Defending One's Self - remix

Jerusalem was rife with drama as the Man (Whom many were proclaiming to be King) was brought before the authorities.

False accusations and lies were thrust at Him, "But Jesus kept silent." (Matthew 26:63).

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Defense of one's self, particularly in our culture, has become somewhat of a right. But the higher way is the way that Jesus showed us.

Much of the time our words are used to create, correct, or restore our own public image. It can be difficult to resist the temptation to defend, to explain, or to return a barb.

In our defense of self, our words, unless spoken from absolutely pure motive can only inflame.

In our silence, God will speak.

How much do we trust God? Will we let Him speak in the silence? Or will we fill it with our words? Jesus showed us the way:

^{1 Peter 2:20} "For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. ²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
²² “ Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth; ²³ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;"

Sometimes the accusation can even come through a believer. Paul, talking to those "who are loved by God and called to be saints" (Romans 1:7), said:

^{Romans 2:1} "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. ²Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. ³So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? ⁴Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?"

Understand that each of us is tragically capable of joining the accuser (Revelation 12:10) in passing judgment on someone else. Even under the most clear circumstances, this is a chancy habit. We're probably best-served by applying the accusation to ourselves to see if there is anything that can be found, first, in us.

Jesus, perfectly fit to "cast the first stone", didn't cast it.

The late Ed Cole, teacher and mentor to men, said, "Knowledge of God's Word is a bulwark against deception, temptation, accusation, even persecution. "

When accused or slandered, know what God says about you and believe it. In this way, He speaks in your silence. To you. And the voice of the accuser is silenced.

Occasionally, you might even find elements of truth in the accusation. The enemy, in his rush to condemn, can bring conviction that can lead to Godly repentance. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). In quiet, allow the Holy Spirit to use the words to speak to your heart about what is true and to nullify what is false. The Holy Spirit is the Great Teacher and Counselor, and will lead you into truth (John 16:13).

What about what others think? God will take care of them. Remember Psalm 62:5-7,

"My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation.
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God."

Christ was accused that we might not be condemned; and if at any time we find ourselves in this same position, we should remember that we cannot expect to manage with our words what He managed with His silence.

Determination - A Time Trial

My family just started work on a really large puzzle. It's an old-fashioned grandfather clock that, when completed, will actually tell time. It has a built-in clock.

It's not an easy puzzle. The size (over 4 feet tall!), shape, and intricate patterns make it especially challenging.

In talking about whether or not we are up to the challenge, we spoke of it being a "hard" puzzle. But "hard" is no reason to quit anything. But this is "REALLY hard!"

At what point do we get to quit?

The writer of Hebrews:

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (12:1-2)

He goes on to say, "...you have not yet resisted to bloodshed." (12:4)

The references here have to do with our resisting sin, but the strength of the words is sobering.

This service to Christ is serious business.

We cannot quit. We cannot fall back. We cannot give in.

Serving Him is a great pleasure with joy unspeakable and rewards beyond anything that mere living can offer. We must remember this. No matter how "REALLY hard" it gets.

Faith and Uncertainty

The Greatness of God in us demands our highest level of living.

Uncertainty is the wall against which our faith, like a ladder, can lean - taking us higher. Without engaging uncertainty our faith lays flat.

Our faith must grow. It must do more. It must carry us into the realm of the impossible - where God does His best stuff.

We must be willing to extend our faith to meet and exceed any uncertainty, any fear, any doubt.

In this, faith is the substance of our hope and the evidence of what we can't quite yet see (Hebrews 11:1).

Meet the challenge before you by engaging your faith for greater things.

Delayed Gratification

I have been working with my sons Luke (9 years) and Logan (7 years) on the concept of delayed gratification.

It's an interesting subject. Wikipedia defines delayed gratification as, "the ability to wait in order to obtain something that one wants".

Researchers from Yale University have determined that there is a connection between delayed gratification and intelligence, concluding it has to do with a particular part of the brain, the anterior prefrontal cortex.

It is also related to age and maturity. Young children, for example, find it more difficult to delay gratification than older children. When kindergartners in one study were offered a choice between getting a small candy bar immediately or a larger one later, 72% chose the smaller candy bar.

The boys and I were picking wild blackberries (the fruit, not the phone) yesterday in our yard. Logan decided, on his own, to wait on picking some of the darker red ones until they are purple or black and tastier. A huge step for him, as he was competing with his older brother for who could pick the most.

I was very proud of him.

We could all learn from his example. Sacrificing the immediate on the altar of the preferred takes patience, smarts, and a certain amount of maturity.

Whether it's a relationship, a car, a house, blackberries, or a Blackberry (the phone), sometimes delaying the pursuit is the better option.

So if you want to be smart or mature (or at least look that way!), meditate on these:

^{Psalm 37
7} Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth.

^{Ecclesiastes 7
8} The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

^{Lamentations 3
26} It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD.

Oxen are Messy. Get one anyway.

Around my house we like to say, "you gotta' break a few eggs to make an omelette".

Solomon says it much better in Proverbs 14, verse 4...

"Where no oxen are, the trough is clean;
But much increase comes by the strength of an ox."

The point is this: You can keep things nice and tidy if you want. You can lead a simple life and not make any waves. You can stay home, watch TV and eat bon-bons all day and probably not make any trouble for yourself. But the increase will not be of the desirable type.

Or, you can get an ox. Things are gonna' get a little messy, but you'll get some real work done.

I believe this speaks to our partnership with God in advancing the work of the Kingdom. The only commission we receive in all of scripture is to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). You need to leave the sofa to do that.

That gets a little messy, but do it anyway.

Winning or Losing?

At any one time it takes a substantial amount of insight - beyond what we are capable of applying with our natural mind - to evaluate whether we are "winning or losing".

We all encounter challenges. We can be sure that the storms will come (Luke 6:46-49).

I'm thinking of the life of Joseph. What if he had stopped in the pit or the prison to determine his potential? Certainly he would have concluded that his life meant nothing and that he was a failure. Instead, with the passage of time, he was able to say to his brothers, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).

Or Paul and Silas in prison - all that commitment and zeal for God's work ending in the sludge of the prison depths...but they worshipped their way out of a mess.

Paul was able to write, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Joseph, Paul, Silas, others - they chose God's perspective. Their conditions didn't limit their perspective. Their future wasn't dependent on their circumstance.

When venturing out in God, pursuing His face and His purposes for our lives, we may not know if we are "winning or losing" by evaluating at any one time using the world's perspective, but we do know this...

We can have peace and rest knowing that He - the Greater One - is with us. We can have peace in the midst of uncertainty. He sees the end from the beginning.