Saturday, March 16, 2024

Cause & effect

Life will trigger your heart, causing you to respond in ways you never would have consciously chosen otherwise. Yet, if you choose to receive strength from God, you can take authority over what flows through your heart.

Triggers have been a big buzzword as of late. Highlighting the things that stimulate bad behavior. Yet it’s just another way of saying cause and effect, without completely acknowledging the cause side of it. This is problematic because all these “trigger warnings” are often just enabling people to dodge the problem, instead of dealing with it. The long-term goal is to eventually face them when ready, not forever run away from them. Proverbs 16:2 says, All a person's ways seem pure to then. But motives are weighed by the Lord. Other translations say weigh the spirit, rather than motives. Either way, God is focused on the cause more than the effect. So we should as well. Proverbs 20:27 also says “The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being.” The human spirit or the spark of life bestowed by God, that dwells within the heart, exposes us to God's light. The closer we are to him, the brighter it shines, exposing the faults within. Is this ultimately why we make it about trying to control our environment so it won’t trigger us, rather than focus on our heart at the source? We are avoiding God’s conviction, correction, and discipline; that we are responsible for. Not just the trauma done to us by others.

Let's look at a few verses and what they reveal about our relationship with cause, as well as their effects.


Matthew 12:33-37

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. What makes a tree good? Pruning, fertilizer, and a proper amount of water. What makes a tree bad? Disease, insect swarms, drought, neglect. Of course, he is not really talking about trees, he’s talking about us, what makes our hearts bad. We must consider what triggers our hearts as individuals. Seek God for the proper nutrients to make it whole again, so we can be fruitful again.

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? It just occurred to me that perhaps there is a reason why he refers to the Pharisees as a collective like this. Maybe because they had a bad influence on one another, and their agreement on doctrine created the illusion of it being legitimate theology. Bad fruit just reproduces more bad fruit.

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. If you overfill anything, it will be prone to spillages, or overflow. Or easily triggered if you will. If you’re filled with toxic things. Your spills will be toxic.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. I am reminded of Paul’s words of “treasures in jars of clay.” (2nd Corinthians 4:7-12) Clay is a very Biblical symbol of humanity. We are virtual vessels, what we choose to store in ourselves matters.

But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. The phrasing of “empty word” is curious. It’s not just reiterating the venomous things we say. It implies insincerity or disingenuous words. Like a shiny bright red apple that catches our eye. Yet is flavorless and mealy when we bite into it.

For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. As Jesus says elsewhere, it’s what comes out of our mouth that makes us clean or unclean. (Matthew 15:17-20) But as the previous sentence implies, it’s not just the words themselves that matter. Rather the intent and sincerity behind them. As Jesus also indicates in the referenced verse, that all begins in the heart.

Galatians 6:7-10

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. While planting good seeds may seem easy enough, but are we allowing weeds into the garden as well. God sees what we are truly planting. Is this what it means by "God can’t be mocked." That we like the unfaithful servant in the parable of the talents are making less than honest claims about our actions. He sees our true motives as we saw in Proverbs 16:2.

Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. We won't know how to apply the spirit to the problem, instead of the flesh, If we don't truly understand the problem. Instead of just the surface effects.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Anyone can grow weeds, even with absolutely no effort at all. A good harvest takes time and effort. Hence the encouragement to put in the effort.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Doing good to others is apparently a way to sow good seeds. Are we guilty of making it all about ourselves? Are we harvesting for the good of everyone, or do we want to keep all the fruit to ourselves?

Sunlight and water can trigger seeds, that turn into plants. Yet sunlight and water alone can’t produce any fruit on its own. We also must be mindful and deliberate with our seeds, otherwise they can be overrun by weeds.


James 1:13-15

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” One has to wonder if this was an issue during the apostolic era for him to phrase it like this. Their version of triggering if you will. So James is warning us about shifting the blame from the actual cause.

For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Look within yourself for the root of the problem. God should be sought for solutions rather than blame.

Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Temptation leads to desire, and indulging the desire leads to sin. And so on. While we don’t always have control over what temptations come our way unless we want to live in a monastery. There is still that grey area between temptations and sin. What James calls desire. This is where we need to step up and respond deliberately, rather than hastily. Yet sometimes it's a desire that puts us into temptations sights in the first place. The tiniest frustrations can often direct our thoughts toward immediate gratification. This is where we need to stop, drop, and roll to stamp out that fire of desire.

Triggers are like fuel, without an ignition source they won’t burst into flames. So in a similar way, a person without the right ignition source will not be as easily ignited as someone with multiple ignition points within. So we can’t just put all the blame on the fuel as the world does. As a disciple, do you make excuses for your failures, and avoid facing the problem.  When you should own, explore, and deal with them with God’s strength?


a man walking through a field of shards with his eyes closed.



Saturday, March 9, 2024

How will you Respond?

The consistent outcome of life is determined by what is allowed to flow through the heart. Over time, what happens to me is far less significant than how I respond to what happens to me. While on the surface the previous statement may seem overly obvious. Still, there are some common errors in applying this truth. So let’s go over some of them so we can be more conscious about our heart flow and Christian walk.

Thinking someone else being in the wrong entitles us to anger. While we can and should reevaluate relationships when betrayals happen. Allowing bitterness to flow through us, regardless of the circumstances will always harm our spirit. Which will spill out into our actions, and affect our outcomes. as it says in the NASB version of Ephesians 4:26-27. “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” An opportunity to embitter your heart by inspiring you to hold anger in it for far too long.
 
Assuming a righteous life is always an easy life. This is more about what we want to believe to be true. Our ignorance of this subject has led to much doubt. Many who have believed this have left religion assuming it must be false since it clearly doesn’t work that way. Never realizing scripture acknowledges this incongruence in Ecclesiastes 8:11-13. “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of mankind among them are fully given to do evil. Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will go well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. But it will not go well for the evil person and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.” Or as King Solomon says in the chapter before in 7:14. “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.” Our response should be of careful consideration, instead of jumping to juvenile conclusions. This leads to our third point.
 
Assuming God is only concerned with our behavior. Humanity definitely gets overly fixated on this one. However, God sees the sickness behind the symptoms. Then addresses the root of the problem, not just the rotten fruit of it. Not only that, but He is also concerned about where your path is taking you. We are meant to be “set apart” for a place in God's kingdom, after all. That all begins with a good foundation, which begins in the heart. We will constantly struggle to understand how and why God is doing what he is doing if we look at his discipline so one-dimensionally. Author and councilor John Eldredge puts it so well with this quote. “The more we've become accustomed to seeking life apart from God, the more ‘abnormal and stressful’ it seems ‘to look for God directly.’ Especially as a father, fathering us. But it is worth it. . . So much of what we misinterpret as hassles or trials or screw-ups on our part are in fact God fathering us, taking us through something in order to strengthen us, or heal us, or dismantle some unholy thing in us.” Again, our response should be to look more closely and deeply. Consider the why behind the behavior as God likely is. We can’t overcome it if we don’t truly understand the problem. This leads to our final point.

Getting too fixated on this world. We often gauge success in life by what we accomplish or acquire here. Yet never consider the afterlife. So much of what Jesus taught had more long-term ramifications than the here and now. For example, the beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-12. Many of his points are more about the world to come than this one. Yet our preoccupation with the tangible often blinds us to the ways of heart and spirit of the true disciple. So let's have a closer look at the passage. 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This seems similar to Paul’s words of “perfect in weakness.” (2nd Corinthians 12:1-10) In other words, reliance on self alone is not enough. It’s those who acknowledge and own this that receive God’s strength. This is what enables you to take hold of the kingdom of Heaven, not mere willpower. What should your response to a poor spirit be?

