A Counselor Reflects on Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
“The bad psychological material is not a sin but a disease. It does not need to be repented of, but to be cured. And by the way, this is very important. Human beings judge one another by their moral choices. When a neurotic who has a pathological horror of cats forces himself to pick up a cat for some good reason, it is quite possible that in God’s eyes he has shown more courage than a healthy man may have shown in winning the V.C. (p. 91).” Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Let’s forego the disease-model (addiction, depression, etc…) debate for a moment and focus on Lewis’ main point. God evaluates us on the basis of what we have to work with. This is the point of Luke 12:48,
“But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”
With this in mind, it makes sense that God would be more pleased with the slight expression of other-minded compassion from someone with Autism than He would be with large compassion from someone who writes Hallmark cards for a living.
In the same way, we get really excited when a toddler takes three steps without falling, but are disappointed when an Olympian takes a half step when landing a triple-backflip-summersault with a half twist (I have no idea if that is even possible).
I think even those of us who are skeptical of the disease-model can get closer to what Lewis is saying. We believe that every person is born with a flesh nature and that these sinful natures are unique. We would also agree that each person is born is a unique personality, intelligence, set of social skills, and interests. These things can be developed with practice and shaped through life experience, but we all start with a unique “base package.”
Every person’s “base package” set them up for some life struggles. This is what it means to be a fallen person in a broken world. This distribution is not “fair” (if by fair we mean equal). Therefore, some people naturally struggle more than others.
It goes beyond the scope of this reflection to try to define what does and does not fit into the category of a biological disease. For those interested in exploring that subject further, I would recommend Ed Welch’s book Blame It On the Brain?
The ultimate goal of this reflection is to draw on Lewis’s call to look beyond (but not over) our choices. Looking over choices harms everyone. Even “a neurotic who has a pathological horror of cats” needs to be led towards truth. It would be unloving to be a silent people as others suffer with irrational fears or self-destructive behaviors even if they are biological.
Looking beyond choices would require considering who the person is who is making these choices. What are they working with (experientially, intellectually, dispositionally, physically)? Where are they in their spiritual, emotional, and relational maturity? I think if we heed Lewis’ instruction in this way, it will help us keep from getting ahead of God in one another’s life without condoning immoral or irrational behavior.
Posted 7 months, 1 week ago at 12:24 pm. Add a comment
This post is meant to offer guidance to common “What now?” questions that could emerge from Pastor J.D.’s sermon “Fear: Homewreckers #3” preached at The Summit Church Saturday/Sunday June 18-19, 2011.
There are many people who deny that their life is marked by fear, but for whom fear is one of their primary motivators. The problem is not necessarily some form of denial or defensiveness. Instead, they don’t recognize their fear as fear because it registers in their thoughts and speech under a different term – enough.
Often this change of language is because the fear does not (at least yet) paralyze them, but merely motivates them (for better or worse). In this way, fear is very similar to stress. Certain levels of stress are healthy and cause us to “perform better” in life. We refer to this when we say, “Competition can bring the best out of people.” However, there comes a point where stress (or fear) is detrimental.
For those who do still view their unhealthy fear as a form of motivation they might refer to themselves as:
- not being good enough (generally or at a specific activity)
- not having enough money (for security or compared to others)
- not having achieved enough (compared to a peer or for their age)
- not being attractive enough (based upon size or some perceived defect)
- not being social enough (funny, outgoing, compassionate, etc…)
These types of fears can go by other names than just motivations: insecurity, shyness, being driven, over-achieving, thinking ahead, being a planner, etc…
At this point, I would advise you to pause and consider two questions:
- What areas of life do you use the word “enough” to signal an area of fear?
- What (if not fear) do you call this struggle with fear?
You have now identified an area in your life where you have the opportunity to rely on God and live out of your identity in Christ in new ways. Don’t begin this process with a sense of condemnation. God is calling you FROM bondage (to fear) TO freedom (in Christ).
