"Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me —that is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers." (Psalm 141:5)
Many people are under the false impression that love never chastises, rebukes, corrects, or disciplines. Well, quite frankly, they are dead wrong. There is such a thing as tough love, and it is necessary sometimes, especially when dealing with someone who is especially stubborn and unruly. I myself am very thankful that I have many friends who are willing to speak out whenever I get a bad attitude or am about to do something dumb. They have helped me stay on track and develop as a person. Christians especially should be grateful when they are rebuked or metaphorically stricken (I do not think it is wise to actually strike someone in our particular culture since our society is extremely sue-happy) because it allows them an opportunity to change their ways so that they can grow closer to Christ. It is one of the ways in which "iron sharpens iron" so to speak. However, very often, rather than take constructive criticism like adults, we become defensive and angry, lashing out at the person instead of letting their words sink in so that we can evaluate whether or not their words have any merit. So before you jump all over someone for daring to criticize you, ask yourself the following questions:
1) Are they trying to help you?
2) Have they always given you good advice in the past?
3) Do they have a strong relationship with Christ? Legalistic Pharisees and Corinthians who think that anything goes don't count.
4) Is what they are saying biblical? If it's a matter of personal taste, then does it fit ordinary common sense?
If the answer is yes to those questions, then you better take it and love it, bub. After all, tough love is good love.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Jesus Did Not Die So That You Could Wear A Skirt To Work, Young Lady!
Hey, listen, I do think it is important for Christian women to be modest, but this situation that I read about on Yahoo! Shine is over-the-top. Ashanti McShan is suing Burger King for firing her two years ago for wearing a skirt to her work orientation instead of pants. She's claiming that they violated her religious rights, because as a Pentecostal Christian, she does not believe women should wear pants because that counts as wearing men's clothing. While I don't think they should have fired her over it, I doubt that this had anything to do with her being a Christian. Rather, I think that it had everything to do with her NOT FOLLOWING THE UNIFORM GUIDELINES!!!!
The fact is that the Bible does not say that women cannot wear pants. This is a man-made tradition that many legalistic extremists have "put in God's mouth" so to speak, not only embarrassing themselves but the rest of the Christian community as well. This is what the Bible actually says:
"A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this." (Deuteronomy 22:5)
What the Bible is actually banning is cross-dressing. In other words, in whatever society you are in, men should wear clothes designed for men and women should wear clothes designed for women. Since pants are designed for either gender, it really doesn't apply here. Not to mention that in the ancient Near East, nobody wore pants! They wore tunics and cloaks! In other words, this lawsuit is complete nonsense and I hope that it is thrown out of court immediately.
Look, if you are a lady, and you feel that wearing a skirt allows you to serve God better, fine. God does allow room for personal preference and individuality on certain issues (Romans 14:1-23). However, you must understand that you have no right to force your personal preferences on others, especially not on a secular employer. If you don't want to follow their rules on things such as dress code, work somewhere else. Never try to pass off your church culture's eccentricities as God's commands. It's not only wrong, but it also gives a bad witness to non-believers, and the whole point of being a Christian is to lead people to Jesus Christ, not drive them away.
You can read the full article, which was written by Lylah M. Alphonse, at the following link:
http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/christian-woman-fired-burger-king-refusing-wear-pants-175600700.html
The fact is that the Bible does not say that women cannot wear pants. This is a man-made tradition that many legalistic extremists have "put in God's mouth" so to speak, not only embarrassing themselves but the rest of the Christian community as well. This is what the Bible actually says:
"A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this." (Deuteronomy 22:5)
What the Bible is actually banning is cross-dressing. In other words, in whatever society you are in, men should wear clothes designed for men and women should wear clothes designed for women. Since pants are designed for either gender, it really doesn't apply here. Not to mention that in the ancient Near East, nobody wore pants! They wore tunics and cloaks! In other words, this lawsuit is complete nonsense and I hope that it is thrown out of court immediately.
Look, if you are a lady, and you feel that wearing a skirt allows you to serve God better, fine. God does allow room for personal preference and individuality on certain issues (Romans 14:1-23). However, you must understand that you have no right to force your personal preferences on others, especially not on a secular employer. If you don't want to follow their rules on things such as dress code, work somewhere else. Never try to pass off your church culture's eccentricities as God's commands. It's not only wrong, but it also gives a bad witness to non-believers, and the whole point of being a Christian is to lead people to Jesus Christ, not drive them away.
