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Good God

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Photo by James Wheeler

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? 

On the one hand, I don’t want to come across as insensitive to people who have struggled with this question; on the other, I have to be honest and share that it’s not a question that has ever weighed heavily on me. Why?

I have yet to meet any “good” people. 

Now before you dismiss me as having a very low opinion of people in general, let me just say this: I have a very low opinion of people in general. There – glad we got that out of the way.

Let me at least explain why I hold that opinion. See, I have kids. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids, and I think they’re the greatest! However, there’s something I notice about them that I also found to be true about my own childhood (and let’s be honest… my adulthood as well): they/we all need to be taught and trained how to do the right thing.

I haven’t had to teach my children how to lie. I haven’t had to teach them how to say mean things about people. I haven’t had to teach them to be disobedient to me or others in charge. I haven’t had to teach them how to get angry and hit each other. I haven’t had to teach them to be selfish. Somehow they have each had a good handle on how to do and to be all these things without a single how-to lesson.

However, I have had to teach them to tell the truth, to say kind things, to obey, to not lose their temper and keep their hands to themselves, and to think of others first. And I had to be taught all these things as well (and still need to to this day – I think that is why God tends to bless us with saints for spouses!).

Now to me, that says something. Why is there not at least one parent in this world who has had a different experience, whose child never required an ounce of discipline or correction because the child naturally knew only virtue and goodness? I’ve always found that to be rather curious.

So, while I don’t deny that people have carried out countless achievements that we might view as positive, good, noble – phenomenal even – contributions to society, such things don’t whitewash the inherent reality that each of us starts out as something rotten, and throughout our lives we strive to be… less rotten. 

That is why I have such a high opinion of God. And, that is why I have always struggled with a different question than the one originally raised: Why does God allow good things to happen to bad people?

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.”

(Psalm 103:10 NIV)

I personally think that’s pretty good news. Wouldn’t you agree?

Owning up to Our Role in Abortion

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Photo by Liane Metzler

Abortion is horrible. 

So is being the one in the position of having to even consider having such a procedure carried out on her own body, as well as the tiny body given life in her womb. My heart goes out to every expectant mother ever having to wrestle with such a gut-wrenching decision when two lives are at stake. 

In this era of “toxic masculinity,” however, I will refrain from telling women what they should do with “their own bodies” (the ones which in reality belong to the gracious God who formed and redeemed them…). Instead, let me steer the conversation in a little different direction and focus on what too often has been too little a part of the discussion: Me.

Men. 

After all, lest we forgot how the whole process works and how children are conceived in the first place – men, I think we have a role to play here. Think about that. Men, if we played our part the way we ought to, instead of treating women like scorecards and God’s gift of sex like an itch to scratch, it’s not likely we’d be where we are today, giving so much attention to such an atrocity as abortion. In case I’m not being clear enough, let me put it bluntly: we’re a REALLY big part of the problem. We’ve failed to live up to our noble role of husband-to-wife, head-to-helper, simply because we cannot control ourselves enough to reserve our passions for one woman for life. We’ve allowed the blessing of marriage to become marginalized. We’ve debased, devalued, and degraded sex by tearing it away from the marriage boundary for the purpose of self-gratification, instead of protecting it as the most selfless expression of love by which a spouse is served. 

But, there is hope, for what we have been in the past does not need to be who we are today or who we will be in the future. 

“Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor… adulterers… will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

(1 Corinthians 6:9–11 NIV)

“Washed.” “Sanctified.” “Justified.” Men, those are powerful realities in Jesus! They are the kind of realities that change a man! They are the kind of realities that free men from being tied to the world’s cluelessly distorted definition of manhood and marriage. They are the kind of realities that free men to embrace and strive for their God-designed role in marriage to sacrificially “love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25).

Tell me our society wouldn’t be better for it if every man would “leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Eph. 5:31). Tell me marriages wouldn’t be better for it if they actually lasted “till death do us part” and husbands committed to strengthening their oneness bond with their wife. Tell me women wouldn’t be better for it if they had the security of a committed husband in their marriage. Tell me children wouldn’t be better for it with committed husbands doubling as dedicated E64 fathers to serve as loving, protective superheroes for their kids.

Tell me unborn children wouldn’t be better off if the only thing we ever aborted… was any discussion of abortion in the first place. 

