"Well, Doctor, I just can't take it anymore. I keep trying and trying to tell that one voice in my head to shut up because it keeps making fun of me like I am a child. It keeps calling me names and telling me I am throwing 'temper tantrums.' Life just isn't about playing by his rules."

"No, Doctor, you don't understand, I have this nice, neat, and orderly world. Everything makes perfect sense and everything will be just fine as long as everyone plays by these rules. The rules are critical and he just doesn't undestand. If any of the rules aren't followed then anarchy will result. I mean, if you don't believe everything just like the rules say, then the next thing you know everyone will be wondering whether or not Jesus really was the Son of God."

"You see, Doctor? He thinks that life is solved so long as everyone follows his set of rules and beliefs. Pharisee!"

"See there, Doctor? He wants to water down the beliefs. He's a liberal! I think we should kick him out of here."

In unison, "Sometimes I just wish I could silence that other voice!!!"

The Doctor: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."

The Doctor: "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.... LOVE!"

Sometimes I am amazed at the rancor that takes place among Christian men and women about the "right" reading of scripture, doctrine, the "right" way to govern a church, etc. and so forth ad nauseum. And, I am not talking about having such discussions over things like whether Christ is divine, whether salvations is secure, whether salvation is by grace alone or requires some works, or whether Christ is the only way to the Father. I am talking about great angst and argument over things like whether there are such things as "private prayer languages," whether women can serve in certain roles in ministry, whether worship is too charismatic or not, whether anyone can conduct baptism or whether certain people can participate in the Lord's supper.

I appreciated Dorcas Hawker's recent post on choosing optimism in the midst of this atmosphere. And, it doesn't even require people of different religions or denominations within faiths to develop such rancor. In fact, often the most heated discussions take place within single denominations. And, while in the midst of all the stormy dialogue accusations arise, attacks are made, battle lines are drawn, and all of it is done in the name of defending the faith.

I don't want to stop just at choosing optimism, however, I want to choose faith in the One True Living God! Let me explain.

I frankly don't understand the rancor among Christians. To be Christians means to be like Christ. And, being like Christ and showing that we love Jesus means to obey Jesus. Jesus is the Word and obeying Him means obeying His word. Moreover, it would seem that walking by faith clearly would be to obey the Word regardless of whether it makes sense or not.

So, what does the Word teach us about our conduct and attitudes toward brothers and sisters in Christ? First, we know that Jesus' last recorded lengthy prayer included a prayer for us that we would be one and brought to complete unity to let the world know that the Father sent the Son and have loved them even as the Father loved the Son. John 17:20-23. (But unity isn't a primary doctrine, and what is unity really??? It can't mean that we don't argue over things, does it??) We know that blessed are the peacemakers, who will be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9. We are commanded not to judge. Matthew 7:1. We are taught that God is in control and that we shouldn't worry about anything as though we might some how change something with all our worry; instead, we should seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. Matthew 6:25-34.

We are taught to owe no man anything except love and to love them as we love ourselves. Romans 13:8-10. We are told to bless those who persecute us, to bles and not curse; to live in harmony with one another; not to be proud; not to repay anyone evil for evil and to be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. We are even told to do all that is possible within our own power to live at peace with everyone! (But God, didn't you hear what he said about me? I mean, how can I just walk away from those comments?) We are told not to take revenge and leave room for God's wrath and to overcome evil with good. Romans 12:9-21.

More? How about accepting him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. Romans 14:1. (But God, how can I do that, I have to disciple him, don't I??? What if he spreads that opinion??? Surely I can be the guardian of "the truth" (as I see it).)

People ask, "What is wrong with the church today?" "Why is it not having the impact on culture that it should, given the power of Jesus?" Or, even in our own lives we ask, "Why do I seem to be so powerless to battle this sin within me?" "Why does it seem I fail in my Christian walk?"

Could it be as simple as the fact that we aren't living by the words of the One true Living God? I think of God's words to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6, when he tells them to keep His words upon their hearts, to impress them on their children, to talk about them when they sit at home and when they walk along the road, when they lie down and when they get up. (How often do we do that??) He tells them that if they do these things that all will go well. God tells us plainly that people will know that we are Christians by our love. The church loses its saltiness to the world when it doesn't live by faith upon the loving words of the Word, Jesus, and people have no reason to follow us because we don't appear to be following Christ.

I believe the only way we will truly reach this dark world for Christ is to repent of our lack of faith and of the many idols we worship. Just as it talked about in 2 Chronicles 7:14, God's people must humble themselves and pray and seek His face and turn/repent from their wicked ways. If there are any who believe they don't have wicked ways or that they are following all the commands, then please continue to do so; otherwise, we need to join together in humility and beg the forgiveness of our gracious and loving God for our pettiness, doubt, and lack of love.

I know there will be many Southern Baptist leaders gathering soon to discuss matters significant to that denomination. I pray they will choose complete surrender to the Spirit's leading and the Father's call upon their lives, wholly choosing to follow the principles God has spelled out for all of us. I pray that I, and all of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, will do so as well.

HUMILITY

Loren Cunningham recently told me this: "Humility is choosing to be known for who you really are. Humility is transparency." Can you imagine the difference it would have made for Ted Haggard if he had chosen transparency for all of these years rather than having a secret that he kept in his heart? Can you imagine how it would change your own life if you lived a transparent life in Christ? The traps I've fallen into could have been so easily avoided. Oh, Lord, please give us hearts that honestly stand before you, recognizing who we are in You, unashamed and full of integrity!

This thought humbled me today. God commands me to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, always be thankful, always be content, to love, to forgive, to do nothing that impugns His character and nature. Yet, when I look into my heart I often find an angry and ungrateful heart, a heart that lacks contentedness, a heart that seeks his own rather than God's desires. I find myself grumbling when I feel slighted by another or when I don't get my expectations met. All the while I quickly forget God's command to rejoice and be thankful.

So, I'm trying to learn to be more transparent. I've found that I've got messages written on my heart that confuse sinful pride with feeling worthy of love because of the saving work of Christ. Please understand that as I try to put these feelings down into words I am afraid much will be lost because it is very difficult to describe with my mouth and mind what is going on in my heart.

Here is what I think I've come to understand. I often sabotage my own "loveableness" because I have this false humility that says I can't be worthy of God's or anyone else's love because if I feel that I am worthy of such love I am being prideful. So, I act in a way to sustain this belief, conducting myself in a way that validates my belief that I should be unworthy of love. This results in me feeling all sorry for myself because I believe no one loves me (or they really don't like me much because of my silliness), and, in desperation, I feel compelled to tell everyone how great I am because I do still need their love and appreciation. This results in people seeing me as being prideful and/or a person who doesn't need others and intensifies my feelings of worthlessness as the distance between me and others grows. Although I feel "glad" that I'm "not being prideful" I also feel miserable that I'm so worthless and that "nobody loves me." This is a vicious closed loop in my heart.

So, I like David, will continue to ask the Lord to find these offensive ways in my heart where I believe lies or partial truths rather than resting wholeheartedly on His perfect truth. Just like the song we all learned as children, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so...." "[T]he Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." John 16:27. I need to represent more of God and His truth to my heart, meditating thereon and storing His words up in my heart like Mary. And, like David and Solomon, I want to continue to commune with my heart and let God do His amazing work of sanctification in my heart and life.