If we are not careful, we can repent INTO the same bondage we were repenting OF. It sounds like this, “Great, a reminder that now I’m not spiritual ENOUGH. Just add that to the list.” Or “I don’t know how I’m going to do this. I just can’t trust God ENOUGH.” We begin to try to apply God’s Gospel in the same system as our previous slavery.
Start your journey from fear with the truth that you are being delivered by a patient God who loves you. God loves you by grace. Grace means that “enough” is no longer a relevant category to apply to the thing that matters most in life. That is the beginning of freedom from fear.
“Enough” is a slave word. “Grace” is a free word. If I am motivated by “enough” then even my productive and worthwhile accomplishment will eventually become bondage. That is because “enough” always implies “a little better than before.” If I am motivated by “grace” then my successes are celebrations of God’s goodness and my failures are points to remember that I am a loved child still in the process of being made into the image of my Father – a Father who enjoys the process of grooming the character of His children over a life time (Heb. 10:14). This is why grace gives us BOTH comfort and motivation.
Posted 7 months, 3 weeks ago at 12:23 pm. Add a comment
Case Study: If there was a word that Amy hated it was “politics.” She wasn’t good at it and didn’t want to be. Falsely she hoped that by never running for public office, she would be able to avoid it. But unfortunately politics is not the exclusive domain of professionals.
Two other women in her office knew what was “best” for the business. They were not the owners, or even the manager, but these women “had the boss’s ear.” Amy didn’t even realize she was setting off an office bomb when she offered to take on a new responsibility in order to gain some extra pay. But later she learned the significance of “by-passing” the “powers that be.”
Her two co-workers, who were peers by position title, were offended that Amy would try to show them up and cheat them out of money. Amy thought everyone knew her husband was a construction worker and that they were facing hard times during the down economy. Their husbands had stable salaried jobs.
The spin was ferocious. Soon Amy was a silent, distant, money-grabbing, power-player who wasn’t interested in the team atmosphere of the office. It was as if the other two women were professional character developers for a sitcom writer. Amy soon had a type-cast role that reinterpreted her every response. Whenever Amy finally spoke up, the other women were indignant that Amy would accuse them of slander “after all Amy had done.” This only made matters worse.
Amy’s first response was fear and her second response was hurt. She woke up at night thinking about losing her job. Then she thought about how miserable it would be to stay at her job now. Her 13 years at the office seemed like they had been thrown away in one innocent request for extra work for extra pay to supplement her family income. For weeks she cried frequently while eating, sleeping, or talking infrequently.
One day she started looking for words for her experience in the Bible (she didn’t know where else to look). She began in the Psalms and didn’t make it to the second page before she reached Psalm 4 and read her story written before she lived it. She returned to this Psalm often and even personalized it in her own words.
Pre-Questions: This case study is meant to challenge you to think biblically about the real struggles of life. These questions will not be answered completely in the sections below. But they do represent the kind of struggles that are being wrestled with in Psalm 4. Use the question to both stir application and to give you new insight into the psalm.
- What is the hardest part of being blind-sided by consequences that don’t naturally flow from your actions?
- How does a lie create an “alternative narrative” for your life that reinterprets your every action?
- How should Amy find the strength and courage to persevere in her difficult work environment?
- How should Amy respond to the fear and hurt she feels?
Read Psalm 4 in your preferred Bible translation. The “rewrite” of Psalm 4 below is an attempt to capture the words that God would give Amy to pray (Romans 8:26-27). This would be something Amy would need to pray many times as she struggled with insecurity.
A re-write of Psalm 4
1. Lord, I need you now. Please here me when I pray. I was trying to follow You even when this mess got started. You are bigger than this crisis and You offer more peace than a paycheck but I sometimes don’t see that. Be patient with me as I pray through this same thing many times.
2. How long will these two women spin my attempt to work hard as if it was an under-handed action? How long will they enjoy creating scenarios to reframe my words and seek for ways to substantiate their revisionist history?
