More Bombs, Bigger Guns!

When I go through a time of temptation, I find victory in the truth.  Beating myself up does little good. Shouting at the Devil is not much use, either. After prayer for clarity I tell myself the truth about the temptation – the brief experience of pleasure, the long term consequence, etc.  In the light of the truth, temptation loses its luster!  I learned this from Jesus’ example when He was tempted. He spoke the Truth of the Word there in the wilderness and ‘the devil left Him.’ (Matthew 4)

When we are confronted with people who are evil, with situations where sin is flourishing, with suffering and/or difficulties in our lives our first response is usually to look for the levers of power.  Humans build more bombs and bigger guns (both literally and figuratively) when they feel a threat. Just look at the world in which we live. We are surrounded by a culture of fear and that fear fuels the spending of billions of dollars on security agencies and armies. On a personal level how do we usually respond to a threat?  With some sort of power play, right?

Jesus taught those of us who are His followers, who are filled with God’s Spirit, a different way. “If someone strikes you on the left cheek, turn the other to him.  If he compels you to go one mile, go the second by choice. If he hates you, love him back. If he does wrong, forgive him and pray for him!”  Contrary to popular opinion, those choices are not offered from weakness. They are the choices of those who are secure in their God, who trust in His power, and who are STRONG where it really matters.  “Bullies for Jesus”  is my nickname for those who like to use select passages from the Bible to bludgeon those with whom they disagree, who turn principled differences into personal wars. (In the spirit of transparency, I must confess to falling into this trap too many times, God forgive me.)  Jesus taught us that it will be the “meek who inherit the earth!”  (Matthew 5:5) There is no way to live that other than to have great faith.

Paul, the founding pastor of the church in Corinth, moved on to other ministry and the leaders who followed him there attacked his ministry and his character. “He’s nobody, no good, and his message is flawed,” they said. The church was confused, torn by division, and caught up in superficial spirituality. Did Paul return with allies to beat them into submission to the Gospel and to himself?  Did he threaten them with excommunication if they failed to get in line?  No, he just told them the truth and he prayed for them.  He explained his actions saying that he was not afraid, nor was he retreating from the conflict. Rather, he was trusting God.  He then writes these amazing words that should shape our responses. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NIV)

Here’s the word from the Word. "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. … the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:13, 17-18, NIV)

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When Morning Gilds The Skies

When morning gilds the skies,

My heart awaking cries,

“May Jesus Christ be prais'd!”

Alike at work and prayer,

To Jesus I repair,

May Jesus Christ be prais'd.

Does sadness fill my mind?

A solace here I find,

May Jesus Christ be praised.

When evil thoughts molest,

With this I shield my breast,

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Be this while life is mine,

My canticle divine,

“May Jesus Christ be praised!”

Be this the eternal song,

Through all the ages long,

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Edward Caswall | Joseph Barnby

© Words: Public Domain