Taking Sailing Advice from Prisoners

Suggested Reading: Acts 27:9-26 or Acts 27 (the whole story)

There is a story in Acts 27 that I have always found comical.  Paul has boarded a ship headed for Rome as one of a large number of prisoners (remember from yesterday that he had appealed to Caesar and was being taken there for his hearing). As they are travelling, the ship runs into some rough weather and Paul predicts that they will end up losing their cargo and risking their lives if they don't stop traveling until the weather changes. And then Luke, the author of Acts, makes this statement: "But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner than to Paul" (Acts 27:11, NLT).   The fact that Luke felt compelled to make that statement in the first place has always been funny to me. I mean, who would the officer in charge of the prisoners listen to? A prisoner on his way to his trial or the captain and owner of the ship? If I were the Roman centurion, I know I wouldn't be listening to some prisoner who thought it was his business to tell me what to do.

So the centurion listens to the captain and owner of the ship, who should have known better than Paul, and they end up in exactly the predicament that Paul predicted. The ship gets caught in a massive storm, during which they toss over all of their cargo and give up hope of being saved. But when Paul speaks up again, encouraging them and preparing them to survive the coming shipwreck, however, they do listen to Paul, even when the soldiers come up with a plan to abandon the prisoners to the sea. Everyone on the ship ends up being saved, due in part, to Paul's choice to speak his mind both before the storm and during the storm.

Several times I have found myself in a situation similar to what Paul experienced, firmly convinced of a particular truth, even when there were people around me who should theoretically know more than I do who are contradicting me. Sometimes, God lays something on our hearts to say, even when there are more respectable sources that God could use. Maybe like Paul, you have felt the Spirit's compulsion to speak up and been ignored because people who should know more contradicted you, and maybe you have wondered why God wanted you to speak up if no one was going to listen.

The next time you find yourself in that position, remember what happened to Paul in this story. No one listened the first time he spoke up, but if Paul had not spoken the first time, no one would have listened to him the next time. God does not always call us to speak up because people will listen and change their minds or follow the advice we give. Sometimes, God wants us to speak because God is laying the groundwork for the future. When you speak up, no one may think you have any clue what you are talking about, but God can use your voice now to give people a reason to listen to you down the road.

When the Spirit of God compels you to speak, don't remain silent because wiser, more experienced people think differently than you do. Don't be intimidated because you don't have the formal education or training that other people may have. Learn to recognize God's voice and be confident that, when God wants you to speak, there is a purpose, even if that purpose is not immediately apparent. If you are discouraged because you have obeyed God's call and have been ignored, remember that God plans for the long term. Your seemingly futile act of obedience might be exactly what God uses in the future.

When Santa Clause Rejoices Over Bad Motives

Suggested Reading: Philippians 1:12-20

One of my favorite movies growing up was the original Miracle on 34th Street. If you are familiar with the plot of the movie, Santa Claus gets put on trial (really it's a sanity hearing, but it's treated like a trial).   I'm not too worried about giving away the plot of the movie since it is nearly 80 years old, but at the end of the movie the judge finds a very creative way to declare that the man claiming to be Santa Claus has been recognized by the US government and therefore cannot be declared insane for believing that he is in fact Santa Claus. But while the judge found some decent reasoning to clear good ol' Kris Kringle, the judge's decision wasn't really based on the truth. See, the judge had been pressured by a number of people, his own grandchildren included, that putting Santa in the nuthouse would be a very bad political move. So the judge ended up doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. As the movie ends, though, we don't really care about what the judge's reasons were. As audience members, we are just excited that the correct ruling came down and Santa Claus was saved.

I never really thought much about that scenario of being excited that the right thing was done even though the motives were bad until I read this passage in Philippians chapter one recently. The Apostle Paul was writing about how some people were preaching the gospel as a way of kicking Paul while he was down.  In verses 15-17, Paul says, "To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and strife…out of rivalry, not sincerely, seeking to cause me anxiety in my imprisonment" (HCSB). But then in the next verse, Paul adds, "What does it matter? Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice" (Phil 1:18, HCSB).

For most of us, that statement doesn't quite compute. Isn't it wrong to preach Christ out of rivalry and envy? Yes. Won't those who accept the gospel be turned off when the hypocritical preacher's true colors come out and all the "good" that was done comes undone? Maybe.  In fact, many major church cover-ups through the centuries have been motivated by the idea that the exposure of frauds will hurt, both, the church as a whole and the individuals who received ministry from a fake. But Paul was much more focused on the big picture than most of us are. Sometimes, we forget that God is so much bigger than all of our petty arguments and rivalries or even than our serious and significant fights. Paul was so convinced that if people came in contact with Jesus, then it really wouldn't matter anymore how they got to him. Paul remembered that God had taken the envy and jealousy of Joseph's brothers, allowed them to sell him into slavery, and then used Joseph's position as a slave to eventually save the entire house of Jacob and the future nation of Israel.