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Mourning is a process we often resist, we often try to find comfort by taking every possible shortcut we can think of to avoid the feelings of grieving. Inevitably it always magnifies our sorrow in the end. Mourning is in fact a critical part of the healing process. God comforts those who don’t forsake this. How do you respond to your own mourning, or the grieving of others for that matter?

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. The original Greek word translated as “meek” is a bit inadequate. While accurate, it’s far from complete. It has been explained to me this way. This was a word used to describe a domesticated mustang. These were the horses most desired by Roman soldiers since they were far less timid riding into battle. As opposed to the hoses born in captivity. It’s about focusing that fierceness for a cause, rather than just chaos. Not neutralizing fierceness as we may assume when we hear meek. It speaks to the idea that being “set apart” for purpose is part of holiness, and leads to inheriting the earth. How will you respond when God tries to tame your fierceness for his kingdom?

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Hunger and thirst are often associated with the flesh, we naturally seek fulfillment physically. However, in the spirit, we need righteousness to be fulfilled. What do you hunger or crave for? Do you make assumptions and indulge or suppress them accordingly? Or do you seek God for wisdom in the matter? (James 4:2-3)

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. This is very much a, you reap in heaven what you sow on earth concept. (See also Luke 6:37-38) In a world that often resorts to such terrible things to get what they want out of this world as if it won't come back to haunt them. Will you respond like them?

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. While the, you get out what you put into it concept seems obvious enough here. It seems like we apply it to others more than ourselves. You just can’t force sincerity though. There is more to being pure of heart than mere actions. Will you respond by facing your past, or continue to avoid our scars as we always have. Making excuses for everything, and allowing our hearts to be contaminated. This will affect our ability to see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Apparently, a peacemaker in the original Greek means one who bravely declares God's terms which makes someone whole. Not the abolition of war or violence. Not just what makes us righteous either. but what enables us to us be able to live righteously; wholeness. I guess it only makes sense that the teachers who skip over wholeness and simply define righteousness are more pot-stirrers than peacemakers. Yet they insist that they are the true children of God. Will you respond as a true peacemaker, or like a pharisee?

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This is something we just assume avoid. Yet, this is where compromise of heart creeps in. Putting our inheritance in the kingdom of heaven at risk. How do you respond to persecution? As someone who puts all their hope in this world, or one who puts their hope in the world to come?

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. This point is so important Jesus reiterates it. In a world where people are motivated by acceptance, approval, validation, and inclusion. We often compromise ourselves to avoid persecution. The new detail Jesus adds of false accusations needs to be addressed specifically though. It just seems to be in our nature to defend ourselves, to rationalize our choices. Social media seems to have exaggerated the practice. How do you respond to insults?

Let me close by simply restating our opening statement. The consistent outcome of life is determined by what is allowed to flow through the heart. Over time, what happens to me is far less significant than how I respond to what happens to me.


A man who stands tall despite being stabbed in the back many times


Saturday, March 2, 2024

Can you hear me knocking?

Try and set aside the prophetic implications of the verse below for a moment and consider what was being revealed to the Laodiceans at that time. As well as what that may mean for us right here and now.

““To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”” -Revelation 3:14-22

I see three points here that I would like to uplift Conviction, Repentance, and Communion(connection).

Conviction
In our legal system conviction means a deceleration of guilt. Maybe we as individuals in the church actually respond to it that way as if it were synonymous with condemnation. The world certainly does. However, the word itself is derived from the same Latin word for which we get the word convince. Which is a good way to look at it Biblically. Conviction is God trying to convince you that something is wrong within, and spilling out into your actions. Clearly, the Laodiceans thought nothing was wrong. So Christ convicts them to convince them otherwise. Not just define, but convince them that what he is saying is true. In a poetic way, instead of a systematic one.

Repentance
Conviction ultimately requires a response. This is where repentance comes in.
At least if you respond with humility instead of pride that is. We must remember that repentance is just as much a change of heart as it is a change of behavior. People can and do go through the motions of changing their actions for a variety of reasons without actually being convinced of anything. Genuine long-term change ultimately comes from the heart.