3. Lord, I know You have saved me and set me apart for Yourself. That is why I can pray to You with confidence. I am Your child long before and long after I am their co-worker. You define me. I am not sure they even know me.
4. Lord, Cause them to be angry for the right reason (at deceit or laziness, not willingness to work hard). If they were angry at the right things they wouldn’t sin like this. Cause them to ponder integrity night and day and with each waking thought.
5. Show them their actions are not right. Show them the type of work and relationships You bless. Cause them to put their trust in You rather than their “pull” within the office.
6. Lord, I am sure they would say, “We think we are doing the right thing. Show us where we are wrong. If God can be against what we are for, we must not know God.” I can’t break through that kind of thinking. Lord, only You can. I give them to You.
7. Lord, I have more joy in You than they do in all their power and clout. I don’t want what they have and they can’t take what You give. When I remember this, I can avoid being drawn into a competition I don’t want to win.
8. This gives me a rest that I haven’t known in weeks. Lord, only You can allow a person to rest well in uncertain times. Keep this perspective impressed in my thoughts as I sleep, when I wake, as I go to work, and when I return home. Safety is neither a place or a dollar amount; it is being with You. Thank You for being ever-present.
Passages for Further Study: Psalm 55:19-23; Proverbs 26:4-5, 23-28; Jeremiah 9:7-9; Matthew 5:2-12; Mark 7:14-23
Post Questions: Now that you have read Psalm 4, examined how Amy might rewrite it for her situation, and studied several other passages, consider the following questions:
- In what ways does the action of being lied about tempt Amy to take her focus off of God? How does this affect the things she thinks about and what she feels?
- How does the “effectiveness” of lying shape the way we define “success” in life?
- How would your answers to the “pre-questions” have changed as a result of reflecting on Psalm 4?
- For what instances of being lied about or relational betrayal do you need to re-write your own version of Psalm 4?
Posted 11 months, 2 weeks ago at 2:14 pm. 1 comment
A Counselor Reflects on Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
“We are told that Christ was killed for us, that His death has washed out our sins, and that by dying He disabled death itself. That is the formula. That is Christianity (p. 56-7).” Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
When J.R.R. Tolkien was asked what the theme of all great novels his response was (slightly paraphrased), “Death, of course.” Death is something that all people have in common. Death is something by which we (eventually) measure each relationship, activity, and cause. When we ask, “Was this worth living for?” we measure that thing against death.
We talk about “cheating” death. We know that death has a claim on our life and we resent it. We want to make death wait as long as we possibly can before it seizes what is rightfully ours.
We know that death is final. Every moment of our earthly life has a “next chapter” that can redeem the one before it, except death. That finality is daunting. But not only is it final, death is unpredictable. We know we have a debt we cannot pay, but we do not know when the bill collector is going to arrive. At times, we live in fear of its coming. At other times, we live as if death were only a fairy tale.
All of this presumes two things. First, it presumes that we were made for this world. Second, it presumes that death was the ultimate end. Thanks to Jesus (and Him alone) both of these presumptions are now false.
Before Jesus’ death and resurrection we did belong to this world. We were bound to this world and were the property of its prince (Eph 2:2). The only hope or significance we could have achieved would have been bound to how well we could manipulate the people and matter of this world and extend our life to enjoy achievements.
Before Jesus’ death and resurrection, death was our end—at least in terms of anything good. We would have died, faced judgment, and then eternal punishment. Death would have marked the last time we would smile, laugh, rest, hope, dream, or love.
Jesus disabled death. He removed those fears for those who trust in His death on their behalf. No longer is death the bully club of life; death is now a transition not an ending. Death is a graduation, not a termination. Death is the point where investments are cashed in, not forfeited.
Death is when we hear “Well done!” not “Game over!”
The challenge for us as Christians is to change our view of death. Obviously, per the statement from Tolkien, we struggle to see death for what it is. I include myself in that number. At best, I tend to see death (and heaven) as retirement. The image of retirement has too much of an image of “slowing down” or “coming to an end.”
