Since I shared a few thoughts on the state of the church in America today, I wanted to give you a few thoughts on what the church SHOULD be doing. Since the church is called the Bride of Christ in the Bible, and since marriage is often equated in Christian circles with the relationship between Christ and His Bride, it may help us to take a look at what Proverbs 31 says about the ideal wife. Proverbs 31, by the way, is a letter from a father to his son, so as you listen to the text I'm about to present here, I want you to think about God the Father saying these things to Jesus the Son about His future Wife.
"An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight. She is like merchant ships. She brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens. She considers a field and buys it. From her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good. Her lamp does not go out at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor, and she stretches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her maidens are clothed with scarlet. She makes coverings for herself. Her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them and supplies belts to the tradesmen. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her. Her husband also, and he praises her, saying, 'Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.'"
Now, having read that, I want you to ask yourself how YOU fit in here as a Christian. You see, I could make this whole post impersonal and refer to the Bride of Christ as "she," like so many other Christian writers do, but the Bride of Christ is US, you and I, and so we should always think of the Bride as "I" or "me" or "you"--not "he" or "she" or "them."
So . . . how do you stack up as the Bride of Christ here?
Can Christ trust in you?
In you, will Christ have no lack of gain?
Do you do Christ good and not evil every day?
Do you work with your hands (or mind) in delight?
Do you gather the riches of Jesus from afar to feed people in your community?
Do you rise while it is still night and pray for your friends and neighbors who don't know Jesus as their Lord and Savior?
Do you gird yourself with strength and make your arms (and mind) strong?
Do you sense that your gain is good?
Do you put your hand to the distaff (or whatever task that Christ has set before you)?
Do you extend your hand to the poor and stretch out your hand to the needy?
Is everyone in your household clothed with the Word of God?
Do you make a covering of humility for yourself?
Is Jesus glorified in your community because of your actions?
Do you supply others in your community with what they need?
Do you make strength and dignity your clothing?
Do you smile at the future?
Do you open your mouth in wisdom, and is the teaching of kindness on your tongue?
Do you look well to the ways of your household?
Do you avoid laziness?
Can new Christians praise you as a mentor and elder brother/sister in the faith?
Finally, can Jesus praise you, and say of you, "You have exceeded all my expectations"?
These are hard questions, and yes, we do live in an age of grace (so don't take a few "no" answers as a sign that Jesus doesn't love you--the Bible certainly doesn't say that). However, if we are (as some theologians are saying) in the last days, then we need to answer these questions seriously, honestly, and with a burning desire in our hearts to become what Jesus wants us to become. My brother or sister, do you think that Jesus has any interest in rapturing a church that is as self-interested as most Christian churches seem to be in the United States? The Bible says that He will come for a pure, spotless Bride. Do you really think He will come today, when the church is so unready for Him? What kind of groom would pop in on his bride and whisk her away to the wedding ceremony when she hasn't finished putting her clothes on?
My message is simple: If Christ is coming,
we
aren't
ready.
The last 2 verses of Proverbs 31 read, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates."
It doesn't matter whether or not your church draws 100,000 people, has multiple television programs, radio programs, and podcasts, and boasts one of the largest buildings in your city. If you don't fear the Lord (note that I said "you"--NOT "your church"--I want to make this very up close and personal), all of your wealth, your reputation, and your wit and urbanity are going to be useless. It doesn't matter what you say or what all of your peers in the Christian publications say about you. Your WORKS are what the Lord praises, and your WORKS (all of the things I mentioned above) will be the only thing you have left when Christ comes for you.
Don't let Him come and find you half-dressed.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
The 21st Century Church--Haven of Horror? (Part 2)
This past weekend, our internet service went out, and I had to do some fast talking with our internet provider to get it back on. (The issue was a bill that the company said I hadn't paid.) I got our connection restored, but I'm afraid my bargaining powers weren't up to par--the best I got for us was a free reconnect (I still had to pay the bill to get the service back on).
