Charisa Stories

Tag: paul

  • The Rearview Mirror Is For Occasional Glances Only

    The Rearview Mirror Is For Occasional Glances Only

    The rearview mirror is critical for safe driving. But if you spend all of your time looking in the rearview mirror the trip will almost always end badly. That is a reflective (rimshot) metaphor for life. You need to glance in the past occasionally for perspective and clarity. But the rearview mirror is designed for reference only. No obsessing please.

    The quest to live in the present is best lived by looking around and just ahead. I love E.L.Doctorow’s quote about writing. I think this principle applies to writing, living and especially to living a life of faith.

    “It is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

    That is profoundly simple and true. Life is a fog. We wish we could see farther ahead on our journey but the truth is we cannot. You can only see as far at the light that illuminates your path. For a Christian that is all we need to know. That Light (Christ) reassures me that I can (and will) make the whole trip that way.

    Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi about his past. He wrote that what he used to view as valuable he now viewed as garbage compared to the priceless value of knowing Christ. He wrote about his desire to know Christ better. And then Paul gives us a note of encouragement and a path to achieve that goal.

    No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:13-14)

    That is the plan. You forget the past, look forward and then take one stride at a time to the finish line. You can’t backpedal and finish the race. You can’t run in place and finish the race.  You can’t take one mighty leap to finish the race. You certainly can’t stop and finish the race. It is about putting one foot in front of the other.

    Satan wants desperately to have us wallow in regret or shame of the past. Followers of Christ have an escape plan. Not easy to be sure. Sometimes professional counseling is needed to break the chains. But the power is there for healing. Bible teacher and author Warren Wiersbe offers a good perspective on this challenge as he analyzed how Paul related to the past.

    “Forgetting those things which are behind does not suggest an impossible feat of mental and psychological gymnastics by which we try to erase the sins and mistakes of the past. It simply means that we break the power of the past by living for the future. We cannot change the past, but we can change the meaning of the past. There are things in Paul’s past that could have been weights to hold him back, but they became inspirations to speed him ahead. The events did not change, but his understanding of them changed.”

    We can’t magically erase the events and pain of our past but we can break their power. We can change the meaning of the past. We can live for the future. We can believe that we are new creations because of the finished work of Christ. And we can begin to see ourselves as God sees us. God knows all of that bad stuff about us but He chooses not to remember any of it. When the accuser tries to convict us of past events his indictments fall on deaf ears. The past does not define us. Jesus does. Past events and hurts do not defeat us because we can advance, one step at a time, toward the goal set before us.

    One of my favorite Olympic memories involves a runner who was the last to cross the finish line. Derek Redmond was an elite athlete who had a chance to bring home a medal as Great Britain’s 400-Meter representative. After an injury plagued career Redmon seemed ready to leave a lasting legacy at the Games. He had recorded the fastest time in the first round and won his quarter-final race. He started well in the semi-final but about 150 meters into the race his hamstring snapped and he collapsed in agony. Medical personnel and stretcher bearers rushed to his aid but Redmond waved them off. He struggled to his feet and began to hobble around the track. He was going to finish the race.

    Cheers rang out for the winner but then the crowed of 65,000 began to comprehend the drama unfolding of a solitary figure limping in agony toward the finish. The crowd rose and cheered the courageous Redmon. Another official offered help and was brushed away. A man broke through security and ran on the track and there was no stopping this man.

    It was Derek Redmon’s father. At first Derek seemed ready to wave him off too but then he recognized this helper. He buried his face in his father’s chest and sobbed.

    Jim Redmond told his son that he was loved and didn’t have to do this. But Derek set his eyes toward the finish and simply said “Yes, I do”.

    His father replied, “Then we will finish this together.”

    Leaning on his father’s shoulder Derek Redmon limped to the finish. Near the end Jim let his son go so he could cross the finish line on his own. A standing ovation greeted Redmon. Olympic records record that Derek Redmon did not finish because he received help. I would argue that no Olympian has ever finished better than Derek Redmon as he refused to let adversity keep him from the prize of finishing the race. Not winning. Finishing. That is such a beautiful image of how our earthly race often looks. I suspect that many who achieve Heavenly standing ovations will finish with a limp and with eyes focused solely on Jesus.