That is not death disabled. It would only be death maimed. Personally, I do not yet have that picture of death disabled—I long for it. I am still too attached to this world and all I am doing in it. I dread death (when I think of it) as an interference to the things I am passionate about now. I think that reveals that I am missing the significance of what Jesus did to death.
Posted 11 months, 3 weeks ago at 1:44 pm. 1 comment
Effective Biblical Counseling can never be reduced to the question, “What does the Bible say about [topic]?” Both life and counseling require more than having the right answer to a question. Counseling (or Christian friendship that seeks to embody the “one another” commands of the New Testament) is when one person joins another on his/her journey to cultivate more of the fruit of the Spirit in his/her life by overcoming some life struggle.
What you find below should be considered the “map” for this journey. God’s Word helps us see both where we are (stuck in sin and/or suffering) and where we want to be. The Summit counseling ministry hopes you find both direction and encouragement for your journey in these passages.
This list is updated periodically.
It is not God’s design for us to live in fear and anxiety.
Philippians 4:5-9, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
A characteristic mark of growing in Christian maturity is peace.
Galatians 5:22-26, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
The most important question during anxiety is, “Where will I turn for peace?”
Psalm 56:3-4, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”
Daily responsibilities bring anxiety and we battle to focus on the Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:32-35, “I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.”
Our concern for others produces anxieties that are rooted in compassion.
2 Corinthians 11:28-29, “And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?”
Anxiety can be physically exhausting.
Proverbs 12:25, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”
God is concerned about and wants to hear what troubles our souls.
1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
Worry does not change life and is of no benefit.
Psalm 127:2, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”
Anxiety ultimately expresses unbelief in God’s willingness or ability to care for us.
Matthew 6:25-34, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Other Passages to Study: Proverbs 3:24-26; Isaiah 9:6, 12:12, 26:3; John 14:1-6, 25-29, 16:33; Romans 8:6; Ephesians 2:14-22; Colossians 3:14-17, 2 Thessalonians 3:16; 2 Timothy 1:6-7
Other Topics to Consider: Character, Change Process, Codependency, Contentment, Decision Making, Emotions (General), Self-Esteem
Posted 1 year ago at 1:35 pm. 1 comment
Healthy Remembering (2:11-13)
Have you ever been told you should forget your life (i.e., sins) before your conversion? After all, if God has forgiven you, what point is there in remembering your “old life”? Well, Paul gives very different advice to the believers at Ephesus. Paul not only asks the Ephesians to remember, he reminds them of who they were. In this passage we can glean several aspects of “healthy remembering.”
Healthy remembering protects against pride. The Ephesians church was Gentile and there was competition with the Jewish church. Wherever there are “teams” there is pride. Paul calls on remembering as a tool to combat pride.- Healthy remembering highlights God’s power (not our depravity). Being “saved” only makes sense if we were saved “from” something. Unless we remember our previous condition we will diminish the work of God. But notice (and seek to emulate) how Paul highlights what God is doing instead of denigrating what God had to work with.
- Healthy remembering allows us to be a whole person with one story. We spend too much time explaining away our sin by saying, “That really wasn’t me who did/said that.” Our testimony does not need to make it worse. When we fail to remember we begin to speak as if we lived (past tense) and live (present tense) two separate lives and our sin becomes “not me,” so repentance becomes a form of denial.
- Healthy remembering allows God’s church to be one body. Humility is essential to unity. “There but for the grace of God go/went I,” is the thread that binds the unity of the church. Unless we remember our whole story, we will grade, rank, and classify ourselves as Christians and divide what God has brought together.
Christ Himself Is Our Peace
(BCH_Eph2B_handout for Printable PDF Handout)
Too often we think of peace as an emotion or a commodity; either something we feel or something we have. Yet Scripture is consistently calling us to know the Prince of Peace as a person. Ephesians 2:14 begins, “For [Christ] himself is our peace.”