This reminds me of something I said a few days ago--that the church runs on a corporate business model created by the world, the flesh, and the devil. I know this is a shocking statement, but let me explain it a bit. It all begins with the pastor--the man whose livelihood depends on the job of preaching in front of a church every Sunday. When people pay their tithes to the church, they are helping, in essence, to pay the pastor's salary, since that salary is part of the church budget (which depends on member offerings). Hence, it is in the pastor's vested interest to (1) grow his church, (2) make sure his church members understand the concept of tithing, and (3) get his members as heavily involved in church activities as possible. This is fine, and I'm sure that many of you out there have pastors you believe in (and would gladly support with your treasure). However, it is a far cry from the first century Christian church.
Where is the church the depended on the Holy Spirit to expand, rather than on a specially-paid recruiter?
Where is the church that held all possessions and treasures in common, in which brothers and sisters would sell everything they had and distribute it to their brethren in Christ as they had need.
Where is the church that devoted its offerings to helping out poor believers in Christ wherever they had need? (See 2 Corinthians if you want to know what I mean here.)
It's gone, ladies and gentlemen--and in its place is a church that shuns people in need, that (for all intents and purposes) may as well put a sign on the door saying, "For middle class or upper middle class Americans only." Is this the same church that was made up of lepers and blind men and prostitutes and poor beggars who Jesus healed on the streets? Is this the church that is supposed to feed the hungry, give the thirsty something to drink, clothe the naked, and visit people who are sick or imprisoned? Is this the church that bleeds and dies for souls?
Of course not.
What we see in many churches throughout America is a classic corporate business model--complete with a CEO, a board of directors (elders and deacons), recruiters, and workers--designed with the purpose of benefiting . . . itself. I'm not saying that your church or your pastor isn't interested in your well-being--I don't know your church or your pastor--but I AM saying that many--far too many--churches in America operate on this model, and as a result, too many people look at Christ, His ministry, and His Word with a veil of cynicism over their eyes.
If we want to be effective (and all believers want to be effective), then we need to consider that there will be a cost for us to pay in order to obtain that effectiveness. It might mean that we don't organize ourselves into legally recognized units. It might mean that in order to be a pastor, a man has to have some sort of trade (like Paul did) so that he doesn't have to depend on other believers for his livelihood. It might mean that we stop building monstrous buildings with in-house theater systems in order to look good to potential converts. It might mean that we become obscure, unnoticed, and unremarked. Only a PURE heart can win the lost, my friends, and only a pure heart can KEEP the lost won.
We live in a society that says, "We have money as our god." We dare not adopt that society's values as our own--or we risk becoming a source of grief in the eyes of OUR God.
This reminds me of something I said a few days ago--that the church runs on a corporate business model created by the world, the flesh, and the devil. I know this is a shocking statement, but let me explain it a bit. It all begins with the pastor--the man whose livelihood depends on the job of preaching in front of a church every Sunday. When people pay their tithes to the church, they are helping, in essence, to pay the pastor's salary, since that salary is part of the church budget (which depends on member offerings). Hence, it is in the pastor's vested interest to (1) grow his church, (2) make sure his church members understand the concept of tithing, and (3) get his members as heavily involved in church activities as possible. This is fine, and I'm sure that many of you out there have pastors you believe in (and would gladly support with your treasure). However, it is a far cry from the first century Christian church.
Where is the church the depended on the Holy Spirit to expand, rather than on a specially-paid recruiter?
Where is the church that held all possessions and treasures in common, in which brothers and sisters would sell everything they had and distribute it to their brethren in Christ as they had need.
Where is the church that devoted its offerings to helping out poor believers in Christ wherever they had need? (See 2 Corinthians if you want to know what I mean here.)
It's gone, ladies and gentlemen--and in its place is a church that shuns people in need, that (for all intents and purposes) may as well put a sign on the door saying, "For middle class or upper middle class Americans only." Is this the same church that was made up of lepers and blind men and prostitutes and poor beggars who Jesus healed on the streets? Is this the church that is supposed to feed the hungry, give the thirsty something to drink, clothe the naked, and visit people who are sick or imprisoned? Is this the church that bleeds and dies for souls?
Of course not.
What we see in many churches throughout America is a classic corporate business model--complete with a CEO, a board of directors (elders and deacons), recruiters, and workers--designed with the purpose of benefiting . . . itself. I'm not saying that your church or your pastor isn't interested in your well-being--I don't know your church or your pastor--but I AM saying that many--far too many--churches in America operate on this model, and as a result, too many people look at Christ, His ministry, and His Word with a veil of cynicism over their eyes.
