Proverbial life: societal obligations

We’re taking a topic-focused tour of the book of Proverbs.  Although Solomon was commenting on life roughly 3000 years ago, his observations ring loud and clear in today’s modern times.  In this blog post, we’ll be looking at a topic that requires many of us to step out of our comfort zone: our individual responsibility in society.

It’s easy to become frustrated by the troubles and difficulties we encounter.  Both pain and suffering dominate our daily news headlines.  Each of us have either personally dealt with or know someone who has dealt with financial crisis, cancer, divorce, or broken family relationships.  From international news of famines and wars to your local city struggles with politics and crime (not to mention all the weather-related tragedies)…it is understandable that our natural instinct would be to circle the family wagon, and wish everyone else “good luck”.

But is that the best strategy?  What does God say about how we should participate as members of society – local, state, or even nationally speaking?

Solomon examined this topic in several of his proverbs.  The first one we’ll look at contrasts how a city is built up vs torn down:

Proverbs 11:11
A city is built up by the blessing of the upright,
but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked.

If a city is developed and made better by the blessing of the upright, then it’s not enough to simply go to work, be a nice guy/gal, and pay your taxes.  How are you blessing your city?  Where are you investing your time, energy, and gifts into the world outside of your home?  Our cities won’t get better when left to themselves; action and investment is needed to grow a vibrant, healthy community.  Idle talk does nothing but tear down and tear apart relationships…to build up our city (and the people living there), we must be willing to put in some sweat equity.

The next proverb takes this concept and makes it extremely personal:

Proverbs 14:21
The one who despises his neighbor sins,
but whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy.

The Hebrew word for despise is bûz, and it is pronounced just like the sound you make toward an opposing sports team.  It means to “hold in contempt” or “hold as insignificant”.  If we are booing our neighbor – if we are wishing that bad things would happen to them (for whatever reason) – then Solomon says that our thoughts and actions are sinful.

If we want to build up our city (and be happy, as well!), then we need to back off our negative actions and instead show kindness to those who are poor – in finances, for sure, but there are other places of poverty that need kindness, too.  Look for someone who has less than you: less skills, less opportunity, less education, less awareness of God’s love…and show kindness by investing in them. 

A few proverbs later, Solomon re-emphasizes his point:

Proverbs 14:31
The one who oppresses the poor person insults his Maker,
but one who is kind to the needy honors Him.

We were created in the image of God.  Every. Last. One. Of. Us.

When we oppress someone who has less than us – when we run them over to get our way, when we financially take advantage of them, when we cause or allow physical violence, when we deceive them – God takes that as an insult because one of His image-bearers has been wronged and denigrated.

On the off-chance that you read the last part and thought, “I’ve never ‘oppressed’ someone, so this doesn’t apply to me!” – I suggest reading this blog about what Solomon had to say about us blindly assuming we’re ok.

Our last proverb widens out the scope of our individual impact:

Proverbs 14:34
Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Righteousness exercised is defined as right-living before God.  Living our lives in the manner God designed for us – with all the grace, compassion, wisdom, empathy, and strength that accurately reflects our Creator – will exalt our nation.  The Hebrew word translated as exalts here is the same word Solomon used above in Proverbs 11:11, translated as built up. 

Want to see God’s blessing on our nation? 

Then live righteously, showing kindness to the poor by investing your time, energy, and gifts to others outside of your immediate circles.  Society will not get better if we choose to sit on our hands and keep to our holy huddles.  Yes, doing so will require work.  And yes, parts of it will be hard.  But our Creator is willing to partner with us, and He honors those who do.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Relating Jesus to others

Some people are hard to reach out to.  They do their best to go through life unseen, or else they give off a vibe that screams “Leave me alone!”.  People who are treated as outcasts by society or those who view themselves as outcasts do not expect to be interacted with.  And while they may not initiate spiritual conversations, that doesn’t mean we cannot relate to them.

John 4:7-9
A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
“Give Me a drink,” Jesus said to her, because His disciples had gone into town to buy food.
“How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked Him.  For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.

The normal prejudices of Jesus’ day prohibited public conversation between men and women, between Jews and Samaritans, and especially between strangers.  A Jewish Rabbi would rather go thirsty than violate these social boundaries.