Communion
I don’t mean the religious ritual in this case. Rather the intimate exchange of thoughts and ideas. With the word being so synonymous with the ritual, we have unfortunately started to forget what this practice was supposed to be about. Despite the Laodicean's failures, Christ still desires a connection with them. As I said in my religion vs relationship post, one of the literal meanings of the word religion is to reconnect. True religion is communing with God to discern his will, and then acting upon it sincerely.


Christ himself uses a home analogy to uplift this idea of communion when he says “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” We don’t just let anyone into our homes after all. If some stranger barged in unannounced they would be seen as an invader. That is why God doesn’t work that way. We must choose to allow him in and make a space for him at our table. Just as the depth of relationship with people, is congruent with how deep we allow people into our home. With that being said, just allowing Christ in the entryway exposes us to his truth and light. Bringing on more conviction. Meaning we have a choice to make. We can ask Him to leave. We can keep Him in the entryway. Or we can repent further and allow Him into the living room.

Have you ever been going along fine in your Christian walk, but then you stall spiritually. All of a sudden something that didn’t bother you before, starts to concern you. It may be a sign you have gone as far as you can with your current level of communion. So Jesus is knocking on the doorframe of another more private room to see if you will invite him in further. Exposing your home to more of his truth and light. Where none of the dirt, clutter, or cracks in the walls can escape his gaze. while impatient church people may expect you to get your house clean in an instant. Jesus can see all the scars on our hearts, and the wounded spirit that lies behind our poor choices. While many church people will only point a finger at the problem, Jesus wants to be part of the solution. His wisdom and strength are at your disposal. But you will never be able to take hold of them if you are still clutching onto virtual idols. That only hinders communion.

If you are failing to connect, there is probably a reason. It’s most likely a heart issue. While every Christian may say they want God in their life. We don’t always want him to BE God in our life. Our selfish egos would rather have a genie that just fulfills our wishes. Make all our problems go away without effort, rather than face and deal with them. This attitude indicates a lack of humility and repentance, which limits communion.

To carry on with the house analogy. Say you have $50,000 set aside to upgrade your kitchen. Yet in the process of that renovation, you discover electrical and plumbing issues. At that point, you have a choice to make. Spend the money to fix the things that are not seen, meaning you will have to get less expensive finishes to complete the remodel. Or you can just ignore them so you can use the finest materials to impress your friends and family. Then hope those neglected issues don’t come back to haunt you later. But I’m not really talking about home improvement. I’m talking about our hearts, the dwelling place for our spirits. This means we can choose to face the issues revealed by our communion with God, or just pretend we didn’t see anything so we can keep living as we always have. As we fake genuine righteousness of course.

In short, these ideas of conviction and repentance are not merely God laying down the law and wielding his authority over us in judgment. Looking at it that way is likely why we whitewash over the mold in the bathroom because we didn’t replace the proverbial exhaust fan that failed a few years back. Rather, it’s about cultivating greater levels of communion. In the end, God will not commune with darkness after all. Yet, greater levels of communion lead to greater wholeness, greater wholeness leads to greater righteousness, and greater righteousness leads to being set apart for greater purposes in the kingdom of God. That leads to spiritual prosperity. None of that will happen though if we are ashamed to answer the door when Jesus comes knocking, because our soul is too cluttered and run down to make room for him.

The Visual PARABLEist

A man ashamed of the clutter in front of a door

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” -Psalms 139:23-24

“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” -Psalms 32:3-5

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Life As a Church

As I indicated in a recent social media post, the church universal may be acting in desperation right now. Leading us to make hasty choices and push under-equipped believers onto the front line. As if we can overcome decades worth of shallow superficial faith in a measly two-day revival. Yet, as I also indicated, many people are reluctant to go beyond basic training in hopes of avoiding the responsibility of the mission for one reason or another. Yet our leaders seem to be at a loss on what to do about this. Some just keep repeating themselves in hopes of a different response. Some even go as far as to become accusatory. Yet what I’m ultimately getting at is, if you want to revive the church, you got to revive the people in it first.