If we want to be effective (and all believers want to be effective), then we need to consider that there will be a cost for us to pay in order to obtain that effectiveness. It might mean that we don't organize ourselves into legally recognized units. It might mean that in order to be a pastor, a man has to have some sort of trade (like Paul did) so that he doesn't have to depend on other believers for his livelihood. It might mean that we stop building monstrous buildings with in-house theater systems in order to look good to potential converts. It might mean that we become obscure, unnoticed, and unremarked. Only a PURE heart can win the lost, my friends, and only a pure heart can KEEP the lost won.
We live in a society that says, "We have money as our god." We dare not adopt that society's values as our own--or we risk becoming a source of grief in the eyes of OUR God.
Friday, January 22, 2010
The 21st Century Church--Haven or Horror?
My experience with church as a little boy was both uplifting and terrifying. I remember a lot of warm smiles, people who were excited about the Bible, and even a tent revival meeting that occured near my parents' church. I also remember infighting, feeling like people at the church would kill each other if murder were legal, and feeling, as a little boy with one eye and (to my mind) weird parents, that I was an easy target for the "cool" kids to pick on. Most people, I think, can say the same about the churches they attended when they were little, and there really isn't anything to these experiences that a child could not associate with other parts of growing up (for example, school).
However, there is something that, as an adult, I have never liked about church--either as a closet pagan or as a born again Christian. It's the pastor. It's not that I have something against leaders--for crying out loud, I'm a new believer, and I crave all of the advice and wisdom from my older brothers in Christ that I can get--but if you look in the Bible, do you ever see an apostle taking a professional salary? Moreover, as I look at the New Testament, it looks like none of the apostles had any formal training--either in the Bible or in theology--with the exception of Paul, whose education as a Pharisee certainly did not prepare him to be a follower of Jesus. So . . . where'd we get the idea that a pastor had to be a seminary-trained professional?
We got it from the same place where we seem to be getting most of our ideas as a church these days--from the world, the flesh, and the devil. Think about it. The only reason why businesses require people to have certain degrees before applying for profeesional jobs is that those businesses are afraid that people will have a means of suing them if something goes wrong. Hence, there is more and more of a drive to make sure that people have at least a bachelor's degree (or some sort of degree) before operating as a teacher, nurse, or any other kind of professional, simply because schools and hospitals and other institutions want to make sure that their employees have at least the level of skill that will allow them to avoid litigation.
So why are we pursuing this same model in the church when it comes to hiring our pastors? When was the last time you heard of someone filing a lawsuit against someone for saying things from the pulpit that were Biblically unsound or simply disagreeable?
Why does this issue bother me? Well, for one thing, it's kind of difficult to see the power of God in a church that trains, hires, and pays its pastors the same way that any other major corporate institution would, and also, isn't the pastor supposed to be the SERVANT of the church? Did Paul, Peter, and the other apostles take money from the brethren for themselves? Doesn't that kind of rankle you every time you sit in church and listen to a sermon on Sunday?
I just don't see why we should give the brethren (especially new Christians) any reason to stumble--and the pastor's current role is nothing but an excuse to stumble. I'm not saying we shouldn't help people who want to dedicate their lives to the spreading of the Gospel, but . . . didn't Paul (the great preacher to the Gentiles) have a trade? Whatever happened to the "elder brothers" of the church getting jobs and supporting their families, just like the rest of us? These are questions that increasingly bother me as I think about my own rather extensive experiences with church, and I think that, for believers, these are questions that should be cause for prayer and deep soul-searching.
However, there is something that, as an adult, I have never liked about church--either as a closet pagan or as a born again Christian. It's the pastor. It's not that I have something against leaders--for crying out loud, I'm a new believer, and I crave all of the advice and wisdom from my older brothers in Christ that I can get--but if you look in the Bible, do you ever see an apostle taking a professional salary? Moreover, as I look at the New Testament, it looks like none of the apostles had any formal training--either in the Bible or in theology--with the exception of Paul, whose education as a Pharisee certainly did not prepare him to be a follower of Jesus. So . . . where'd we get the idea that a pastor had to be a seminary-trained professional?
