Getting Sarcastic With God? Bad Plan.

Oct. 30 – Smarting Off To God

You would think people would be smart enough to know better.  God is powerful enough to make you so He’s powerful enough to “smite” you….But not Cain.  Not only did he kill his brother (REALLY BIG mistake #1), but afterward, he thought he would toss some attitude God’s way (mistake #2).

Here’s the brief exchange:
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied.  “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

That’s it.  But that’s enough.  Yesterday, we talked mainly about sarcasm with friends but when it comes to sarcasm with God or -to bring it into the human realm – sarcasm with people in authority, you’re crossing another line.  People in authority, even the ones you may not agree with or get along with, still deserve to be treated with respect.  That means treating them as a person of worth and recognizing the authority they have been given.  One of the most direct references to this concept is found in Romans 13.  Here’s the key verse:  “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”  And even Jesus submitted himself to and acknowledged the rule of the day, as long as the earthly laws did not conflict with furthering the kingdom of God.  Jesus says to give to Caesar the money that is his and to God the things that are His.  (Matthew 22:21) and He does pay the required temple tax (Matthew 17:27).  Even while His trial was in process, He never direspected the ruler He was standing in front of.

So often, when someone in authority asks us to do something we don’t want to do or asks us a question we don’t want to answer (what happened to Cain), we come back with a smart-aleck remark.  Instead of saying the first thing that comes to mind, getting defensive, and acting like Cain, take a cue from Jesus here.  It’s better to say nothing than to say something that’s going to be disrespectful.  Even telling the person that you don’t want to answer at that moment because you’re too upset or because you’re afraid of what you might say will earn you a lot more respect in the long run.  Consider Psalm 141:3 which says, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”  If this kind of mouthing off is something your struggle with, consider praying that verse for yourself.

What To Do About Sarcasm

Oct 29 – Just Kidding?

Ephesians 4:29 is one of those verses that always gets me.  “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  What?!  Do not let ANY unwholesome talk come out of your mouths?  Or what about a few verses later when it says, “Nor should there be oscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking…”  Holy cow!  If you combine all of those things, that makes speech one very difficult thing to control.

I heard a quote once that said, “In every word of sarcasm, there’s a bit of truth.”  That’s the danger in it.  While we may intend for some of the disrespectful or mean words we say to be taken jokingly, oftentimes, the person we speak to will walk away hurt, not because they think we’re completely serious but because maybe we hit on some slkice of truth that really does hurt them.  For me, sarcasm is a weapon.  I use it when I feel backed into a corner or when I’m upset with someone but don’t want to confront the person about it.  In high school, one of my friends used sarcasm so much that I just didn’t want to be around him.  It was impossible to be in a conversation with him without him making you feel bad about yourself for something you did or just feel stupid for something you said.  That was his way of getting attention and making people laugh.  It worked, but it hurt, and it definitely affected our friendship.

Now I am the first to tell you that I am rather senstive to words.  I was raised to value them highly and to be careful when using them, so I admittedly respond more strongly to them than many people do.  That being said though, words really do have power.  I think we tend to forget that, especially in this age of computers and cell phones where we can so easily hide behind a screen when we talk to people.  As you talk to people this week, whether in person, online, or in a text message, focus on that second part of the first verse from today -  use words that are”helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  It may encourage someone you didn’t even know needed encouraging!

Redemption on Both Sides of the Social Ladder – Share Your Stories!

This poem rings so true for me.  I struggled through those years too, wanting nothing more than to feel accepted.  As I got pushed aside, I dreamed the same things Heather did – of “walking up to them suddenly beautiful and unafraid” – and I still do.  I still feel like I have something to prove to those girls in the “cool group.”  The 13-year-old inside of me still fights to keep my eyes from dropping to the ground when certain people pass by.  The 13-year-old inside of me still craves their acceptance…

But mine is not the first of these stories you have heard.  There are plenty of people who share about their middle or high school years when they were teased, pushed aside, or just wanted to be popular.  They happily share with their audience just how far they have come…

But what about the people on the other side of the fence?  What about the ones who spent those years a little higher up on the perceived social ladder?  I wish I could share a story with you here and tell you what it was like, but I can’t.

Here’s what I do know – There is healing for the hurting, as well as the one who brings the hurt.  There is healing for the broken, as well as the one who does the breaking.  Paul, the author of nearly half of the New Testament, was one of the greatest persecutors of Christians right after Jesus left the earth.  He worked to find the Christians and either jail them or kill them.  And yet God redeemed even his hatred for the gospel and made him one of the founders of the Christian church.

No matter where you are in the social world, I invite you to share your stories.  It can be either where you are or where you have been in the past.  It can be the ways you have been hurt or the ways God has healed you.  Whatever it is, please share with us! 

