I am so excited that December is finally here! I have been writing for the past month or so on the topic of spiritual warfare. In this blog, you have some of my thoughts, but I have been writing another monograph alongside this writing. I finished much less than I had hoped, but the discipline of writing has proven to be so helpful. Writing produces more writing. Clarification produces more clarification. I know for some you are ready for a new topic. So am I!
Why? Well over the course of the past month what has happened. Physically, I have been dehydrated and passed two kidney stones as a result. This laid me up for about three days. I have been bitten by a deer tick, and then given the one dose of treatment for Lyme's disease. I also have a major rash on my neck this week as a reaction to a medicine.
My family has seen a series of crisis situations. My eldest son went through a crisis with a good friend because of lies. My wife has often struggled with this, other health issues, and the demands of parenting. Like many, we have had several unexpected bills and our finances are not as strong as we would like. Truly inflation is killing the middle class! Even my 2 year old regressed back to using his pants for the toilet after several months of potty training. All of this has taken much time and energy.
On top of it all, I did not get a buck in this year's deer hunting extravaganza (were some of you praying for those deer?). I did stalk and see many does, but not one buck. I spent too many hours for nothing.
All in all, exactly what I should have expected, though I did not know the details, when I asked for prayer in October for this writing. I have much more work to do, so I continue to ask for prayer! In fact, given the minor irritations of this month, I hope you will be even more focused as I continue to write and think through this topic. All these distractions and difficulties convinces me that I must be on the right track.
In starting a new month, I wanted to return to the gospel, which I constantly wish to be my theme! I know that this week's posts are full of demonic possession and influence talk, but I hope to return us to more positive thoughts for at least a day. I also encourage you to read my past posts on the gospel after reading all the writing on spiritual warfare. Christ and His victory is our only hope and our song! Renew your heart and mind in His beauty and grace!
I just began to read what looks like an interesting book by Paul Zahl called Grace in Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life. In this book, Zahl begins by arguing that the Law always points out our short-comings and faults. As a result, we do not like it! We rebel against it even as we affirm it is good.
In keeping with this idea he argues that in life and ministry, "People do not wish to be challenged. People wish to be comforted. They wish to be supported. They wish to be encouraged and sustained. What people wish is to be loved." (7)
I find this an interesting idea as I think through parenting, ministry and life. I believe he is correct in terms of felt needs, but what about the consequences of sin? Is what we want always what we need? Is what we want and desire always what we should have?
To explore these thoughts, I will ask how about applying this to our children? For most of us, parenting is an interesting experiment with the law. We teach our children right from wrong, how to act in certain situations, and what is proper. If we do not, I believe we are parents who neglect and even abuse our children. Children should be assisted in knowing how to act, because it does not come naturally.
Conversely, children also should be loved to the core of their being and from the core of their parents/guardians. When this does not occur, there is also neglect and even abuse of children! Such love, while providing correction, gives both support and direction. Love sets the foundation for a life well lived.
In other words, the problem I have is with Zahl's first statement: "People do not wish to be challenged." I believe that life in a fallen world will provide all the challenge any of us need! I agree that we wish to not be challenged. I believe this wish is a projection back to our created state of perfection. We want such bliss again! In fact, we will have it when at death our sin nature is taken away and we return to a perfect relationship with our God through faith in Christ.
In this fallen world, life is challenging. We find situations and experiences that we cannot explain and we discover that we do not know how to act. This makes us uncomfortable. With our children, we mix law and gospel to help them be less uncomfortable and to understand the fallenness they experience in themselves and the world. We should teach them to look to Jesus for their life, joy, and happiness. We should teach them to pray against the fallenness they experience in themselves and others.
In other words, when we are challenged, which we will be, we should live a life of repentance and faith. We should believe the promises of God found in Christ. We should claim and live that truth and reject the false and ruin-some idols we often turn to for comfort, support, encouragement, and sustenance.
If the Law is not held up before us in Word and life, we would not really know that our idols are only idols. We would mistake these false comforts for the only true comfort, which is finding our rest in God. My heart breaks for the fact that so many in our culture live without God, with hope, and in the world (Eph. 2:12).
So what do we do? As individuals and as the true Church, we must live a life reflecting both the gospel and the real Law. At our foundation, we should love as God loves us. We need to allow the core of our being to be transformed by grace so that we love well. This only occurs by grace and through grace, which leads us to authentic repentance and faith. Such faith is marked by humility and overflowing love!
Second, we need the grace to lovingly "challenge" people to see that their false gods and idols do not satisfy. Appearance and materialism are not true gods! Busyness, self-importance, and self-righteousness are lame substitutes for walking with the true God!
Some folks may not like such statements. In fact, they might rebel against them. Yet, they also might be led to see their need and to confess their lack. God works through such foolishness as the Law and gospel! (1 Cor. 1)
May we live a life of love for others that balances Law with the gracious mercy of God found in the gospel of Christ!
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