You can read the full article, which was written by Lylah M. Alphonse, at the following link:
http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/christian-woman-fired-burger-king-refusing-wear-pants-175600700.html
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Let The Lord Build Your House
"Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain." (Psalm 127:1)
As human beings, we love to do things which are significant and long-lasting. With few exceptions, we want to leave a legacy that will endure forever. That being said, we need to have a strong foundation. Otherwise, everything that we've made will fall down like a Jenga building. What is our foundation? Christ. It is that simple. Everything that we do should be for His glory AND in His will. He needs to be behind our goals, our vision, and our dreams. Otherwise, the "house" of our goals will eventually get smashed and the city where our visions and dreams dwell will be ransacked by Vikings.
Take a look at the cities of ancient civilizations. Notice how most of them are in ruins. They were built in honor of their people, rulers and heroes. However, the Lord decided to cast them down, and their military might wasn't enough to defend them from invaders or natural disasters. Why? The majority of the time, they didn't glorify God. They only glorified themselves. Either they had no interest in Jesus to begin with, or they kicked him to the curb once they became wealthy and powerful. Most people live in a similar way. They ignore God to pursue money, high-tech gadgets, gorgeous lovers, and power. Or once they get their big house with the swimming pool and three cars, they become arrogant and ditch God after serving Him for years, too busy to even have quiet time with Him, much less go to church or preach the gospel. In either case, they will find out the hard way that unless they lived their life for God and stayed in His will, nothing that they did will have any value or purpose, and their lives will become just as desolate as the ruins of a fallen civilization. Put Christ first so that you do not commit the same folly.
As human beings, we love to do things which are significant and long-lasting. With few exceptions, we want to leave a legacy that will endure forever. That being said, we need to have a strong foundation. Otherwise, everything that we've made will fall down like a Jenga building. What is our foundation? Christ. It is that simple. Everything that we do should be for His glory AND in His will. He needs to be behind our goals, our vision, and our dreams. Otherwise, the "house" of our goals will eventually get smashed and the city where our visions and dreams dwell will be ransacked by Vikings.
Take a look at the cities of ancient civilizations. Notice how most of them are in ruins. They were built in honor of their people, rulers and heroes. However, the Lord decided to cast them down, and their military might wasn't enough to defend them from invaders or natural disasters. Why? The majority of the time, they didn't glorify God. They only glorified themselves. Either they had no interest in Jesus to begin with, or they kicked him to the curb once they became wealthy and powerful. Most people live in a similar way. They ignore God to pursue money, high-tech gadgets, gorgeous lovers, and power. Or once they get their big house with the swimming pool and three cars, they become arrogant and ditch God after serving Him for years, too busy to even have quiet time with Him, much less go to church or preach the gospel. In either case, they will find out the hard way that unless they lived their life for God and stayed in His will, nothing that they did will have any value or purpose, and their lives will become just as desolate as the ruins of a fallen civilization. Put Christ first so that you do not commit the same folly.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Don't Be The One Who Cried Lion
"A sluggard says, 'There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!'" (Proverbs 26:13)
We all know the story of the boy who cried wolf. Basically, some punk shepherd kid was constantly shouting that there was a wolf in town to drive his fellow villagers crazy. He would then laugh at their expense when they realized that they had been fooled. Then one day, an actual wolf shows up. The boy cries for help, but the villagers are so skeptical after his previous antics that they assume he is trying to pull the wool over their eyes (pun intended) and ignore him. The Big Bad Wolf goes on to have a big, awesome feast of lamb chops (and, in some versions, has obnoxious shepherd boy cobbler for dessert). There is a different kind of deception which I will call "crying lion." In this case, the objective is not to dupe a bunch of country bumpkins. The goal is to exaggerate obstacles in order to put off doing work. Or, in modern America, put off looking for work.
Let's face it. Job-hunting is no fun. Unless you have a friend or relative who owns their own company, you may be searching for months before you find any position and years before you find a position that you actually like. That being said, God rewards perseverance. Even in this economy, it is possible to find work. However, you shouldn't make it any harder than it already is by making mountains out of mole hills. Job applications may be tedious and boring, but you will complete them faster with practice. Sending out resume after resume with no response may be frustrating, but sooner or later, someone will give you a chance. Going on interviews and answering questions like "If you were a crayon in a box, what color would you be and why?" may be annoying. However, eventually, you'll find a recruiter who's willing to take you seriously if you keep your cool. So stop "crying lion" and work hard. Your wallet will thank you for it.
