St. John Studies

As we close out Chapter 1 in John Bevere’s book Good or God?, I think it is fitting to return to the mysterious idea of discernment.

Author Geri Ungurean defines discernment as “The quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure; an act of perceiving something; a power to see what is not evident to the average mind.” The definition also stresses accuracy, as in “the ability to see the truth.” Spiritual discernment is the ability to tell the difference between truth and error. It is basic to having wisdom. He goes on to say “I’ve heard it said that discernment is the ability to tell the difference between right and almost right.”

I like that definition because I think it fits Pastor Bevere’s concept of discernment, the key factor in determining man’s concept of good and God’s concept of good. Bevere writes that God’s concept of good is not always clear to our “natural thinking, reasoning or senses” [Bevere, 11]. Bevere quotes Hebrews 5: 11-12, 14: “We have much to say…since you have become dull of hearing.” He is not referring to Christians who cannot hear well any longer. He is referring to Christians who have lost their ability to discern. “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” Instead of growing in their faith, these Christians were stuck. The writer of Hebrews felt they should be able to discern the will of God but he scolded them and said they still needed milk [like babies].

That is where a lot of us are when it comes to discernment. Sadly, we don’t listen to God calling out to us to do His bidding. We are distracted by the siren calls of the world: “what is cool”, our friends, society’s notion of status, etc. etc. We try to do what we think is “good” and miss His higher calling to do the best He has in store for us.

Bevere ends Chapter 1 with the famous passage from Matthew 16 when Peter disagreed with Jesus about His impending death. Jesus said He had to go to Jerusalem and there He would suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law. He even announced that He would be killed.

Peter said “Never Lord! This shall never happen to you!”

Then Jesus rebuked Peter with the famous words “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Peter was worried about his own earthly concerns, when Jesus was telling him this news because God had revealed the information to Him. Of course Peter wants to protect Jesus. He wants him to have a long life, but God has other ideas. Jesus’ death is the fulfillment of scripture. It was part of God’s plan to redeem man, so it had to be. Indeed Jesus was privy to a higher level of spiritual knowledge than Peter.

As we wrap up Chapter 1, it is good to realize that growth in discernment is the purpose of this study. Bevere intends to teach us how to “illuminate” God’s will for our lives through the scriptures. He knows we should respond to the “help” of our Holy Spirit so we will experience what is good for our lives and avoid what will ultimately be detrimental.

Why would we not want to be able to discern to a greater degree than we do? Back in Hebrews the writer says “Solid food belongs to those who are of full age, those by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
From the Gotquestions.org website [a source that I often use], there is the following practical explanation of discernment. “When a bank hires an employee, he is trained to recognize counterfeit bills. One would think that the best way to recognize a counterfeit would be to study various counterfeits. The problem is that new counterfeits are being created every day. The best way to recognize a counterfeit bill is to have an intimate knowledge of the real thing. Having studied authentic bills, bank cashiers are not fooled when a counterfeit comes along. A knowledge of the true helps them identify the false.”

This is what Christians must do to develop spiritual discernment. We must know the authentic so well that, when the false appears, we can recognize it.

Indeed it takes time as one dedicates themselves to reading Scripture. It takes dedication as one searches for insight in God’s words. It takes wisdom to apply the truth to areas of life that have been neglected. It takes “hearing” as we receive messages from the Holy Spirit, messages that lead us to the “real” good that God has in store for us.

Pastor John Bevere in his book Good or God? discusses the way we all get distracted toward the life we really don’t want, you know the life where we are not experiencing all the “divine good” that God has in store for us.

He says “Most Christian people….are deceived by and drawn to behavior and things that seem right, good and wise but are contrary to His wisdom. We are told: ‘There is a way that seems right to many, but its end is the way of death’” [Proverbs 14:12].

Bevere boils it down to choices. God has a choice He presents to us: that we choose the tree of life or we choose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Sounds simple doesn’t it?

Of course it is not and in today’s world it is getting more complicated all the time.

We are constantly bombarded by advertisements which are very clever. The strategy is to get us to buy something we do not need or do something we should not do. That is not new but the pervasive nature of advertising is. We all use the internet and companies track consumer behavior via the keystroke. Interested in buying a mattress? Guess what will show up on your browser page the next time you go to search something? Guess what will show up on Facebook when you log on the next time? Go to Amazon and what will you see on the screen?