That may sound absurd to us today, but in Bible times this was a serious etiquette predicament.  By asking this woman for a drink, Jesus is breaking all rules of Jewish piety and He also opens Himself to a charge of acting in a flirtatious manner.  Wait…flirting, really?  Well, you may recall that Israel’s patriarchs Isaac and Jacob found their prospective wives at wells.  Talking with an unfamiliar Samaritan woman was no small event, which is why she was so taken aback when Jesus started the conversation.  However, He does not let her surprise derail the conversation:

John 4:10
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and Who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would ask Him, and He would give you living water.”

Jesus identifies Himself as the gift of God.  Someone living in Samaria would have been a bit isolated from the happenings around Jesus’ ministry among the Jews.  At best, she may have heard some travelers talking about it.  Add in the limited knowledge of the Samaritans’ religion (since the only part of the Old Testament they used were the first five books), and it is understandable that she was unaware of who was talking with her.  She was did not know that God had given all of humanity an incredible gift.

In the previous chapter, John records Jesus explaining God’s gift this way:

John 3:16
For God loved the world in this way: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

God loved…so God gave…which means Jesus accurately described Himself to the Samaritan woman as the gift of God.  Although Jesus was able to cut to the chase and present the entire gospel message to Nicodemus in John 3:16, Jesus takes a slower approach with her. 

This isn’t a man vs. woman thing, either.  There were significant differences between these two situations, even though Jesus is revealing who He is to both of them.  Nicodemus came to Jesus – Jesus approached the woman.  It was culturally expected that Jesus would discuss theology with another man – it was culturally unexpected that Jesus would discuss anything with a Samaritan woman.  Because he was immersed in Jewish law and God’s scriptures, Nicodemus had a base-level understanding of what the Messiah would be like – she only looked forward to the prophet Moses predicted. 

Jesus’ good news discussion – about Himself – isn’t the same in both conversations, either.  Instead, Jesus uses their immediate, relatable surroundings to communicate the truth of who He is to the Samaritan woman.

From Jesus’ example, we see that there isn’t just one way to present the gospel of who Jesus is.  As long as our message is focused on Him and the simplicity of believing in Him for eternal life, we are free to approach anyone however we can relate to them.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

A funny thing happened on the way through Samaria

Jesus and His disciples are traveling, on foot, from the southern region of Judea to the northern region of Galilee.  In between the two was the region of Samaria.

John 4:4-8
He had to travel through Samaria; so He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph.  Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from His journey, sat down at the well.  It was about noon. 

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
“Give Me a drink,” Jesus said to her, because His disciples had gone into town to buy food.

She came alone and at noon.  Both details are unusual.  Women would normally go to wells in groups for safety and during the cooler parts of the day.  Based on other details we will learn later, this woman was likely treated as an outsider in her town.  Although she was giving up on having safety in numbers and she was working during the hottest part of the day, her choice would at least ensure that she could avoid interacting with those who disapprovingly looked down on her.

This tactic sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  Even today, we avoid contact with others if we expect a negative situation.  We go to great lengths to avoid conflict.  And we will choose avoiding conflict even if it puts us at a disadvantage in other areas of our lives.  To avoid tense situations, we’ll go at it alone, even though we know that life is supposed to be lived in community.  We choose to do our work at the hottest part of the day, just to avoid dealing with that person.  We often choose to hide rather than risking the uncomfortable tension that could happen.

One of the disciples would have been carrying the typical traveler’s vessel (made from animal skin) for drawing water, which they could let down the well with a rope.  However, Jesus had sent His disciples into the town to buy food.  As such, Jesus has no means to pull up water from the well.  The text tells us that He was worn out from His journey, and He was likely thirsty, too.  However, asking for assistance from an unfamiliar Samaritan woman was way out-of-bounds in ancient society.  And yet, Jesus still initiated a conversation…which totally caught the woman off-guard:

John 4:9
“How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked Him.  For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.

A proper Jewish response to the situation would have been to out-right ignore her, pretending she wasn’t even there.  Knowing Jewish custom and prejudices, she is very surprised that Jesus spoke with her at all.  But to ask for a drink of water from her vessel?  Totally unheard of.  And, if we think about it, Jesus’ request also implies that she’d have to draw it for Him.  Fulfilling His request would mean doing all the hard work of sending the water jar down the well via a rope, scooping the water, and pulling the jar back up before presenting it to Him.