We all know the story of the boy who cried wolf. Basically, some punk shepherd kid was constantly shouting that there was a wolf in town to drive his fellow villagers crazy. He would then laugh at their expense when they realized that they had been fooled. Then one day, an actual wolf shows up. The boy cries for help, but the villagers are so skeptical after his previous antics that they assume he is trying to pull the wool over their eyes (pun intended) and ignore him. The Big Bad Wolf goes on to have a big, awesome feast of lamb chops (and, in some versions, has obnoxious shepherd boy cobbler for dessert). There is a different kind of deception which I will call "crying lion." In this case, the objective is not to dupe a bunch of country bumpkins. The goal is to exaggerate obstacles in order to put off doing work. Or, in modern America, put off looking for work.
Let's face it. Job-hunting is no fun. Unless you have a friend or relative who owns their own company, you may be searching for months before you find any position and years before you find a position that you actually like. That being said, God rewards perseverance. Even in this economy, it is possible to find work. However, you shouldn't make it any harder than it already is by making mountains out of mole hills. Job applications may be tedious and boring, but you will complete them faster with practice. Sending out resume after resume with no response may be frustrating, but sooner or later, someone will give you a chance. Going on interviews and answering questions like "If you were a crayon in a box, what color would you be and why?" may be annoying. However, eventually, you'll find a recruiter who's willing to take you seriously if you keep your cool. So stop "crying lion" and work hard. Your wallet will thank you for it.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Keep Your Pearls So That You Don't Lose Your Marbles
"Do not
give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do,
they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6)
As Christians, we have an obligation to give the gospel to others and hold fellow believers accountable. This is not an option: it is a command. However, there comes a point where you run into people who simply don't want to hear what you have to say. They clamp their hands over their ears and sing "Lalalalalala!" before you can even open your mouth. Or they shout at you until you stop talking. These are the kind of people being referred to in this verse. These folks are not to be confused with people who are simply stubborn, because very often, stubborn people, after digging their heels in for a while, realize that they need to change...eventually. The "dogs and pigs" referred to here are completely unreasonable, savage beasts and you don't just find them in prison. You encounter them at work, at church, even in your family. Most of the time, they will pretend to be well-adjusted, sane individuals so that they can get what they need from society. However, if you try to talk them out of doing something sinful, they will quickly show their true colors and you will find yourself on the wrong side of Harvey Dent's coin toss. Oh, and God help you if you try to witness to them. So basically, if you realize that the person who you are dealing with is completely unreasonable and hardhearted, stop wasting your time on them. You'll only make them mad, and they will only drive you crazy. If they are truly unstable, they may even try to attack you physically, although in my experience, this is pretty rare. Other than praying for them, you are better off just leaving them alone (although you should contact the authorities if things truly get out of hand). There are plenty of people who are willing to listen to the gospel and constructive criticism. It would be better to focus on them.
As Christians, we have an obligation to give the gospel to others and hold fellow believers accountable. This is not an option: it is a command. However, there comes a point where you run into people who simply don't want to hear what you have to say. They clamp their hands over their ears and sing "Lalalalalala!" before you can even open your mouth. Or they shout at you until you stop talking. These are the kind of people being referred to in this verse. These folks are not to be confused with people who are simply stubborn, because very often, stubborn people, after digging their heels in for a while, realize that they need to change...eventually. The "dogs and pigs" referred to here are completely unreasonable, savage beasts and you don't just find them in prison. You encounter them at work, at church, even in your family. Most of the time, they will pretend to be well-adjusted, sane individuals so that they can get what they need from society. However, if you try to talk them out of doing something sinful, they will quickly show their true colors and you will find yourself on the wrong side of Harvey Dent's coin toss. Oh, and God help you if you try to witness to them. So basically, if you realize that the person who you are dealing with is completely unreasonable and hardhearted, stop wasting your time on them. You'll only make them mad, and they will only drive you crazy. If they are truly unstable, they may even try to attack you physically, although in my experience, this is pretty rare. Other than praying for them, you are better off just leaving them alone (although you should contact the authorities if things truly get out of hand). There are plenty of people who are willing to listen to the gospel and constructive criticism. It would be better to focus on them.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
August Celebrity Prayer Project: Madonna
(Photo from photos.masslive.com)
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