You know, mattresses.

Secondly is the influence of our leaders in this world. For the past twenty years or so, one can see that our society is in a slow downward spiral that is leading to more and more uncivil behavior. I know this should not be a factor but when a leader is on television or some other form of media and they say or do something that is crass, that crass behavior impacts others. Maybe it becomes more acceptable for ordinary people to do. It should not work like that, but it does.

One can argue that America is a nation that values the right of expression. The First Amendment guarantees free speech, but at times it seems like there is too much speech. Due to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. every passing thought is posted for the whole world to see. Maybe it makes all of us feel important but is it necessary? Also some people seem to have very little regard for their readers. It is important to consider the person who is reading a post and careful editing is a part of good writing. One does not need to express every thought without careful consideration, but it seems that many do that very thing.

Lastly, Pastor Bevere gets very serious about Christian behavior. He says that many Christians don’t feel they have to be concerned about the choices they make because they are saved. The thought is “I’m saved, headed for heaven, and will not see death” [Bevere, 9]. The way of death in this world is a worry that unbelievers have to deal with. I am a Christian; I don’t have to choose between life or death in this world.

Bevere is trying to communicate to all of us that we do.

We see it in the choices people make every day. The desire to fit it. The desire to be “hip”. The desire for power. The desire for wealth. The desire for knowledge that impresses others. We give in and go for those desires and neglect the life choices that are really important.

We settle for something that seems good but maybe it is not. Maybe it is “of this world” but the values of this world are not what we should aspire to. The tree of life is the right choice. If we choose that tree, we will have a “source of nourishment” that will lead to success, long life, peace of mind and honor.

Sadly, we are seduced to choose from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and people lead lives of toil, stress, unproductivity, sickness, selfishness and other byproducts of slow spiritual death.

Pastor Bevere admits that this is a hard choice: “good and evil cannot always be differentiated on the surface level” [Bevere, 11].

But God wants us to choose the tree of life. He wants to redeem us. He wants us to recover some of what Adam and Eve lost. His wisdom leads to happiness, pleasant living and abundance.

I want all those positive things associated with divine good that Bevere speaks of.

Don’t you look forward to future study of Good or God?

I sure do…

Pastor John Bevere* and my wife have one thing in common:  a sincere appreciation for the life of the late Princess Diana.

He discusses our standard of good and how so much of what we see on television and the movies is devoted to good winning over evil:  “We all grew up watching the good guys go through tough challenges.  The odds were stacked against them and they faced inevitable defeat, often right up to the very end, but suddenly our heroes broke through to victory or justice.  We anticipated and applauded those finales.  We expected good to always win out because after all, God is on the side of good, right?” [Bevere, 3].

From our perspective, it seems easy.  I remember my favorite cowboy shows that I used to watch and the actors’ hats even helped to delineate good and bad.    The good guys wore the white hats and the bad guys wore the black hats.

But is it always that easy?

Pastor Bevere cites the story of the wealthy young leader in the Book of Mark, you know that model citizen who approaches Jesus expecting to be blessed.  He fell to his knees and addressed Jesus as “good teacher” and asked the question “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Why address Jesus as “good teacher?”  Well he probably expected to get a positive response.   He did not expect what he got: a correction from Jesus.   Jesus asked the young man why do you call me good?   No one is good except God.

Jesus then talks about the commandments, saying that he should not murder, commit adultery, steal, give false testimony or defraud.  One must honor their mother and father.

That is no big deal, the wealthy young leader had kept those commandments since he was a boy and he told Jesus that.

It is the next statement from Jesus that really draws a line.  “Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ He said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’

Every time I read this story in Mark, I have the same reaction.

The wealthy young leader became sad and walked away because he had great wealth.  He just could not meet the lofty standard that Jesus had just expressed.

I put myself in the story and I ask myself.  Could I sell everything I had and follow Jesus?   Really?

I don’t think I could.