The point here is that Jesus started a conversation with an outcast, someone that society’s rules said He wasn’t supposed to associate with – let alone use their dishes!  By initiating this conversation, Jesus broke through two levels of prejudice: first, He spoke to a Samaritan, and second, He spoke to a woman. 

For a Jewish man to speak to a Samaritan woman was so unusual in society, and she probably had never experienced a similar conversation.  One could even argue that she represents an oppressed minority, which is still a common reality in much of today’s Middle Eastern culture.  However, Jesus was neither racist nor sexist. 

As their conversation progresses, Jesus will offer her His free gift of eternal life.  It’s not that she deserved His offer of eternal life as much as the Jews, because none of us deserve eternal life.  However, Jesus loves her enough that He will offer it to her – an oppressed minority, a social outcast, a person who avoids others out of shame and guilt.  Jesus met her where she was and offered her eternal life.

So we see that cultural prejudices and societal restrictions are not barriers to the good news of who Jesus is.  Those same prejudices and restrictions also do not hinder our ability to believe in Jesus for eternal life.

Jesus was willing to reach across those lines.  We should be, too.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

An outcast of outcasts

We saw last time that Jesus purposely spent a lot of time with those who found themselves on the fringes of society.  These people were outcasts due to disease, physical brokenness, demonic influences, scandalous choices, or society’s prejudices and attitudes.  And yet, Jesus still connected with them, regardless of whether their situation arose due to their own choices or if their condition was due to circumstances outside of their control. 

There is one interaction I want to focus on, but in order to get a clear picture of why this individual would be considered an “outcast of outcasts”…we need a little history lesson:

The Assyrians brought about the end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC.  They deported around 30,000 people from the Northern Kingdom/Samaria and replaced them with captives from abroad (2 Kings 17:24-34).  Intermarriage occurred between the northerners who remained and the imported refugees, and a pluralistic culture of sorts developed.  Some of those refugees embraced a number of articles within Judaism, although they still mixed in their old religions, and in time came to regard themselves as Jews (Ezra 4:1-2).  However, their bid for membership in the Jewish community was rejected by post-exilic Jews (Ezra 4:3-5).  This event set into motion a religious animosity between the Jews and Samaritans that persisted throughout the remainder of the biblical period (Luke 9:51-56, John 4:9 and 8:48).

Samaritans claimed lineage through Joseph’s children.  When the tribes of Israel came to the Promised Land, half were instructed to stand on Mt. Gerizim and the other half were to stand on Mt. Ebal.  The half on Mt. Gerizim received the pronouncement of blessing from God – representing what would happen to the entire nation if they chose to follow God (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) and the other half, standing on Mt. Ebal, received the pronouncement of cursing from God – representing what would happen to the entire nation if they chose to not follow God (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).  Joseph’s tribes were among the those who stood on Mt. Gerizim and heard the blessing (Deuteronomy 27:12-13); however, the Jews would have viewed the Samaritans as being among the cursed.  Roughly 400 years prior to Jesus’ time, the Samaritans had built an alter to God on Mt. Gerizim, but it was later destroyed by the Jews in 128 BC.

A significant piece to understanding the Jewish-Samaritan tension is that the Samaritans only accepted the Moses-authored, books as their bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).  The Samaritans acknowledged no prophet after Moses other than the one spoken of in Deuteronomy 18:18, and that is who they regarded as the future Messiah.  The Samaritans rejected all other Jewish writings of the Old Testament, containing history, wisdom literature, and the words of the Jewish prophets.  As such, while the Jews and Samaritans agreed in the expectation of the Messiah and His kingdom, by Jesus’ day, they were looking for different types.  The Jews expected a conquering king, who would clean up the world’s mess and establish Jerusalem as the center of His rule.  The Samaritans were looking forward to a teacher/restorer, who would set things right.

Because of the region’s mixed race history, pure-blooded Jews wanted little to do with Samaritans.  It was insulting to them that half-breeds would make equal-footing claim to their Jewish ancestors.  However, from a political perspective, Samaria was part of the Roman province of Judea in Jesus’ day.  Nevertheless, the ancient cultural barriers created a sharp divide between the residents of Samaria and the Jews who lived in Galilee (which was north of Samaria) and the Jews who lived in Judea (which was south of Samaria).