We got it from the same place where we seem to be getting most of our ideas as a church these days--from the world, the flesh, and the devil. Think about it. The only reason why businesses require people to have certain degrees before applying for profeesional jobs is that those businesses are afraid that people will have a means of suing them if something goes wrong. Hence, there is more and more of a drive to make sure that people have at least a bachelor's degree (or some sort of degree) before operating as a teacher, nurse, or any other kind of professional, simply because schools and hospitals and other institutions want to make sure that their employees have at least the level of skill that will allow them to avoid litigation.
So why are we pursuing this same model in the church when it comes to hiring our pastors? When was the last time you heard of someone filing a lawsuit against someone for saying things from the pulpit that were Biblically unsound or simply disagreeable?
Why does this issue bother me? Well, for one thing, it's kind of difficult to see the power of God in a church that trains, hires, and pays its pastors the same way that any other major corporate institution would, and also, isn't the pastor supposed to be the SERVANT of the church? Did Paul, Peter, and the other apostles take money from the brethren for themselves? Doesn't that kind of rankle you every time you sit in church and listen to a sermon on Sunday?
I just don't see why we should give the brethren (especially new Christians) any reason to stumble--and the pastor's current role is nothing but an excuse to stumble. I'm not saying we shouldn't help people who want to dedicate their lives to the spreading of the Gospel, but . . . didn't Paul (the great preacher to the Gentiles) have a trade? Whatever happened to the "elder brothers" of the church getting jobs and supporting their families, just like the rest of us? These are questions that increasingly bother me as I think about my own rather extensive experiences with church, and I think that, for believers, these are questions that should be cause for prayer and deep soul-searching.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Why I Quit Grad School
It's one of the most foolish decisions I've ever made--or at least, so it seems to almost everyone I've talked to. Quitting my Ph.D. studies after becoming ABD, with only my dissertation standing in the way, has left a lot of people, including (I suspect) my in-laws scratching their heads. The fact is, however, that after months of prayer and several years of constant soul-searching, I'm not sorry I quit the program. My only regret is that I didn't make the decision sooner (and with a little more courage).
I had spent 10 years as a Ph.D. student at Texas Christian University, which was then known as one of the top rhetoric and composition programs in the nation, and with every passing year, I felt like my life and my studies were becoming more and more pointless. The whole mission of my life seemed to be presenting a false image of myself to look good in front of others in the dim hope that I could retain a job as a top-notch university instructor for 20 years and retire, and more and more, I became uneasy about what I was turning into. Henry David Thoreau said that most people live "quiet lives of desperation," and that was the life I was beginning to construct for myself, with no hope in sight.
When I met my (future) wife at a Christian message board site a few years ago, I realized that my heart yearned for something more--not for her, but for the same things she herself yearned for. All my life, I wanted to be a writer, to live a life of true love, joy, and happiness that was devoid of the kind of self-interest that seems to motivate most of our lives, to give something to others that would change their lives forever. My (future) wife and I both realized after talking with each other and becoming closer as friends that what we really wanted--really needed--was to live as Jesus lives, giving love to others. The profession I was preparing to enter was at odds with this drive inside of us, so after a lot of doubts, and a lot of arguments between us, I finally decided to quit the program. The decision was not an easy one to make, and for a while, I second-guessed it, but now, I'm sure it was the right thing to do--not only for my family but for my soul as well.
The reason I share my story here is because there is a mentality out there today that says you have to have "a career," or you're no good to anyone. Yes, I believe in work, and I believe that as a Christian man, I am called to work not only for my family but for the spread of the Kingdom of Christ. However, let's take a look at the "career" that most people say that you should have: 20 years of hard, steady work for hard, steady pay with (on average) $20,000 to $30,000/year increase in salary over that time (with perseverance and dedication), followed by a steady pension. What do most people do with that 20 years of work? Generally, they buy a house, buy 2 or 3 cars, accumulate furniture, televisions, and computers, and pay for their kids to go to college and repeat the same cycle all over again. This is fine--it's not wrong to have a steady paycheck that feeds your family--but it's also somewhat futile. Where's the impact on other people's lives? Where's the power of God? Where's the FAITH?