“When I encountered God, I noticed that many Christians weren’t passionate about much, at least on the outside.” -Lacey Sturm, The Reason

Sure you can put a brand new roof on a leaky house. But, if the walls are termite-infested don’t be surprised if the house collapses in the process. You can replace all the rotten walls of a building, but if the foundation is crumbling you are only buying yourself a minuscule amount of time.

Life as a Church

It is not that much different with people. If the foundation of self is a mess (heart) all the whitewash in the world isn’t going to change that in a real and meaningful way. We all have a story, and most of them remain untold because we shame people for them, rather than support them through overcoming it. Leaving people to bear their burdens all alone. This is often where people ultimately falter. As we push on them to be what we need them to be, rather than direct them toward what they need to grow and heal.

All the different words used to describe the inner self are hard to define Biblically because there is just so much overlap. For example, both soul and spirit refer to the spark of life bestowed by God, however, the soul also has strong ties to the mind, much more than the spirit does. So not exactly the same. One thing is certain though, The heart is the center of it all. While pop culture may equate emotions as the predominant part of the heart, scripturally speaking it is actually the weakest. 


 'Can a world of posers tell you to do anything but pose? As Buechner Says, We are in constant danger of being not actors in the drama of our lives but reactors, "to go where the world takes us, to drift with whatever current happens to be running strongest." -John Eldredge, citing Frederick Buechner

Therein lies a big obstacle we must contend with. The secular world is quick to approve and validate posers, as long as you pose on their terms. Christian posers can’t even begin to compete with the united front of mainstream media on this one. So I guess we have no choice but to fall back, regroup, and take on the expensive labor-intensive task of foundation repair. If we did that, then maybe the Holy Spirit may start dwelling within us once again. Then the people will be moved to rebuild the walls and prepare the way for the roof we have needed for so long.

To make what I am saying more relatable, let me share this. Growing up I had to watch all the people seeking more than physical presence, and basic physical needs from my father get hurt repeatedly. So I learned that maintaining a safe emotional distance was best with him. While that is but the tip of the proverbial mountain that I must move, I can assure you it has trickled down into every aspect of my life. Something that has led to receiving constant criticism over the years, the irony of it all is, that my father was one of my biggest critics. Blissfully unaware that he was the one who initially taught me to not rely on anyone. Even today within the church there is this pressure for everyone to be a part of outreach, even if we have little to offer them once we get them in the door. Other than a mission they aren’t ready for yet.

Can you relate to feeling left out because you’re not a coveted foot in the body of Christ? Or are you content being just another observer. Leaving your heart and holiness incomplete.

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Evangelical?

The word evangelical seems to have become a slur in the mainstream media these days. They only utter it in a spirit of disdain. This begs the question, do they know what it actually means, and how are they interpreting it? Then again, does the average churchgoer even know what it is supposed to mean? Or is this just another example of terminology getting twisted over time due to the lack of education? The term itself is derived from the Greek word euangelion, which literally translates as “Good News.” In the broadest literal sense, the English word refers to Spreading the Good News of the Gospel via outreach. Another form of the word evangelism. 

For the longest time, it was used synonymously with Protestants, since they believed they were the keepers of the true gospel. Later on, the idea often gets tied to specific religious organizations and historical movements like the Evangelical United Front, the Holiness Movement, and the Evangelical Alliance. They often had very specific theologies and doctrines tied to them. Putting emphasis on salvation, sanctification, atonement, and holiness. Many of these early groups were interdenominational, with the main goal of unifying the Protestant church rather than outreach. There was often an anti-Catholic sentiment behind some of them as well. However, the Roman Catholic Church did eventually adopt the word evangelism as originally intended. So it’s no longer exclusively a Protestant term anymore.