Notice the guiding hand of Paul in Philippians 4 coaxing the church to grasp this as they wrestle with anxiety. In verse 7 he begins where they are (thinking of peace as a commodity), “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” But by verse 9 he is pointing them to a person, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Consider the following differences that emerge when we grasp that “peace” is a person.
- You muster an emotion. You find an object. You get to know a person.
- Emotions are fleeting. You have to protect an object. A person can protect you.
- Emotions are subjective. Objects are without meaning. A person can make himself known.
- Emotions are volatile. Objects are lifeless. A person shares life.
- A person has emotions and presence but (ultimately) is not defined by either.
As you search for peace and reflect on these comparisons, consider the call of Jesus, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).”
Being Built Together (2:22)
Read Ephesians 2:11-22 (especially verse 16), “and [Christ] might reconcile us both [Jew and Gentile] to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility,” in light of Matthew 19:6, “So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” If there is any relevance to this connection of us not destroying what God brings together, then we should take church unity as seriously as the sanctity of marriage.
Are we as grieved by church strife as we are by domestic violence or divorce? Do we view violence against Christ’s bride as seriously as we view violence against man’s bride? Maybe more to the point, do we see a rise in the frequency of divorce because we have forgotten what it means to enter into a covenant with God and His church? Has the consumerism and selfishness with which we often think of church life bled into our marriages?
Reflection: How seriously do you take your church membership? Have you ever read your church covenant? What are the differences in the “grounds for divorce” with a church as opposed to a marriage (i.e, moving to new city, changing doctrinal beliefs, etc…)? How should we answer if someone says, “This church doesn’t satisfy me anymore. I think God would want me to go somewhere else.”?
Introduction to the “Living Our Faith” series.
TOOL: “Using Prayer Time to Cultivate Ministry”
BLOG POST: “Teachers Equipping Ministers Through Prayer Time“
Posted 1 year, 4 months ago at 12:33 pm. Add a comment
“Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.” 2 Cor. 5:11
What is the fear of the Lord? That is a question that is larger than can be addressed in a blog post, but I would like to examine one characteristic of fear that may help us experience more of the fear of the Lord (a good thing).
Fear Feature: 
We tend to focus on and look for what we fear. If someone has a fear of snakes and they walk in the woods, they are looking fervently for snakes. If someone fears rejection, they will listen in every conversation for a negative comment, gesture, or omitted compliment (often hearing one whether it was there or not). If someone fears failure, then each moment is braced against it, asking for some skill or knowledge they do not have (often being paralyzed from doing things they are perfectly capable of doing).
Living in the fear of the Lord then, means to live with a constant awareness of God. What is He doing? What is His will for this situation? How can I express His character in this relationship? How could I please Him in this moment? In this regard, we might say that the opposite of the fear of the Lord is casualness/forgetfulness towards God.
In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul draws a connection between someone’s fear of the Lord and their level of persuasiveness. As we will see in just a moment, Paul was not trying to create the latest, greatest sales technique. Paul was merely putting a reality into words.
The fear of the Lord is the only fear that is not self-centered. All other fears are necessarily self-centered because their ultimate goal is self-preservation. The fear of the Lord begins with denying ourselves and dying to our desires (Luke 9:23-24).
This influences our ability to be persuasive in three ways:
- People are more apt to listen to someone who is not out for what they can gain in a situation. Paul had modeled this in his early preaching in Corinth (1 Cor 9:9-12). He would not allow the Corinthians to give him money for his ministry so that they would know of the sincerity of his message. One good question for measuring trust is, “How much does this person fear God?”
- We are more able to interpret a situation correctly when the lenses of self are not distorting our motives. We tend to see what we fear/trust. If we fear/trust money, we see a profit margin. If we fear/trust acceptance, we see rejection. If we fear/trust power, we see opportunities to get ahead. When we actively fear/trust God, we see things as they really are (rather than through the distortion of our fears). When we do not see things accurately people are confused and turned off by the sense that our words are “off.”