With this background, we are now ready to step into an amazingly unexpected encounter that Jesus had with an outcast from those who were regarded as outcasts:

John 4:1-7
When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard He was making and baptizing more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea and went again to Galilee.  He had to travel through Samaria; so He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph.  Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from His journey, sat down at the well.  It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.

Societal ranking of the day looked like this:
Jewish man
Jewish woman
Samaritan man
Samaritan woman

Collecting water was a woman’s task, and they would typically go in groups to draw water during the cooler parts of the day – either early or late.  It is very telling that this woman of Samaria came alone, when the day’s heat was at its peak.  Later on, we’ll find out other aspects of her life that would have made her an outcast, even among her own people.

Despite all the historical animosity and racial tension between the Jews and the Samaritans, Jesus saw her as someone worth His time, His effort, and His offer of Eternal Life.

Whom do we see as a modern-day Samaritan?  Whom do you shun because you see them as an outcast?

If we want to be Jesus’ disciples, we’re going to need look at the outcasts like Jesus did…and then meet them where they are.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback favorite - Where is the hope?

I am not immune to irony.  My current line-of-thinking/focus-of-study is on the importance of being prepared for Christ's return.  However, I was not prepared for being sick the last couple of days, which means the next post isn't ready.  As such, I am reposting something that I learned two years ago...something that may be even more relevant now than it was then.

Where is the Hope?
originally posted on July 8, 2015

There is a lot going on in the world today, and much of it isn’t good.  Although humans were created in the image of God, the “news broadcasts" continue to report society’s deterioration as we run further and further from God and the purposes He created us for. 

Oftentimes, the sin-caused crumbling is beneath the surface, stewing at the individual level – things like dads not being fathers, pornography replacing love, or self-centered pursuits of money and power.  Other times, this deterioration appears in massive public displays – things like wars and terrorism, the abandonment of God’s definition of marriage, and government progressively taking on the role of final authority in peoples’ lives.

I have to admit to feeling overwhelmed from some of the sin-affected problems I’ve dealt with lately, both in my own individual life and as a part of our larger American society.  The Bible tells us that the world will worsen before Christ returns, but it is certainly difficult to watch unfold.  Sometimes, it feels like we have front row seats to a car accident that no one else can see coming.

But we have to ask the question: “What are we hoping in?  Where does our hope come from?”

Are we hoping that the lawyers gets it right and all the laws make society behave as it should? 
Are we hoping that the government makes the best decisions and keeps life at a comfortable level?

When individuals, society, or the government runs contrary to God’s design…and we lose hope…it forces us to assess just where our motivation and trust are anchored.

While imprisoned for preaching the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Paul wrote a letter to a church he had never met.  He knew of them through an associate named Epaphras; however, what he wrote indicates that they had a well-known, Godly reputation.  They had both strong faith and strong love, but to know why they were so good at pointing others toward God, read the verses below and see what their faith and love were rooted in:

Colossians 1:3-6
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints because of the hope reserved for you in heaven.  You have already heard about this hope in the message of truth, the gospel that has come to you.

Their anchor wasn’t in the culture around them.  In fact, their anchor wasn’t even in the hope that God would work through their government.  The Colossian believers had faith and love, and had them abundantly, because they were focused on the hope reserved for you in heaven.  Their hope was in Jesus’ promise of eternal life.  Their hope was found within the good news of the message of truth.

So where is our hope?  Are we trusting our culture, our circumstances, our government, or our job security to be the foundation of truth in our lives?  As society crumbles, will our hope and strength go with it?

Although he said it a number of years ago, Chuck Colson’s words still ring true:

“Where is the hope?  I meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us.  Where is the hope?  The hope that each of us have is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things that we do as a nation.  Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people, and that’s where our hope is in this country; that is where our hope is in life.”

Keep Pressing,
Ken 

Will evildoers get away with it?