Sometimes, we forget that the word of God is so powerful that it can overwhelm the weaknesses of the messenger and speak straight to a person's heart through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We forget that God's word is so potent that it never returns void (Isaiah 55:11). Paul trusted in the power of the Holy Spirit enough that people getting a chance to hear the gospel, whatever the motives of the speaker, was exciting for him, was something worth rejoicing in.  Scandals might do some limited damage, but the exposure of frauds cannot compete against the persuading and transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

How much do we trust the power of the Holy Spirit? Are we prone to hide sin in the church, thinking that it will be too much to recover from? Are we eager to shut people down when we suspect that their motives may be impure but have no proof of wrongdoing? Let's not cover up sin when it pops up in the church for fear that it will do harm; let's not prevent the Gospel from being preached simply because we are suspicious of some who preach it. Let's, instead, trust that God is bigger than scandals and hypocrites and that the Holy Spirit is capable of convincing people of the truth. Let's remember that our God is so powerful that God can take evil motivations and still shape circumstances for our good and God's glory.

If we can trust the power of the Holy Spirit like Paul did, then we will be able to say with him, "In every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice."

What Might Have Been?

Suggested Reading: Philippians 1:3-18

One of the most interesting questions to ponder is "What might have been?" Numerous stories have been told and movies made about the question. It's a Wonderful Life explores what might have been if George Bailey had never been born. The Family Man explores what might have been if a corporate CEO had made a priority of the woman he loved rather than his career. Numerous science fiction shows experiment with time travel to the past and attempt to picture what might have been if just one little thing had been different in the course of human events.

One of the reasons this theme has been so prevalent in popular fiction is the fact that people are constantly wondering "What might have been if…?" What might have been if I had majored in something different in college? What might have been if I had taken that risk rather than banking on the sure thing? What might have been if I had married someone different? What might have been if I had gotten that promotion? What might have been if I had said something when I had the chance?

Acts 25 gives us a biblical example of a "What might have been different" story.  Paul had been speaking in his own defense before Festus because he had been accused of a number of crimes against the temple and against Rome. His primary accusers had requested that Paul be sent back to Jerusalem to face the charges and Festus had asked Paul about the request. Paul, knowing that a conspiracy to kill him was probably underway, declared that he was under no obligation to go back to Jerusalem and then, as was his right as a Roman citizen, Paul appealed to Caesar, ensuring that he would be taken to Rome and not back to Jerusalem.

Festus, later, discussed Paul's case with king Agrippa, seeking his advice on writing his report to Caesar and Paul was given the chance to share his story with Agrippa. Once Agrippa heard Paul's defense, Agrippa declared, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar" (Acts 26:32, NIV). In the following years of imprisonment waiting for his appeal to be heard and the many hardships that accompanied those years, I am sure Paul must have wondered, "What might have been different if I had not appealed to Caesar?" Would he have been sent back to Jerusalem and killed? Would Agrippa have simply freed him, allowing him to resume his missionary work?  Would he have spent so much time in prison cells or under house arrest? How many things would have been different?

In Philippians 1:12, however, Paul discussed not what might have been but what had been, He wrote, "Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel" (NIV).  Paul went on to describe how his continuing imprisonment had led many of his guards to Christ and how other believers had been encouraged by his example. I'm sure Paul wondered what might have been, but his questions did not keep him from seeing what was. Paul didn't allow the missed possibilities to blind him to the ways God was moving in the present.

Have you been stuck, wondering what might have been different or what could have been better? There is nothing necessarily wrong with those questions. But don't allow them to sidetrack you from what God is doing in your life right now. Don't miss the blessings that are right in front of you because you are distracted by uncertain possibilities of what might have been. We are not given the knowledge of what might have been. All we can do is make the most of what is.

Additional Reading: Acts 25-26 

Looking for Blame in All the Wrong Places

Suggested Reading: Proverbs 19:1-8

When my son was very young, he had a problem with assigning blame to the wrong people. For instance, he would trip because he wasn't paying attention and then say that he had been pushed by whomever was behind him.  Or he would trip into you and hit his nose on your leg because he couldn't stop fast enough and then say that you kicked him.  When something happened that hurt or was unpleasant he couldn't bring himself to understand that he had any responsibility for it. He always assumed it was someone else's fault.  It nearly drove me crazy, but he did grow out of it. Now I can trust that when he says, "Somebody pushed me," that someone probably did push him.