Besides the wealthy young leader, Bevere uses the life of Princess Diana to make his point.  She lived a life that inspired many people. It is so fitting that he uses her as an example of a good person because this year marks the twentieth year since her death.  In our home, we have recently seen two documentaries on Diana plus a dramatization or two of her life on a streaming movie service.

Obviously she felt she should use her fame to help those less fortunate.  She visited with orphans; she advocated for aids research.  She tried to highlight the plight of the homeless and even walked across a minefield to dramatize the need for landmine removal in war torn countries.  She did not have to do all this charity work; she was a British royal and there were plenty of things she could have done that were less controversial.  In fact, she drew fire from the “Royal Family” because she was in the news too much, supporting causes not approved by the Queen.

Pastor Bevere mourned her death in 1997 like so many in the world did, but there was a slight difference.  He felt deep in his heart that his emotional reaction was not appropriate.   He was putting the label of “good” on Diana and maybe she was not as good as everyone thought.

Recent programs about her life testify to that fact.  She did not just use her celebrity to help the downtrodden.  She also used her celebrity to “thumb her nose” at the Royal Family.  Some will say that is nitpicking and not question what she was doing.   “It was all good” they might say.  Some would say that her love life was justified because she was so miserable in her marriage to Prince Charles, but before she was divorced, she was committing adultery and many in the news media covered it.

Pastor Bevere’s feeling from deep in his heart was God saying “She was not submitted to me.”

Did the wealthy young leader meet the world’s standard of good?  Without a doubt he did.

Did Diana meet the world’s standard of good?  Look at the pictures of the flower tributes at Buckingham Palace following her death.  I think those pictures speak for themselves.   She after all, was the “people’s princess.”

We have just started Pastor Bevere’s book “Good or God” but it is already obvious that he is talking about a standard of good that is more divine that our usual idea of good and bad.

Let’s return to a passage from Genesis that has already been cited in a previous post and I will italicize key words that maybe are taking on a new importance in light of Bevere’s premise: “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate” [Genesis 3:6].

When Adam and Eve took that bite from the apple they learned a hard lesson.

The world’s standard of good was certainly not good enough…

We live with the impact of that decision today…

Don’t we…

*Author of Good or God?

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and it was pleasant to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate” [Genesis 3:6].

This is the main premise of Pastor John Bevere’s book Good or God?.

It wasn’t the evil side of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that drew Eve to sin, it was the “good” side.

Bevere says that the key words good, pleasant and desired touched him the most.

What does he mean touched?

He means the Spirit of God revealed the deep meaning of this scripture to him. In fact, he states that God said to him “There is a good that is not of Me. It is not submitted to Me.”

How could this be?

It is all about discernment, a term that is tossed around in some Christian circles but many don’t really know how discernment works. The dictionary definition says “(in Christian contexts) it means a perception that comes about in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual direction and understanding.”

Some readers may have checked out by now, thinking that any perception that comes about in the absence of judgment must be a belief from the “lunatic fringe” of Christianity, but maybe it is not.

Sinclair Ferguson writing on the “Ligonier Ministries Website” [from R.C. Sproul’s ministry] says that discernment is a special grace gift and cites 1 Corinthians 12:10 and Psalms 199:66 as Scriptural support. A discerning Christian is not a judgmental Christian; discernment goes beyond judgment. “It [discernment] involved our Lord’s knowledge of God’s Word and His observation of God’s ways with men (He, supremely, had prayed, “Teach me good judgment … for I believe Your commandments,” Ps. 119:66). Doubtless His [Jesus’] discernment grew as He experienced conflict with, and victory over, temptation, and as He assessed every situation in the light of God’s Word” [Ferguson, “What is Discernment?”].

You might think this is ok for Jesus, but does He expect us to develop discernment?

Yes He does.

It is a level of growth that we can aspire to, reading and studying the Word of God to the point that we can “think God’s thoughts after Him.” Does it come easily? No. Does it come quickly? No. Is it something we can ask for and expect that we can get? No.

It is a special grace gift.

Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” All men will not have that perception but Christians with great discernment can have inklings of this view if they devote the time and effort to really know God.