Other people sure can drive me crazy sometimes.  I am usually able to forgive a one-off type of mistake, but, in all honesty, those who habitually and knowingly do what’s wrong really irritate me.  Why do I find their behavior so agitating?  Maybe it’s their blatant selfishness…maybe it’s their ‘luck’ at avoiding consequences for their actions…maybe it’s the harm their actions can cause to others…perhaps it’s all of those, or even something else.  The bottom line, though, is that I find their repetitive evil behavior both vexing and frustrating.

If you can identify with me, we can take some solace in that this is not a new issue.  No matter how many times the news blames the Millennials or the GenXers, the problem of evil people “getting away with it” has been a human condition for quite some time.

In fact, some 3,000 years ago David was dealing with the same issue.  However, instead of simply lamenting the problem, he had a fix for it.

Psalm 37:1-3
Do not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.
For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender green plants.

Trust in the Lord and do what is good;
dwell in the land and live securely.

David’s answer is to look past the immediate problem with the evildoer.  Instead, he encourages taking the long-view.  The long-view is looking at life from God’s perspective.  Although someone’s selfish actions are bothersome now – and it looks like they’re getting away with it – in the grand scheme of things, their time is very brief.

They may look strong for the moment, but they will wither quickly…and wilt like weak plantlings.  David says that our focus shouldn’t be all wrapped up in what the wicked are doing; instead, we should be focused on what we are doing before the Lord.

Interestingly, verse 3 could also be translated like this:

Trust in the Lord and do what is good;
dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

This play on words reinforces David’s long-view perspective.  He’s contrasting the short-term thinking of the evildoer with the long-term approach of those who look to the Lord. 

It takes time to cultivate something, but it especially takes time to develop faithfulness.  Remember too that at this time in Israel’s history, they were living in the land God had promised to Abraham’s descendants.  They were where God wanted them to be.  No matter what they saw or how they felt about what was going on around them, God knew exactly where they were.  They hadn’t been forgotten – even if other people were acting like God wasn’t paying attention to their actions.

So, whenever we find ourselves getting all twisted up over the state of world or the selfish choices other people make, we need to stop fussing and take the long-view.  Our responsibility isn’t to fix them.  Instead we are to trust in the Lord, do what is good, and live faithfully where God has us.

Keep Pressing,
Ken
 

A level playing field

In the ancient world, you knew your place in society.  If you were born into the elite class, you associated with and married in the elite class.  If you were on the outside looking in, you knew that too.  You also knew that you would never be able to join the upper crust.

Slaves in the ancient world were considered property of their masters – either by temporary arrangement (like to pay back some debt) or as a permanent situation.  There were avenues in society for a slave to purchase their freedom or to be released by their masters, but those situations were the exception, not the norm.

The name “Onesimus” was a common slave name since it means “useful”, for that is what the master expected of his slaves – that they would make themselves useful to their owner and the family they served.  When Paul wrote on behalf of Onesimus, he used the slave’s name in a play on words in his petition to Philemon:

Philemon 9-11
I, Paul, as an elderly man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, appeal to you for my child, who I fathered while in chains – Onesimus.  Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful to both you and me. 

In his prior life, Onesimus was useless.  Whatever had happened between him and his master Philemon was substantial and, as we’ll read later, monetarily expensive.  The situation had to have been significant based upon Onesimus’ choice to leave – either as a runaway slave, or even if he sought Paul out to intercede with Philemon.  After causing significant damage to Philemon and then departing, Onesimus truly had no usefulness to Philemon.  However, after encountering Jesus and trusting Him for eternal life, Onesimus has become eternally useful – both to God and among the family of believers.

Philemon 12-16
I am sending him – a part of myself – back to you.  I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place.  But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will. 

For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave – as a dearly loved brother.  This is especially so to me, but even more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Oh, the level playing field created by Jesus!

Take a moment to appreciate what took place when Onesimus joined God’s family.  Despite his background, past sins, or current social and economic circumstance, Onesimus is now on equal footing with Philemon AND Paul.

In Christ, the slave is on equal ground with the master and the apostle.  Since Jesus paid the price for all sins that means there is room at cross for everyone.  Paul even said as much in his letter to the church in Colossae:

Colossians 3:11
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.