Men, we have more power to actually make that a reality than we realize. Let’s do more to own up to our role in this matter and realize that we need to be a bigger part of the conversation. Unborn lives depend on it.

Calling All Pharisees!

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There’s a pharisee in all of us.

If that shocks you, or if you think you are an exception to this statement, that could actually serve as an indicator that you may even be a bigger pharisee than you realize.  To clarify, I am not using that term the way you’ll come across it in the Bible, referring to the religious sect who opportunistically opposed Jesus and had an unhealthy infatuation with rule-keeping (though we can at times fall into that category, too!). When I say there’s a Pharisee in all of us, I refer to the root sense of the word, our inclination to separate ourselves from others.

Sometimes we physically do this by avoiding certain types of people, but most often it happens in our head. And here’s why it’s particularly tricky: we may not separate ourselves from others because we think we’re better than they are, but rather… because we think they’re not as good as we are. Sounds like the same thing, doesn’t it?

Essentially it is, but when we spin our perspective, it doesn’t feel so bad to us. See, if in my own mind I don’t make it about me and how highly I think of me, then it becomes that much easier to pinpoint the myriad flaws in others. That way, we’re not hypocrites. We’re not egotistical. We’re not prideful. And we genuinely become blind to our hypocrisy, egotism, and pride, simply because we’ve shifted the focus onto others. When it becomes about others not measuring up or not meeting a standard or not being good enough, I internally justify it because, after all, “I’m not saying I’m better than they are (but really, I am!), I’m just making the same outward observation anyone else could about their shortcoming(s) (which clearly aren’t shortcomings for me – otherwise I wouldn’t so readily notice them in others!).” 

Want to try something radical? Shift your perspective. Start with the assumption that others are better than you, and be intentional about looking for evidence in them that supports your assumption.

Finally, at the end of each day, be grateful for the One who truly was better than you, who through faith in him chooses to bless you with his own prideless perfection and wholehearted humility. 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who… made himself nothing… humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross!”

Philippians 2:3, 6–8 (NIV)

Faith Sees

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Photo by Daniel Leone

Does faith really “move mountains” or is it “blind”? To describe faith as mountain-moving obviously implies it is able to do things on a magnificently grand scale! To describe faith as blind, on the other hand, well that doesn’t quite paint it in as favorable a light. It implies that it isn’t really founded on anything – some people run with it, and some don’t, but there isn’t really much on which to base it.

Except that there is.

A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”

Galatians 2:16 (NIV)

Did you catch it? I hope so, because the phrase was repeated three times in just one verse: “faith in Jesus/Christ.” Christian faith isn’t blind at all! It is “in Jesus.” That means it is based on something – someOne – real!  This a real person, whose real words and real actions can really be studied and scrutinized. Now you may reject his real words and his real actions, but you can’t claim that a faith in Jesus is “blind,” because that conclusion itself is blind at best, and deliberately deceptive at worst. 

As for me, I believe his words and actions wholeheartedly, and am blessed to have the fullest life right here and now – and into eternity – because of them. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some mountains to go move.

Living a Full Life

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Photo by Anton Darius

I’m ready to die.

I didn’t say that I want to die, but that I’m ready to die. I’m not suicidal. I wasn’t diagnosed with a terminal disease that has given me mere months to live. No, I’m just ready to die.

I am often struck by the energy and effort many put into life… without scarcely a thought about death. Perhaps they (you?) wish to avoid thinking about it. Perhaps they (you?) don’t put much stock in it (that is, what happens after death), so the belief is that if this life is all that there is, then we had better make it count.

But here’s what I have found: my life is so very meaningful and richly fulfilling because I am ready to die. That is because I know what will happen when I exhale for the very last time.

“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. I myself will see him with my own eyes – I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

Job 19:25, 27 (NIV)

I’m ready to die, for I am at peace now with what I know will happen then.

So no, it isn’t the end of the world when hardship hits me in this life. Tragedy doesn’t turn my world upside down. Loss doesn’t leave me languishing helplessly. Bad things will inevitably happen, and I will take them in stride.

What’s more, I can give my absolute best in this life, because the life that is coming to me is the kind of gift that prompts one to spend his time here on earth expressing gratitude in every way possible.

I am ready to die. 

Therefore… I can really live. 