Unfortunately, when it comes to God, many of us never grow out of that stage.  Proverbs 19:3 describes this phenomenon: "A man's own foolishness leads him astray, yet his heart rages against the Lord" (HCSB) . Quite often we get ourselves into messes that we then blame on God.  We mishandle our finances and then blame God for not providing for us better. We ignore our spouse and children and then blame God when our family falls apart.  We  make an unwise relationship decision and then blame God for not bringing the "right" person into our life.

We rationalize our blame of God by saying that God is all-powerful and should have prevented the bad decision or that, God is supposed to be loving and so God shouldn't let us go through heartbreak or difficulty.  When the truth of the matter is, God is honoring our own decisions and letting the consequences of those decisions play out. But we would rather blame someone else than look at ourselves and admit where we've messed up, so we presume to arrogantly blame God for the messes we have created.

Fortunately, when we find ourselves facing the consequences for our actions, God does offer us hope. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God warns the Israelites that when they suffer the consequences for their own bad decisions that "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land" (NIV).  God offers forgiveness and help in the wake of bad decisions and sinful choices, but we must be willing to "turn from our wicked ways" which is impossible if we can't own up to them. Oh, we may silently admit that we did something wrong and secretly commit to do better, but such commitments never last. Lasting change normally doesn't come until we are able to own up to what we have done rather than feel the need to hide it.

God wants to help us deal with the consequences of foolish decisions, but nothing can change while we are blaming God for our own mistakes. Let's own up to our mistakes and not waste time blaming God.

I WIll If They Will...

Suggested Reading: Colossians 3:15-25

As a child, there were times during the summer when my brother, sister and I were all out of school and we would be at home by ourselves while our parents were at work. Normally, mom would leave us a list of chores that had to be done by the time she got home.  Over the first couple weeks of the summer, we would get in trouble a lot for neglecting those chores. When grilled about why we weren't doing our chores, it was not uncommon to hear, "Well, they weren't doing their chores!" Somehow, especially as kids, we get the idea that we should only have to do what's right if everyone else is doing what's right.  After all, if we are the only ones following the rules, well…that's just not fair.

I think most of us, as adults,  know that we are supposed to do what's right regardless of whether someone else is doing it or not, but there are always exceptions. In fact, through the years, there are two particular passages of scripture that I often hear people excuse themselves from obeying because other people are not doing what they are supposed to do. Those passages? Colossians 3:18-25 and Ephesians 5:20-6:9, and they both basically say the same things.

"Wives respect your husbands."

"Husbands, love your wives."

"Children, obey your parents."

"Parents, don't exasperate your children."

"Slaves/servants, obey your masters and work for them like you are working for the Lord."

"Masters, treat your slaves/servants fairly and pay them what they deserve."

When there are problems in these three different relational areas, almost always, people are not abiding by these instructions. Wives excuse themselves by saying that their husbands aren't being the men they need to be and loving them like they should. Husbands excuse themselves by saying they aren't getting the respect they deserve from their wives. Children excuse themselves by saying their parents don't understand and expect too much from them. Parents excuse themselves by saying that their children just don't listen. Employees say that their bosses simply don't pay them enough and bosses say that they have to be harsh with their employees because they are just lazy and it's the only way to get anything out of them.  All the way around the circle, we all excuse ourselves from following these instructions, and it is always the other party's fault.

But these instructions were not given with the caveat that we only have to obey if everybody else is acting like they should. And, logically, if we all wait for everybody else to start acting right, no one never will. But sometimes, when we treat people like we should, we set off a chain reaction of right living. When wives respect their husbands, whether they deserve it or not, husbands often respond by demonstrating love for their wives in more palpable ways. Bosses who treat their employees with respect, even when administering necessary discipline, eventually end up receiving respect. Parents who stop exasperating their children begin finding their children more cooperative. And the reverse of these is typically true as well.`

The way we live is contagious, for good or for ill. If we treat people the way we should, people respond to that. And when they don't, we get to stand before God with a clear conscience that we have done everything we could. Let's not wait for someone else to treat us right before we do what is right. Let the chain-reaction of right living begin with us. 

Bear Crawls and Shipwrecks

Suggested Reading: Galatians 6:1-10

In the film Facing the Giants, Coach Grant Taylor tries to turn a losing football team at a private Christian school into a winning football team by teaching them the principle of giving God glory in every aspect of their lives. One of the leaders on his team is a young defensive player named Brock. Brock's biggest failing is that he always wants to quit when he gets tired. In order to teach Brock a little bit about perception, he has Brock do bear crawls, blindfolded,  with a teammate on his back. Coach Taylor tells Brock that he wants him to go 20 yards, but since Brock cannot see how far he has gone, Taylor pushes him the entire length of the football field. This lesson about enduring when you are tired serves Brock well when, in the climactic game, a very tired Brock manages to hold the defense together for one last stop, giving his team a chance to win.