If you're a Christian and you're wondering what you should do with your life, jostling with other employees for a promotion or raise doesn't have to be your future. Start your own business. Start your own ministry. Do whatever it is the Lord has called you to do. Jesus walked this Earth doing whatever His Dad wanted Him to do, and He was willing to be homeless, to be hungry, and to be beaten to do it. The apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit (as all believers are), did the same thing--with no education, no rehearsal, and (often) no means. If you're a Christian and you feel the Lord wants you to do something--talk to someone about hope and love and Jesus, befriend that loser at your school who gets picked on by the other kids, go to the streets of your city where the homeless live--then what are you waiting for? Jesus never said to His disciples that they must first attend Hebrew synagogue, memorize the Pentateuch, and join the priesthood before they could follow Him. He just said, "Follow me." Following Christ is going to mean inconvenience for us, change, and (yes) just a little shade of terror, but hey, if the Maker of the universe could endure the terror of dying and rising from the dead for you, why can't you endure the terror of doing what you know He wants you to do?
In one of his letters, Paul said that we must do what Jesus calls us to do while it is called "today." I never hear Paul saying, "Wait until you're ready," or "Wait until everything is clearly in place before you move." After all, this was a man who (along with the apostles) was taught not to worry about what he would say when called before kings and governors to speak the Gospel, and he knew what it was like to obey the Lord even at the cost of his own life. Why are we any better than he was? Why should we assume that Jesus would want any less for us, just because we have social obligations?
If you're a Christian and you know the Lord is calling you to minister to someone else (or to many people) in a new, scary way, then you have only one option before you . . . act.
Do it--and keep praying and listening to the Lord. Because the more you obey Him, the more He'll lead you. Christianity is lived step by step, my friends, and with each new step comes the prospect of another, more difficult step. If you let Him lead you, however, as difficult as it may seem, you'll never go wrong.
I had spent 10 years as a Ph.D. student at Texas Christian University, which was then known as one of the top rhetoric and composition programs in the nation, and with every passing year, I felt like my life and my studies were becoming more and more pointless. The whole mission of my life seemed to be presenting a false image of myself to look good in front of others in the dim hope that I could retain a job as a top-notch university instructor for 20 years and retire, and more and more, I became uneasy about what I was turning into. Henry David Thoreau said that most people live "quiet lives of desperation," and that was the life I was beginning to construct for myself, with no hope in sight.
When I met my (future) wife at a Christian message board site a few years ago, I realized that my heart yearned for something more--not for her, but for the same things she herself yearned for. All my life, I wanted to be a writer, to live a life of true love, joy, and happiness that was devoid of the kind of self-interest that seems to motivate most of our lives, to give something to others that would change their lives forever. My (future) wife and I both realized after talking with each other and becoming closer as friends that what we really wanted--really needed--was to live as Jesus lives, giving love to others. The profession I was preparing to enter was at odds with this drive inside of us, so after a lot of doubts, and a lot of arguments between us, I finally decided to quit the program. The decision was not an easy one to make, and for a while, I second-guessed it, but now, I'm sure it was the right thing to do--not only for my family but for my soul as well.
The reason I share my story here is because there is a mentality out there today that says you have to have "a career," or you're no good to anyone. Yes, I believe in work, and I believe that as a Christian man, I am called to work not only for my family but for the spread of the Kingdom of Christ. However, let's take a look at the "career" that most people say that you should have: 20 years of hard, steady work for hard, steady pay with (on average) $20,000 to $30,000/year increase in salary over that time (with perseverance and dedication), followed by a steady pension. What do most people do with that 20 years of work? Generally, they buy a house, buy 2 or 3 cars, accumulate furniture, televisions, and computers, and pay for their kids to go to college and repeat the same cycle all over again. This is fine--it's not wrong to have a steady paycheck that feeds your family--but it's also somewhat futile. Where's the impact on other people's lives? Where's the power of God? Where's the FAITH?
If you're a Christian and you're wondering what you should do with your life, jostling with other employees for a promotion or raise doesn't have to be your future. Start your own business. Start your own ministry. Do whatever it is the Lord has called you to do. Jesus walked this Earth doing whatever His Dad wanted Him to do, and He was willing to be homeless, to be hungry, and to be beaten to do it. The apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit (as all believers are), did the same thing--with no education, no rehearsal, and (often) no means. If you're a Christian and you feel the Lord wants you to do something--talk to someone about hope and love and Jesus, befriend that loser at your school who gets picked on by the other kids, go to the streets of your city where the homeless live--then what are you waiting for? Jesus never said to His disciples that they must first attend Hebrew synagogue, memorize the Pentateuch, and join the priesthood before they could follow Him. He just said, "Follow me." Following Christ is going to mean inconvenience for us, change, and (yes) just a little shade of terror, but hey, if the Maker of the universe could endure the terror of dying and rising from the dead for you, why can't you endure the terror of doing what you know He wants you to do?