A Gift to Be Shared

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Photo by Gareth Harper

You would be disappointed if you had put a lot of thought, effort, and $$$ into the perfect gift… only to find out that the intended recipient had never received it. What a shame! Who knows what happiness and delight that gift may have brought that person? Who knows how deeply they might have appreciated it? It may have been just what they needed at just the right time.

If you personally know the thought, effort, and ultimately the price – not $$$, but his own Son! – that God put into sending his Gift into the world on Christmas, then imagine how different your life would be if you didn’t! Shudder at the thought of it!

But here’s the thing: you know others who don’t know about this Gift that we celebrate at Christmas. What difference would it make if in the next week, the next 7 days, the next 168 hours, you did whatever was necessary to invite them to hear about this Gift with us this Christmas? Or… do you mistakenly think that God’s gift was just for you?

What If You’re Using the Wrong Grading Scale?

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Photo by Quinten de Graaf

My wife was devastated.

She had studied intensely to pass a certification test.

She had failed. Miserably.

Or so she thought. See, the original raw score she had received immediately after completing the test reflected numbers that she knew were far below what was required to pass. She texted me right away to let me know she had done poorly. However, after she arrived home and we talked about it a bit, she looked online and saw different scores that were apparently determined by a different grading scale. She had passed! She wasn’t the miserable failure she initially feared she was (which we both already knew)! Her pass/fail was simply determined by a different final grading scale.

I fear a significant number will encounter a similar shock when their life here on earth is over and they have to stand before the Lord. Only the shock will come for a different reason. Many have the impression that they’re passing the test with flying colors. They’re good people. They mean well. They treat others kindly. They don’t steal. They have no track record of domestic violence. They don’t swear. They’ve never even torn the tag off a mattress!

But what happens when they find out that God grades on a different scale? What happens when they turn in their life test that they figured would easily make the grade, only to find that not only is it not good enough – it’s complete trash! The thing is, there won’t be any good people in heaven. Heaven is for perfect people, and perfect people only. Newsflash: you’re not one of them. Neither am I.

That’s where Jesus comes in. Jesus brings a curve to the grading scale. It benefits all who believe in his perfection in their place and his payment (with his life!) for their failing grades. Jesus made the grade for all who believe. He passed the test for us. If you’re not counting on his perfection when the final grades are posted, you’re in for a surprise.

The good news? As long as you’re living and breathing (which I assume you are if you’re reading this!), God allows as many retakes as necessary until you let Jesus pass the test for you.

Giving Thanks for Natural Disaster

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Photo by Victor Rodriguez

Ask around to see how grateful folks are for natural disasters like hurricanes and tropical storms, and you’re not likely to get overwhelmingly positive responses. You might even get punched in the face. Expressions of appreciation and thanks aren’t usually lumped together in reports of “catastrophic flooding,” “billions of dollars in damage,” and “rising death toll.” On the extreme side of things, some may even be inclined to resort to the old tactic of using disasters as ammunition in the war against any notion of a loving God. After all, how could a loving God, if he is supposedly capable of shushing the wind and waves, allow such death and destruction?

But, perhaps before we hastily jump to that conclusion, can we at least pause for a moment to entertain the possibility of good resulting from natural disasters? Might there actually be, even in the wake of such tragedy and loss, a reason or two for which to give thanks?

Allow me to suggest two such reasons. Now, you may not like them or agree with them, but perhaps they’ll at least widen your perspective on such things in the future. That may not be a bad thing since the chances of a natural disaster happening again sometime are approximately 100%.

So what’s there to be thankful for in the midst of a natural disaster? For starters, they’re humbling, aren’t they? For all that mankind has achieved – and our resumé is very impressive! – we can’t do a thing to thwart natural disaster. We can predict it. We can prepare for it.

But we can’t prevent it.

That’s humbling because it stifles our ingenuity and pummels our pride. It also forces us to face our mortality. Some are more OK with that aspect of it than others (even if they shouldn’t be). Nevertheless, anytime the reality of death and our own mortality shake us by the shoulders a bit, it gives pause to our head-in-the-sand tendency to avoid such morbid matters. Like it or not, when phrases like “rising death toll” creep their way into report after report, it may be about the only time folks give thought to anything beyond what’s going to happen in just the next 30 seconds.

