No Matter How You Voted, Remember This!

I've hesitated to write again on anything political, as I still have so many questions myself as to what to do on election day.  However, as that dreaded election Tuesday rapidly approaches, I have three encouragements with which I'd like to strengthen us all.   If you've read anything I've written before, chances are you know I try to write with a pastor's heart to exhort my brothers and sisters in Christ.

First, always remember to keep America and the Church of the Lord Jesus separate in your thinking.  You may believe that is a superfluous statement, but I'm not so sure.  Because of America's strong Christian heritage, many have come to see those two as somehow synonymous--but they are not.  I was in a meeting recently when a brother commented, "If Clinton wins, we're doomed." In context it seemed pretty clear the "we" referred to us as followers of Jesus.   I know we all appreciate much of the Christian morality that has permeated our American culture, and as we see that slipping away from our land we feel that loss, but know this--we Christians are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us!  No matter what America does as a nation or as a culture, we the Church are not doomed.  The Church will not only continue strong, but we will be triumphant at the conclusion of all things.

Second, let's not allow this election to steal our unity as followers of Jesus.   It really is amazing to me how passionate believers are, both for Trump and against him.  Unfortunately that passion has led to a division between Christians.   I touched on this in my last article when I wrote about how vitriolic the language and tenor have been by both Clinton and Trump supporters.  Sadly, that same vitriol leaked from the "pens" of many Christ followers, and was even directed at other believers.  I really believe, no matter how strongly you hold to the rightness of your "Trump/No Trump" vote, we would be best served by applying Jesus' admonition to not judge one another, but rather entrust each other to God's Spirit.  For some of us, "A Christian must vote for Trump" or "A Christian should never vote for Trump" seems as clear as high definition, and we can't understand how anyone would see it differently; but they do--with equal conviction.  It would be nice if we all agreed, though personally I can understand why believers fall on either side of this divide.  What we need even now is to stand united in our Savior, even if we disagree on who to vote for.

Finally, don't let fear or despair over take you, but instead be filled with hope and joy.  I realize that it is disheartening to see our culture and our nation move away from Biblical morality, especially at such a rapid pace, and there seems so little we can do to arrest its retreat; but none of that is cause for despair.  Remember that God commanded us to "Rejoice always!"  Did you hear that?  We are to be filled with joy all the time--not just when it's going our way.  Over 150 times the psalmist commands us to rejoice.  Maybe you are wondering how we choose joy when the outlook seems so bleak?  Easy!  Don't forget that God is still Lord and He will never abandon us.  He's given us the power of His Holy Spirit, not only to live holy, but to enable us to thrive even in the most difficult of times.   Even if your candidate loses, the truth is this election may bring about a revival in the Church that sparks the beginning of a national awakening.  So keep that perspective-- choose joy and hope and expectancy!  Remember what the multitude of heaven said in Revelation 19-- “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns."

I hate Clinton! I hate Trump!

Let me start by saying I call my blog The Pastor's Pen because I am primarily writing to men and women who follow Jesus.  I believe that God has tasked me with the job of caring for and leading His people, so I do my best to write to that end.  However, I also have a number of friends who don't share my allegiance to Jesus or my worldview, so I also write for them too.  I want them to at least understand, not only my point of view, but my heart commitments as well.  But these thoughts are directed primarily to you Christ-followers.

One of the things that is so pervasive on social media this election season is hatred.  Maybe you think that word is too strong, but dislike just doesn't cut it.  People loath Clinton or detest Trump with a vitriol that I don't ever remember seeing.  But it's not just Clinton and Trump that people seem to hate--they seem to hate anyone and everyone else who supports the other candidate, or who doesn't agree with them.  The disdain that the pro-Clintons have for the 'Make America Great Again' Trump squadron is palpable.   The contempt of the Trump force toward the Clinton throng is equally tangible.   But we can go a step further and say people who would never vote for Clinton, but are known as the #NeverTrump crowd, are equally hostile to the Trump "deplorables," and vice versa. 

Now the point of the post isn't to argue for or against Clinton-Trump.  The point of this post is to say to you followers of Jesus, lose the hatred.  Lose the vitriol. We were called to so much more than that.  I came across these verses in my Bible reading this morning: "Remind [those who follow Jesus] to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men" (Titus 3:1-2).  Why don't you read that again before you move on?  I don't care how much you are for Trump or how unqualified you might think Clinton to be; I don't care how wonderful a president you think Clinton might make or how disastrous you think it might be if Trump were at the helm; those of you who follow Jesus, your allegiance is to Jesus alone.

Notice how Jesus calls us to malign no one.  Notice how He says we should be known for our peaceable demeanor and our gentle hearts.  When He says we are to show consideration for all men I think God is calling us to civility, and even to a supernatural kindness.  In the words of Jesus, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28).  You would do well to actually read most of that chapter where Jesus concludes, "Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:35-36).

Some of you think that I might be saying we can't be passionate or speak the truth.  You misunderstand.  Speak up, but lose the odious rhetoric.   Make your point but jettison the rudeness and hateful speech.  Stop assassinating people's character, disparaging their children and spreading slander that you don't even know to be true.  Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's real or true, but even if it is we who follow Jesus don't slander others or gossip.  And just because others are doing it, just because conservative and liberal websites are producing it, I am not obligated to pass it on.