At times, trying to live a good life can make you feel like Brock. You've given everything you have to give, you've worn yourself out serving God and helping people, and you just don't think you can go any farther. You're tired. You want to quit, to throw in the towel, declare that you are done trying to do the right thing all the time, trying to serve, trying to give. You're just done. Maybe, after a break, you can start up again. Maybe when you've had a chance to recover your strength you can go back for more. You just need a chance to stop, to not worry about doing the right thing or being the right person or serving.

Now, I'm not talking about general exhaustion here. I'm not talking about the kind of exhaustion where you haven't gotten enough sleep and you've worked extra hours and you are physically drained. I'm talking about spiritual exhaustion, the kind where you have given everything of yourself that you have to give and there is nothing left. Your emotions are spent, you have no more compassion left in the reservoir, no more patience left for people who mistreat you and take advantage of you, no more cheeks you can turn, no more self-control you can exert. You're ready to quit doing good. You can't do it anymore. You don't have the energy and it's not worth it anyway. That kind of spiritual exhaustion.

If you have ever been in that spot, like I have been, Paul has something to say. "We must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up" (Galatians 6:9, HCSB).  "Sure, Paul, that's easier said than done," I can hear someone responding right now. "Do you know how long I've been doing this? Do you know how much I've given?" But if you know what Paul went through for the cause of Christ, then you know Paul is giving us more than empty platitudes. Paul describes his own experiences like this:  

Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans. Once I was stoned by my enemies. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers; labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing (2 Corinthians 11:25-27, HCSB).

Paul isn't telling us to pretend we don't get frustrated or weary. He isn't telling us that we have to put on a brave face and lie about how we feel. He is simply saying, "Don't give up." Put one foot in front of the other. Keep pushing forward. Keep giving and working, even when it doesn't look like it's paying off because "we will reap at the proper time, if we don't give up." We never know when it will happen. We never know what it will look like. But if we hang in there and keep living this life, it will be worth it. Don't give up. 

Backstabbing Assistants and Ulterior Motives

Suggested Reading: Proverbs 21:21-31

Thankfully, my children have mostly grown out of that age where they absolutely adored all of the Disney tween shows. I say "thankfully" because they can sometimes get a little annoying.  For me, one of the less annoying Disney franchises is High School Musical (probably because I have been involved in a lot of theater). In the third and final film, the primary antagonist, a blond senior girl named Sharpay, who runs the theater department, puts out an advertisement for a volunteer assistant. An attractive new student with a British accent shows up at her locker, ready to take the job. This new student does an amazing job acting as assistant to the high school theater queen…right up until the assistant betrays Sharpay and announces that all of her time as Sharpay's assistant has helped her learn how to run the school and take her rightful place as the new theater queen. The plot is a little corny but capitalizes on a very human tendency to do good or nice things for very wrong reasons.

The writer of Proverbs felt compelled to warn us about this tendency in ourselves in Proverbs 21:27. The NIV reads, "The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable--how much more so when brought with evil intent." The HCSB translates "evil intent" as "ulterior motives." Acts chapter 5 gives us an example of such a sacrifice.  Ananias and his wife Saphira have seen other believers sell property and donate proceeds to help fellow believers. They have seen the way the other disciples admire and respect such acts of selfless giving and they want to be looked at that way themselves. So they sell a piece of property with the intent of giving the proceeds to the Apostles to distribute as needed.  But Ananias and Saphira are only interested in how they will look, not in actually giving a sacrifice, so they can't help but hold back some of the funds from the sale while pretending to give everything. They were only interested in looking sacrificial, not in being sacrificial.

Like both Sharpay's assistant and the Ananiases and Saphiras of the world, we can easily fall into the trap of doing good things for the wrong reasons. Sometimes, we just want to look good. Sometimes, we want to show people that we are better than whoever has been badmouthing us. Sometimes, we are just interested in the tax break or in the connection we can make. Sometimes, our good deed makes someone we don't like look bad. Sometimes, it scores us political points at work or church. Numerous opportunities exist to do the right things for the wrong reasons. The writer of the proverb reminds us that such sacrifices are detestable.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't think there is anything wrong with getting a benefit from doing the right thing. The problem exists when our primary motivation for doing good is how the act will benefit us. And if we find ourselves lying about, over-emphasizing, or drawing attention to our good deeds, chances are we're doing the right things for the wrong reasons. 

When we doubt our motives for doing good, we must ask ourselves, "Who am I doing this for?" If our primary motivation is how it will benefit ourselves, then let us be honest with ourselves and with those around us. Such honesty just might keep us from doing the right things for the wrong reasons.