What is the value of discernment? Discernment can guard us from the false teaching that is so common in the world. Many spiritual leaders would have us believe their message but their word may not really be grounded in God’s word. Ferguson states that discernment can assist in spiritual healing. A Christian with discernment can see deeply into a person’s heart where they are struggling with issues that are damaging their lives. This “heart knowledge” can help another with healing that goes beyond physical healing or psychological healing. The focus is on spiritual healing. Discernment can allow a Christian to truly lead a “free” life. We all know that “things of this world” can bind us but a discerning Christian is not held back in life by worldly concerns. “The zealous but undiscerning Christian becomes enslaved—to others, to his own uneducated conscience, to an unbiblical pattern of life. Growth in discernment sets us free from such bondage, enabling us to distinguish practices that may be helpful in some circumstances from those that are mandated in all circumstances” [Ferguson]. Finally, discernment triggers spiritual development in the Christian. The discerning Christian avoids the frustration of understanding the presence of God in today’s world. This person can see harmony in all God’s work and how His words apply to the world today. This knowledge leads to phenomenal spiritual growth.

In the study of Good or God?, why should we be concerned with this idea of discernment?

Because our author claims it.
When he says “the spirit of God” said to me “There is a good that is not of Me. It is not submitted to Me”, he is talking about receiving a discerning word from God.

We can cast doubt on Bevere’s ideas and label him as a member of the “lunatic fringe” of Christianity, but let’s not do that.

Psalms 119: 125 has the prayer “I am your servant; give me discernment.”

Maybe we should pray that prayer…

And hope for the gift…

Good or God?

Stop for a moment and think about that title.

What is a word you might think of when you think of the word good?

Evil? As in “good versus evil.”
What is author and pastor John Bevere thinking about when he opposes good with God? Well, he gives a hint in his subtitle: “Why good without God isn’t enough.”

As I thought about commenting on this book, I remembered a good friend who suffered through one of the most difficult times of life. This person shared their story with me in a way that was so honest. The pain they were going through was instructional for me. Maybe it will be for you.

They were in a marriage where their spouse paid them little attention, in fact the spouse worked so hard that most family duties were neglected and my friend had to do them all. Could the hard-working spouse have chosen to be involved with the family? Yes they could but they did not [lack of interest, career, selfishness etc. etc.]. This life style went on for many years and my friend never really complained loudly enough for the spouse to hear. All the signs of dissatisfaction were there but the spouse was too busy at career-building to see them.

Let me be clear, my friend was a good person, not much of a church goer or Bible reader and maybe they did not really have a personal relationship with God but they knew right from wrong [they thought]. They reported to me “I was a good person.”

But then in the midst of this disappointing lifestyle came a temptation…a way out, if you will.

Someone else came into the picture, someone who was willing to give all the needed attention that was so desired from the spouse and you know the rest, my friend was involved in a situation that threatened the existence of the marriage.

That’s when they told me “I was a good person but I discovered that good was not good enough.”

That was eye-opening.

Many people live their lives with half-hearted commitments to God, or just vague ideas that all I need to do is be “good.” That will get me through life.

Bevere states that as Christians we should not just settle for a good life; he proposes that we should seek a “God life.” The problem with most of us is that we settle for much less than we should.

What are examples of settling? They are everywhere. Church is open every week and we only attend sporadically. When we attend we don’t even consider getting involved with things like Sunday school, the youth ministry, children’s ministry, the church council or any other needed work that happens in the church. There are many outreach opportunities at your church, where you can have a positive impact on your community but there is just not enough time in the day to do your own work, much less volunteer to help others. We know we should read our Bible but it just sits, gathering dust. There are lots of good books to help us grow our faith but we don’t buy them or read them. Bible study is just not on our radar. Maybe you have “given your life to Christ” and that is great but after that commitment, you have not done anything to grow your faith. Maybe you think you can ride that one day commitment to heaven.

We settle.

Church sometimes “settles” too. In a frantic attempt to get new members, churches do anything to make a new attendee feel welcome. Coffee bars, informal dress, upbeat contemporary music, hymn lyrics shined up on the wall so one does not have to hold hymnals, engaging activities for youth and children. The pastor preaches a message that is very positive. I know I am exaggerating, but I know of one church that got rid of its pastor due to the fact that he preached too much about the consequences of sin.

When you go to some of these worship centers, the focus is not on good versus evil.