The second reason to give thanks when natural disasters strike? I think we see plenty of evidence of God’s love. If you don’t, it’s because you’re focusing only on the before and not the after. The truth is, we often see the best side of mankind in the aftermath of natural disasters. Stories of sacrifice, daring rescues, heartfelt compassion, etc. – these are all prominently displayed when others are hurting and in need. Chalk that up to “human decency” if you want to (and then just look the other way when reports of looting and price gauging come up – not mankind at his best), but what if it is precisely through these actions and this behavior that God’s love is truly being expressed? If one must first experience the bitter to appreciate the sweet, then why shouldn’t God choose to show his boundless love in the wake of the world’s worst disasters? Why does God get all the blame for the disaster and no credit for the good that comes out of it?

Maybe, just maybe, we might consider giving him thanks instead.

Ruled Out, yet Counted In

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Photo by Josh Applegate

We put together an impressive resume to demonstrate to a potential employer that we are qualified for the job. We compose an essay to show we are worthy of consideration for the educational scholarship. We put the best version of ourselves on display while dating others so that we might be seen as a potential spouse.

Going to great lengths to convince others of our worth comes quite naturally to us. In fact, much of our lives depend on it. Don’t expect to get hired if you don’t have the required skills. Don’t expect to get accepted into the school of your choice if you didn’t make the grades. Don’t expect to woo a future spouse if you don’t have any desirable qualities or achievements.

Do you see why grace is such a tough pill for us to swallow? Grace – God’s undeserved love – is a gift that is freely given, to a world that is bent on earning. It goes against our very nature that is so accustomed to establishing merit.

The problem is this: while merit alone might achieve much for us in life, the one area in which it can’t make even the slightest dent is in our standing before God. See, God’s standards are quite simple – impossible for us, but simple: he just demands that we never screw anything up.

Ever.

Not in our thinking, not in our speaking, and not in our doing. Get it right… all the time. That’s all he expects. Perfection – literally.

And frankly, that rules you out. That rules me out. That rules everyone out.

But that’s where grace comes in. Grace turns that reality upside down. It rules no one out and counts everyone in.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8 NIV).

We are saved by grace. You don’t get hired to it. You don’t have to apply for it. You don’t have to show that you deserve it. None of us do. None of us could, anyway. That’s what makes it grace.

Praiseworthy

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Photo by Rod Long

Do you want to know what’s especially hard about being a pastor?

The praise.

If that sounds weird, let me explain. Believe it or not, pastors are as insecure and unsure of ourselves as the next guy. We have that same voice in our head constantly second-guessing ourselves and telling us that we’re not good enough. “I can’t believe you made anyone get up out of bed this morning for THAT sermon.” “How on earth did you NOT think to apply THAT passage in that conversation, you bonehead?” “Your seven year-old could counsel couples better than you.”

And so, as you might imagine, when you tell us after the service, “Nice sermon, pastor,” it feels great. For a few moments, your encouragement and affirmation shut out our insecurity and we’re on cloud nine.

But then something else can happen. There’s another voice. It isn’t the voice of insecurity, but a different voice.  Just like that, a word of encouragement or a genuine compliment can send our insecurity packing and open the door to a most unwelcome, yet all-too-frequent guest: the voice of pride. “Well if he said THAT about my sermon, then my preaching must not be too shabby.” “If everyone nodded their head in agreement at my suggestion during the meeting, then maybe I AM a pretty good leader.” “They don’t ask just ANYONE to write for this publication or to speak to that group.”

So why is this hard? Praise feels good, and it’s nice to be liked, but we didn’t become pastors for more likes. We didn’t become pastors to pursue praise for ourselves. We did it to point more people to Jesus, the Savior, since our relationship with him is the one thing that matters most in this life and the next.

When we receive praise, while we appreciate it, we are immediately concerned about the possibility that Jesus just got relegated to the warm-up act and we’ve become the main attraction. And while we each have this part of us that secretly (or not so secretly) thrives on that (hello, Old Adam), we also have this other part of us that is absolutely devastated by it. Jesus is already an afterthought for too many, too often in life; the last place he should be an afterthought is in the life of a pastor. And that can happen if we allow compliments to crowd out Christ.

So how do I overcome this struggle? I don’t. He already did. The solution to this struggle is the same as it has always been: weekly – daily! – I must be first to run to the cross, the tomb, the table, and the font, before I ever lead anyone else there. And there alone do I find peace and forgiveness that only Jesus provides. Then, and only then, am I ready once again to point others to him, and direct their praise to him as well.