    And that is how I see my race that Paul describes so beautifully.

    Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

    When I fall or am hurt again I know that I can bury my face in the comforting chest of Abba Father and we will finish together.

    Excerpted from Waking Up Slowly: Spiritual Lessons from My Dog, My Kids, Critters, and Other Unexpected Places.

  • A House Divided Cannot Stand. Will We Let It Fall?

    A House Divided Cannot Stand. Will We Let It Fall?

    I used to joke that it is hard to find a good Evangelical math teacher because the only thing they completely understand is division. I am not sure I think that is humorous anymore as I watch the heartbreaking division in the body of believers that I love and call family.

    My head explodes when I allow myself to wade into the discourse between followers of Jesus Christ on Twitter and other social media. There are important cultural issues that Christians need to prayerfully and gracefully seek God’s wisdom to address. What I see is rarely graceful and that makes me wonder how prayerful the messengers have been before hitting the send button.

    Because of the nature of social media a topic that should be thoughtfully debated instead becomes an us versus them war. The discourse easily drifts toward broad brushing of large segments of the body of Christ with unfair assignation of motives.

    These judgements of motives and personal attacks are so damaging to the message of grace that I hold so dear. Sometimes I try to imagine myself as a skeptical seeker looking to explore this Christianity thing. I am pretty sure if I stumbled on some of these mean-spirited threads I would run straight for the secular hills.

    The irony of this need to “win” the argument at the expense of Christian charity and love may be one more profoundly effective tactic of the enemy. The moment the Church is divided by culture instead of united in Christ is the moment our light is extinguished. Paul noted that God’s sovereignty can take any proclamation of the Gospel and use it for His glory.

    It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. Phillipians 1:15-18

    I hope that most of us wish to communicate the incredibly liberating forgiveness of the Gospel. I hope that most of us wish to be accurate in that communication. But I also hope that most of us wish to be gracious, kind, loving, and thoughtful toward all in the body who desire to celebrate Jesus.

    When asked what the most important commandment was Jesus replied without hesitation.

    “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”

    And he added a second part…”Be accurate and angrily make sure others are accurate at all costs.”

    Hardly. His convicting command is well known.

    The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.”

    Don’t hijack my point. Accuracy is important but you cannot love your neighbor as yourself with condescension, assigning of bad motives, and smug righteousness.

    I wish followers of Jesus would proclaim what we are FOR more passionately than what we are against. What if we decided to spend all of our energy proclaiming that the Son of God came to earth as a human, lived a sinless life, was crucified as a sacrifice for my sin and yours and then was resurrected to show the ultimate victory over sin and death.

    What if we decided to be a little kinder, give a little more, serve a little more often, and commit to unity in our ranks. Joni Erickson Tada has been a quadriplegic for over fifty years yet her joy exceeds most of us when we have a hangnail. She had this to say about unity.

    “Believers are never told to become one; we already are one and are expected to act like it.”

    I have reached the conclusion that lack of unity is the single biggest problem in the universal church and, of course, in our individual fellowships. When a major league baseball team starts to lose games regularly, it is said to have “bad clubhouse chemistry.” That’s a fancy way of saying, “This team doesn’t get along, and the players don’t work well together.” How sad that “congregational chemistry” has the same effect on winning…only our losses are eternal.

    There is no more powerful community than a group of believers who live in unity. Nothing levels the playing field like genuinely following Jesus.

    Famous preacher D.L. Moody had this warning. “I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord’s people were divided.”

    The One that unites us is so much more important than the things that divide us. Can we commit to pray for unity in the body of Christ? The choice is ours.

  • Ready for the Spiritual Battle? You can be.

    Ready for the Spiritual Battle? You can be.

    This week I taught a lesson from Ephesians about spiritual battles. You likely know the passage about putting on the armor of God.

    A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

    Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
    (Ephesians 6:10-18, NLT)

    The idea of a cosmic heavenly battle is daunting and a more than a little scary. The good news is that God, as usual, has prepared a plan for us. The plan involves consciously and consistently putting on the armor of God representing the list below.

    • Truth.
    • The righteousness of Christ.
    • The peace that comes from the Good News of the Gospel.
    • Faith.
    • Salvation.
    • And the powerful Word of God.

