holy Spirit and controlled by the Holy Spirit, with the wisdom and the fruit of the Spirit flowing out of us as we respond to worldly actions, particularly jealousy and selfishness.
Characteristics that will flow out of us, as we are filled with the Holy Spirit, are healthy peace-making characteristics:
- purity
- a peace-loving perspective
- gentleness at all times
- a willingness to yield to others (ie, submission)
- mercy
- good deeds
- impartiality
- sincerity
In considering submission as "a willingness to yield to others", first, having a willingness is something that can never be demanded. The will is an internal thing that no one can make you change. And second, the word "yield" conjures up images of road signs and how we respond to those. If I'm driving where two lanes merge into one, there is typically a sign that says, "yield" for one of the lanes, just so we don't crash. Yielding is simply a courteous, considerate action; NOT an action that shows the other person to be dominant. Actually, it seems to be the opposite. A gentleman who politely holds a door for a woman is yielding to her, submitting to her, by letting her go first. His behavior, in this way, sets him apart as respectable and honorable.
I realize some women have developed some deviated thinking on issues like that, and there are some men too who have tried to use this type of yielding behavior in dominating and demanding ways. That would be impure and not of the Spirit.
But we can choose to be filled with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to live virtuously through us.
So let's go back to the driving and road analogy. If I'm driving along on the highway and some wild and selfish driver comes speeding up to me driving recklessly and carelessly, worldly thinking would say I need to teach him a lesson or make him pay for his bad behavior. Godly wisdom, however, would likely yield and move aside with gentleness, mercy and peace (maybe even smiling and waving as he goes by), knowing that as James 3.18 goes on to say, "peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness."
I am in no way saying to allow another person to abuse you. Love sets boundaries in those relationships for the benefit of both people.
Look at it this way. My son is a black belt in karate. When someone attacks, my son has learned how to let the other person wear himself out by, in a sense, yielding to that person's momentum. Maybe you saw some of the first Karate Kid movies where Mr. Miyagi does this. Someone throws a punch and Mr. Miyagi quickly and calmly steps aside. He continues to dodge punches, using very little energy while the angry punch-thrower exhausts and frustrates himself with his ineffective effort.
Mr. Miyagi was yielding, yet it made him the strong one.
These are just some thoughts I had on the subject today. Of course, it is much, much broader and more complex than I've presented in these few paragraphs; nonetheless, food for thought.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
clean needle vending machines
It bothers me that we live in a society that prefers to deal with symptoms rather than problems (ie, the cause of the symptoms). Drugs are given for high blood pressure rather than dealing with the hyper-tension that is typically the cause of it. Guns may be taken away from everyone instead of dealing with the violent behavior of the minority. Society has chosen to deal with STDs, immorality, and infidelity by providing condoms rather than advocating morality. I can imagine how society will soon be dealing with the problem of drug addiction. A condom vending machine in a high school bathroom has just as much ethics as a clean needle vending machine in a public restroom or a life-like mannequin of yourself to sleep in your bed so your spouse won't know you're away having an affair.
We need to get to the root causes of our emotionally and physically unhealthy symptoms. There's freedom there, but not in masking the problem.
We need to get to the root causes of our emotionally and physically unhealthy symptoms. There's freedom there, but not in masking the problem.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Love and War
I just watched John and Stasi Eldredge's webcast for their new book, Love and War. Very informative and helpful for navigating through all kinds of marriage issues. I've found most marriage books to be rather frustrating and have often felt like I've been 'missed' as I've read though a typical marriage book's suggestions. But with Love and War, I feel understood. You should read it. It can be ordered on their website at www.ransomedheart.com.
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