God’s Masterpiece

Sept 8-9  Getting Along

What a great story!  I guess siblings don’t have to fight forever…

Here’s what I love about this article:  Do you hear how much Aubrey loves her brother?  Do you hear in her words how highly she thinks of him and how much she respects him?  Do you see how she was willing to let go of the things that focused attention on her to serve him instead?

Ephesians 2:10 says that “We are God’s masterpiece…”  My problem is that I don’t always treat people as though they are God’s masterpieces.  Sometimes, I treat them like they’re rough drafts – messed up and not worth a whole lot.

It’s harder to see God inside the members of your own family.  You are with them most of the time, you see every day the ways they mess up, and you feel very deeply the times they have hurt you.  But they are made in the image of God, just like you are.  They have value, just like you do.

Try something this week.  Write “God’s masterpiece” somewhere where you will see it often.  It could be on a school binder, in your locker, on a bathroom mirror at home, or even on your hand (if your parents are okay with that).  Each time you look at it, let it be a reminder that every person you see and interact with is God’s masterpiece.  Let that truth change the ways you talk to people.

The tips Aubrey mentions are incredibly helpful for strengthening all kinds of relationships, and the thing they all have in common is a willingness to actively love and serve the other person.  If you have a specific friendship that you would like to work on, try putting some of her suggestions into practice and place the other person ahead of yourself.  Give them the benefit of the doubt, even when they might not deserve it.  Listen when you would rather talk.  Fight for them and their honor when you would rather let them stumble.  At least on occasion, compromise your own ”wants” for theirs.  Learning to love well takes time, but these will help you along the way.

Sept 1 & 2 – Siblings

Sept 1 – Highs and Lows

The first thing that comes to mind as I read this are the stories my mom has told me from when she and her brother were growing up.  My favorite – he dumped water from rotted flowers over her head so she sprayed perfume up his nose.  Ewwww and ouch!  But being only 2 years apart, by the time they hit their teen years, my mom and her brother were able to be real friends, much like this girl and her brother.  But what about Kenzi’s relationship with her sister?  It’s still not resolved.  Conversation is a struggle; their interactions are still strained.

Things can’t be perfect all the time.  Ups and downs are a natural part of any relationship.  They will happen with parents, siblings, and friends, and it will even happen with God.  Relationships change because people change.  In Psalm 133:1, David writes “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”  Siblings are pretty great when you’re actually getting along, aren’t they? 

My question for you is not – Are your relationships perfect? but – Are you doing your part to make them work?  Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  That’s hard, isn’t it?  People do things that hurt us or make us angry, and we think that gives us the right to fight back.  But be the person who stops the mean trade-offs.  Make the effort to be kind to your siblings, to help them out instead of intentionally getting them in trouble, and to love them with actions the best way you can. 

In prayer, thank God for the siblings you have, even if they’re hard to live with sometimes.  Pray that God would strengthen the good relationships you have with them and heal the broken ones.  In addition to these prayers from DevoZine, ask God to bring to your mind the ways in which you can better show love to your siblings.

Sept 2 – A Separate Peace

What a beautiful psalm they give us for today.  It’s worth taking some time to look at.  Spend some time reading over these verses.  Don’t just read it once.  Read it several times.

Psalm 46 

1 God is our refuge and strength,
       an ever-present help in trouble.

 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
       and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

 3 though its waters roar and foam
       and the mountains quake with their surging.
       Selah

 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
       the holy place where the Most High dwells.

 5 God is within her, she will not fall;
       God will help her at break of day.

 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
       he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

 7 The LORD Almighty is with us
       the God of Jacob is our fortress.
       Selah

 8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
       the desolations he has brought on the earth.

 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
       he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
       he burns the shields ^[b] with fire.

 10 “Be still, and know that I am God;
       I will be exalted among the nations,
       I will be exalted in the earth.”

 11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
       the God of Jacob is our fortress.
       Selah

The word “Selah” appears several times here.  This is one of the hardest Hebrew words of the Old Testament to translate.  Not even Bible scholars are sure exactly what it means.  It probably indicated a time in the song to stop and listen and was used to draw attention to the verses just before it.

Try reading this psalm again and actually observe the Selah when it’s marked.

Look at verses 1-3.  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear…”  What a wonderful promise to cling to!

Look at verse 10.  “Be still, and know that I am God…”  What comes right before that?  God is stopping wars, breaking bows, shattering spears, and burning shields, and then He tells us to be still.  He has all the power.  He gains all the glory.  Exodus 14:14 has Moses telling Israel, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.”

Take some time to be still today.  Maybe for you that means allowing God to fight in an area you’ve been trying to control yourself.  Maybe it means quieting your busy mind or your busy life long enough to hear the ”still small voice” of God (1 Kings 19:11-12 NKJV).  Whatever it means for you, give God time to speak in the silence.