- Finally, when we fear the Lord we do not require a certain response from the other person as personal validation. Their acceptance or rejection of our message (i.e., the Gospel, a biblical way to resolve a particular conflict, a character quality we ask of our children, etc…) is not personal acceptance or rejection. We can then model a kind of social freedom that is sorely lacking in our insecure culture that hyper-personalizes differences.
Posted 1 year, 5 months ago at 12:26 pm. Add a comment
Suffering is simply the difficulty in life that we experience which is not the result of our personal sin. It is the fall out of living in a broken world with fallen people.
One problem (among many) with suffering is that it is such an intense experience. It is the epitome of “UNFAIR!” While we are wrestling with what to say and do in the midst of what should not be, we miss the messages that we are learning. We miss the messages, because most often those messages are being taught implicitly (like a child learns whether a stranger is safe by monitoring the mood of his/her parents) not explicitly (like recognizing the letters of the alphabet or multiplication tables).
In some way we begin to assume that “what is” is “what will always be.” From this we adapt our expectations (both of self and others), our level of hope or pessimism, our accepted social practices, and even God.
We don’t really assess these beliefs, because in the midst of suffering one is more concerned with surviving than evaluating. The few times we did dare to speak up we were likely “put in our place” and the few times we girded up the hope to think about what should be it only made the suffering more difficult.
Yet this becomes its own trap. Once we quit assessing life and merely accept suffering, we begin to accept lies (i.e., you deserve this, there is no need to try, no one can be trusted, if you ever show weakness you will be taken advantage of, it is always better to be quiet, fairness is a fairy tale, etc…) as truth.
After we accept these lies as truth, we (by default) surrender to their influence on our life. The only responses left are cynicism, anxiety, depression, or bitterness. These dispositions are so entrapping that we miss the significance of changing life events (moving out of a home with abusive parents) or new life opportunities (going back to school, the perspective of a new friend).
Eventually we even begin to fear that our lies might be proven false, because then we would have to learn a whole new way of life. All of the ways we have made sense of things would be taken from us. That almost seems worse than the suffering.
These thoughts are not meant to multiply despair, but I hope they do make the following points of application make more sense.
- The road out of suffering can be as scary as the road into suffering for the person walking it.
- It is hard to put the lies of suffering into words because they were not taught that way.
- Great faith is required to denounce the lies of suffering because they have often been a means of survival.
- Patience is required for those who will help people coming out of suffering. The freedom of being able to walk at their own pace is part of getting their voice back and learning to trust their new found freedom.
- Resistance is not always rebellion in the aftermath of great suffering. Often it is merely the mustering of courage to step out into this “new” truth.
These five points will not fit every situation, but I think they are worth considering for Christians who are befriending, pastoring, or counseling those who are experiencing or coming out of significant suffering. As you reflect on these points it might be good to read Exodus, Job, the grief/depression Psalms, and I Peter – books that address the subject of suffering, oppression, change, and endurance.
Posted 1 year, 10 months ago at 3:07 pm. Add a comment
God’s Misdirection Play (13:17-18)
The people were equipped for battle (v. 18), revealing that they were expecting resistance. Yet God knew their hearts were still fickle (v. 17), so God directs them through the “long-cut.” Not only do they take the longer route, it is the long route with a dead end at the Red Sea.
The people still did not know what the Exodus was about. They viewed Moses as their leader (14:11) instead of merely as God’s servant (14:31). The longer route was intended to teach a final lesson to Egypt (14:4, 18) and to continue to shape the thinking of Israel. They were used to one slave master—Pharaoh—and would grumble against Moses as if he was their new master. They had much to learn about living free under God.
Reflection: How much of our suffering is because we are not ready to fully follow God and he must, therefore, take us on the long route to protect us from ourselves? How often do we place God and God’s servants into the character molds of previous oppressors? Notice how God continually reveals Himself by name and character in the book of Exodus to break through this strong tendency.