In one of his letters, Paul said that we must do what Jesus calls us to do while it is called "today." I never hear Paul saying, "Wait until you're ready," or "Wait until everything is clearly in place before you move." After all, this was a man who (along with the apostles) was taught not to worry about what he would say when called before kings and governors to speak the Gospel, and he knew what it was like to obey the Lord even at the cost of his own life. Why are we any better than he was? Why should we assume that Jesus would want any less for us, just because we have social obligations?
If you're a Christian and you know the Lord is calling you to minister to someone else (or to many people) in a new, scary way, then you have only one option before you . . . act.
Do it--and keep praying and listening to the Lord. Because the more you obey Him, the more He'll lead you. Christianity is lived step by step, my friends, and with each new step comes the prospect of another, more difficult step. If you let Him lead you, however, as difficult as it may seem, you'll never go wrong.
A Few Words on Abortion
In ancient times, when women needed to give birth, they endured suffering the likes of which most American women today cannot even begin to imagine. Without anesthesia, without the sterility of an operating room, and without a doctor, these women gave birth through hours (sometimes days) of excruciating pain. Giving birth to a child was a grave risk for a woman in those days. A birth that went wrong could end in a death which was at once visceral and terrifying--both for the mother and for her loved ones, who could only look on as she struggled vainly for life.
And yet, in Genesis 29:32-30:24, we see 2 sisters vying for the prospect of giving birth. We see the same thing in 1 Samuel 1, and in Luke 1, we see a woman who had been unable to bear children throughout her life celebrating at the news that she would have a child.
The pain of childbirth is real, and it is something that most women today dread, but in a country where we have doctors, prenatal exams, and special medical procedures which can save the life of both the mother and the child if something goes wrong, we don't see very many people celebrating the birth of children, do we? Strange that in a world where a woman knew she could die a horrible death during pregnancy or childbirth, big families--and the joy of expecting a new child--were common, while in our society--in which mortality during labor and delivery is at an all-time low--childbirth is viewed with much more anxiety. Children are often considered a burden in the United States, something to be avoided at all costs, and more and more, we seem to be turning into a very child-unfriendly people.
I don't think that abortion is responsible for these problems. After all, we wouldn't have legalized abortion (and wouldn't continue to legalize it) if we didn't have those feelings in the first place. However, abortion demonstrates exactly the kind of attitude we have toward children: Raise 'em if you've got the means or can spare the time, but get rid of 'em otherwise.
The reason why abortion is a multi-billion dollar industry today is plain and simple: Children are inconvenient. They are needy, they are always hungry, they demand more attention from us than we feel they deserve, and they require so much teaching and direction in the elementary principles of life that raising them seems an exercise in the ridiculous. As a parent, I can also say that children are not always the sweet little dolls they are made out to be on television. They push your buttons, they challenge your authority, and they won't accept your word when you try to tell them things that are important.
However, they are valuable--just like you and I are valuable. And I think that any woman, any man, and especially any feminist who does not make it his/her mission to defend children is not worth my ears, my heart, or my time.
In 2 Chronicles 28:3, we learn about a man named Ahaz, who ruled a kingdom called Judah, and among his sins, we learn that he burned his sons to death as a sacrifice to pagan gods. We tend to laugh at examples like this today because the idea of a man killing his own sons to please a pagan god seems barbaric, primeval, and utterly foolish to us. However, we kill our children (to the tune of over 2 million each year) for other gods--like money, like independence, like popularity, and (all to often) like our parents. I don't know about you, but I've never met a teenage girl who became pregnant outside of wedlock and was not afraid that her parents would find out. So, to satisfy our wallets, our sense of personal destiny, our need for applause from others, and our need not to let inconvenient secrets out of the privacy of our homes, we sacrifice our children and our children's children, repeating the same dark, twisted, and idiotic sins that King Ahaz committed thousands of years ago. And we call ourselves a Christian nation.