I write to you my brothers and sisters because we are different.  The love of Jesus has been poured out in our hearts.  We are not driven by the selfishness and the anger that motivates too many in our world.  We are not of this world.  This world is not our home.  Let's live like it.  Let's talk like it.  Stand up and speak the truth passionately, but "speak the truth in love" (Eph.4:15).   "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person" (Col.4:6).  "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe" (1 Tim.4:12).

Why don't I change?

Jesus once asked a group of people who claimed to be His followers, "Why do you call me Lord, but don't do what I say" (Luke 6:46)?  I remember as a young man, that question had a profound impact on my life because I would have said that I was a Christian; but I also knew there was much that Jesus said and did that I wasn't doing and had no intention of doing.  Now, as a pastor for all these years, I find it so troubling that many people who I know claim to follow Jesus, invest such little effort in that following.  Actually, other than claiming to follow Jesus, there hasn't been much change in how they live, what they do, or how they relate to God or others.   Their love for God and others isn't seen in what they do or what they say.   Did you know that God has an expectation, a goal for each one of us who follow Jesus?  Here it is--God is committed to our changing and being conformed to the person who Jesus is.  What that means is God desires us to think like Jesus thought, behave like Jesus behaved, and love like Jesus loved.  Paul, that early Christian leader, said to the Galatian Christians, "I labor until Christ is formed in you" (Galatians 4:19).   We are to be like Jesus.

Well, how does this transformation to be like Jesus take place?  Who's responsible for it?  The truth is that God is--and we are.  Some folks want to make it one or the other, and people often get out of balance; but Paul makes it pretty clear that God is working and we should be working toward the goal of being like Jesus.  Philippians 2:12-13 says, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  Depend on God whose Spirit indwells you and empowers you, but also recognize your role.

So back to my original question, why are so many of us not being changed?  Why is there so little difference in us now from the time we began to follow Jesus?  Well we know that God isn’t failing in His part, so the issue must be with us.   I want to suggest three reasons why we don't change.

We operate on the basis of felt needs rather than faith.  I've noticed something in my observation of professing Christians, and I've noticed it in my own struggles.  We tend to do only the things that we feel like we need to do.  We are feeling driven rather than faith driven.  Faith says I believe that God's greatest desire for me--and consequently that which would be for my greatest good-- is to be like Jesus; therefore, I'm going to do what God calls me to do whether I feel like it or not.  Feelings, on the other hand says, how do I feel about that?  Do I feel like I need to do that?  And if our feelings don't want to do it, we don't.  If our feelings are up to it, we may do it.  Let's face it everyone--we've bought into the consumer-driven mentality of our culture that says it's all about me, and if I don't feel like it, I won't do it.  Jesus wasn't like that, and we shouldn't be either.  Jesus said to God the Father, "Not my will but yours be done."  Let me put that in our everyday context.  When my feelings say: I don't need to love that person, or I don't need to share my resources, or I don't need to invest that time in serving others, or I don't need to do that task, or I don't need to pull aside to meet with God one on one, my faith says yes you do.  We should walk by faith, not feelings.

We are not willing to put in the hard work necessary.  Maybe this is another way of saying our feelings rule.   In the last part of Hebrews 5 the author says that maturity, or what I would call Christlikeness, comes about through practice which trains the senses to discern good and evil.  Did you catch that?  Maturity comes through practice.  Practice is hard and arduous work.  The world champion platform diver Tom Daley didn't even make it to the finals, and the commentators were suggesting it was because he added a new dive only one and half years ago.  They stated that might not have been enough time to learn it, yet he practices daily.   Remember what Paul said?  "Work out your salvation."  Becoming like Jesus takes work on our part.  It is daily practicing to walk in His steps.  I don't always get it right, but I work hard at it.  Let me ask you, believer in the Lord Jesus,  how hard are you willing to work at being conformed to the image of Jesus?  The Olympians work hard for a piece of gold and earthly glory--are you willing to work that hard to hear our Father say, "Well done!"?

We fail to invest in our minds.  Paul made it clear, "Don't be conformed to this world but be transformed."  Obviously, he meant transformed into the image of Jesus, and then he goes on to tell us exactly how to do it.  He says "by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:1-2).   Furthermore the Bible makes it clear, "As a man thinks in himself, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).  This is why our worldview, how we think about the world, affects every area of our lives.  Let me be the first to admit that changing the way I think doesn't often feel like a felt need; and if you have ever tried to change your thinking, you know it's hard work.  Most of us have ingrained patterns of thought that have been with us since childhood and changing them is never easy.  But how do I do that?  How do I change my thinking?  How do I even know where my thinking needs to change?  Someone said to me the other day, "Jimmy, you don't know what you don't know," and they were so right.  Now remember, the goal is to be like Jesus and think like Jesus; so if I'm going to change my mind, I need do the hard work of reading Jesus' thoughts, seeking to understand Jesus, and then by faith adopting His mindset.  But don't just read to read; read to understand, and if you are His follower, read so you can begin to think like Jesus.  If this is new to you, start reading one of the first four books of the New Testament--they contain much of what Jesus said and did.  Read other too-- followers of Jesus who can help you understand Jesus.  Ask someone you trust to teach you what Jesus thought.

Even as I type these words I hear God's Spirit asking me, "Jimmy, are you willing to do the hard work of transformation?  Are you willing to stop being led by your feelings and instead be led by your faith in me?  Are you willing to let Me change your mind as you continue to understand My thinking?  Are you willing to let Me change you all the more?"  I imagine God will bring me back here again to these same questions, maybe many times, but in this moment my emphatic answer is, "I am."  What's your answer?