Being good seems to be good enough.

As someone who tries to write, I know that readers don’t want to be left with an open-ended story and that is what I did with my friend. Yes, what this person did threatened the marriage but it did not end there. Reconciliation occurred. Growth through the pain happened. In the place of weakness, God produced strength. Instead of a career focus, God showed the spouse that family is the most important job.

Good was not good enough.

The lesson was learned.

God became number one in this story and for my friend that has made a big difference. For the spouse that has made a big difference.

Good without God isn’t enough.

Good or God?

Choose God.

This is the last transitional post as I prepare to write on John Bevere’s book Good or God. We will begin that book with my next post in two days.

 
In my previous post, I wrote on the phenomenon called social comparison; the idea that some people compare their lives to others. Some people constantly wonder if they are as attractive as others, have as much money as others, are as smart as others and have social lives as vibrant as others’ social lives. The idea is that they think they don’t and they are envious of what they think others have. Living like that can truly spoil your life.

 
Said another way, living like that can “steal your joy.”

 
What can be done about this?

 
One thing that can be done to stop this negative outlook is to admit you have it. So many people are in denial but denying the existence of envy will just keep it alive. To be honest, it is easy to fall into the trap of begrudging other people’s blessings and beauty; it is much harder to admit that envy is weighing you down. You cannot accept that others do have desirable qualities but they also have their share of problems too. No one is without challenges but people who have envy due to social comparison only see the desirable things in another’s life.

 
Of course, none of us have a life that is totally positive.

 
Gratitude helps battle social comparison. It is difficult to be jealous when you have a focus on the things in life that you are grateful for. Envy is a negative outlook that sees only what you lack, the deficits and the disparities between your life and others. Gratitude is an orientation that gets one focused on what is good—the blessings of your life and truthfully, we all have blessings. Gratitude is not “simple-minded, dishonest or forgetful.” Some would say gratitude denies that your life is less than perfect but gratitude does not deny loss, lack or hardship. What gratitude does do is prevent us from totally focusing on what we covet by forcing us to emphasize what is good in our lives.

Beyond gratitude is generosity. Yes, generosity gets us looking beyond ourselves to the lives of others who can use our help. If you have time, money, knowledge, abilities and talents that you can share with others who are less fortunate than you, you begin to see your situation is not that bad. Others have needs that are great and we can help them. In fact, it is humbling to realize we can help others. It is humbling to be able to help those who have been touched with suffering and hardship.

Pastor Rick Warren comments that one of the worst things we can do as Christians is to tell others that we follow Christ and then live a life where we have lost our joy. He says “when God’s children aren’t filled with joy, it makes God look bad. Cranky Christians are a bad witness. They look like they have been baptized in vinegar because they are never smiling. And that makes God look bad.”

 
Why?

 
Because God wants us to be witnesses with our countenance.

 
Romans 14:17 says “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

 
Truly the easiest thing of all is to lose your joy.

 
Social comparison is not constructive; it is destructive. Envy is not productive, it is counter-productive. Jealousy is not a characteristic that leads to peace and joy; it just leads to dissatisfaction and dismay.

 
Warren says the easiest thing for us to lose is not our glasses, our keys or our minds.
It is our joy.

 
Don’t let your joy be stolen by social comparison.

 
You might as well learn to love yourself on your own terms. You are the only you that you have. There is no need to compare yourself to others. God has given you what He intends for you to have and He intends you to live a life of goodness, peace and joy.

 
If you claim that you love Him, try to live a life of joy.

It helps to spread His message because it shows that He is at work in your life.

Good for you.

Good for God.

This is a transitional post as I prepare to write on John Bevere’s book Good or God.  We will begin that book within the next week.

In a recent news release, it was reported that social media can cause depression.  You might think that strange due to the fact that millions of users are signed up for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The problem resides in the fact that users don’t just go onto social media and keep up with what their friends and relatives are doing; they compare their lives to those they see on social media.  People who post every night parties and frequent trips to desirable locations become sources of envy for those who lead humdrum lives.

The thought that occurs is “I don’t do anything compared to ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’” who are always going somewhere and always doing something exciting.