None of the world’s barriers, distinctions, or divisions can prevent someone from joining God’s family.  There is not one of life’s circumstances that can prevent you from trusting Jesus for eternal life.  His offer is available to all.  We only need to trust Him.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Dividing Lines

Throughout the centuries, people have divided over a variety issues or a person’s status in society.  Most, if not all, of these divisions can be placed into four basic categories – national distinctions, religious distinctions, cultural distinctions, and economic distinctions.  We use these divisions to define identity and responsibility, both for ourselves and for others.

Halfway through his letter to the believers in Colossae, Paul gives instructions to watch carefully over the attitude of their hearts and the words that they say.  His reason is based upon their new identity in Christ:

Colossians 3:9-10
…you have put off the old man with his practices and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of his Creator.

Although their new identity was based solely on the new man and no longer on the old man, it can be hard to let go of some of the previous distinctions.  Before Christ, their differences often determined if societal rules or expectations applied to them.  Roman citizens had rights that non-citizens did not.  Circumcised Jews avoided dealing with anyone who was uncircumcised.  Economics and social status also played a huge role in how the laws were applied.

In case anyone in Colossae thought that Paul’s directions about the attitude of their hearts and the words they speak somehow didn’t apply to them because of their background or current status, Paul continued:

Colossians 3:11
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.

All are welcome to join God’s family.  There are no exclusions, no distinctions as to who gets in.  We all come through the same doorway of faith in Jesus.  Once we are in the family, the old lines for division no longer define who we are.  Instead, our identity is in Christ…and as such, we are all on equal footing.  With equal footing comes equal responsibility for participating in our growth, our being renewed in knowledge according to the image of his Creator.

If Jesus loves us so much that He now dwells in all – regardless of our background, our nationality, our level of sophistication, our education, or our economic status – then it is not too much for us to accept Him as all we need to be like.

It’s time to leave our old habits and sinful practices behind us.  No exclusions.  No excuses.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Where is the hope?

There is a lot going on in the world today, and much of it isn’t good.  Although humans were created in the image of God, the “news broadcasts" continue to report society’s deterioration as we run further and further from God and the purposes He created us for. 

Oftentimes, the sin-caused crumbling is beneath the surface, stewing at the individual level – things like dads not being fathers, pornography replacing love, or self-centered pursuits of money and power.  Other times, this deterioration appears in massive public displays – things like wars and terrorism, the abandonment of God’s definition of marriage, and government progressively taking on the role of final authority in peoples’ lives.

I have to admit to feeling overwhelmed from some of the sin-affected problems I’ve dealt with lately, both in my own individual life and as a part of our larger American society.  The Bible tells us that the world will worsen before Christ returns, but it is certainly difficult to watch unfold.  Sometimes, it feels like we have front row seats to a car accident that no one else can see coming.

But we have to ask the question: “What are we hoping in?  Where does our hope come from?”

Are we hoping that the lawyers gets it right and all the laws make society behave as it should? 
Are we hoping that the government makes the best decisions and keeps life at a comfortable level?

When individuals, society, or the government runs contrary to God’s design…and we lose hope…it forces us to assess just where our motivation and trust are anchored.

While imprisoned for preaching the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Paul wrote a letter to a church he had never met.  He knew of them through an associate named Epaphras; however, what he wrote indicates that they had a well-known, Godly reputation.  They had both strong faith and strong love, but to know why they were so good at pointing others toward God, read the verses below and see what their faith and love were rooted in:

Colossians 1:3-6
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints because of the hope reserved for you in heaven.  You have already heard about this hope in the message of truth, the gospel that has come to you.

Their anchor wasn’t in the culture around them.  In fact, their anchor wasn’t even in the hope that God would work through their government.  The Colossian believers had faith and love, and had them abundantly, because they were focused on the hope reserved for you in heaven.  Their hope was in Jesus’ promise of eternal life.  Their hope was found within the good news of the message of truth.

So where is our hope?  Are we trusting our culture, our circumstances, our government, or our job security to be the foundation of truth in our lives?  As society crumbles, will our hope and strength go with it?

Although he said it a number of years ago, Chuck Colson’s words still ring true:

“Where is the hope?  I meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us.  Where is the hope?  The hope that each of us have is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things that we do as a nation.  Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people, and that’s where our hope is in this country; that where our hope is in life.”

Keep Pressing,
Ken