I'm not concerned about whether or not the government makes abortion illegal. I'm not interested in running for political office, and frankly, I think that most "anti-abortion" candidates are really posers who use the issue to gain votes from the "gullible" Christian crowd. However, I AM concerned with what CHRISTIANS do with abortion. If you're a Christian, you may not agree with what I just said, and you may feel like I'm casting the issue in very harsh, black and white terms, but whatever feelings you may have on the subject of abortion, you have an obligation as a Christian to, at the very least, not have the procedure done on yourself--or to put your children in a position that might make their decision to undergo the procedure more likely. The Bible says that the angels of children are always before the throne of God, which means that if there is any chance that the embryo inside of you or your daughter is a human being, that human being's prayers will always be heard by the Lord. Even if you do not recognize him or her as a child, even if you dismiss abortion as a simple, safe procedure that removes an "embryo" harmlessly from a woman's body, that "embryo's" prayers may mean the difference between a life of futility and a life of hope in Christ. Children pray for us, more often than we like to admit, and their prayers often transform the world around them. If the "embryo" inside of you or your daughter is a child, what prayers do you want that child to pray?
My son is a bundle of trouble. He came at a time when my wife and I were just getting to know each other as a married couple, and he has brought a lot of heartache and suffering into our lives. However, without that little boy, I know I wouldn't be half the man--or half the Christian--I am today. He's changed my life, and he's changed his mother's life, in ways we'd never take back. WE could have done the popular thing, the "financially wise" thing, and gotten rid of him, but I know that we'd be harder, colder, and more heartless for it. In that way, he is truly the beginning of our strength. If you are looking at the prospect of having an abortion and you are a Christian, I beg you . . . remember what you have to gain by keeping that child inside of you alive. Even if you were to give birth only to give your child up for adoption, you would still have done right by that child, and his or her lips would still whisper your name--"Mommy" or "Daddy."
And if you are a Christian who has committed abortion, it isn't something I can hold against you as a brother in Christ. (After all, I've been forgiven for far worse sins.) Just know that the child who was inside of you forgives you for what you did, and so does the Maker of that child. I say this because there are a lot of self-serving people out there who would love to shred the dignity of someone who has had an abortion--and to be honest, I was one of them for a while--and far too many women are finding the church to be an unsafe place for them because of one simple act done in the desperate dark of uncertainty. If you're a Christian, the sin of abortion is just like the sin of pride or greed or lust--it's gone. Jesus saved you from it. So why are you letting other people beat you up over something God forgave you for?
For a woman, the pain of childbirth is often something that brings terror. I wish more of us in the Christian community could really take the time to understand where many women are coming from and why abortion is, for too many of them, a legitimate option after discovering that they are pregnant. I wish more Christian families could be understanding of the need that these women--some of whom may be their daughters--have for guidance, security, and reassurance. Most of all, I wish more Christians would stop playing games with this issue and make a clear stand--through their actions instead of their vote--that life, in the eyes of God, is too sacred to burn.
And yet, in Genesis 29:32-30:24, we see 2 sisters vying for the prospect of giving birth. We see the same thing in 1 Samuel 1, and in Luke 1, we see a woman who had been unable to bear children throughout her life celebrating at the news that she would have a child.
The pain of childbirth is real, and it is something that most women today dread, but in a country where we have doctors, prenatal exams, and special medical procedures which can save the life of both the mother and the child if something goes wrong, we don't see very many people celebrating the birth of children, do we? Strange that in a world where a woman knew she could die a horrible death during pregnancy or childbirth, big families--and the joy of expecting a new child--were common, while in our society--in which mortality during labor and delivery is at an all-time low--childbirth is viewed with much more anxiety. Children are often considered a burden in the United States, something to be avoided at all costs, and more and more, we seem to be turning into a very child-unfriendly people.
I don't think that abortion is responsible for these problems. After all, we wouldn't have legalized abortion (and wouldn't continue to legalize it) if we didn't have those feelings in the first place. However, abortion demonstrates exactly the kind of attitude we have toward children: Raise 'em if you've got the means or can spare the time, but get rid of 'em otherwise.