This brings me to the topic I have wanted to write on for some time, the topic of social comparison and how this can steal the joy of our lives.  In this post, I will explain how social comparison steals our joy and in the next post, I will deal with what we can do to fight this debilitating negative thought habit.

Social comparison is determining our social and personal worth based on how we think we stack up to others.  We can fall into this trap by constantly making judgements about our attractiveness, intelligence, wealth and success.   The problem is we judge ourselves in light of how we perceive others.

Comparison creates competition because we are prone to think of ourselves as trying to be the best in everything.  Our society focuses on being the winner so much that we don’t allow ourselves to feel gratitude for what we have.  We must have the best of everything.  If we don’t perceive ourselves as having the best, we lose the competition and hence disappointment.

If comparison is the thief of joy, jealousy is its companion.  Jealousy is when we get so focused on the wonderful aspects of another’s life that we only see the positive.  No one has mountain top experiences all the time; there are valleys in everyone’s life.  The jealous person has an obscured vision.  They are blind to the pain, the failure, and the flaws in another life.  They ignore the work the other person has done to take that trip or the sacrifice of family time they have made to have that ample salary.  All they see is the end result and they want that same result minus the work.

Comparison creates very unrealistic expectations.  We all have certain God-given skills and abilities and what one person can do is not necessarily what you can do.  We can easily look at the relative ease that someone has as an athlete, artist or public speaker and say “I should be able to do that.”  Maybe you can polish your skills in some areas of your life if you have a vision, specific goals, commitment and a willingness to devote major chunks of your life to practice. That is what it takes to excel in life.  Too often we compare ourselves to others when we shouldn’t.  We don’t have the God-given skill that others do and we don’t have the drive to develop the skills that we have.

Jealousy can make one feel powerless.  If you don’t have a commitment to take action to be better than you are, then envy of another’s talent can leave you with a feeling that you are stuck.  If you think you would like to be a marathon runner but you don’t like running, that is a problem. Also comparing yourself to others can ruin friendships.  Envy of friends can lead to such insecurity that you don’t even want to spend time with them.   To be around them [or to look at their Facebook posts] can hurt your self-esteem so much that the pleasure of their company is no longer a positive.    

Finally, jealously can cause you to want to give less to others.  Envy can cause us to want so much that we become stingy with what we have.  We find ourselves unwilling to donate time or money to a good cause because we need our precious resources to accomplish our own selfish dream.   We can become “miserly” about complimenting others due to the fact that we are experiencing so much jealousy. 

Back to Facebook.  Have you ever withheld a “like” on Facebook because you were jealous?  Have you ever withheld a face-to-face compliment because you were envious of another’s good fortune?

Life is too short to deny others a positive comment.  We all need love, joy, laughter, friendship and peace.  In fact, we can’t get too much of these things. 

There is an expression that seems appropriate here.   We often hear that it is best to be the “bigger person” and do the right thing.   Doing the right thing is not easy.  Sometimes it may involve admitting that other people have accomplished what we have not.   That is not denying our worth; it is just allowing ourselves to affirm others. 

Social comparison is probably inevitable but jealousy, envy and selfishness are not.  Jealously, envy and selfishness are corrosive.   They will eat away at your ability to be content with your life.   You will never be confident if you often have those feelings.  It is not an overstatement to say that social comparison is a thief of your joy.

In the next post, we will discuss what we can do to prevent this.

This is a transitional post that I am writing before I begin posting on John Bevere’s book Good or God.
People who create promotional material often come up with catchy phrases to help sell their products. “Diamonds are Forever, Just Do It, Where’s the Beef? and Got Milk?” are some very popular slogans that public relations people have invented.
Jon Bloom, in his article “Always ‘Be’ Before You ‘Do’”, writes some very important comments about Christian identity. His comments were inspired by a slogan on a tennis shoe box. Bloom writes on Pastor John Piper’s Desiring God website which I often use to teach my Sunday school class. I recently turned to his post on “desiringod.org”.
The slogan reads “Go Do Be” and herein is the problem.
It seems that “Be” is in the wrong place.

I know that movement is important. Go is a popular word. We like it. We often desire it. It is much better to move than just sit when a problem presents itself. The slogan uses “go” implying that we need to “get off the dime” or do something. We need to move. That is not a bad idea.

