Tuesday, 8 May 2012
What are we not?
Every night in the Bruce household ends the same way for my children. Nathan or I pray and we finish like this: "and thank you God that Micah / Corban is..." and they reply (at varying speeds depending on enthusiasm / tiredness / moodiness), "a mighty man of God, the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, a leader not just a follower, amen."
But this week the bedtime mantra was given an extra line. Specifically for my seven year old.
"And what are we not?" I prompt.
"Victims," he replies.
"Why?" I ask.
"Because God is on our side!"
Now this came about after a day of moaning. Apparently in a 12-hour period his brother was out to get him, we were making his life hard, his teacher made him work harder than anyone else, his friends were deliberately playing games he didn't like and to top it all off we know he doesn't like tomatoes on pizza and yet we put them there, and I quote, to annoy him.
Enter mum with the "we are people of a good report" speech and a talk about his victim mentality.
Now, I may be way off here, and certainly this won't help anyone in NCLC :)
But just in case... Here's a few thoughts on this. I have to stress it's not a reaction to anything, so just in case you get your 'victim' on before we even begin, this is written purely from my perspective. If you relate, great.
Here we go:
1) the devil is not God.
I think I kind of grew up with this kind of image in my head that the world was held together
In a kind of cosmic boxing match between God and the devil, like they were of equal abilities but God sort of had the upper hand. But as I read the Word more and understood a few things I came to realise this kind of theology only adds to the victim mentality we can easily take hold off. Here's why.
Satan is a created being just like me and you. He is not everywhere, only God is omnipresent. He has power, yes, but God is still God. He is sovereign. Nothing happens without his say so.
And a belief that you are under attack all the time does a few things.
- it elevates the enemy over God. Is God not on your side? Romans 8:31 - is the one in you not greater than the one of the world? 1john 4:4. Is it not FINISHED? John 19:30? Now listen I'm not taking away from the fiery darts (I'll show you the scorch marks) - nor the fact we are not fighting flesh and blood but principalities and powers... But simply, and hear my heart, it's not all about you! And if Satan is, literally, after you... Kudos. You must be kicking some kingdom of darkness butt my friend. If he's with you he is with no-one else. Good news for the rest of us as well :)
Another thing about being a victim - you have made life about, well, you! It's this kind of belief that probably came from someone like me who gave an emotional salvation appeal around the fact that if you were the only one on the earth Jesus would have still died for you...
Now listen, I believe that. But that's not the whole story. Our old faithful John 3:16 says it best... for God so loved the WORLD. Doh! It's not just about me. Me getting saved is in context of many... So what does this mean? Is being on team not a chance for ME to flourish? Is the message not for ME? Is giving not so I can receive? Well actually it is about you... But having a me-centered approach to life takes away the fact that the correct order of things has Jesus at the centre. And it's fundamentally the wrong posture to approach God. If we make it about what will be added to MY life we can start to think we deserve or are entitled to who knows what. In actual fact we come to God, through Christ, hopefully daily, understanding we owe him EVERYTHING. Romans 12:1... Lay your WHOLE life down. Yep.
Finally - for today at least - my personal favourite. And this one is personal. If you have the victim thing going on you could, with a sincere heart, Start feeling like whatever goes on, from the smallest detail (wording on a church email) to the the largest event is somehow a chance to get at you. With the greatest of respect, stop looking in a mirror and start seeing the big picture.
I can't speak in exact terms for my pastors on this one, but I can for Nathan and I.
When we turn up on a Sunday the back story is this... We quit our jobs and did Theology degrees, racking up £25k of debt between us to have the knowledge and confidence to stand before you for 25 minutes each week. That comment in the preach wasn't to get your back up, believe it or not, it was to see you grow, live a fulfilled life and see the Kingdom advance.
Quite honestly there are easier ways to 'get at you' than by serving in ministry for 10 years while holding down other jobs, being the first to arrive at 8am on a Sunday morning, spending 14-hour days every Sunday and opening our home whenever is necessary.
Now I'd be lying if I said I hadn't jumped on the treadmill of 'woe is me'. If I'm honest some Sundays I spend most of the day making it about me. What did I do right? What have I done wrong? What do they think of ME? But it is a treadmill. It keeps ME in one place and exhausted.
And so I finish this today with the words of my son.
"If I think about me mum it's like forget there's other people here."
Exactly.
And what a shame if Jesus went to all the bother of giving his life for you, offering a fulfilled life, the forgiveness to share an eternity with God, the Grace to forgive others, the power to see his Kingdom established on earth as it is in Heaven, the hope to see past death and the purpose to keep going... If we Spend our days rebuking a fallen enemy, reducing our salvation to a personal life (after death) insurance plan and and nursing bitterness over the words of friends.
What are we not?