The reason why abortion is a multi-billion dollar industry today is plain and simple: Children are inconvenient. They are needy, they are always hungry, they demand more attention from us than we feel they deserve, and they require so much teaching and direction in the elementary principles of life that raising them seems an exercise in the ridiculous. As a parent, I can also say that children are not always the sweet little dolls they are made out to be on television. They push your buttons, they challenge your authority, and they won't accept your word when you try to tell them things that are important.
However, they are valuable--just like you and I are valuable. And I think that any woman, any man, and especially any feminist who does not make it his/her mission to defend children is not worth my ears, my heart, or my time.
In 2 Chronicles 28:3, we learn about a man named Ahaz, who ruled a kingdom called Judah, and among his sins, we learn that he burned his sons to death as a sacrifice to pagan gods. We tend to laugh at examples like this today because the idea of a man killing his own sons to please a pagan god seems barbaric, primeval, and utterly foolish to us. However, we kill our children (to the tune of over 2 million each year) for other gods--like money, like independence, like popularity, and (all to often) like our parents. I don't know about you, but I've never met a teenage girl who became pregnant outside of wedlock and was not afraid that her parents would find out. So, to satisfy our wallets, our sense of personal destiny, our need for applause from others, and our need not to let inconvenient secrets out of the privacy of our homes, we sacrifice our children and our children's children, repeating the same dark, twisted, and idiotic sins that King Ahaz committed thousands of years ago. And we call ourselves a Christian nation.
I'm not concerned about whether or not the government makes abortion illegal. I'm not interested in running for political office, and frankly, I think that most "anti-abortion" candidates are really posers who use the issue to gain votes from the "gullible" Christian crowd. However, I AM concerned with what CHRISTIANS do with abortion. If you're a Christian, you may not agree with what I just said, and you may feel like I'm casting the issue in very harsh, black and white terms, but whatever feelings you may have on the subject of abortion, you have an obligation as a Christian to, at the very least, not have the procedure done on yourself--or to put your children in a position that might make their decision to undergo the procedure more likely. The Bible says that the angels of children are always before the throne of God, which means that if there is any chance that the embryo inside of you or your daughter is a human being, that human being's prayers will always be heard by the Lord. Even if you do not recognize him or her as a child, even if you dismiss abortion as a simple, safe procedure that removes an "embryo" harmlessly from a woman's body, that "embryo's" prayers may mean the difference between a life of futility and a life of hope in Christ. Children pray for us, more often than we like to admit, and their prayers often transform the world around them. If the "embryo" inside of you or your daughter is a child, what prayers do you want that child to pray?
My son is a bundle of trouble. He came at a time when my wife and I were just getting to know each other as a married couple, and he has brought a lot of heartache and suffering into our lives. However, without that little boy, I know I wouldn't be half the man--or half the Christian--I am today. He's changed my life, and he's changed his mother's life, in ways we'd never take back. WE could have done the popular thing, the "financially wise" thing, and gotten rid of him, but I know that we'd be harder, colder, and more heartless for it. In that way, he is truly the beginning of our strength. If you are looking at the prospect of having an abortion and you are a Christian, I beg you . . . remember what you have to gain by keeping that child inside of you alive. Even if you were to give birth only to give your child up for adoption, you would still have done right by that child, and his or her lips would still whisper your name--"Mommy" or "Daddy."
And if you are a Christian who has committed abortion, it isn't something I can hold against you as a brother in Christ. (After all, I've been forgiven for far worse sins.) Just know that the child who was inside of you forgives you for what you did, and so does the Maker of that child. I say this because there are a lot of self-serving people out there who would love to shred the dignity of someone who has had an abortion--and to be honest, I was one of them for a while--and far too many women are finding the church to be an unsafe place for them because of one simple act done in the desperate dark of uncertainty. If you're a Christian, the sin of abortion is just like the sin of pride or greed or lust--it's gone. Jesus saved you from it. So why are you letting other people beat you up over something God forgave you for?
For a woman, the pain of childbirth is often something that brings terror. I wish more of us in the Christian community could really take the time to understand where many women are coming from and why abortion is, for too many of them, a legitimate option after discovering that they are pregnant. I wish more Christian families could be understanding of the need that these women--some of whom may be their daughters--have for guidance, security, and reassurance. Most of all, I wish more Christians would stop playing games with this issue and make a clear stand--through their actions instead of their vote--that life, in the eyes of God, is too sacred to burn.
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