Do is an action word. We often need to take action in this world to correct wrongs that need to be corrected, to give aid to those who have less than we do, you get the idea: things don’t get done without someone “doing” something.
And then comes “Be”.

“Be” is an identity word. If a person has an identity, they are someone. They have characteristics.

Bloom makes an excellent point about people who discover themselves through movement and action but there is a problem with people who move and act without a basis for moving and acting.

They have no “core.” They move and act without direction.

If you can humor me, let’s go to the Garden of Eden, where you can see Adam and Eve falling into a “go do be” trap laid by Satan. “If you eat the fruit [which takes movement], you will gain God’s wisdom [the movement results in action] and you will become like God [they are promised they will acquire God’s identity].

We all know how this turns out but is it because they don’t have an established identity before they go and do?

I think that may be the problem.

Movement and action should spring from identity for it to be most effective, especially if you are trying to live a Christian life.

In the early days of Christianity, followers of Christ were called “Christian” because they exhibited a Christian identity or they had certain characteristics. Their behavior, activity and speech were like Jesus. Christian was a term that was invented to mean “follower of Christ.”

Unfortunately over many years, the term Christian has been watered down to mean someone who is religious or someone who has high moral values. Some people consider themselves Christian because they do attend church once in a while. Others identify themselves as Christian because they are Americans. The idea is that we are a country “founded on God” so an American must be a Christian.

However, being a Christian is surely more than this. Second Corinthians 5:17 says “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” James says “I will show you my faith by my works” [James 2:18].

First comes the “be” and then comes the go and do.

The Bible defines a Christian as one who has personally received Jesus Christ as Savior, who trusts that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ happened so our sins can be forgiven. Movement and action in the Christian’s life stem from the power of the Holy Spirit, that guiding force which resides within each person who has received Jesus.

What is the point?

Identity or the “be” is the starting point for the Christian, not the ending point.
Someone in my Sunday school class commented on the fact that a person could go and do and eventually discover Christ. That very well could happen. Then they could find their identity in Christ and become a “baby” Christian requiring milk not solid food. Hebrews Chapter 5 comments on the “inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness…for he is a mere infant…but solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil.”

Being a good Christian is about having an established identity so we can grow in love for Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and lives. Hebrews 12:2 “Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith.”

The good Christian knows God and identifies with the term “Christian.” This is their “be.”
As they grow in love, grow in faith and grow in grace, they go and do in the name of Jesus.

“Go Do Be?”

Maybe, but let’s rearrange.

“Be Go Do.”

“We also rejoice in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us” [Romans 5: 3-5].

As we wrap up our discussion of Bill Hybel’s  Holy Discontent, we don’t want to let a book like this end with a whimper. 

Hybels has challenged us.

For some of us, maybe he has made us feel a little guilty [we aren’t doing enough].

Maybe some readers have done a little “self-examination.”  Hybels has caused us to ask “why don’t I have a ‘holy discontent?’”

On April 10, 2017, I began to post on Holy Discontent  with the idea that I needed something lighter after blogging on prayer from November 10, 2016 to March 7, 2017. 

Indeed Holy Discontent has been an “easy” read.  Blogging on the book has been fast since I found myself sometimes covering a chapter in one post.

We are at the end.

But Hybels doesn’t want it to end.   In fact, the postscript to his book is entitled “It Doesn’t Have to End Like This.”

What does he want from us?

Action.

Fruit.

If we don’t have action or fruit production, he wants us to hold out for hope.

Why hope?

He wants us to hope that God will show us our holy discontent.                                   

This book gets “under one’s skin”?  It is full of examples of people who are living by faith, people who find something that needs to be fixed and they have taken God at His word.   They are looking to Him to give them what they need to solve a problem.  They are looking to Him to give them strength to tackle a big need.  They are looking to Him to give them wisdom beyond what they possess.

If you have not found your holy discontent, Hybels wants you to know that God will show it to you.

He believes God will put you in a position where you find yourself quoting Popeye:  “That’s all I can stands; I can’t stands no more!”   He believes God will use you in a way that is just right for you.