    When we put on those things we are armed for battle. A couple of things really stood out as I studied this familiar passage.

    I have always focused on the battle part and for me that meant a scene from Bravehart. You put on the armor and then you charge bravely to defeat the enemy. That is not what God says to do. What Paul tells us to do is counterintuitive. He tells us to stand.

    Ephesians 6:11…stand firm.

    Ephesians 6:13…Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

    Ephesians 6:14…Stand your ground.

    That really hit me. Satan spends so much time telling us we are not doing enough or not doing it well enough. We have been taught or we believe we have been taught that spiritual maturity is measured by activity. Sometimes we are told to follow. Sometimes to pursue. Sometimes to flee. Again, activity and works are critical to the functioning of the body of Christ but this time there is a new strategy. Paul is saying the battle is already won and we just need to stand. Don’t go all Bravehart and charge. Stand your ground against the enemy.

    Stand.

    You don’t have to charge into a conflict that has been decided. We are conquerors because of Christ. Jesus has already done what we don’t have the strength to do and we don’t have to charge forward with a spiritual suicide mission. Jesus has already won the victory.

    Paul knew a lot about the strategy and techniques of Roman soldiers. He might well have been chained to one as he wrote this. Roman military historian Vegetius writes that the smallest Roman security force was a unit made up of 16 men spaced evenly over 36 square yards. Each soldier had about 6 square feet to defend. The soldiers focused only on that six foot square and not allowing a single enemy soldier to enter their territory.

    I love this image. This principle was so helpful for me when I look at the spiritual battles in the world. It is so overwhelming to look at all of the unrest, disunity, and lies in the world. I don’t have to do be responsible for all of that. I have to defend my six square feet of spiritual influence. Stand my ground. Don’t worry about the entire battlefield. Focus on my assignment. I am responsible for my six square feet of family, friends, workmates, social media interactions, and treatment of others.

    It is not me against the forces of evil. That is God’s battle. He has equipped me to stand firm and defend my space with confidence and boldness. I am confident and secure in His plan.

  • Reviewing the Jesus Contract

    Reviewing the Jesus Contract

    When Joni and I recently purchased a new house we visited the title company to sign the official documents. The person from the title company relentlessly pushed papers in front of us along with a brief description of what we were signing. My memory may not be exact but it was something like this.

    This one says that the builder is transferring the deed to you. And this one says that you have paid the taxes that you owe to Caesar. This one says that you agree to let the HOA control everything you think and do. This one says that you are paying us random fees that you have no idea what they are or why they are needed but you have no choice. This one says a lawyer gets a lot of money for cut and pasting into a standard document. It was a mind-numbing process and by the end I probably would have signed anything put in front of me.

    Title Company: “This one says you will give us a kidney if we ask you.”
    Me: “Okay…Where do I sign?”

    Seriously, we had carefully looked over the papers beforehand because we wanted to understand the significance of each document.

    Later I wondering how a process like this could work when we decide to enter into a relationship with Jesus. What if we sat across from Jesus and signed off on everything He offered for our salvation? Would it help us to comprehend the amazing number of spiritual transactions that took place when Jesus became our substitute on the Cross? What would that closing appointment look like?

    I imagined sitting down across from Jesus to close the deal. His smile was welcoming and kind as he arranged the papers on the table.

    Jesus: I am rejoicing that you have decided to follow Me. Let’s start with this document. This is the Forgiveness contract. In this one all of your sins are forgiven. Past, present, and future. God the Father will remember them no more. Let me paraphrase how my servant Paul put it to the Roman believers.

    Romans 8:1- So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Me.

    Do you accept this offer?

    Me: Absolutely!

    Jesus: Next are the Adoption Papers. These say that you are now a child of God. You are no longer separated from the Father. Paul told the Galatians we are all children of God through faith. (Galatians 3:26) Just sign right here and know that now you are His beloved child. Trust me, that is a wonderful position to be in. 

    The next document is the Eternal Warranty. This says that I guarantee my work on the Cross forever. There is nothing Satan can do to change this agreement. I remember when I said this to John and he wrote it in His Gospel account.

    I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. (John 10:28-29)

    This can never be voided. You understand that I am guaranteeing this and you have to do nothing to keep it in place?