These days it seems to be applied to churches who maintain traditional doctrine and theology. Juxtaposing themselves against a trend of watering down Biblical principles to make it more palatable to the masses. All for the sake of numbers and maintaining institutions. At least there is an attempt at actual outreach there, albeit a misguided version of it. This seems to only fuel the trend of the so-called traditional Evangelical Church narrowing the gospel to defining righteousness, and telling people how to live in a cold systematic way. This begs the question, where is the “Good News” for the poor in spirit? Where is the image of a loving Messiah who wants to bind up the broken-hearted, so they can find freedom from being captivated by their own nature. Where is the Christ that wants to release us from the darkness of our own bad decisions? Where is the Jesus who comforts those in mourning for the temporal things of this world that we foolishly put our hope in? Let alone a church reaching out to the wounded person in need of God’s love. Those in need of a hand up from a true disciple, not just criticism from an armchair missionary.

This seems to be what is triggering the mainstream in their contempt of evangelicals. From their point of view, they are like, you claim to be about love. Yet your actions are impatient, unkind, rude, arrogant, angry, and critical. You are the ones who appear to be misguided and lost. So we will fight your fire with fire, and redefine love as we think it should be applied. So they aren’t even listening when we tell them their path is shallow and will lead only to being brokenhearted, spiritual captivity, emotional darkness, emptiness, and mourning.

But before I conclude, let me make this clear. The grace and love side of our creed is meant to make us whole again, so we can be enabled to become righteous. It is not a place to linger indefinitely. Yet if we skip over that and go right to righteousness, we only set people up for failure. It is like building your house on the sand, it just won’t hold up over time. This is the opposite extremism I spoke of earlier.

Again, if Evangelical and gospel both mean good news, why are we treating it like old news? This Old Covenant ideal of, this is the standard, live up to it, atone for it when you fail, or be destroyed. All this does is rub salt in the wounds of the broken. It kicks people while they are down. So ultimately, this is what the secular world thinks when they hear the word evangelical. So it’s no wonder they see nothing good in it, and we are losing ground in our mission.


a man holding half a torn manuscript in sombodies face, while hiding the other side behind his back.


Monday, January 1, 2024

Mockery is not a virtue

Last time, I mentioned the subject of mockery. With it being such a widespread problem that most are not even trying to correct, I thought I should say more about it. It is most prominent on social media these days, so much so that I think  Elon Musk should have renamed Twitter, Mockery, instead of X. That Facebook should be called throw it their face book. Name any issue and there are probably thousands of social media accounts dedicated to it. I dare say a majority of the posts we actually see revolve around mocking the opposition, rather than educating about the issue. The worst part is, that social media algorithms encourage this. Mockery drives more log-in time and clicks than just about anything else. Which means more ad revenue for big tech. They are literally getting rich off of creating resentment and making you fret. (Psalm 37:1-2 & 8-9) We as the church should not be encouraging this for the sake of clicks. Yes, we need to stand up for the truth, but the moment we resort to mockery that truth gets blurred behind a toxic wall of negativity. Plus we violate the very truth we profess in doing so.

Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.
The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name— behaves with insolent fury. -Proverbs 23:23-24 

But let me put this into perspective for you. So you will realize just how unrighteous it really is.  The average person is very much motivated by acceptance, approval, validation, and inclusion. A licensed counselor told me a majority of his patients are looking for just that. Manipulative people are well aware of this, so they know they can get you to do just about anything if they dangle acceptance for it before your nose like a dog treat. If somebody finds the resulting behavior ridiculous, the knee-jerk reaction of our sinful nature responds with mockery. In turn, this only pushes the manipulated back to the manipulator in search of another dose of validation. All because we chose to, and possibly enjoy being hurtful, rather than helpful. That’s not how you save souls, it’s how you lead people astray. (Matthew 18:6-7) This is exactly what we see playing out on social media. 