Here is the hope that Pastor Hybels speaks of:  “Hope that sins can be forgiven.  Hope that prayers can be answered.  Hope that doors of opportunity that seem to be locked can be opened.  Hope that broken relationships can be reconciled.  Hope that diseased bodies can be healed.  Hope that damaged trust can be restored.  Hope that dead churches can be resurrected.”

Yes, he holds out hope that you will find your holy discontent and you will act on it.  I have quoted Martin Luther King before but the quote bears repeating: “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

Don’t fall into the trap of comparing your holy discontent to others’ holy discontent.   It is yours and it fits you.   It may be small; it may be big.  Whatever it is, do it.  It does not matter.  “Figure out what you can’t stand.  Channel your holy discontent into helping to fix what’s broken in this life.”

As followers of Christ, we can be people who act to give people what their hearts need most, which is hope.

It really doesn’t have to end like this.

Ask Him to show you.

Pay attention…

You will find your holy discontent.

The world needs people like you and like me…

Announcing our next study:  we will be transitioning to John Bevere’s Good or God in the coming week.

Sometimes life just grinds you down.

Bill Hybels talks about people who have “holy discontent” over the long haul, people who are striving to accomplish their life mission for a great number of years. What is a major problem?

Hybels calls it “succumbing to desperation.”

I truly appreciate individuals who work with our legal system or correctional system who have to deal with offenders every day of their lives.   They are constantly exposed to people who have not chosen a productive path to life.  How do they keep a positive attitude?

People who work with the poor in our world encounter individuals who cannot make positive moves to break the cycle of poverty in their lives.   Often they are locked into a lifestyle where they cannot get ahead. Life is such a challenge and they don’t seem to be up to the challenge.

Emergency personnel also concern me. They see people in dire circumstances.   Their goal is to put hurting people back together enough to get them to doctors.   Sometimes they don’t have a chance to do that due to the severity of a person’s injuries.

I could go on and on, listing jobs where people are experiencing stress due to trying circumstances, situations where one can easily succumb to desperation.

There are people who deal with these situations on a daily basis.

What can a person do when they seem to be fighting an uphill battle?   Hybels writes about the need to keep our “hope meter high”. When you have a holy discontent and the Lord is serious about you continuing His work, He does not want you to give up.

Hybels begins with a very important verse from the Bible: John 4:4. “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

First of all, he recommends that you take responsibility for your “hope meter.”   You are the only one who can keep it high. He calls this “self-leadership.”   What God has asked you to do is between you and God.   You don’t have to consult your pastor, your mentor, your colleague; you need to assess the strength of the calling by opening yourself up to God, asking Him to reaffirm His need for you to do the work.

Let me throw in some additional practical advice. Don’t listen to the news of the world.   We all know that what gets on the news is mostly negative behaviors.   I guess it is human nature to be fascinated by tales of people behaving badly and the news is full of this.   Focus on the news can have a horrible effect of your attitude.

In addition, don’t listen too much to those around you.   People love to recount negative information [aka gossip] and people would like to see you less on fire for the work you are doing for the Lord.   I don’t know if you frighten others as you experience change and commit to a new work or if your commitment makes them feel like they are falling short in their lives, but people are not as supportive as they need to be sometimes.

Focus on what is right in front of you.   This is essential.   Making general statements hardly helps anyone to accomplish their goals. Going back to my original examples: all criminals are guilty, the poor don’t care about their lives, or trauma victims are hopeless; those kinds of thoughts will suck all the desire out of you to do your work.   Focus on the problem that is in front of you with the goal in mind that you are doing the best work you can do, helping the person with an immediate need.   You can’t help the world all the time; you can help the person who is in front of you.

Hybels says we are all prone to what he calls energy leaks, things which suck the fuel out of our efforts to do God’s work.   When a person who is committed to their holy discontent suffers energy leaks, that means that people around them suffer too. “When hope dies in the leader, the game ends and cause is defeated . . . everyone takes their cue from you” [Hybels, 134-35].

It is important for you to take your passion and find a way to keep it passionate. Know that “the world” is probably never going to be your source of support.

There is only one place that you can get what you need for your uphill battle.

That place is where you have a heart to heart with God.

God is your strength.   He is all that we need.