    Me: I do. This is amazing.

    Jesus: Sign here and I will tell you about our kingdom HOA agreement. It is a little different from your earthly version. It says here you have a home in Heaven and that you are part of the worldwide community of believers. That all of my followers will live together in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Paul explained it to the Corinthian Church…

    For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body-whether Jews of Greeks, whether slaves or free-and have all been made to drink into one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13)

     The next thing we need to look at is the Name Change document.

    This one says you will have a new title. You are still Dave but you will be DBA (doing business as) with a new name. Saint. That’s right. All of my followers are saints because of their relationship with me.

    Let’s talk about Dwelling Rights next. This document says the Holy Spirit will come to dwell in you. This is such good deal because the Spirit seals you and guides you every moment. You have the presence of God in you by simply agreeing with this truth. After you initial and sign that we will look at the Identity Protection contract.

    This document says that you have a brand new identity and it cannot be taken away or hacked. It says that today you are spiritually regenerated as a result of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Gospel message that my Father gave to you through my life, death, and resurrection. Paul put in this way.

    This means that anyone who belongs to (Me) has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Cor. 5:17)

    You doing okay? You look a little overwhelmed. Let’s look at the Inheritance Clause. By agreeing to follow Me today you are now entitled to everything that the Father promises to Me. I know. That is amazing. There may be some trials along the way but it will be so worth it. Read what was written to the Roman Church.

    And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. (Romans 8:17)

    The next document says you don’t need to add anything else to complete this agreement. My sometimes impetuous child Peter said it very well.

    By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3)

    Everything is being given to you at this moment and it further states that you are complete and lacking nothing. You have power over Satan and you don’t need to be a slave to sin. But never forget where that power comes from. You can’t do it without Me.

    Any questions?

    Me: This is unbelievable. Surely I have to bring something to the table to complete this deal?

    Jesus: Did you bring your sin?

    Me: Yes. Lots of it.

    Jesus: Do you recognize that you are separated from God by that sin and need a Savior to be reconciled and made right with Him?

    Me: Definitely

    Jesus: Do you believe that I took on your sin, went to the Cross, was killed, buried and rose again on the 3rd day? Do you believe I am the way, the truth, and the life

    Me: I do believe.

    Jesus: Then you are paid in full. The contract is in effect and cannot be voided.

    Me: Your grace is incomprehensible.

    Jesus smiles and stands up. He moves toward me and embraces me.

    There is one more thing I need to say. Welcome to the Family!

  • One Thing Grace Doesn’t Cover

    One Thing Grace Doesn’t Cover

    I talk about Grace so much that the auto-suggest on my phone pops up the word as soon as I hit “G”. I suspect that sometimes you faithful readers wish I would mix up my topics. The truth is I cannot. Understanding grace rocked my spiritual world and changed my walk with God in dramatic and wonderful ways.

    I regularly extol the virtues of grace for a follower of Jesus. Grace compels you to trust others with you. Grace compels you to trust Jesus with your sin because you can’t manage it yourself. Grace compels you to forgive because you have been forgiven. Grace compels you to accept others and not judge them. Grace compels you to move toward the unlovable and not away. Grace compels you to sacrifice when you desire security. Grace compels you to love when your heart is hateful. Grace compels you to trust God when you are afraid and weak.

    The amazing thing about God’s grace is that He is not a God of a second chance. He is a God of chance after chance after chance ad infinitum. We are never outside God’s redeeming grace, no matter how much or how often we blow it.

    But there is one thing that God’s amazing grace does not cover.

    The consequences of intentional sin. Paul makes it very clear.

    Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. (Galatians 6:7, NLT)

    I have been deeply saddened and sometimes angered by followers of Jesus who blithely act in ways that are clearly against God’s Word and then proclaim that His grace will cover them. Some call that cheap grace. I cannot label a gift bought with such a price “cheap”. Indeed there are grace abusers and I wrote about that very topic in my book, Waking Up Slowly.

    To borrow from my brother Saint Paul, here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: grace can never be viewed as a cheap gift. It cost Jesus everything. I challenge you to kneel at the foot of the cross and look up. There is nothing cheap about the transaction that Jesus suffered for you and me. Nothing causes me to lose my Sunday school lesson quicker than the cheap-grace posse. And yes, I know that some people misuse grace. There is a word for that.