Doubt and Sarcasm (14:11)
The progression seems to miss a beat. Israel is afraid so they cry out to God (v. 10). Then they get sarcastic and accusatory with God’s leaders. Where did that come from? They just witnessed 10 amazing acts of God through Moses on their behalf. Yet they talk to Moses as if this whole Exodus thing was his idea. They do not yet get that Moses is merely God’s servant (14:31).
Moses to his great credit does not personalize their venomous words (14:13). Later in his ministry Moses will struggle to exhibit this kind of faith (Numbers 20). At this time in his life, Moses knows he can’t take the criticism personally, because he has not been the one calling the shots or doing the miracles. He is merely the messenger and Aaron does most of the talking anyway.
Reflection: Who do you turn on when you are afraid? What form/tone do your words take? What responsibility, expectation, or motive do you put on them that is unfair? How do you personalize the fear or anger of others? How does this personalizing serve to further distract the conversation from the main issue(s)?
Fear and Belief
(BCH_Exodus_14_handout for Printable PDF Handout)
It was because of fear that God led Israel on the long route (Exodus 13:17-18). Similar fear was the root of Israel’s rebellion against Moses (Exodus 14:11). Now it is fear that corrects their hearts causing Israel to believe God and view Moses as God’s servant (Exodus 14:31).
”Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians,
so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.”
Fear is central to belief. Without an element of fear belief would be merely academic and factual rather than practical and devotional. Prior to seeing the action of God at the Red Sea Israel could have said the words, “Yahweh is God and Moses is His servant.” Afterwards those words resonated deep in their soul and were reverently precious.
It is important to examine the link between your own beliefs and fears.
- What are the great events of your life which serve as markers?
- Where was God in the midst of those events and how did they change your view of God?
- When you grumble, doubt, or rebel who/what are you fearing?
- As you examine those fears what do they reveal is most valuable to you?
- Based on those values, what is your life really all about?
Use these questions to help you identify with the struggle and journey that Israel is on in the book of Exodus. They are continually wrestling with what it means to live free under God when their history and experience makes that hard. Let the interaction of your fears and beliefs allow you to draw greater encouragement and instruction from the activity of God in Exodus.
Posted 1 year, 10 months ago at 1:27 pm. Add a comment
Have you noticed our culture’s infatuation with entertaining itself with fear? There are countless books, movies, thrill rides, bungee jumps, and for some people their regular driving habits. This post is not going to condemn those with an appetite for fear as violating Philippians 4:6’s command to be anxious for nothing. Rather, instead of seeking to reduce fear this post will seek to increase fear.
There is a general axiom in Christian circles that the more spiritually mature one becomes the more sinful one will realize they are. Or stated differently, the more you get to know God the more you realize how far your character is from His. When Isaiah saw God he responded, “Woe is me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty (Isa 6:6).”
I would advocate that those who seek a thrill, seek the biggest thrill of all – getting to know God for who He really is. This would beat tightrope walking the Grand Canyon without a net. It is living life in light of this fear that is the very beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). When you view all of life in light of the majesty of God, foolishness does not just seem dumb; it also seems tame (boring).
Consider one other passage in light of this reflection: Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” What an amazing contrast between the words “throne of grace” and “approach with confidence.”
At a throne of grace from which we hope (with certainty) to receive mercy, we have no right to be there. If we are wrong about our invitation as children of the King, we would be killed immediately for our audacity to enter such a regal (holy) place. It is this realization (fear) that makes the grace we receive all the sweeter and prevents it from becoming a matter of pride, entitlement, or boredom.
It is this eternal peaceful thrill that will stimulate, satisfy, and calm our hearts for all eternity. Therefore, let us seek the greatest of thrills. Let us rightly entertain ourselves with the most intense of fears, but not for the sake of self-indulgence or trivial story-telling but to honor the Lord Almighty and to more accurately share his glory with a world longing to be thrilled!
Posted 2 years ago at 3:43 am. Add a comment