I said it before, but I can’t say it enough. Psychology confirms just how ineffective mockery is. They call it The Framing Effect. The idea is that information is often gauged more by how it is presented, instead of the actual validity of the facts. Just ask yourself, when someone treats you with contempt and disrespect, do you go out of the way to listen to their point of view? Or do you merely get all defensive? Yet the Bible told us all along, that truth is not a free pass to be a mocker. That mockery is not a virtue. A fact we often ignore or are just plain ignorant of. Ultimately every dimension of truth must be upheld, or it’s only a half-truth, and a half-truth can be just as destructive as a lie.

So again I ask you, to take a long hard look at yourself and your motivations. Ask yourself, do you mock to do what’s right, or just be right? Are you mocking to help, or just stick it to them? Who are we to correct the world, if our motivations are just as ugly as theirs?

The Visual PARABLEist

a person in a glass bubble mocking a person with a hammer

“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings. -Proverbs 1:22-23

If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer -Proverbs 9:12


Saturday, December 30, 2023

Opposite Extremism

Many people have a fear of becoming like one of their parents if they possess toxic traits. Some may even make a deliberate effort to do the exact opposite of their parent's patterns. However, I have learned that the greatest wrongs are seldom a perfect 180 degrees from the truth. That is how they disguise themselves as seeming true after all. So if said behavior is only 90 degrees off the mark, we will be just as far from the right path as we were before doing a 180, just an opposite extreme form of it. Sometimes the church falls into these patterns as well, so any extreme is often just as much of an incomplete truth as the opposite extreme. Overcompensating one detail will never replace the absence of another. No matter how much more important we may think it is. That is sort of like saying the back wheel of a motorcycle is more important than the front one. Without both, you’re going nowhere.

““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” -Matthew 23:23

A good example is the environmental issue. With so many taking the issue to neo-pagan extremes by treating the earth like a goddess. It has led many in the church to go to the opposite extreme and treat the earth with utter contempt. Instead of the more balanced idea of being good stewards of all that God had given us. (Deuteronomy 26:1-15, 1st Corinthians 10:24-26)

An example that hits closer to home is the obedience vs love debate. Many insist that the ultimate goal in Christianity is righteousness and discipline. Yet when you emphasize it to the point of neglecting love, all you can really do is define it, and then criticize people when they fail. This discourages more people than it saves for the simple fact that any submission to bullying ultimately lacks sincerity. (Matthew 15:7-9) A broken person naturally struggles with discipline, but it's love not definitions, that repairs the foundation that enables obedience. 

This extremism has only inspired some to overemphasize love in response. It also has led people to redefine love as acceptance, approval, and validation. On the surface, it may seem like a good thing, but on closer examination, it falls apart. If a child tries to stick a paper clip in an outlet. Is it the parent who accepts this, or the one who doesn’t that’s the more loving one? If someone wants to try cocaine for the first time. Is it the one who approves or disapproves that is the more loving? If someone wants to make a hasty life-altering decision. Is it the one who validates without question that’s the more loving one? Or is the one who says let’s talk about and examine this more closely first? In the end, love without any discipline only becomes permissive of self-destructive behavior.

Self-indulgence tends to set off the legalists who often just resort to mockery of the lost. Leading the other side to fight mockery with their own mockery of their systematic ways. Yet both sides seem blissfully unaware of what the Bible says about this practice. Psychology even confirms just how ineffective this tactic is. They call it The Framing Effect. The idea is that information is often gauged more by how it is presented, instead of the validity of facts. Yet the Bible has told us all along, that truth is not a free pass to be impatient, unkind, and rude. (Galatians 6:1) Ultimately every dimension of truth must be upheld, or it’s only a half-truth, and a half-truth can be just as destructive as an outright lie.

I dare say much of this extremism comes back to comfort. We emphasize the parts we are comfortable with and feel confident in. Yet neglect the parts we dislike or struggle to understand. This is not how you grow, or engage discipleship. So I urge you to stop and take a long hard look at yourself and your actions. Then ask the LORD where you may be neglecting his complete truth.


A man with one wing trying to fly.



Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, -Psalm 1:1

The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.
He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame. -Proverbs 3:33-35


Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.
Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. -Proverbs 9:7-8