    Sin.

    The truth is that grace is the only real antidote for sin and should never, ever, be the excuse for sin. Paul addressed the heresy that grace gives me license to sin, and he was rightfully dismayed (you might even say ticked off).

    Sin will have no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?

    Absolutely not!

    Romans 6:14-15, NET (emphasis added)

    Here is a sampling of other translations of Paul’s undisguised chagrin expressed in Romans 6:15 at the very thought that the sweet grace of the Gospel would be abused:

    God forbid! (KJV)
    Of course not! (NLT)
    May it never be! (NASB)
    By no means! (ESV)

    Clearly Paul is appalled by the idea that we would even consider using this sacrificial gift of unmerited grace as cover for selfish behavior and sin.

    Frederick William Faber is credited with this observation.

    “God does not save us by grace so that we may live in disgrace.”

    Grace will provide forgiveness for sin but not escape from it’s consequences. Betrayal of a spouse may make you feel better but you do not escape the weight of that sin on those you hurt and on your own heart. Just read the terrible consequences of David’s adultery and you recognize that even a king described as a “man after God’s own heart” cannot dodge the effects of sin. Anytime you rationalize sin by saying that grace has you covered you have bought a lie from the Enemy.

    Grace was costly. Grace was painful for God the Father to implement. If you are tempted to abuse that grace perhaps you should review if you really understand the cost paid to make it possible. Grace covers everything. Except the pain left behind in the wake of selfish sin.

  • Twitter Rules from Jesus and Paul

    Twitter Rules from Jesus and Paul

    Social media is depressing. After a taking a recent sanity exit from Twitter a song from my (much) younger days triggered the musing for this week. The song Easy to be Hard was written for the musical Hair but it became a big hit as a cover for Three Dog Night. The lyrics could have been written today about the disappointing interactions on Twitter, Facebook and other platforms.

    How can people be so heartless
    How can people be so cruel
    Easy to be hard
    Easy to be cold.

    I could sing those lyrics almost anytime I cruise through the comments section on Twitter. The dialogue is often mean, unforgiving, and disheartening. I get particularly distressed when people of faith descend to that level of discourse. People who have proudly labeled themselves in their bio as followers of Jesus use language on social media that once would have made a sailor blush. Regular readers of my musings know I am not a purveyor of guilt in my writings. I am just asking a question. Is this the way we should be communicating as a public follower of Jesus?

    One push back I hear is that any words other than taking the Lord’s name in vain are merely words. There is some truth to that. Jesus made it clear that what is in our heart is really the issue. So if you have profanity in your heart you might as well let’er rip. Right? Paul moves from meditation to meddling with these words to the church at Ephesus.

    Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29, NLT

    That makes it pretty clear for a Christian. Words do matter. Perhaps the biggest issue is how do Christians, who clearly are called to a higher standard, react to an increasingly coarse culture? It is so easy to get angry and caught up in emotional debates when you are being goaded by an unkind person.

    Here are some more annoying words from Paul to the Colossians.

    Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:6, NLT

    How do Christians respond to those who oppose them? It is certainly easy and temporarily satisfying to respond in kind. But here is what Jesus said we should do.

    “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke 6:35-36, NLT

    Not a lot of room to rationalize my “righteous” anger. For my fellow followers of Jesus I suggest the following. Set a higher standard but don’t be self-righteous about it. Just live it. Defend your position with intelligent arguments and don’t descend to ugly name calling. Pray for the heart of those who offend you with mean spirited responses. Remember that the battle is the Lord’s and we are called to share His love and the Good News of the Gospel.

    Words matter. A lot. So here is one safe word you can always default to.

    Grace.

    And love them like Jesus. Then you will truly represent the Father as His grateful child. It’s not easy. But it is right.

  • Time for a Family Conference!

    Time for a Family Conference!

    While our three sons were living under our roof there were five words that struck fear in their hearts.

    “Time for a family conference”.

    They knew that I was about to have a conversation with them and I was going to do most of the talking. I suspect they felt I was being punitive when I called for a conference. The truth is I was pursuing protective love and not punishment. Protective love sees a family dynamic that is hurting someone in the family and when one in the family is hurting all of us are hurting.

