ACTING LIKE ANIMALS

Here’s an unfortunate paradox about a lot of today’s secular education. Children are essentially taught that they are animals (they evolved from monkeys, amphibians, etc. after all, right?). But animals act on instinct. They don’t always do what is nice or considerate, or moral. Then, when children or young people behave like animals, people get upset.

It seems like when you implicitly place expectations on people, they usually fulfill those expectations.

I have heard well-meaning Christians express the idea that we should not expect people who are not Christians to act like Christians. This sounds reasonable, except for one aspect of how the Bible views humans. Genesis 1:26-28 tells us that God created man in His own image. Although that image is marred by sin & there are a lot of variables that can affect human behavior, I believe that it is possible for the average person to conduct himself in a way that is peaceful, benevolent, etc.

There is no excuse for people to act like animals. A secular, man-centered view of human nature destroys any kind of societal harmony. But a biblical view, while allowing that people are not saved by their commendable behavior, elevates & ennobles our experiences & relationships with to one another.

THE PREACHER’S JOB

Because it is a subtle temptation, the urge to take short-cuts in preparing messages can be a very insidious danger to those who are involved in preaching ministry.

There are many aspects of preparation, but the one that I want to talk about is probably considered the most mundane & challenging one. 

It is the study of Scripture.

Pastors & others involved in preaching ministry are busy people. They invest a lot of time & energy ministering to the spiritual, emotional, & social needs of others around them. This means that they tend to find ways to streamline the various other ongoing responsibilities that they carry. Which leads us to think about sermon preparation.

There are a lot of online resources available to the preacher. Some provide needed helps, especially when it’s hard to come up with a good illustration or to answer a question about how to understand a certain verse or passage.

The danger is that he might not sufficiently invest himself in studying the text for himself to hear what God is saying thru it.

One way you can help your pastor, & empower him or her to serve you, is to do your part to allow sufficient time to prepare messages that will feed the congregation. That might mean a little less social interaction or expectations about one-on-one ministry from the pastor. It might mean freeing him from some administrative responsibility. It definitely will mean doing whatever it takes to make sure he has enough time to adequately pray & study.

What can you do this week to serve your pastor & enable him sufficient time to study without distraction?

DRAIN THE SWAMP? SERIOUSLY?

You may be one of those who take offense at this phrase.  Maybe because it sounds so callous, or because it seems to stereotype certain groups of people. If those assumptions about the term & those who agree with it are correct, you might be right to dislike it.

But I’ve been considering this & have come up with some thoughts about why you may be wise to think twice about taking offense.

What if, just because the choice of words is distasteful to you, you don’t really understand what it means to others? What if it reflects, albeit crudely, a sentiment that is based on legitimate concerns about the relationship between the governed & the government?

Think about a swamp with me. What is it? What is the emotional, visceral reaction of most people at the prospect of walking thru a hot, muddy, bog that is infested with unknown poisonous insects & potentially harmful reptiles? It’s the stuff of nightmares. It’s an abundant source of subjects for horror movies.

Why?

It’s because most of us don’t really belong in the swamp. We feel threatened & even helpless there. We wish we were almost anywhere else in the world. We want someone to help us get away.

Can you see the picture? 

Many Americans have for some time felt alienated from their government, at least at the Federal level. They have sometimes felt threatened by its faceless, capricious, sometimes heavy-handed way of dealing with them. They haven’t known what to expect, how to insure their safety from something that has become huge, unfeeling, & menacing. They have felt that, rather than government serving the people, the tables have somehow been turned.

One way of describing their perception is that they are in a swamp. Or maybe the swamp has come & invaded their world. And now they desperately want to be free of it. They want nothing more than to be left alone to raise their families, do their work, worship God, & just live their lives in peace & without fear.

And they want Big Brother to mind his own business & not interfere with theirs.

Drain the swamp? Seriously?

You bet!