    When I see the current dynamics of my Christian family I wish I could call a family conference with a heart of protective love. I see social media posts from friends who identify with Jesus that are downright mean and ungraceful. Some repost things that are supposed to be funny but are disrespectful. Others repost sensational stories without verifying them. All of those actions dim the light of our witness.

    I totally understand that there are cultural trends that dismay followers of Jesus. I support standing up for the truth. But I am convicted more than ever that the only way to have an impact is to communicate that truth in love.

    I already know the push back from some readers. They remind me that Jesus got angry and even destructive when he overturned the tables in the Temple. Fair point. So I have compiled a brief survey to complete. Please check each statement that is true about you.

    _____ I have never sinned.

    _____ I know with 100 per cent accuracy the heart and motives of those I disagree with.

    If you can check both of those statements then I will happily grant you the “Jesus Exemption”. For the rest of us I would suggest that we concentrate more on following the words of Jesus.

    “Do to others as you would like them to do to you. If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that?” Luke 6:31

    Or maybe we should follow the example of Paul. He found himself in Athens surrounded by people that had to upset him. His strategy was brilliant and instructive for social media today. I wrote about it in When Bad Christians Happen to Good People.

    What if we decided to be a kinder and gentler culture warrior, fearlessly and boldly confronting the culture with a great and incomprehensible love? I can tell you in advance that the results would be mixed. Acts 17 documents the apostle Paul’s visit to the city of Athens, a city that caused him great distress (the Greek word, roughly translated, means “ticked off”) because the city was full of idols. Yet, instead of arguing with or maligning the Jews and God-fearing Greeks, he reasoned with them and others who came to listen. Paul was introducing them to some strange ideas, and they wanted to know more. Verse 21 notes that residents of Athens spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas. Their pastime could be considered an ancient version of our talk-radio format. I love what happens next. Paul met his audience where they were. He stood up and said, “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship [notice no condemnation of the idols that Paul obviously found distasteful], I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you” (verses 22-23).

    Brilliant! In broadcasting this is known as packaging your idea. You set up a common interest and then tease the audience with the coming payoff to keep them tuned in. But what if Paul and the early believers had approached Athens with some of the strategies we use today? Several believers would march throughout the marketplace defiantly holding up placards:

    “If you think you are stoic now, wait till the Lord returns!”

    “Hey, Epicureans…the party’s over!”

    What if Paul had stepped up and announced, “Repent, you pagan, godless sons of the devil, before you burn in a fiery hell. Take your idols and put them where the goddess of sunlight doesn’t shine.”

    I don’t think Paul would have had much of an audience, let alone success. When he finished speaking to the crowd in Athens, the Bible records the box score. It’s pretty much what you and I can expect when we sincerely and lovingly explain our faith. Some of them sneered. Some of them said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” And a few “believed.” Paul endured all that he did for those who believed and those who wanted to hear more. He could not have enjoyed the sneers. While that response is not unexpected, it is never fun.

    The early church had no chance to “win” the culture war. Instead they built a community of believers that infiltrated the culture.

    Winning hearts almost always works by communicating the truth with grace and love. Truth communicated as law will harden hearts. Truth communicated with grace and love has a chance to soften and change them. To wit, I have never seen one single example of a person persuaded by a Facebook rant. I have seen hundreds hardened in their beliefs (right or wrong) by those tactics.

    Change happens when the God’s love breaks through the hurt and confusion of the past and shows the future hope of grace and forgiveness. I will buy you coffee if you can show when a change of heart happened by being harangued and called names. Change happens when the gentle and quiet voice of the Spirit touches a wounded heart. So my plea to my fellow followers of Jesus is to realize you represent Him when you proclaim your truths in the name of Jesus. If you can’t be graceful you might prayerfully consider removing the Jesus tags from your bio. I don’t say that to be mean. I am simply saying if you are representing Jesus you have this standard to follow.

    God blesses those who work for peace,
        for they will be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9

    And I might call in Paul for backup at my family conference.

    Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29

    Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:6

    I know how easy it is to get riled up with internet threads. Remember who you represent and respond accordingly. Jesus makes it clear.

    A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. Luke 6:45

    All followers of Jesus need to prayerfully examine our hearts before we hit send.